Spring Break
Mid-majors not getting enough credit
James Mason
Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: Sports
In recent years, there has been a quasi-takeover of college basketball by "Mid-Majors." Gonzaga formed into a mini-powerhouse out of the West Coast Conference and has become a regular in the Top 25 (although not this year). The Missouri Valley Conference in particular developed into a land of giant killers, sending several teams to the Sweet 16 in recent years. Perhaps the watershed moment was when the Colonial Athletic Association's George Mason advanced to the Final Four in 2006.
This year there are some 'mid-major' teams that seem poised to make deep tournament runs. Butler, Drake and St. Mary's are all ranked in the Top 25 this season. Butler's two loses have been by a combined 5 points. Drake's only losses this season were at St. Mary's and at Southern Illinois. St. Mary's only has three losses this season, despite playing in the same conference as Gonzaga. Xavier, from the Atlantic-10, is also ranked in the Top 15 although the A-10 isn't exactly a major or mid-major conference.
Besides those four teams, however, there isn't much talk about small school basketball. After a couple of years of facing stiff competition from small conferences, the major conferences have reloaded. The Pac-10 is as deep as it's ever been, the Big East and ACC are as strong as always and the Big Ten and SEC are surprisingly deep. Between the 'BCS' conferences, only the Big 12 seems to be having a down season.
One of the major reasons for the major conference surge is the NBA's rule restricting draft eligibility to players that have been out of high school for at least one year. Since 2005, the impact of this rule has grown slowly but surely. Last year, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant dominated college basketball like few freshmen do. This year, there are several impact freshmen that would have been lottery picks in years past. These players include, O.J. Mayo, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, Jarryd Bayless and Kyle Singler. One of the major reasons that the mid-majors were gaining growth was the fact that deep, experienced teams from tough small conferences were able to make up the possible talent deficit with experience. Now, there isn't any amount of experience that can stop players like Michael Beasley when they're on top of their game.
This year there are some 'mid-major' teams that seem poised to make deep tournament runs. Butler, Drake and St. Mary's are all ranked in the Top 25 this season. Butler's two loses have been by a combined 5 points. Drake's only losses this season were at St. Mary's and at Southern Illinois. St. Mary's only has three losses this season, despite playing in the same conference as Gonzaga. Xavier, from the Atlantic-10, is also ranked in the Top 15 although the A-10 isn't exactly a major or mid-major conference.
Besides those four teams, however, there isn't much talk about small school basketball. After a couple of years of facing stiff competition from small conferences, the major conferences have reloaded. The Pac-10 is as deep as it's ever been, the Big East and ACC are as strong as always and the Big Ten and SEC are surprisingly deep. Between the 'BCS' conferences, only the Big 12 seems to be having a down season.
One of the major reasons for the major conference surge is the NBA's rule restricting draft eligibility to players that have been out of high school for at least one year. Since 2005, the impact of this rule has grown slowly but surely. Last year, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant dominated college basketball like few freshmen do. This year, there are several impact freshmen that would have been lottery picks in years past. These players include, O.J. Mayo, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, Jarryd Bayless and Kyle Singler. One of the major reasons that the mid-majors were gaining growth was the fact that deep, experienced teams from tough small conferences were able to make up the possible talent deficit with experience. Now, there isn't any amount of experience that can stop players like Michael Beasley when they're on top of their game.
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