Power Ranking the College Basketball Conferences Heading into the New Year

College basketball conference play is about to pick up in earnest around the country, but not before we were able to put together one more power ranking of all 32 conferences.

The ranking logic was broken into several tiers.

For the bottom 18 conferences with virtually no hope of multiple tournament bids, ranking was based on who would win if the top three teams from each conference played a round-robin tournament against the top three teams from the other 17 conferences.

For the middle eight conferences, ranking was based on the likelihood of sending multiple teams to the NCAA tournament. For example, the Mountain West is at No. 7 because we feel that—outside of the six power conferences—it has the best chance of sending at least three teams to the tournament. Meanwhile, the Horizon League ranks No. 14 because its chances of sending two teams are pretty slim.

Finally, the top six conferences are ranked on a combination of how well they fared against one another and what percentage of their "population" we feel is likely to make the NCAA tournament.

Did you know that despite losing the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, the ACC actually has a 13-8 record against the Big Ten? And did you know that the Big East is a combined 14-6 against the ACC and Big Ten?

So when you're wondering why those three conferences are ranked in the order that they are, there's your short answer.

Statistics current through the start of play on Tuesday, December 30.

The Bottom 12

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

We'll take a more in-depth look at the top 20 conferences, but we're merely listing the bottom dozen while parenthetically suggesting who we would want from that conference if absolutely forced to pick one team to win any given game.

32. (Previous Rank: 32) Southwestern Athletic (Texas Southern)

31. (30) Mid-Eastern Athletic (North Carolina Central)

30. (31) Northeast (St. Francis PA)

29. (25) Western Athletic (New Mexico State)

28. (29) Southland (Stephen F. Austin)

27. (18) Big Sky (Eastern Washington)

26. (27) Big South (High Point)

25. (28) Southern (Wofford)

24. (20) Atlantic Sun (Florida Gulf Coast)

23. (21) Summit League (Denver)

22. (26) America East (Stony Brook)

21. (24) Patriot (Army)

20. Ohio Valley

Joel Auerbach/Associated Press

Previous Rank: 22

Best Win: Eastern Kentucky @ Miami (72-44)

Torch Bearers

Even before the big upset over Miami, Eastern Kentucky was the top dog in the Ohio Valley conference. The Colonels force more than 20 turnovers per game and attempt nearly 50 percent of their field goals from three-point range—not much unlike the formula VCU used to make the Final Four a few years ago. 

Depth

Murray State and Belmont will be the biggest challengers to Eastern Kentucky. Like EKY, Belmont relies very heavily on three-pointers and could get hot and upset just about anyone on the right day. Murray State is quite efficient on offense but has the half-court defense of a team trying to play four-on-five. 

What to Watch For

Could Chris Horton be named Ohio Valley Player of the Year despite playing for one of the worst teams?

Austin Peay is just 2-8 vs. D-I opponents, but Horton is averaging 12.0 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. He's leading the conference in rebounds and blocks, serving as a diamond in the rough for the Governors.

19. Colonial Athletic Association

John Minchillo/Associated Press

Previous Rank: 19

Best Win: Northeastern @ Florida State (76-73)

Torch Bearers

Northeastern has the best win, but Hofstra is arguably the best team. 

Led by Niagara transfers Juan'ya Green and Ameen Tanksley and SMU transfer Brian Bernardi, the Pride look nothing like they did a year ago. This is good news, because last year's team went 10-23 and nearly finished in dead-last in the CAA.

Hofstra does have four losses, but it hasn't been blown out this season. The Pride take pride in not turning the ball over. They also shoot very well from three-point range. Should they win the conference tournament, they will not be an easy team for a No. 3 or No. 4 seed to face in its first game.

Depth

The Colonial is loaded with middle-of-the-road teams that could conceivably knock off a bottom-tier power-conference team like Virginia Tech or DePaul, but Northeastern is the only team aside from Hofstra that could actually do some damage against a bubble-or-better team. Scott Eatherton is the real deal at power forward, averaging 16.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

What to Watch For

Does Hofstra have two of the best three-point shooters in the entire country?

Tanksley is shooting 53.7 percent and Bernardi is hitting 49.4 percent of his long-range shots. They're both making at least three triples per game. There are only four other players in the nation shooting at least 47.5 percent and making at least three three-pointers per game.

