Many college basketball fans thought George Mason’s amazing run to the Final Four was a fluke, but the mid-majors have proven to be more dangerous than ever in recent years. These are solid teams that are fully capable of making a deep run in the NCAA tournament. Butler has played in two straight title games despite coming from the tiny Horizon League.
There’s no way of predicting whether a mid-major will get to the Final Four again this year, but there’s bound to be a little-known team make some noise in March.
Let’s take a look at 10 teams to keep an eye on over the next few weeks:
Top Ten Mid-Majors to Watch This March
10. Iona Gaels – Scott Machado is one of the best point guards in the country, and we all know how important point guard play is in March. Machado averages 10.1 assists per game for this team that can get up and down with the best of them.
9. Harvard Crimson – Tommy Amaker has done a terrific job putting this team together. The Crimson are dangerous because of their ability to lock down opponents on the defensive end. The Crimson allow just 54 points per game, which is third best in the nation.
8. Oral Roberts Golden Eagles – Oral Roberts was impressive in its 67-61 win over Akron in the BracketBuster game last week. Scott Sutton has won 18 of their last 19 games. They have a way of pulling out close games, which is important in March.
7. Drexel Dragons – The CAA is a much better conference than most people realize. George Mason and VCU have both made it to the Final Four from this conference in the last few years. Drexel plays tough teams every single night, and they do a great job controlling the tempo and playing solid defense.
6. Middle Tennessee State – The Blue Raiders have separated themselves from the rest of the Sun Belt Conference. This is a team that has beaten UCLA, Mississippi, and Belmont already this year.
5. Gonzaga Bulldogs – It wouldn’t be a mid-major discussion if the Gonzaga Bulldogs weren’t a part of it. This is really the team that put mid-majors on the map, and they are still very dangerous. Robert Sacre and Elias Harris give this team two great scorers in the low post.
4. Long Beach State – Dan Monson’s team put itself on the radar when it took it to Pittsburgh on the road early this season. This is a veteran group with a ton of athleticism. They probably can’t go deep in the tournament due to their lack of a low-post game, but they are a dangerous first-round opponent.
3. Creighton Bluejays – The Missouri Valley Conference is one of the best mid-major conferences again this year. Creighton’s Doug McDermott averages 23.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, and he is only a sophomore.
2. Murray State Racers – The Racers dominated St. Mary’s (a team that just missed this list) this past Saturday. Those who have watched this team much at all know that Isaiah Canaan is one of the most exciting players in the country.
1. Wichita State Shockers – I think the Shockers are easily the most dangerous mid-major team out there. This is a team with tons of depth that could definitely make a Final Four run if things fall the right way. Wichita State can win in a defensive struggle or they can win in a shootout, it doesn’t really matter to this team. Keep an eye on Wichita State when the brackets come out.
Sources:
ESPN.com “Creighton Blue Jays 2011-2012 Stats”
Boston Herald “Tommy Amaker Making History at Harvard”
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