If the season ended Sunday, the Colonial Athletic Association would have three teams — Old Dominion, George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth — with at least 20 wins. That’s more than the Big Ten and the ACC. Will the CAA receive three bids to the NCAA tournament? It certainly has earned consideration.
4. Pedigree » From a mid-major? Well, when a conference has had three different teams in the last five years score first-round knockouts, then yes, a certain amount of pedigree begins to take shape. Oh, and those three teams — George Mason, ODU and VCU — all currently are ranked in the RPI top 60.
3. Good wins » George Mason took care of Ivy League front-runner Harvard and handed A-10 contender Duquesne a rare home loss. VCU toppled UCLA at Madison Square Garden. ODU beat A-10 heavyweights Xavier and Richmond. Those are five wins that will come in handy on Selection Sunday.
2. Getting hot » In their last 10 games, George Mason, VCU and ODU are a combined 27-3, with two of those three losses coming against each other. They also are a combined 9-2 against their closest three in-conference foes, Hofstra, James Madison and Drexel.
1. Expanded field » Perhaps the biggest reason for the CAA elite to have hope. Three extra teams will make the NCAA tournament this season. Barring a dark horse busting up the favorites in the conference tournament, the CAA — which has as many teams (six) in the RPI top 90 as the Pac-10, A-10 and Conference USA — could sneak an extra team into the big dance.