18. Metro Atlantic Athletic

USA TODAY Sports

Previous Rank: 23

Best Win: Iona vs. Florida Gulf Coast (86-67)

Torch Bearers

Iona is the cream of the crop, and it's not even close.

Entering play on Tuesday, the Gaels ranked eighth in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com (subscription required). They don't play much defense, but they'll shoot you to death. They have scored at least 73 points in every game and are averaging 85.2 points per night.

Depth

Beyond Iona, the MAAC doesn't have jack. Canisius is probably the second-best team, but the Golden Griffins don't even have an offensive efficiency on par with the national average.

What to Watch For

Is A.J. English the best player that no one is talking about?

Iona's junior shooting guard is averaging 23.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.8 APG and 1.5 SPG. It helps that he's playing more than 37 minutes per game for one of the fastest-paced offenses in the country, but it's primarily because of him that Iona has one of the most efficient offenses.

17. Sun Belt

USA TODAY Sports

Previous Rank: 16

Best Win: Georgia State vs. Green Bay (72-48)

Torch Bearers

Not only is Georgia State the best team in the Sun Belt, but the Panthers are one of the five best mid-major teams in the entire country. Led by Ryan Harrow and R.J. Hunter, Georgia State plays an efficient, turnover-free game that is only going to get better once Hunter rediscovers his three-point stroke.

Depth

As was the case with the MAAC, there's a pretty big drop after No. 1. Louisiana-Lafayette is looking better now that Shawn Long is healthy. Georgia Southern has an outstanding player in Jelani Hewitt. But there's no question that Georgia State is the Sun Belt's best shot at a tournament upset.

What to Watch For

What happens if Georgia State runs the table only to falter in the conference tournament?

The Panthers do have four losses, but not a single one of those four road losses to likely tournament teams could possibly be considered bad. One slip-up between now and March 7 would probably mean it's auto bid or bust, but there's at least an outside shot that the Sun Belt could be a two-bid league if someone knocks off the 20-0 Panthers when it really counts.

16. Big West

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Previous Rank: 15

Best Win: Long Beach State vs. Xavier (73-70)

Torch Bearers

Two weeks before the start of the season, Hawaii fired its head coach. Yet, somehow, the Warriors are the team to beat in the Big West. They already have wins over Pittsburgh, Colorado and Nebraska. They even pushed Wichita State to overtime before falling by one.

Depth

More than most conferences, the Big West is totally up for grabs.

Long Beach State has nine losses, but that's a product of playing the most difficult schedule in the country. UC Santa Barbara's schedule hasn't been much easier, and the Gauchos have suffered three losses in overtime. UC Irvine and UC Davis will be contenders too.

What to Watch For

What will Alan Williams' most ridiculous box score look like?

Already this season, Williams has 29 points and 16 rebounds in an overtime loss to Florida Gulf Coast and 22 points, 20 rebounds and six blocks in an overtime win over Mercer. Might he have a triple-double up his sleeve?

15. Ivy League

Steve Dykes/Getty Images

Previous Rank: 17

Best Win: Yale @ Connecticut (45-44)

Torch Bearers

Despite getting ripped to shreds by Virginia and subsequently scoring just 46 points against Arizona State, Harvard remains the team to beat in the nation's smartest conference. Someone other than Wesley Saunders needs to step up in a big way for this team, and he needs to do it soon.

Depth

Harvard is still best in the Ivy because its top challengers haven't exactly shown much as of late.

Since picking up that nice road win over Connecticut, Yale was destroyed by Florida and beaten at home by Albany. Columbia is likely this conference's second-best team. You may remember the Lions from the night they threatened to end Kentucky's perfect season. They take a ton of three-pointers but have been pretty inconsistent about making them thus far.

What to Watch For

Will anyone get to Harvard early?

Five of the Crimson's first six conference games are on the road, including games against Princeton and Yale. If they haven't been dealt at least one conference loss by the first weekend in February, it's just about a foregone conclusion that they will dance for a fourth straight year, since the Ivy League doesn't have a conference tournament.

14. Horizon League

Mike McGinnis/Getty Images

Previous Rank: 13

Best Win: Green Bay @ Miami (68-55)

Torch Bearers

Green Bay lost big man Alec Brown from last year's team, but the Phoenix should still be the best team in the Horizon League with Keifer Sykes leading the way.

