How Do You Like Your Hoops?
November 20, 1985
Uppermost in the minds of great thinkers these days is not only the question of how to stem the glut of shoe imports from Taiwan or which Coca-Cola to drink, but also the matter of which is the best college basketball conference in the land. This burning issue is hereby addressed with clarity, foresight and an occasional tongue in cheek by our three resident experts. Curry Kirkpatrick is a graduate of North Carolina, Alexander Wolff is an alumnus of Princeton, and Greg Kelly is a graduate of Georgetown. Kirkpatrick says the Big East is tops. Wolff says it's the ACC. Kelly says the Big Ten.
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ACC
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1
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Georgia Tech (27-8)
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2
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North Carolina (27-9)
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3
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Duke (23-8)
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4
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Maryland (25-12)
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5
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N.C. State (23-10)
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6
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Virginia (17-16)
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7
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Clemson (16-13)
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8
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Wake Forest (15-14)
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ECC
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1
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Drexel (10-18)
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2
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Rider (14-15)
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3
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Delaware (12-16)
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4
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Hofstra (14-15)
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5
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Bucknell (19-10)
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6
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Towson State (7-21)
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7
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Lafayette (15-13)
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8
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Lehigh (12-19)
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SWAC
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1
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Southern (19-11)
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2
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Jackson State (10-16)
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3
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Alcorn State (23-7)
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4
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Texas Southern (11-17)
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5
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Miss. Valley State (18-11)
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6
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Alabama State (14-17)
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7
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Grambling (8-19)
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8
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Prairie View (5-22)
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PCAA
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1
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UNLV (28-4)
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2
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Fresno State (23-9)
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3
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San Jose State (16-13)
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4
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UC Irvine (13-17)
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5
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CSU-Fullerton (17-13)
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6
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UC Santa Barbara (12-16)
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7
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Utah State (17-11)
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8
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Pacific (9-19)
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9
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New Mexico State (7-20)
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10
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Long Beach State (4-23)
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WAC
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1
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UTEP (22-10)
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2
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Utah (15-16)
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3
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San Diego State (23-8)
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4
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New Mexico (19-13)
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5
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Colorado State (18-12)
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6
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Wyoming (15-14)
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7
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BYU (15-14)
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8
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Hawaii (10-18)
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9
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Air Force (8-20)
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BIG TEN
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1
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Michigan (26-4)
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2
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Illinois (26-9)
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3
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Iowa (21-11)
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4
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Indiana (19-14)
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5
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Purdue (20-9)
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6
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Ohio State (20-10)
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7
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Minnesota (13-15)
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8
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Michigan State (19-10)
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9
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Wisconsin (14-14)
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10
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Northwestern (6-22)
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MVC
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1
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Bradley (17-13)
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2
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Wichita State (18-13)
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3
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Illinois State (22-8)
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4
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Indiana State (14-15)
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5
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Tulsa (23-8)
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6
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West Texas State (11-17)
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7
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Drake (12-15)
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8
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Southern Illinois (14-14)
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9
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Creighton (20-12)
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ECAC NA
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1
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Northeastern (22-9)
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2
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Niagara (16-12)
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3
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Siena (22-7)
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4
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Boston University (15-15)
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5
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Canisius (20-10)
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6
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Maine (11-17)
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7
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Hartford (7-21)
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8
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Vermont (9-19)
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9
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New Hampshire (7-22)
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10
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Colgate (5-21)
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ECAC METRO
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1
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Fairleigh Dickinson (21-10)
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2
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Marist (17-12)
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3
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Loyola (Md.) (16-14)
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4
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Long Island Univ. (15-13)
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5
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St. Francis (N.Y.) (7-21)
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6
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Wagner (11-17)
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7
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Robert Morris (9-19)
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8
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St. Francis (Pa.) (9-19)
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COLONIAL
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1
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Navy (26-6)
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2
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Richmond (21-11)
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3
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George Mason (18-11)
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4
