If the talk of NCAA men’s basketball hasn’t been court-storming or who the top overall seed should be, it’s been certain mid-major conferences. The Mountain West is projected to send six teams to the NCAA Tournament. Multiple other conferences have been multi-bid leagues for years. It’s time these conferences break the “mid-major” label. Here are the conferences that, were the mid-majors to separate, would be labeled “high-major” conferences.

Click here and here to catch up on where the other mid-major conferences stand.

5. Missouri Valley Conference (MVC)

The MVC has arrived on the scene. It’ll need a certain scenario to play out, but the MVC may send two teams to the dance this year. One of those teams is Indiana State. The Sycamores, led by goggled phenom Robbie Avila, land tenth in the nation in points per game. Though Indiana State’s resume lacks convincing wins outside of the conference, its 26-5 record is one of the best in America.

The other team with aspirations this month is Drake. The Bulldogs based in Des Moines beat Nevada by 19 early in the year and is a part of the “I beat Indiana State” club. Drake also swept Bradley in their season series. The Bulldogs sit at 25-6, but need help to make the tournament.

It doesn’t get easier for Drake when teams such as Bradley (wins over Utah State, UAB, Vermont), Belmont (12-8 in its first year in the MVC), Northern Iowa (wins over Stanford and Richmond), and Southern Illinois (wins over Oklahoma State and Indiana State) can put on a masterclass when they can. The lowest-ranked, but fastest-rising high-major conference is planting its flag with authority.

4. West Coast Conference (WCC)

Gonzaga is not a mid-major. It is a high-major. The WCC is also waking up and finally trying to knock Gonzaga down a peg. This conference is no longer a foregone conclusion, thanks to the emergence of programs like Saint Mary’s, San Francisco, and Santa Clara.

All of the top four teams in this conference have jaw-dropping resumes for “mid-major” standards. Saint Mary’s has wins over Colorado State, New Mexico, Gonzaga, and UNLV. Gonzaga started slow, but has caught fire since February and has beaten Kentucky, Saint Mary’s, Syracuse, UCLA, and USC. San Francisco picked up three Power Six wins (though whether one counts DePaul as a power team this year is subjective). Santa Clara knocked off three PAC-12 teams (Washington State, Oregon, Stanford) in non-conference play and handed Gonzaga its lone road loss in WCC play.

Teams further down the ballot have accomplishments of their own, too. San Diego beat Arizona State in come-from-behind fashion. Even Pacific University, losers of 17 straight to end the season, beat Cal by eight. With the PAC-12 set to dissolve this summer, the WCC will be the premier conference on the West Coast for college basketball.

3. Atlantic 10 (A-10)

The A-10 is a gauntlet this season. A yearly shoe-in for two or more bids, this conference does not have a team with fewer than 11 wins. Every team in the league, from worst to best, has at least a quality win.

• Saint Louis: Louisiana Tech, Hofstra
• George Washington: VCU, Hofstra
• Rhode Island: Yale, Massachusetts
• Davidson: Maryland, Charlotte
• Fordham: North Texas
• La Salle: Massachusetts, Drexel
• Saint Joseph’s: Villanova, Princeton
• George Mason: Dayton, Cornell
• St. Bonaventure: Oklahoma State, Loyola Chicago
• Duquesne: Bradley, VCU, College of Charleston
• Massachusetts: South Florida, Richmond
• VCU: Dayton, Penn State
• Dayton: Cincinnati, St. John’s, LSU
• Loyola Chicago: Dayton, Boston College
• Richmond: Dayton, Charlotte

Five different teams picked up a win on a Power Six opponent this season. This conference is a high-major in every sense, but still is not the best of the rest.

2. American Athletic Conference (American)

If the A-10 is a gauntlet, then what word describes the American? The American is the A-10 but better and with more potential at-large bids. South Florida has put together a legendary season since the calendar turned to 2024, outperforming teams like Florida Atlantic (FAU), Memphis, and Southern Methodist (SMU). Charlotte is also 12-5 in conference play with an interim coach. Even with SMU’s impending departure, this conference will be one of the best in the country for years. Only one high-major conference stands above this one, though. Here are the big wins every team has, from last to first.

• Temple: Drexel
• Tulane: Memphis, Cal
• UTSA: SMU, North Texas
• Rice: Memphis, UAB
• Wichita State: SMU, Richmond
• Tulsa: Charlotte, Loyola Chicago
• East Carolina: UNCW
• North Texas: Memphis, SMU
• UAB: South Florida, FAU, Memphis, Maryland, Drake
• SMU: Florida State, Memphis, West Virginia, Charlotte
• Memphis: Virginia, Clemson, Arkansas, FAU, Michigan, UAB, Charlotte
• Charlotte: FAU, UAB, North Texas
• FAU: Arizona, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Loyola Chicago
• South Florida: Florida State, FAU, Memphis, Loyola Chicago

1. Mountain West

The Mountain West may be the fourth-best basketball conference in the country right now. There are more teams in the top 50 of KenPom than Big East teams. Six teams are projected to make the NCAA Tournament. Some of the worse teams in this conference would still be great teams at the mid-major level, this conference is just too good. These teams let their resumes speak for themselves.

• San Jose State: UC Irvine, Santa Clara
• Air Force: New Mexico, UNLV
• Fresno State: 2022 The Basketball Classic champions
• Wyoming: Nevada, Colorado State, Charleston
• Colorado State: Creighton, San Diego State, Utah State, Washington, Colorado, Boston College
• New Mexico: San Diego State, Utah State, Nevada, Colorado State, UC Irvine
• San Diego State: Saint Mary’s, Gonzaga, Washington, Utah State, Nevada, Colorado State, New Mexico, Cal, Stanford
• UNLV: Creighton, San Diego State, Colorado State, New Mexico, Boise State, Hofstra
• Boise State: Saint Mary’s, San Diego State, Nevada, Colorado State, New Mexico
• Nevada: TCU, Washington, San Diego State, Utah State, Colorado State, Georgia Tech
• Utah State: San Diego State, Colorado State, Boise State, UC Irvine, Santa Clara, San Francisco

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