Defense is crucial for this Green Bay team that really struggles from both the free-throw line and three-point range. The Phoenix are 10-0 when holding opponents to 62 points or less, but they have given up at least 72 points in each of their three losses.

Depth

In the past week, Wright State lost to Ohio State by 45, Detroit extended its losing streak to four games with a 39-point loss to Arizona State and Cleveland State lost a home game to Eastern Illinois.

Translation: If anyone is going to contend with Green Bay, it's Valparaiso. The Crusaders just improved to 13-2 with a 27-point win at James Madison.

What to Watch For

Is this the worst shot-blocking conference ever?

Every team in the Horizon League has played at least 13 games, but there are only two players in the entire conference who have recorded more than 13 blocks—Valparaiso's Vashil Fernandez (48) and Illinois-Chicago's Tai Odiase (26). Meanwhile, Kentucky already has four players with at least 13 blocks.

13. Mid-American

USA TODAY Sports

Previous Rank: 12

Best Win: Eastern Michigan @ Michigan (45-42)

Torch Bearers

In a true road game against Kentucky, Buffalo led by a score of 38-33 at the half.

In a true road game against Wisconsin, Buffalo led by a score of 27-26 at the half.

The Bulls eventually ran out of gas in the second half of both games, but Bobby Hurley's club is for real. There are a lot of dangerous teams that could come out of the MAC, but there won't be a No. 5 seed in the country that wants to draw this team on Selection Sunday.

Depth

Toledo was the MAC team to beat for most of last season, and the Rockets are looking pretty strong again this year. They already have five losses but fought hard on the road against Duke, VCU and Oregon and lost one-possession games to Detroit and Oakland.

Bowling Green, Kent State and Eastern Michigan will each be in the mix for the conference title too.

What to Watch For

Could Justin Moss show up on the midseason Wooden Watch?

Buffalo's 6'7" forward is leading the conference in both points and rebounds, averaging a double-double with 17.0 PPG and 10.4 RPG. He has recorded a double-double in five of the last six games, including a 14-point, 12-rebound effort against Wisconsin.

12. Conference USA

Jason Hirschfeld/Associated Press

Previous Rank: 14

Best Win: Old Dominion vs. VCU (73-67)

Torch Bearers

Old Dominion improved to 11-1 on Monday night. The Monarchs have wins over VCU, LSU, Georgia State and Richmond, not to mention tricky wins away from home against George Mason and Gardner Webb. Led by Jonathan Arledge and Richard Ross, this is an excellent rebounding team that had one bad day against Illinois State.

Depth

In addition to Old Dominion, Louisiana Tech and UTEP each has a very realistic shot at an at-large bid. They both have four losses, but neither has lost a game by more than eight points nor lost a game to a particularly bad opponent.

If they can somehow avoid losing C-USA games to anyone but each other, all three could go dancing this March.

What to Watch For

How good is Charlotte?

The 49ers lost by three at Georgetown the last time we saw them, dropping to 6-5 on the season. Like Louisiana Tech and UTEP, though, none of those losses is all that bad. They lost twice to Miami when the Hurricanes were red hot, lost by six at Davidson and lost by eight at George Washington.

More noteworthy than the losses are the neutral-court wins over Penn State and South Carolina.

Charlotte opens C-USA play with a home game against ODU on Sunday. In order to sneak into the at-large conversation, that's a must-win game.

11. American Athletic

Duane Burleson/Getty Images

Previous Rank: 11

Best Win: Temple vs. Kansas (77-52)

Torch Bearers

Since opening the season 2-3, SMU has won seven in a row, including quality wins over Wyoming, Michigan and UC Santa Barbara. And the Mustangs are still far from complete. Markus Kennedy just returned from academic ineligibility two games ago and hasn't come close to playing like he was at the end of last season.

Depth

The whole world—that includes us—was quick to give up on Connecticut after early struggles, but let's take a quick look at the Huskies' losses.

They lost on a buzzer-beater to a very good Texas team. They lost on a buzzer-beater to Yale in a game where Ryan Boatright's ankle was very clearly not at 100 percent. They lost a neutral-court game to a West Virginia team that has been much better than anyone thought it would be. And they lost a neutral-court game to Duke that was closer than the 10-point margin suggests.

