2019-20 "Mid-Major" Power Rankings

[WuShock Reaper]

Just a few comments first (as i have mentioned before):

1. I am only posting on the Blog, as there are teams being ranked that we will play in our upcoming season and some of the information is interesting.

2. I wish Wichita State would play more of these top rated “Mid-Major” teams, even in Home/Home arrangements. They are a lot more exciting then the 200+ NET/RPI ranked teams showing up on our schedule;le.

3. The "Mid-Major" tag for Wichita state is starting to be smaller and smaller in the rear view mirror, but there will still be individual writers and bloggers who mention Wichita State as a “Mid-Major”. SCREW 'EM.

[WuShock Reaper]

Mid-majors 2019-20 predictions: What's a mid-major, anyway? - ESPN
Posted: 10/17/19, 6:00am cst
https://africa.espn.com/mens-college...d-major-anyway

Since the first thing many readers are going to do is quibble with our definition of mid-major, please identify (1) the league above that you think is closest to qualifying for the 'high-major' group, (2) the league that you'd put closest to the mid-major relegation line, and (3) the league below our mid-major cut line (i.e., one we're not profiling here) that deserves the most respect.

John Gasaway, college basketball writer: …I have three expectations for a major conference: 1. Record an adjusted efficiency margin ("AdjEM") of at least +10.00 at KenPom; 2. Earn the equivalent of two No. 3 seeds in the NCAA tournament bracket (which could instead be a single top seed or any number of other permutations); and 3. Average one NCAA tournament victory for every two member teams in your league (so, for instance, the WCC would be on the hook for five tournament wins). The Pac-12 has fallen short of some of these criteria the past few years, to be sure, but that's one way to define "major."

Jeff Borzello, college basketball insider:… Gasaway gave the best answer possible for how to differentiate major conferences from the rest, so I won't dive into data. But from a qualitative standpoint, I think a major conference is simply a league that has a chance at three-plus bids every eason, with a Sweet 16 favorite among the group…. The Pac-12's reputation keeps it as a lock among the major conferences even though it's had some down years recently, so the American is probably the closest to falling -- even though this isn't the season that will happen. The league has a national contender in Memphis, March regulars in Cincinnati and Houston, and the middle of the league is the best it's ever been this season.

Myron Medcalf, senior college basketball writer: I think John's assessment is accurate. And I support Jeff's idea that the high-major tag demands a sense of consistency…. The American counts on Memphis, Cincinnati, Houston and Wichita State to preserve its reputation each season. A few bad years from that foursome would alter perceptions of that league. I'll echo what Jeff and John said about Conference USA and Western Kentucky's promise as a league that deserves more respect. But the reality is that the Power 5, American and Big East schools have access to millions of dollars they can use on practice facilities, academic staffers, top coaches and assistants, travel accommodations and other resources the rest of the country, by and large, lacks. These advantages position those programs to compete for the top talent in the country each year. That's high-major to me….”

Mid-majors 2019-20 champion predictions

Atlantic 10	VCU
Ivy League	Harvard
MAC	Bowling Green
Missouri Valley	None
Mountain West	Utah State
Southern	East Tennessee
West Coast	Gonzaga

[pogo]

Thanks for the post.. Looks like we check all the boxes but it is a slippery slope

[wichshock65]

Is the MVC having a prediction of "None" due to it being such a competitive league or because no one cares? Asking for a friend.

[ShockerEngr]

Is the MVC having a prediction of "None" due to it being such a competitive league or because no one cares? Asking for a friend.

It's because there are no winners

[kcshocker11]

It's because there are no winners

And no one cares!