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James Madison (14-14)
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5
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William & Mary (16-12)
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6
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UNC-Wilmington (12-16)
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7
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East Carolina (7-21)
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8
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American (9-19)
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MAC
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1
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Miami (0.) (20-11)
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2
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Ohio (22-8)
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3
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Ball State (13-16)
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4
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Western Michigan (12-16)
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5
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Northern Illinois (11-16)
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6
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Central Michigan (9-18)
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7
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Toledo (16-12)
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8
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Kent State (17-13)
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9
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Eastern Michigan (15-13)
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10
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Bowling Green (12-15)
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BIG EAST
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1
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Georgetown (35-3)
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2
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Syracuse (22-9)
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3
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St. John's (31-4)
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4
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Pittsburgh (17-12)
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5
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Boston College (20-11)
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6
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Villanova (25-10)
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7
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Connecticut (13-15)
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8
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Seton Hall (10-18)
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9
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Providence (11-20)
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BIG EIGHT
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1
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Kansas (26-8)
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2
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Oklahoma (31-6)
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3
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Nebraska (16-14)
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4
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Missouri (18-14)
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5
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Iowa State (21-13)
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6
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Kansas State (14-14)
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7
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Oklahoma State (12-16)
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8
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Colorado (11-17)
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PAC-10
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1
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Washington (22-10)
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2
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USC (19-10)
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3
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UCLA (21-12)
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4
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Oregon State (22-9)
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5
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California (13-15)
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6
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Arizona State (12-16)
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7
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Washington State (13-15)
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8
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Arizona (21-10)
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9
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Stanford (11-17)
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10
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Oregon (15-16)
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SWC
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1
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Arkansas (22-13)
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2
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Houston (16-14)
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3
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Texas A&M (19-11)
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4
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SMU (23-10)
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5
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TCU (16-12)
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6
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Texas Tech (23-8)
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7
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Texas (15-13)
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8
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Baylor (11-17)
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9
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Rice (11-16)
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TRANS AM
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1
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Ark.-Little Rock (17-13)
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2
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Samford (18-12)
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3
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Houston Baptist (21-8)
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4
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Hardin-Simmons (11-17)
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5
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Georgia Southern (24-5)
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6
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Mercer (22-9)
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7
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Centenary (7-21)
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8
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Georgia State (2-26)
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SEC
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1
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LSU (19-10)
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2
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Auburn (22-12)
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3
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Kentucky (18-13)
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4
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Georgia (22-9)
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5
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Tennessee (22-15)
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6
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Alabama (23-10)
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7
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Mississippi State (13-15)
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8
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Florida (18-12)
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9
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Mississippi (11-17)
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10
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Vanderbilt (11-17)
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MAAC
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1
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Iona (29-6)
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2
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Fairfield (11-18)
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3
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Holy Cross (9-20)
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4
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Fordham (21-14)
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5
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St. Peter's (16-16)
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6
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La Salle (15-14)
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7
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Army (17-14)
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8
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Manhattan (8-21)
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ATLANTIC 10
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1
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St. Joseph's (19-12)
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2
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Temple (25-6)
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3
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West Virginia (20-9)
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4
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Duquesne(12-18)
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5
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Geo. Washington (14-14)
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6
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St. Bonaventure (14-15)
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7
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Rutgers (16-14)
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8
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Rhode Island (8-20)
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9
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Massachusetts (13-15)
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10
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Penn State (8-19)
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SUN BELT
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1
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UAB (25-9)
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2
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Old Dominion (19-12)