SMU should win the conference, but Connecticut—along with Cincinnati and Temple—will give the Mustangs a run for their money.

What to Watch For

Was Temple's win over Kansas a sign of things to come?

Through 10 games, the Owls were 6-4 with blowout losses to Duke and Villanova and close losses to UNLV and Saint Joseph's. Boasting wins over La Salle and Louisiana Tech, it seemed like they were one piece away from really breaking through.

That piece might be Jesse Morgan. The former Massachusetts shooting guard has averaged 16.0 points since finally becoming eligible. It was his first regular-season action in nearly two full years, but you wouldn't know it from his 44 percent three-point stroke.

10. West Coast

USA TODAY Sports

Previous Rank: 9

Best Win: Gonzaga @ St. John's (73-66)

Torch Bearers

Gonzaga had an excellent nonconference slate, winning games against St. John's, UCLA, Georgia and SMU. In their singular loss, the Bulldogs pushed Arizona to overtime before falling on the road to one of the best teams in the country. At this point, the only question is whether they'll get a No. 1 seed if when they finish the season with a 33-1 record.

Depth

BYU had some tough early losses, including an overtime loss to Purdue and double-overtime loss to San Diego State—both on neutral courts. But the Cougars rebounded nicely with wins over Stanford and Massachusetts that should prove enough for a tournament bid, so long as they can avoid any terrible losses in conference.

Saint Mary's also has a couple of nice wins on its resume. The Gaels won at Creighton and have home wins over New Mexico State, Northeastern, UC Irvine and Denver.

What to Watch For

Who can possibly slow down Kyle Wiltjer?

Wiltjer has at least 21 points in four of his last six games for Gonzaga, and it's only going to get better as the former McDonald's All-American gets into the heart of West Coast conference play.

The man had 32 points against Georgia and 24 points against UCLA. If he put his mind to it, do you really think Santa Clara or Pacific could keep him from scoring 40?

9. Atlantic 10

Eugene Tanner/Associated Press

Previous Rank: 10

Best Win: George Washington vs. Wichita State (60-54)

Torch Bearers

VCU had a rough go of things as November bled into December, but the Rams have been dominant over the past few weeks since beating Northern Iowa in double overtime. They won consecutive games against Belmont, Cincinnati and East Tennessee State by at least 20 points each.

Depth

The A-10 got a huge boost when George Washington went through Ohio, Colorado and Wichita State to win the Diamond Head Classic last week.

For a little while there, it was looking like the A-10 might only send one team to the NCAA tournament this year. Now, not only does GW figure to be the second team out of this conference, but the Colonials will bring a very strong RPI into conference play that could be enough to help send a third or even fourth team to the dance, depending on what Dayton and Rhode Island decide to do over the next couple months.

What to Watch For

Will Dayton grab another rebound this season?

When the Flyers dismissed Devon Scott and Jalen Robinson from the team two weeks ago, their roster shrank considerably. They no longer have a player taller than 6'6" who has played a minute this season. It should be entertaining to watch the Flyers try to deal with A-10 big men like Youssou Ndoye, Shevon Thompson, and Cady Lalanne.

8. Missouri Valley

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Previous Rank: 7

Best Win: Northern Iowa vs. Iowa (56-44)

Torch Bearers

With Wichita State struggling to exude dominance over the past month, we're taking a leap of faith and passing the Missouri Valley torch to Northern Iowa.

The Panthers are 11-1 with wins over Iowa, Stephen F. Austin, Northwestern, Virginia Tech and Denver—all away from home. They play at a brutally slow tempo but have a very efficient offense thanks to high-percentage shots from Seth Tuttle and Wes Washpun.

They don't face Wichita State until the last day of January, but don't be surprised if both teams are ranked in the Top 15 in the country by then.

Depth

In addition to Northern Iowa and Wichita State, there are a few teams that could conceivably make this a three-bid league. Evansville, Loyola Chicago and Illinois State enter conference play with a combined record of 28-8 and bring vastly different strengths to the table. 

What to Watch For

How great is Evansville's inside-outside duo?

D.J. Balentine is leading the Missouri Valley in scoring at 22.5 points. After a slow start, he has at least 20 points in eight consecutive games. Meanwhile, Egidijus Mockevicius leads the conference in rebounds and is second in blocked shots with an overall line of 14.0 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 2.3 BPG. He already has eight double-doubles this season.

