UCLA may be the first this year, but it seems like top teams go down earlier and earlier every year.  Why is this?  I think we can point two reasons.  Firstly, the vast number of early season mini-tournaments results in top schools facing better competition in their non-conference play than they did previously.  Michigan may not be ranked, but they are still a Big Ten school, certainly no cupcake.

Secondly, the increasingly strong play of mid-major conferences means there is much greater parity throughout college basketball.  We’ve seen it in the NCAA Tournament for years, and many of those mid-major teams can no longer be called Cinderellas.  It’s no longer a surprise to see a Gonzaga or Davidson ranked to start the season.  When a major conference school plays one of these tournaments, they can now expect tough play from any of a number of teams, not just those from other top conferences.  The difference between majors and mid-majors simply isn’t as large as it used to be.

• March 30, 2009 -- Average Frank Views: Gonzaga Makes Them Suffer, Again (1)
• March 27, 2009 -- Wildcats Humiliate Blue Devils (0)
• April 7, 2009 -- Average Frank Views: Notes from a Championship (5)
• March 23, 2009 -- One And Done (0)
• March 17, 2009 -- Breaking The Brackets (6)