SportsbyFletch and Hooters Magazine continue to look at the 2010-11 season by breaking down the REST of the Mid-majors. Yesterday, we looked at the Majors and the major-mid-majors. If you missed it, click here. Georgia gets underway tomorrow without Trey Thompkins and it may be a few more weeks until the preseason SEC player of the year suits up. Hopefully he'll be back by the start of conference play when the Hoop Dawgs will make a run at the Big Dance. PS, Georgia pulled in all three of its pledges yesterday when three LOI rolled across the fax machine including one of the best players in the country Kentavious Caldwell signed with the Dawgs. The class will get a boost when Nick Marshall, a potential SG/Wing signs with the football team in February.
The America East Conference contains teams from the northeast corner of the country, just like the name would imply. Last season Stony Brook took the regular season title with a 13-3 record but expect Vermont to build off its conference title run of one year ago and contend once again for a Big Dance spot. Binghamton was down last season after a conference title in 2009. Watch out for the Bearcats in 2010.
In the Atlantic Sun, watch out for Belmont this season. After going 19-12 last year, the Bruins appear ready to break back into the tournament field. East Tennessee State has claimed the last two conference tournament championships but Belmont looks to be a force in 2011. Campbell also struggled in the conference tournament and will look to bounce back this year.
Last season in the Big Sky conference championship game, Montana nipped Weber State thanks in large part to Anthony Johnson. Johnson has moved on to Greece but the Grizzlies had a fine recruiting class as they try to keep Weber State at bay. Northern Colorado had a fine 2010 season and could carry some of that momentum into this campaign.
The Big South Conference is one of the more popular mid-majors for major conference teams looking for a coach. Winthrop and VMI have had coaches plucked over the last decade and this year Radford coach Brad Greenberg could be the next moving up the ranks. Coastal Carolina is still the class of the conference though as Cliff Ellis has the horses to once again approach 30 wins after coming up just short last season. Don’t sleep on Radford though. The Highlanders are capable of pulling off a stunner at anytime.
The Big West could be called the Pac-10 California leftovers, but these teams play hard and UC Santa Barbara has two conference titles in the last three years to prove it. UCSB won twenty games last season and could very well exceed that number this season but Pacific and Cal State-Fullerton are in the rearview window, looking to seize the title.
The Ivy League isn’t just a bunch of brains without any basketball ability. Over the years Harvard and Princeton have taken teams down to the wire and Cornell was the team to beat last year. This year, expect the strong recruiting classes of Harvard to be cashed in under Tommy Amaker, with Dee Giger making an impact for the Crimson.
If you are college basketball novice looking for a mid-major to follow, perhaps you should consider the MAAC. Siena is a perennial favorite and 2010-11 is no different. Last season Siena won 27 games and won the league title for the third straight season. Looking for a spoiler in the MAAC? Niagara has won 44 games the last two years combined and Fairfield won 23 games last year. Both could challenge Siena this season.
The Mid-American Conference is split into two divisions and the Eastern Division seems stronger this season than the West. Three teams in the East won 20 games last season with Buffalo knocking on the door of 20. This season, expect the East to once again beat up on the West with Akron and Ohio leading the charge.
Morgan State was the team to beat in the MEAC last season and don’t expect the Bears to go anywhere. Morgan State has won back-to-back conference titles and appeared in another title game in 2008 and while players must be replaced every year, Delaware State likely cannot overcome what the Bear have brewing.
The Missouri Valley Conference has had several positive experiences over the years in the NCAA tournament. Last season Northern Iowa had a magical tournament run, knocking off Kansas before bowing out to Michigan State. Don’t expect a repeat performance from the Panthers though as most of the stars from that team have since departed. Wichita State may take up the mantle as JT Durley and Toure Murry return to run Gregg Marshall’s unit. Marshall had some great runs with Winthrop and now is looking to take the Shockers to the next level.
The Northeast Conference has been dominated recently by one school with two names: Robert Morris. The Colonials have claimed the last two conference tournaments and won the regular season title in 2008. Look for Robert Morris once again to claim double-digit conference wins but Quinnipiac, who tied the Colonials for the regular season title last year, could once again challenge.
The Ohio Valley Conference-champion Murray State Racers last season fell to eventual title runner-up Butler but not before making a name with a first-round upset of Vanderbilt. Isacc Miles and BJ Jenkins are both back as the Racers return eight of its top ten scorers from one year ago. A challenging non-conference schedule will only help Murray State become battle-tested as it tries to advance farther in the NCAA tourney after likely dispatching a weak OVC.
The Patriot League will be very patriotic this season if Jeff Jones’ American Eagles can make a run at a league crown. Jones has his top-three performers from last season back in Vlad Moldoveanu, Stephen Lumpkins and Nick Hendra, who should as upperclassmen, help American improve from its 7-7 conference record from last year. Leigh won 22 games last season but if Bucknell can put the pieces together, perhaps a new champ will emerge.
The Southern Conference was all the rage just two seasons ago as Steph Curry called Davidson home, but with Curry in Golden State last year, Davidson struggled to finish above .500. Expect the College of Charleston to build on last season and use its recruiting class to challenge Wofford for not just the South Division, but for the overall title. App State and Western Carolina will likely go at it again for the North Division title.
Sam Houston State finished atop the Southland standings last season but expect another name-school to challenge this season as Stephen F Austin will look to win its second title in the last three years. Both schools captured twenty-plus wins last season and both could be joined by Southeastern Louisiana in the twenty-win club this season. One potential sleeper for the conference title is Texas A&M-Corpus Christi as coach Perry Clark won 17 games last year. This year, he could win the Western Conference.
Jackson State dominated the SWAC last season, going 17-1 in conference play, but Jackson State must improve its out-of-conference record. The Tigers seemingly lost to everyone it played outside of the SWAC. Still look for the Tigers to once again dominate the conference as perhaps Arkansas-Pine Bluff can challenge. Alabama State could be one to watch after winning 12 conference games in the 2009-10 season.
Believe it or not, the Summit League boasted three twenty-win teams last season and thanks to good coaching in the mid-major conference, expect Oral Roberts and Oakland to be right up there again. IUPUI claimed 15 conference wins and could make a run at the automatic seed that goes to the winner of the conference tournament. Last year Oakland received the bid and gave Pittsburgh a scare as a 14-seed.
The Sun Belt Conference may be known for having the teams that everyone’s favorite college football team plays on Labor Day week, but recently the basketball has stepped up. Troy is a team to watch this season, especially after going 20-13 last season. The Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky are always well-coached as two WKU coaches have gone on to coach in the SEC. Last year Middle Tennessee State knocked on the door of twenty wins; expect them to kick the door down this season.
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