The Purple Aces are 10-2 with a pair of two-point losses to Green Bay and Murray State. If role players like Blake Simmons and Mislav Brzoja can slightly increase their production, this is a team that could really shake things up.

7. Mountain West

Eric Jamison/Associated Press

Previous Rank: 8

Best Win: UNLV vs. Arizona (71-67)

Torch Bearers

As the conference's only ranked team, Colorado State remains the Mountain West's torch bearer.

One of just six undefeated teams left in the country, the Rams have quality wins over Georgia State, Colorado, UTEP and UC Santa Barbara. Quality depth is their biggest weakness, and it showed over the weekend as they struggled mightily against New Mexico State without Gian Clavell and Tiel Daniels.

So long as they can avoid injury and illness, they have a pretty reasonable shot at getting to at least 19-0 before suffering a loss.

Depth

The MWC doesn't have any great teams at the moment, but it does have a lot of teams in the NCAA tournament discussion.

San Diego State and Colorado State are currently in the field with plenty of room to spare, and Wyoming, Boise State and UNLV are all somewhere on the fringe of the bubble. Things could shake out in a hurry as those three teams play a round-robin between now and January 13.

So two weeks from now, there's a reasonable chance that there will be a clear-cut third team from this conference that deserves to go dancing. We're not convinced that's the case with the Missouri Valley, Atlantic 10, West Coast or American Athletic.

What to Watch For

Is UNLV finally jelling?

The first time we saw the Rebels, they were a train wreck. Rashad Vaughn had just seven points in an 89-60 loss to Stanford. They weren't blocking shots, they weren't rebounding and they couldn't do anything to keep the Cardinal from draining three-pointers.

The last time we saw the Rebels, Vaughn had 21 points as they manufactured a huge upset over Arizona. Christian Wood had 24 points and 10 rebounds and was simply unstoppable against one of the best defenses in the country.

We'll see the Rebels on the road against Wyoming and Kansas in the next few days, but this extremely young team could be in great shape if that Arizona game was a sign of things to come.

6. Pac-12

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

(For the top six conferences, we're switching one of the sub-categories from "Best Win" to "Record vs. Other Power Conferences," as we feel this tells a much more compelling story about why each of these top conferences is ranked where it is.)

Previous Rank: 5

Record vs. Other Power Conferences: 12-20 (3-7 vs. SEC)

Torch Bearers

The recent loss to UNLV doesn't change the fact that Arizona is the Pac-12's cash cow. After Kentucky and Virginia, these Wildcats have one of the best defenses in the nation, predicated on limiting second chances and fast breaks while also forcing costly turnovers.

On offense, they don't much rely on three-pointers, but why should they with big men like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Stanley Johnson, Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski? Foul trouble was their undoing against UNLV, but it just might take that type of referee intervention for opposing teams to have a real chance against Arizona.

Depth

Utah is very good and has climbed to No. 10 in the AP Top 25, but are you willing to buy stock in anyone as the third-best team in the Pac-12 right now?

Washington just lost a home game to Stony Brook. California just lost a home game to CSU Bakersfield. Oregon needed overtime in back-to-back home games against teams from the Big West conference. Colorado has lost four games in a little over three weeks. UCLA doesn't have anything resembling a quality win.

Stanford looks like the third-best team at the moment because of a recent win over Texas, but remember the Cardinal lost by 15 to DePaul earlier this year.

What to Watch For

How much does Savon Goodman mean to Arizona State?

The former UNLV Rebel was ineligible until two weeks ago, but he has averaged 18.7 PPG over the past three, which includes a resume-building win over Harvard and a confidence-building, 39-point win over Detroit.

The Sun Devils have five losses this season, but none by more than seven points. Only the home loss to Lehigh (in triple overtime, no less) could really be considered a bad one.

Now that they are at full strength, are they ready to play their way into the tournament picture?

As mentioned above, it's a free-for-all after the top two spots in this conference, but Arizona State has a tumultuous start to conference play. Of the Sun Devils' first seven Pac-12 games, five are on the road against Arizona, Oregon, Oregon State, California and Stanford and two are at home against Utah and Colorado.

