NCAA Tournament 2011: Can the CAA Crash the Dance With 3 Teams?

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Before diving into three straight weeks of NCAA tournament action, we are treated to conference tournaments that determine the automatic bids into the NCAA tournament. As entertaining as the major conferences are during the regular season, Championship Week is where the "mid-majors" and small conferences get a chance to shine.  

This year, the drama only increases for these smaller schools. Excluding the Big East's 68 projected bids, there are plenty of at-large bids up for grabs.

In the case of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), their non-conference wins and overall performance could net them three bids this year. And while mid-majors getting three bids isn't blazing any new trail (the Mountain West are virtually a lock to get three this season), it would be the proper reward for all that they've accomplished this year.

According to ESPN's Joe Lunardi, George Mason and Old Dominion are considered locks for the tournament. Since they are the only two conference teams receiving NCAA consideration, the only way for a third team to enter the mix would be to win the conference tournament. 

Virginia Commonwealth has a chance to do just that tonight against ODU.  If the Rams can win the tournament, there is a good chance that the CAA will get three tournament bids for the first time in conference history. 

Whether they end up with three or not, the conference is certainly deserving. The CAA is one of only two conferences in the nation having six teams with 20 or more wins (the Big East being the other).

The conference has also racked up good non-conference wins. Old Dominion has wins over Clemson, Xavier, Richmond, Dayton, and a BracketBusters victory over Cleveland State.

George Mason does not have many big non-conference wins, but their conference record and 16-game win streak going into last night's game should be enough to put them through. Though VCU has reeled off a few good wins this season, namely a neutral site victory against UCLA, their only realistic chance of earning an NCAA bid is by winning the CAA Tournament.   

Of course, bubble teams around the nation will be rooting for Old Dominion to win tonight, but no matter how many CAA teams get NCAA bids, they all have a chance to make deep tournament runs.