Campus Watch

And there was much rejoicing among the St. Bonaventure basketball faithful and the growing number who are following, with a certain amount of passion, the women's program this season. After lingering in the "receiving votes" category, the Bona women cracked the Associated Press Top 25 this afternoon, checking in at No. 25.

It is the first time in Big 4 history that a women's team has cracked the Division I national rankings. And, chew on this: It's the first time since January 1971 that a Big 4 team, men's or women's has been nationally ranked. That was the last time the Bona men were in the rankings, a year before the women's program came into existence by the way. Big 4 history guru Mike Harrington noted the Canisius men had been ranked in the 1950s and Niagara in 1969-70, Calvin Murphy's senior year.

Along with the news, the latest edition of Charlie Creme's bracketology came out on ESPN.com today. It places the Bona women as the No. 6 seed against No. 11 Middle Tennessee.

The Bona women have been building this resume for the past few years. Consider this is now the fourth straight year the Bonnies have won 20 or more games. Consider that for the last three years the team ahs gone to the WNIT.

Two things, however, are particularly interesting:

Bona fans, particularly out in Twitter, have been incredulous about the lack of respect the program had received from the AP voters. When was the last time there was a groundswell of general passion over a Big 4 women's baksetball team? Oh that's right. Never.

With no disrespect to other Big 4 programs, particulalry the impressive 2005 Canisius women's team, women's Division I basketball has produced mostly mediocre results. Give a quick glance in the history section on the official websites. That the Bonnies is a presumptive NCAA team even if they don't win the A-10 tournament is the kind of talk long-time observers of the Big 4 women's scene find fascinating and unfathomable.

--- Amy Moritz