[moshock]

It's because there are no winners

They are going to hand out participation trophies at the end of the season

[wichshock65]

[WuShock Reaper]

College basketball mid-major power rankings – Top 25: Dayton flying to the top - FanSided Sports

by Matt Craig
5 hours ago

https://fansided.com/2019/12/02/mid-major-rankings-december-top-25-dayton/

"Welcome back to the Cinderella Watch! For the blue bloods, non-conference play can seem like a fun but trivial exercise. Games are played in NBA arenas or on some tropical island, coaches wear casual polos and players try to pump their draft stock (hi Anthony Edwards!). But for the mid-majors, November is a crucial period for building an NCAA Tournament résumé. Multi-team events are often the only chance for these programs to match up with the big boys, an opportunity to send a message to the selection committee and college basketball fans across the country. I call it “Slipper Sizing SZN....

5. VCU (6-2): “Havoc” is back. The Rams got off to a hot start with their stifling defense, including a huge win at home over LSU and former coach Will Wade. But familiar offensive woes were exposed this week at the Emerald Coast Classic in losses to Purdue and Tennessee. Marcus Evans, a preseason A10 first-teamer, came to Florida averaging better than 15 points per game and walked away with 10 total points in the two losses. The offensive load was placed on the broad shoulders of 6-foot-7 junior Marcus Santos-Silva, but ultimately it wasn’t enough. Still, losses by a combined six points to two teams ranked in KenPom’s top 25 will surely not derail what looks to be a promising season.

6. East Tennessee State (7-1): The Buccaneers showed their mettle by giving Kansas a game in Allen Fieldhouse, cutting the lead to five with five minutes remaining before losing by a dozen. That game served as a coming out party for multidimensional 6-foot-5 junior Bo Hodges, at least in a starring role, as he put up 22 points, seven rebounds and three blocks against the Jayhawks. If he continues to shine for ETSU, currently averaging 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists, it provides the cornerstone for a potentially unstoppable force in the SoCon.

8. Northern Iowa (7-1): An early favorite has risen in the Valley. After a rare losing season last year, coach Ben Jacobson is back to looking like college basketball’s Gregg Popovich, and the Panthers his San Antonio Spurs. They play slow, smart, unselfish, defensive-minded basketball, a formula which has worked against Old Dominion and South Carolina this season, even slowing down Press Virginia in the team’s only blemish this season, a five-point loss in Cancun this week. In that game, reigning Missouri Valley freshman of the year A.J. Green put up 26 points, including the last 10. When things get tight, Green is the go-to guy.

24. New Mexico State (4-4): I’ll defend my No. 3 ranking of the Aggies in the preseason standings by saying I was going for a projected order of finish. Does that excuse me, at all? It’s been a tough start for NMSU, which has dealt with numerous injuries and a really difficult schedule (all four losses to KenPom top 120 teams). Admittedly, it’s more than that. The team has shot the ball poorly, turned it over too much and gotten pummeled on the boards. The at-large dream is dead, but if the Aggies can get healthy and build some momentum before starting conference play against the lowly WAC, it’s easy to see them clawing their way back up these rankings in the future...."

[WuShock Reaper]

The Other Top 25: Feast Week brings a new top five - MidMajor madness

By Kyle Cajero
Dec 2, 2019, 12:55pm PST

https://www.midmajormadness.com/2019/12/2/20991330/the-other-top-25-college-basketball-mid-major-rankings-san-diego-state-dayton-gonzaga-atlantic-10

"...The full Other Top 25 poll is below, as per usual. If you have any questions, comments, qualms or concerns, please take a number behind all of the Stephen F. Austin fans....

#5 VCU (6-2) - Losing to two top 30 teams by a combined six points on a week that another A10 team took the nation by storm was not ideal for the Rams. It's no surprise VCU's defense kept them in both the Purdue and Tennessee games, but the offensive lapses don't inspire confidence. But two losses to two NCAA Tournament teams isn't enough to pull the panic switch yet — especially with three decent mid-majors ahead on the schedule before playing at Wichita State.

#6 East Tennessee State (7-1) - The metrics look great for ETSU and it has moved up by winning all the games it should. We're just waiting for the Bucs to face and pass a true test.

#14 Northern Iowa (7-1) - Speaking of conference favorites, Northern Iowa is the team to beat in the Valley with Missouri State underperforming. The Panthers' most recent victim was South Carolina, behind 26 points from AJ Green...."