Conference races

Let's take a quick peek at every conference race, which impacts the bracket from the very top to the very bottom.  Let's take inventory.

America East:  Stony Brook and Vermont are at 3-0, and everyone else already has at least 2 losses (UMass-Lowell is ineligible, remember).

AAC:  Cincy is the only undefeated team through 5.  Memphis and UConn 2 back in the loss column.

A-10:  3 teams undefeated through 3 games:  UMass, St Louis, LaSalle.  Hey, LaSalle, I remember you!  Their at-large profile is mostly junked at this point, but they can throw a wrench into the bubble picture in this conference.

ACC:  Syracuse and Pitt lead at 4-0.  Long way to go.

A-Sun:  Mercer and FGCU at 5-1 lead.  UNF and Jax one game back.  This could quickly escalate into another 2-horse race.

Big 12:  Kansas is the only undefeated left at 3-0.  LOOOOOOOONG way to go.

Big East:  Creighton 5-0, Villanova 4-0, Xavier 4-1.  Separation is the key to a high seed for Creighton and 'Nova.

Big Sky:  Early and jumbled (N. Colorado, Montana St, and N. Arizona on 4-1, Weber St on 3-1).  We'll know more later.

Big South:  Everyone's played 3 games.  Everyone's already lost.  Say hi to the play-in game, Big South.

Big West:  It's still early.  UC-Irvine and Cal Poly at 3-0.  Check back later.

Colonial:  Delaware 3-0, Towson 2-0.  It's early here too.

CUSA:  You know, for a 16 team conference with everyone only playing 2 or 3 games so far....there's only 2 undefeateds (LT and ODU).  This is going to be a hot mess all season long.

Horizon:  Green Bay is alone at 3-0 at the top.  I'm expecting a hypercompetitive league.

Ivy:  Not even underway for half the league yet.

MAAC:  This is one conference well deep into conference play.  Manhattan 6-1, Canisius 5-1, Iona 5-1.  This is a kind of weird conference where the bad might be really bad and the good might be really good.  I expect many postseason teams in this conference.

MAC:  Akron is left as the only undefeated at 3-0.  Over in the MAC West, Toledo, EMU and WMU are at least making that half look decent for once.

MEAC:  Early, and 4 undefeateds, and 3 winless.  More extremes in this conference.

MVC:  Wichita on 5-0.  Well, so is Indiana St.  But we know what's happening here.

MW:  SDSU on 4-0.  Nevada is the shocker, sitting on 4-1.  It won't last.  For now, they're just getting in the way.

Northeast:  Robert Morris at 3-0, everyone else has absorbed a loss.  Future probably isn't looking too bright for the conference.

OVC:  Murray St at 5-0, last undefeated.  Figures, in a year they were supposed to fall back a bit.

Pac-12:  Cal has joined Arizona in an undefeated start.

Patriot:  Boston and American(!) on 5-0, leading.  Army at 4-1.  A bit of the changing of the guard early in this conference.  Unfortunately, this will likely come with a 16 seed in March.

SEC:  Tire fire.  Florida and A&M(!) on 3-0 lead.  Still plenty of time to see this conference burn.

SoCon:  Chattanooga 5-0, W. Carolina 3-0.  Some bad teams, it looks like, which means potential for separation at the top.  It's also their only hope at missing the play-in game.

Southland:  SFA is 5-0, a bunch of teams with 1 loss right behind, we need more clarity later.

SWAC:  Southern 4-0.  Who cares?

Summit:  Still early, but IPFW and South Dakota lead.  NDSU absorbed a loss already, oops.

Sun Belt:  Georgia St (4-0) is the last undefeated?  Ok then.

WCC:  Gonzaga 5-1.  Yawn.  Hey, did you konw all 10 teams already have 10 wins this season?  They might monopolize the CBI this year.

WAC:  New Mexico St actually trails by a half-game in this conference.  Good God.