Does George Mason's success last year, combined with the ability of Southern Illinois and Bradley to make the Sweet 16 last year, mean it is now more feasible for a school like ETSU to have REAL success in the NCAA Tournament?

I've felt for a long time with major conferences losing so many individual talents for the NBA early, a mid-major, solid in the fundamentals, is now more capable of advancing than they were before.

Sure it is. The parady in college sports in general is becoming an issue for the "top" schools. Many of the athletes that go to a "major" university go there to be seen by pro scouts so they can make a professional team. If one of those kids has some skills they might leave early for the professional level leaving a hole to fill. The problem with this is that there are many more kids ready to fill that spot in an instant thinking they will make the same jump. Schools that keep "second tier" athletes for four (or five) years are closing the gap because their kids have had time to develop their skills.