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3
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Jacksonville (15-14)
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4
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Western Kentucky (14-14)
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5
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South Alabama (15-13)
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6
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Va. Commonwealth (26-6)
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7
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South Florida (18-12)
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8
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UNC-Charlotte(5-23)
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INDEPENDENTS
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1
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DePaul (19-10)
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2
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Notre Dame (21-9)
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3
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Dayton (19-10)
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4
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Marquette (20-11)
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5
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Southwestern La. (17-14)
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6
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Miami (Fla.)*
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7
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Chicago State (16-11)
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8
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Brooklyn (15-13)
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9
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New Orleans (11-19)
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10
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Baptist (13-15)
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SOUTHREN
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1
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Marshall (21-13)
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2
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Davidson (10-20)
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3
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UT-Chattanooga (24-8)
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4
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Appalachian State (14-14)
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5
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Western Carolina (14-14)
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6
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VMI (16-14)
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7
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The Citadel (18-11)
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8
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East Tennessee (9-18)
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9
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Furman (7-21)
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WCAC
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1
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Pepperdine (23-9)
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2
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Loyola Marymount (11-16)
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3
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San Diego (16-11)
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4
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Santa Clara (20-9)
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5
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San Francisco*
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6
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St. Mary's (15-12)
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7
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Portland (14-14)
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8
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Gonzaga (15-13)
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SOUTHLAND
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1
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Lamar (20-12)
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2
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Northeast La. (17-12)
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3
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Louisiana Tech (29-3)
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4
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McNeese State (18-10)
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5
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Arkansas State (14-14)
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6
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North Texas State (5-23)
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7
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Texas-Arlington (12-16)
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MEAC
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1
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Howard (17-13)
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2
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N.C.A & T (21-11)
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3
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Delaware State (13-18)
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4
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South Carolina St. (11-17)
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5
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Coppin State (10-15)
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6
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Bethune-Cookman (9-20)
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7
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Md.-Eastern Shore (3-25)
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8
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Morgan State (3-25)
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IVY LEAGUE
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1
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Penn (13-14)
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2
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Yale (14-12)
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3
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Columbia (13-13)
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4
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Princeton (11-15)
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|
5
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Cornell (14-12)
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6
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Brown (9-18)
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7
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Harvard (15-9)
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8
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Dartmouth (5-21)
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METRO
|
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1
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Louisville (19-18)
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2
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Memphis State (31-4)
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3
|
Cincinnati (17-14)
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4
|
Virginia Tech (20-9)
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5
|
South Carolina (15-13)
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6
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Florida State (14-16)
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7
|
Southern Miss. (7-21)
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MCC
|
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1
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Xavier (16-13)
|
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2
|
Loyola of Chicago (27-6)
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3
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Detroit (16-12)
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4
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Butler (19-10)
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5
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Oral Roberts (15-15)
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6
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St. Louis (13-15)
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7
|
Evansville (13-16)
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AMCU-8
|
|
1
|
Cleveland State (21-8)
|
|
2
|
Eastern Illinois (20-10)
|
|
3
|
Illinois-Chicago (14-14)
|
|
4
|
Southwest Mo. (17-13)
|
|
5
|
Western Illinois (14-14)
|
|
6
|
Northern Iowa (12-16)
|
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7
|
Wis.-Green Bay (4-24)
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8
|
Valparaiso (8-20)
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OVC
|
|
1
|
Middle Tennessee (17-14)
|
|
2
|
Tennessee Tech (19-9)
|
|
3
|
Morehead State (7-20)
|
|
4
|
Eastern Kentucky (16-13)
|
|
5
|
Austin Peay (8-19)
|
|
6
|
Murray State (19-9)
|
|
7
|
Akron (12-14)
|
|
8
|
Youngstown State (19-11)
|
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BIG SKY
|
|
1
|
Nevada-Reno (21-10)
|
|
2
|
Montana (22-8)
|
|
3
|
Northern Arizona (17-12)
|
|
4
|
Weber State (20-9)
|
|
5
|
Idaho(8-22)
|
|
6
|
Boise State (16-13)
|
|
7
|
Montana State (11-17)
|
|
8
|
Idaho State (15-18)
|
Uppermost in the minds of great thinkers these days is not only the question of how to stem the glut of shoe imports from Taiwan or which Coca-Cola to drink, but also the matter of which is the best college basketball conference in the land. This burning issue is hereby addressed with clarity, foresight and an occasional tongue in cheek by our three resident experts. Curry Kirkpatrick is a graduate of North Carolina, Alexander Wolff is an alumnus of Princeton, and Greg Kelly is a graduate of Georgetown. Kirkpatrick says the Big East is tops. Wolff says it's the ACC. Kelly says the Big Ten.
KIRKPATRICK: First of all, let's blow off all the other leagues to legitimize this discussion. The Pac-10 is—or rather was—UCLA. Period. The Big Eight is Kansas and Danny Manning. But everywhere else is Palookaville. Except....
WOLFF: The Southeastern Conference.
KIRKPATRICK: Last season—a down year in the SEC, a no-seniors year—the league still had three teams in the NCAA final 16, and this season it might have the two best players in the country in Kenny Walker at Kentucky and Chuck Person at Auburn.
KELLY: Who cares? It's still a football league.
KIRKPATRICK: Right. Blow off. Next? WOLFF: Then there's Dale Brown. LSU always has the most talent and goes nowhere. What's Dale's recent postseason record?
KIRKPATRICK: Oh and eight. I think LSU got eliminated last year by Coast Guard.
WOLFF: It was Navy.
KELLY: By 23 points.
KIRKPATRICK: Anyway, two of those other SEC titans were basically on a pity roll for their coaches. Everyone figured both Sonny Smith at Auburn and Joe Hall at Kentucky were quitting.
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