5. Southeastern

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Previous Rank: 6

Record vs. Other Power Conferences: 24-31 (6-12 vs. Big 12)

Torch Bearers

If you really need an explanation for why Kentucky is the best team in the SEC, we'd like to welcome you to the 2014-15 college basketball season.

Now that the Wildcats have gotten through the nonconference schedule without a loss, everyone is talking about whether they can enter the NCAA tournament with an undefeated record and seeming to unanimously agree that they should.

Depth

The SEC was the laughingstock of the first few weeks of the season, but did you know that Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and LSU are a combined 27-1 in the past 30 days? The lone loss was the game in which Florida blew a 15-point halftime lead at Kansas.

In addition to those teams that have been hot, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Alabama and Ole Miss all currently boast three or fewer losses.

There may only be one SEC team in the AP Top 25, but there are five in the RPI Top 35 and 10 in the RPI Top 100. KenPom.com currently has 10 SEC teams in its top 80. It's not outlandish to think this could still be a five- or six-bid conference.

What to Watch For

Is Auburn finally ready to compete?

Chocked full of new transfers and old players learning from a new coach, Auburn was a mess for the first month of the season. After losses to Coastal Carolina, Clemson, Texas Tech, Tulsa and Colorado, it'll be all but impossible for the Tigers to earn an at-large bid.

But they have won four in a row with Antoine Mason back on the court and Cinmeon Bowers stuffing the stat sheets full of points and rebounds. If nothing else, they might be able to cause some chaos for other SEC teams on the bubble.

4. Big Ten

Beck Diefenbach/Associated Press

Previous Rank: 4

Record vs. Other Power Conferences: 25-27 (8-13 vs. ACC)

Torch Bearers

Now that Sam Dekker is healthy, Wisconsin might be the best team in the country not named Kentucky. The Badgers are the favorites to win the Big Ten, and it's not even close.

Depth

Maryland still looks like the second-best team in the Big Ten, but there are a lot of question marks after the Terrapins.

Ohio State struggled with Louisville and North Carolina but has destroyed everyone else in its path. How will the Buckeyes fare against Big Ten teams who are neither elite nor awful?

Penn State is much improved from previous years, but is the 12-1 record entirely smoke and mirrors?

Can Michigan or Michigan State possibly bounce back from dreadful starts?

And what can we make of the middling I's: Indiana, Illinois and Iowa? All three have shown signs of brilliance as well as flashes of ineptitude.

For as poor as the Big Ten performed during the nonconference portion of the season, it's hard to shake the feeling that the conference is still headed for at least five or six bids. We'll just need another two months to figure out which teams will earn those bids.

What to Watch For

Could the Big Ten have three players finish in the top five of the USBWA National Freshman of the Year voting?

D'Angelo Russell, James Blackmon Jr. and Melo Trimble have been nothing short of incredible, each averaging better than 15 PPG while shooting better than 42 percent from three-point range.

Those are Yogi Ferrell and Frank Kaminsky numbers for first-year players being asked to carry their respective offenses.

There's a lot of season left to be played, but they appear to be the primary players battling for second place behind Jahlil Okafor.

3. Atlantic Coast

Ryan M. Kelly/Associated Press

Previous Rank: 3

Record vs. Other Power Conferences: 25-24 (1-7 vs. Big East)

Torch Bearers

We welcome your gripes, but with two ACC teams ranked in the Top Three in the nation, we're allowing the conference's torch to be held by the one that won both the regular-season and conference tournament titles last season.

In opening the season 11-0, Virginia has an 11-point road win over Maryland, a 17-point road win over VCU, a 17-point home win over George Washington and a 49-point home win over Harvard. The Cavaliers are holding opponents to a mind-numbing 46.2 points per game.

They have held more opponents to fewer than 28 points than they have allowed to score more than 57 points. That's just plain silly, and it's a shame more people aren't paying attention.

Depth

Regardless of who you have at No. 1 and who you have at No. 1A, there's little debate that Duke and Virginia are the two best teams in this conference with Louisville and North Carolina not far behind them. All four are currently ranked in the top nine on KenPom.com and must be considered serious threats to win the national championship.

Beyond those juggernauts, Notre Dame and Syracuse could reach the Sweet 16 while North Carolina State, Pittsburgh and Miami have a better-than-average shot at making the tournament. That's nine potential bids for the 15-team conference.

