With March only a couple of weeks away, college basketball has the spotlight of the sports world. The climax of the college basketball season is obviously the NCAA Tournament and we all know there is nothing better than filling out your bracket. When it comes to filling out your bracket though, everyone is looking for that one mid-major basketball team that could make a run. That is really what we look for in the tournament, right? We want to see that Cinderella run!
With all-time Cinderella stories like 2006 George Mason, 2011 VCU or 2023 Florida Atlantic, the NCAA Tournament is must-watch television. But who will be that mid-major basketball program this year?
With the end of the regular season nearing and conference tournaments becoming more prevalent, I am going to break down three mid-major college teams that you need to keep an eye on. If they win their conference tournament, these three teams have a legitimate shot of winning a few games in the NCAA Tournament.
3 Mid-Major Basketball Teams Who Can Make an NCAA Tournament Run
UC San Diego Tritons | Mid-Major College Basketball
UC San Diego is currently ranked as the third-best mid-major basketball team in the country, according to Collegeinsider, right behind Gonzaga and St. Mary’s. When talking about the Tritons though, you have to mention the job that head coach Eric Olen has done this year. After leading the team to a 21-12 record last season, he has seemingly upped the stakes, currently having the Tritons at a 22-4 record and a 12-2 Big West Conference record, which is tied with UC Irvine for first place.
The Tritons are led by senior guard Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, who does a little bit of everything. He scores 19.8 points per game (PPG) on 58% shooting from the field and 35% from behind the three-point line. Outside of his scoring, Tait-Jones averages 5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Tait-Jones might just be the best mid-major player in the country. Next to Tait-Jones is senior guard Tyler McGhie. McGhie scores that ball at a 16.8 PPG clip on 44.5% shooting from the field and 40.1% from behind the three-point line. Rounding out an outstanding guard trio is senior Hayden Gray. Gray plays the most minutes on the team and is probably the best jump shooter. He averages 11.1 PPG on 44.5% from the field and 42.2% from behind the arc.
In total, the Tritons run an eight-man rotation with four players scoring in double digits. KenPom ranks UC San Diego as the 40th-best team in the country with the 52nd-best offense and 49th-best defense. Talking about the offense, there is no secret that the game plan is to get threes up. They average 10.7 three-point makes per game (eighth in the country) on 29.1 attempts per game (15th in the country). They also get after opposing ball-handers, recording 10.3 steals per game (third in the country). On top of all that, the Tritons pride themselves on taking care of the ball, turning it over just 239 times all season (10th in the country).
This is the stereotypical white fundamental team that will win games based on other teams messing up. Add in the fact that if they can get hot from behind the arc, and UC San Diego can be a really scary first-round matchup.
Drake Bulldogs | Mid-Major College Basketball
The Drake Bulldogs are currently ranked as the fourth-best mid-major team according to Collegeinsider.com. With a 13-3 conference record and an overall 23-3 record, the Bulldogs are ranked on top of the Missouri Valley Conference. After losing head coach Darian DeVries and superstar guard Tucker DeVries to West Virginia, Ben McCollum has stepped in and picked up right where DeVries left off. This is McCollum’s first Division 1 job, but his resume at the Division 2 level speaks volumes. While at Northwest Missouri State, McCollum led the Bearcats to 11 Division 2 Tournaments, winning four championships and compiling a 395-91 record. Given his early success at Drake, I would imagine that McCollum is a candidate for a major job in years to come.
Going undefeated in conference play this season, the Bulldogs are led by junior guard Bennett Stirtz. Stirtz scores 18.5 PPG on 49.3% shooting from the field and 36.4% from behind the arc. On top of that Stritz averages 6.1 APG and 2.3 SPG. Senior guard Mitch Mascari completes Drake’s great backcourt, as he scores 11.3 PPG on 44.8% shooting from the field and 45.5% shooting from the three-point line. While Stirtz is going to be at the top of every opposing team’s scouting report, it is probably Mascari who is the most dangerous on this team, especially if he hits a couple of threes early. Senior forward Daniel Abreu rounds out Drake’s three players who score in double figures. Abreu scores 11.2 PPG on 45.8% from the field and 37.5% from behind the arc.
KenPom ranks the Bulldogs as the 63rd-best team in the country, with the 78th-best offense and 60th-best defense. What really sticks out about McCollum’s squad though is how deep they are. The Bulldogs run a rotation that features nine players who see double-digit minutes per game, with that trio of players all averaging over 34 minutes per game. So while a lot of the minutes are taken up Stirtz, Mascari and Abreu, Drake does have the ability to mix and match guys at the other two positions on the court to find the best lineup for every game. On the defensive end, the Bulldogs only give up 59.3 PPG (second in the country) and allow opponents to make just 20.9 field goals per game (fifth in the country).
Akron Zips | Mid-Major College Basketball
The Akron Zips are currently ranked as the 12th-best mid-major basketball team in the country, according to Collegeinsider.com. I know what you are saying, “Luke, if they are only the 12th-best mid-major team in the country, why are you highlighting them?” Well, let me tell you… the Zips can score the ball with the best of anyone in the country. They score 84.6 PPG, which ranks seventh in the country. With the dynamic scoring offense, Akron has compiled a 21-5 record overall and a staggering 13-0 record in the Mid-American Conference. In fact, the Zips are currently on a 14-game win streak.
The Zips are led by junior guard Nate Johnson, who scores 14 PPG on 46% shooting from the field and 30% from behind the three-point line. Junior guard Tavari Johnson joins Johnson in the backcourt, averaging 12.5 PPG on 45% from the field and 39.3% from the three-point line. Senior guard Isaiah Gray adds another 10.1 PPG on 39.4% shooting from behind the arc and 49% from the field. Given their competition, KenPom ranks the Zips as the 80th-best offense in the country, with an overall ranking of 95th in the country. Much like the UC San Diego Tritons, the Zips get three-point shots up and make a lot of them. They average 31.3 attempts per game (fourth in the country) and make and make 11.4 per game (third in the country).
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