College Basketball 2011: The Most Underrated Conference

It has been an extremely interesting season of college basketball thus far. There have certainly been many surprises to this point in the season. Between Kemba Walker's emergence as a college basketball star, and SDSU's impressive one-loss season, people have been distracted to say the least. 

Many times, mid-major conference teams get overlooked by the casual college basketball observer, but this year especially, teams from mid-major conferences could have a big impact come tourney time. The most underrated conference of them all is undoubtedly the Colonial Athletic Association.

The Colonial Athletic Association currently has six teams with at least 19 wins and could possibly receive two at large bids in this years NCAA tournament. George Mason and Old Dominion are both inside Joe Lunardi's latest edition of Bracketology on ESPN.com.

George Mason is having a very impressive season, as they are currently 24-5 overall and 15-2 in conference play. They haven't lost at home yet this season, and although they did lose to Wofford in overtime at a neutral site at the beginning of this year, the Terriers have rebounded nicely and this loss is looking justifiable. George Mason is on an impressive 15 game winning streak, and will look to step up their game leading up to the NCAA tournament.

George Mason has been extremely effective from behind the three point line this season, and has four players scoring in double figures. George Mason has good senior leadership, and they definitely have a good chance of making noise come March. 

Next in the Colonial, we have a tie between Old Dominion and Hofstra. Old Dominion has put together a resume capable of garnering an at large bid this season. They are 23-6 and have beat a number of good teams including Richmond, Clemson and fellow mid-major power Cleveland State. They have a 13-4 conference record, and they are one of the best rebounding teams in the nation.

Old Dominion has a very deep team, which will help them come March. The Monarchs beat six seed Notre Dame in the first round of last years tournament, and they look to be a big threat again this season. The Monarchs lost to Georgetown by three points on their home floor earlier this year, proving their worthiness as a potential "giant killer" in this years tournament.

Although Hofstra may not look like much, they have something special in Charles Jenkins, who is currently averaging 23.3 points per game. Jenkins has received attention from NBA scouts in his last season on campus, as he's really developed into a game changing player. He has been extremely efficient from the field, shooting 53%, while adding five assists a game . Jenkins can keep the Pride in most games, and could help them bring home a CAA Tournament title.

The VCU Rams may be on a short losing skid as of late, but don't be fooled, they can still be an extremely dangerous team. They recently beat a solid Wichita State team on the road, and they are 12-5 in conference play. VCU has four players averaging double digits in points, and have had solid front court play this season. If the 21-9 Rams can get back on track, look for them to make a run.

At 19-9, the Drexel Dragons are sitting right in the middle of the Colonial conference. They are 10-7 in the conference and won at Louisville earlier this season. This conference has so many teams capable of winning in big games. The Dragons have been one of the best rebounding teams in the nation, and have had solid play from both their guards and forwards this season. 

James Madison is also having a solid season this year, and at 20-10 they have a good record to back it up. They may be 9-8 in the conference, but they do have one of it's strongest players in 6-10 senior forward Denzel Bowles, who is averaging 18 points with nine rebounds a game. James Madison has been able to stay in most games, as six of their ten losses have been by six points or fewer. They may not have the fire power of Old Dominion or George Mason, but they're a team to keep on your radar coming down the stretch. 

There is no doubt the CAA has many quality teams. They could potentially receive as many or more NCAA tournament bids than the Pac-10 or SEC depending on the conference tournament results. The Colonial Athletic Association is one of the best kept secrets in college basketball and is the best conference no one is talking about. Be sure to watch for these teams on Selection Sunday.