What to Watch For

Can Notre Dame's offense travel?

The Fighting Irish have been ridiculously efficient on offense, but they have had the luxury of almost exclusively playing home games against awful teams. Their first true road game of the season will be at North Carolina on Monday, but it's the subsequent road games against Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State and Pittsburgh that will better answer the question.

2. Big East

Drew Hallowell/Getty Images

Previous Rank: 2

Record vs. Other Power Conferences: 21-15

Torch Bearers

At 12-0, Villanova still has a tight grip on the Big East's torch. The Wildcats got quite the fight from former conference rival Syracuse two weekends ago but showed some serious strength in emerging with an overtime win.

On both ends of the court, Villanova is one of the most well-rounded teams in the country. And that's without Ryan Arcidiacono or JayVaughn Pinkston playing up to his full potential.

Time to lay down the gauntlet: Either the Big East is the second-best conference in America or people need to start talking about the potential of Villanova going undefeated.

We choose the former stance, but the latter will need to be addressed if the Wildcats are still undefeated in mid-January after their road games against St. John's and Georgetown.

Depth

Quite unlike the SEC, the Big East started the season on fire but has since cooled off.

Seton Hall was just blown out by Georgia before finding out that Isaiah Whitehead will be out for a few weeks with a stress fracture. Butler lost back-to-back games to Tennessee and Indiana and hasn't shown us anything promising since returning from the Battle 4 Atlantis. Creighton lost four games in less than a month, including a resume-killer to North Texas. Providence lost games to Boston College and Brown.

Still, St. John's, Georgetown and Xavier feel like locks to join Villanova in the NCAA tournament, and you have to think at least one or two of those struggling teams will turn things around in time to also go dancing.

What to Watch For

What would happen if Marquette ends up being good?

Without Luke Fischer, the Golden Eagles suffered 11-point losses to Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin.

For now, those wins don't look like anything special for those Big Ten programs. But what if Fischer is as impactful as many seem to think he will be and the Golden Eagles mess around and win 10 or more Big East games?

Not only would that directly hurt the Big East teams they're beating along the way, but wouldn't it also help the Big Ten immensely if it suddenly had another three nonconference RPI Top 50 wins?

It's still too early to say whether Fischer will make that much of a difference, as Marquette's last three games were at home against cannon fodder Alabama A&M, North Dakota and Morgan State. Keep an eye on this team over the next couple weeks, though, because Marquette could have a pretty big impact on the tournament picture.

1. Big 12

USA TODAY Sports

Previous Rank: 1

Record vs. Other Power Conferences: 25-15

Torch Bearers

Take your pick.

Iowa State has the highest ranking in the latest AP poll. Kansas has the best RPI rating. West Virginia has the best BPI rating. Texas is ranked the highest by KenPom with Oklahoma just one spot behind the Longhorns.

As was the case in the ACC, in a race that's way too close to call, we're keeping the torch with the reigning champions.

Kansas is young, but the Jayhawks have been challenged over and over again with one of the most difficult schedules in the country. It may have looked pretty bad against Kentucky and Temple, but wins over seven other quality teams would seem to suggest they're better than they showed in those two games.

Depth

There are six Big 12 teams ranked in the AP Top 25 and a seventh (TCU) sits at No. 26 after just missing out on the latest poll by eight votes.

Really, Texas Tech is the only team in this conference that has no business even thinking about the NCAA tournament.

What to Watch For

Will West Virginia remain a turnover-forcing and offensive-rebounding machine?

Through 12 contests, the Mountaineers are averaging 15.3 offensive rebounds and 13.3 steals per game. All those extra possessions are going a long way toward masking the fact that they are below the national average in effective field-goal percentage on both ends of the court.

If they can keep snagging offensive boards and forcing a ton of turnovers against very good conference opponents, they should continue to be viewed as one of the better teams in the country. But what happens when they face a team like Iowa State or Oklahoma that doesn't commit many turnovers and that dominates the defensive glass?

It won't be long before we find out. West Virginia hosts Iowa State and Oklahoma in back-to-back games on January 10 and 13. Win both of those games and it's time to start taking the Mountaineers seriously as a potential Final Four candidate.

Kerry Miller covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @kerrancejames.