With the NBA trade deadline coming to a close today at 3:00 eastern and pretty much being a bust due to no big moves happening, no better time than now to announce this weeks Top 25 Mid Major Poll that we released to readers on Monday. For those of you that haven’t followed the Maddux Sports mid major poll before it spotlights underrated teams from conferences that don’t get a lot of pub from the media. Do to the growing interest of the Maddux Sports mid major poll, instead of releasing the weekly rankings through other means, we have now decided to strictly post the top 25 mid major basketball teams on our blog each week.
Sharp sports handicappers that follow college hoops and release winning basketball picks like Maddux Sports have a better idea of who the best mid major teams in the country are than any other sports writer or media poll, for the simple fact we know these teams in and out. It is a little different voting for something when you put your hard earned dollar behind a purpose compared with the sorry saps that just watch ESPN college game night to see who the best mid majors are. This week was interesting because the bracket busters just concluded, pitting a number of these teams head to head. Onto to the Maddux Sports top 25 mid major basketball poll.
| Rank | Team | Previous Rank |
| 1 | Southern Illinois (MVC) Proved they are the number 1 mid major over the weekend by knocking off Butler in their house. Nasty defense. |
1 |
| 2 | Butler (Horizon) Lost 2 out of 3 games, don’t fall apart on us now Butler. |
2 |
| 3 | Winthrop (Big South) Deserving of at large bid, phenomenal win over Missouri State in their house. Will not be an upset whoever they beat in the first round of the tourney. |
5 |
| 4 | Missouri State (MVC) 2 losses in a row, at a loose Wichita State team this week to try and get back on track is not the best medicine. |
3 |
| 5 | Creighton (MVC) At large deserving, loss to Drexel is a little cause for concern, but if team is healthy look out. |
4 |
| 6 | Davidson (Southern) Sad this isn’t a 2 bid league, both Davidson and App St are deserving. Should rap up Southern title this weekend. |
7 |
| 7 | Virginia Commonwealth (Colonial) Respectable loss at home to Bradley, could wipe away chance at an at-large bid. Great team with shot to win Colonial regular season title over the weekend. |
6 |
| 8 | Appalachian State (Southern) Too bad Davidson doesn’t lose, Southern tourney will be do or die for Mountaineers. |
8 |
| 9 | Old Dominion (Colonial) 9 wins in a row, team hitting on all cylinders right, 2 cupcakes remain, look out team could be an at large bid in the tourney. |
11 |
| 10 | Bradley (MVC) With Crouch back, Braves will be tough to beat from here on out. Great win at VCU on Saturday. |
10 |
| 11 | Akron (MAC) Nice shellacking of underrated Austin Peay on Saturday, tough game against improved Miami Ohio this week. |
12 |
| 12 | Gonzaga (WCC) 2 losses in a row at home? Zags showed they still have talent losing to Memphis in OT. Just not top 10 talent. |
9 |
| 13 | Drexel (Colonial) Great win at Creighton, will be tough out in Colonial tourney. |
16 |
| 14 | Santa Clara (WCC) No bracket buster, but you are looking at the WCC regular season champions. |
13 |
| 15 | Hofstra (Colonial) Tough Holy Cross team took them to the wire, still good, but now just playing out remainder of schedule for seeding into Colonial tournament. |
15 |
| 16 | Wichita State (MVC) Another disappointing loss for talented group. Missouri State could be turn the season around type game for momentum into Valley tourney. |
14 |
| 17 | Wright State (Horizon) Playing great ball, shot to win Horizon title this week. |
17 |
| 18 | Kent State (MAC) After beating Mason on Sat, have won 8 of 9, Flashes turning it on at the right time as usual. |
19 |
| 19 | Holy Cross (Patriot) Showed moxie going into Hofstra and almost winning it outright. |
20 |
| 20 | Loyola Chicago (Horizon) 6 wins in a row including a 20 point romp on Saturday. Huge game against Butler this week. |
23 |
| 21 | Northern Iowa (MVC) Under .500 in the Valley but this team can still play, will need to win the MVC tourney if the hope to go dancing. |
18 |
| 22 | Marist (MEAC) Maybe underrated, starting to put it together winning 6 straight and in control of winning MEAC conference. |
NR |
| 23 | Texas A&M Corpus Christi (Southland) No bracket buster game, but Islanders keep pounding teams and are the best team in the Southland conference. |
NR |
| 24 | Long Beach State (Big West) Home loss to Hawaii drops them, but still in control of winning Big West conference. |
22 |
| 25 | Oral Roberts (Mid-Con) Respectable loss to Utah State, although it was at home, Golden Eagles hanging on by a thread to stay in the poll. |
25 |
Notables: (Teams on the cusp of making the top 25): Austin Peay (OVC), Bucknell (Patriot), Vermont (America East), Penn (Ivy), W. Kentucky (Sun Belt)
Please note the only excluded teams from the top 25 mid major poll are from the following conferences, A-10, ACC, Big 10, Big East, Conference USA, Pac 10, Mountain West, SEC, and the WAC.
Stay tuned for next weeks top 25 mid major poll released on Monday right here at Maddux’s Blog.
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