Small schools. Shockers. Cinderella stories. Bracket Busters. They go by so many names, but one thing is for sure. Schools from the mid-major conferences, or as popularly termed "mid-majors," make you take a second look at your bracket come tourney time. You had Cleveland State beating Indiana in '86? Sure. Richmond over Syracuse in '91? Gotcha. Manhattan beating Oklahoma in '95, Princeton beating defending champ UCLA in '96, Coppin State over South Carolina in '97, Valparaiso to the Sweet 16 in '98, or Gonzaga in '99? Whatever makes you feel better.
Whatever it may be, we look at our list and check it twice like St. Nick at Christmas time when it comes to those games pitting schools from major conferences against mid-majors. Why else would you think hard about No. 6 vs. No. 11, No. 5 vs. No. 12, No. 4 vs. No. 13, or No. 3 vs. No. 14 when filling out your bracket? Now when we see the Butlers, Gonzagas, and Northwestern State's of the world, we shouldn't sell them so short. Now mid-majors are in some cases mainstays around Top 25 polls and within the respectable range in RPI rankings. Looking forward to March, here are five mid-major programs that you might want to keep an eye on come Championship Week.
Note: these are not the necessarily the five best mid-majors, just teams to be mindful of.
Butler (Horizon League)
You know the kid who's wasn't really popular, but gets an invite to the party he's been waiting for? Then when he gets there, he really does some cool things to impress people, got invited back and now he's "cool?" Butler is that cool kid. A run to the Sweet 16 last season and a constant spot in the Top 25 has Butler looking to be a factor in the national picture for the tourney, where a No. 3 seed may be in their calling. Balance is what suits the Bulldogs, who have four players who average double-digits in scoring, led by senior guards Mike Green and A.J. Graves at 15.4 and 13.4 points a contest, respectively. Pete Campbell is a versatile forward who can shoot from the outside.
Butler is scrappy, quick, and great at shooting. Already on the victims list for the Bulldogs for this season from the majors: Michigan, Ohio State, Texas Tech, and Florida State. They have to finish the season strong and despite having won 14 of their last 15, there are some defensive issues they need to work out to jockey for position in the brackets. Either way, the Bulldogs are looking to be more than just being one of the cool kids at the party in March.
Drake (Missouri Valley)
Raise your hand if you actually know where Drake University is. After a loss to St. Mary's in their second game, the Bulldogs from Des Moines, IA ripped off 21 straight wins and hopped right into the Top 25. Missouri Valley Conference leading scorer Josh Young and leading rebounder Jonathan Cox, led by a supporting cast of Leonard Houston, Adam Emmenecker, and Klayton Korver (younger brother of Utah Jazz and former Creighton Blue Jay forward Kyle Korver), Drake has made its hallmark of playing solid, but not great defense and pulling out close games. The argument against Drake by some is their lack of solid competition. Their latest setback against Southern Illinois will only amplify the critics, but a win in a huge "Bracket Buster" game at Butler on Feb. 23 could do a lot to silence the doubters. Either way, these Bulldogs are sitting in good shape for the regular season crown in the MVC.
St. Mary's (West Coast)
The Gaels have beaten them all: the good, the bad, and the ugly. In the ultra-competitive West Coast Conference, where for the better part of the last decade, any team not named Gonzaga was settling for the role of bridesmaid, St. Mary's has managed to stay a step ahead of the Bulldogs and San Diego in the standings. They are tough to beat at home, delivered Drake one of its two losses on the season, and picked up impressive wins over Oregon, Seton Hall, and Ohio. Patrick Mills, Omar Samhan, and Co. need to be careful. One loss down the stretch in conference play could cough up the WCC title to Gonzaga or San Diego. Another "Bracket Buster" buster game on Feb. 23: Kent State from the MAC comes to St. Mary's, where the Gaels have yet to lose this season.
VCU (Colonial)
After upsetting Duke in the first round of last year's tournament, Virginia Commonwealth came in with George Mason, a clear favorite in the CAA. Led by the talented Eric Maynor, who leads the conference in assists and second in scoring, the Rams are making a push for a second consecutive bid in the Big Dance. A setback at George Mason on Jan. 29, may go a long way towards determining the regular season champ. Either way, despite early wins against Houston and Maryland, it seems the winner of CAA tourney may get the conferences' only bid. It seems to be a two-horse race between the Patriots and the Rams. Anthony Grant continues to be a hot commodity in the coaching ranks. Circle Feb. 23 for the Rams, as well. They travel to Akron to face the Zips.
South Alabama (Sun Belt)
There may be other talented teams in the Sun Belt conference, but it's clearly two teams head and shoulders above the rest: Western Kentucky and South Alabama. The Jaguars are neck and neck with the Hilltoppers, in first place by virtue of their head-to-head win against WKU 65-61 on Jan. 5. Demetric Bennett leads four Jaguars who average double figures at just over 20 points a game and exhibits the kind of senior guard leadership that can give South Alabama a chance at an upset if awarded a bid to the tournament. Sophomore point guard Domonic Tilford isn't bad, at just less than 15 points a game. The Jaguars have a fight with the Hilltoppers for the rest of regular season for the Sun Belt regular season title, which could very well be decided when they visit Bowling Green for the rematch on Feb. 21.
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