And yet, it is scary. I am always worried that some team that is clearly undeserving will end up at or near the top. I am always worried that there will be some fluke team who manages to destroy the system I have built the last four years and will continue to work with in the future. It didn't happen this year, but the fear is still there.

The opening #1 team: Boston College. That thump you just heard was all of the Illinois and Kansas fans out throwing a shoe at their monitors. Boston College will have a lot to prove to stay there, but they did make a big stride by beating a previously undefeated UCLA team which may just have what it takes to get the Bruins back to the NCAA tournament. If it makes Illinois fans feel better, one of the teams that was ahead of them, Virginia, lost on Monday night this week and their win against Chicago State moved them up a little more.

The thing I am most excited about in the opening rankings is not who is #1, but rather the number of Mid-Major teams in the opening rank. Three teams -- Old Dominion, Wichita State, and Gonzaga -- all managed rankings within the Top 25. The only other time this happened was 2002-3 which was a big year for Mid-Major teams getting to the tournament. If that trend holds true, we may see a lot of disappointed major teams come March. It is not just the numbers that are supporting these teams. It has been their play on the court which must be witnessed. The gap between the top teams and the next tier is closing. As more and more basketball gets broadcast on television, smaller schools are able to recruit better players because these guys don't feel the need to necessarily go to a Duke, North Carolina, or Kansas. They feel they can get a better experience at a smaller school, starting, and playing with what might be the next up and coming coach. Plus, the exposure of schools like a Gonzaga have shown that it is possible to build a small program into something that can contend with whoever they play. I hope that one of these schools can stay in the rankings and that more join them to be in the Top 25 at the end of the season. Maybe we will find the next Kent State this year.

Before I close this week, I just wanted to point out the official mascot team of the MRI, Wofford, has won two games so far this season and is very close to overtaking Purdue and not being last in the "Other" category. That is a big improvement over previous years. At some point this season, I will buy a Barking Brigade tee-shirt.