I am hoping to start a list of some mid-major players to keep an eye on this season. I am hoping to get a jump on some players on the top teams in the lower conferences or possible breakout players. Let me start by naming some names and feel free to add to it:

Kenneth Faried, Morehead State

Elias Harris, Gonzaga

Orlando Johnson, UC Santa Barbara

Xavier Silas, Northern Illinois

Jimmer Fredette, BYU

Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State

Tre'von Willis, UNLV (if eligible)

Juan Fernandez, Temple

Kevin Anderson, Richmond

Ray Mccallum, Jr, Detroit

Steven Gray, Gonzaga

This is just a quick list I have. Who else would you add from the mid-major conferences?

Let's take a quick look at my early top 5 mid-major programs.

1) Gonzaga: I think Gonzaga will have the most success this year. Steven Gray is there to fill Matt Bouldin's shoes on the perimeter and their front line is stacked, led by Robert Sacre and Elias Harris.

2) Butler: The loss of Gordon Hayward will likely keep them from being title contenders again, but Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard will be enough to win the Horizon league once again.

3) Memphis: Will Barton gaining eligibility is huge, obviously, and his play, along with the rest of the heralded freshman class, will make Memphis a strong team in C-USA.

4) San Diego State: I really like the returning players they have with Kawhi Leonard and company. They should challenge for the title of what should be a competitive MWC.

5) BYU: I was tempted to push them out of the top 5 after losing Michael Lloyd and Jonathon Tavernari but the return of Jimmer Fredette is too much to overlook. Combine that with Darrington Hobson bolting New Mexico and Tre'von Willis' eligibility in question and I think BYU will be one of the top teams again in the MWC.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions? Thanks!

What if the top half of the ACC folds into the SEC, and the bottom half of the remaining ACC replenishes the conference's ranks with up and coming mid majors like Troy?

So for instance, say Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech/Clemson and Va Tech get bumped to the SEC and make them a 16 team conference. Additionally, say Boston College pulled a shocker and got elected to the Big 10.

That'd leave Wake Forest, Virginia, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Maryland, Duke, and GT/Clemson. So thats 7 teams, and if the ACC wanted to keep pace with the 16 team big boys, they'd have to raid the cupboards of other conferences. I can see them abandoning the coastal footprint and snatching up West Virginia, but they'd still need 7 more. USF has proven they can run with the big boys (beat FSU), East Carolina would be appealing, Middle Tennessee topped Maryland, Louisville would be appealing, Memphis would be a draw if for basketball alone, and then it gets tricky for another team in that southeastern footprint... maybe stretch west for a USM or Tulane, or approach a team like Navy who is at home in that area in Annapolis. Troy and UCF could top off the deal so your conference would look like this:

North:
Wake Forest
Virginia
Navy (for sake of conversation)
North Carolina
West Virginia
Maryland
East Carolina
Louisville

South:
North Carolina State
Duke
GT/Clemson
USF
MTSU
Memphis
Troy
UCF

I bet that that scenario is highly implausible but it'd be frikkin sweet, plus that footprint isn't too much larger than the Sun Belts now and is smaller than the ACC's currently is. We'd get to maintain our rivalry with Middle Tennessee, enjoy games against larger named programs like NC State and WVa, and still remain completely competitive against even the top of the program. Not to mention a conference like that would deserve every bit as much of a seat at the table of AQ megaconference should there not be a playoff in place by that time. Furthermore, each of these teams could also remain competitive in other sports. Some of the ACC team transfers might moan about playing "lesser competition" but they'd only do that until the new-to-ACC teams beat them a few times (shouldn't take long) and found out how marketable the transfer programs are. Besides, what else are they gonna do?

Say the SEC only seeks to expand to fourteen, they can take GT/Clemson and NC State or something and leave the new ACC I've proposed as a 14 team conference

"The NEC is great basketball. Those that don't get to see it
don't know what they're missing"

Jim Ferry - Head Coach
Long Island University

Coach Ferry's comments should be taken to heart by all NYC hoops fans. Simply saying "NO" to the awful basketball played by the local NBA teams and saying "YES" to the inspired and exciting basketball played by local NEC teams is definitely an option. Especially in March.

Coach Ferry's Blackbirds defeated the Knights of Fairleigh Dickinson 63-61 in the quarterfinal round of the Northeast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament on Thursday night. These teams last met in Brooklyn exactly fourteen days ago, in a game that never led anyone to believe tonight's matchup would have been this intense. Don't worry - that February game was still a better basketball viewing investment than the NBA most days.

First-year head coach Greg Vetrone had his FDU team firing on all cylinders from tonight's opening tip. Compared to the chess-like viewing expectation of "pro-game" opening minutes, the Knights raced to a 13-1 lead before the first media timeout. "We had too much energy," said Brooklyn native and LIU senior guard Jaytornah Wisseh afterwards. "After the first couple of minutes, it became a regular basketball game."

The Blackbirds slowly erased the early deficit as a Kenny Onyechi putback gave LIU their first lead of the game, 21-20. For the remaining eight minutes of the first half, neither team could manage more than a five-point lead, as Wisseh's jumper at the one-minute mark tied the game at 32. The Knights shot 44 percent from the floor in the first half, while the Blackbirds recovered from their 0-for-7 start to shoot 32 percent. Both teams combined for just 11 turnovers and amassed a total of 42 rebounds in a hard-fought effort on both side of the court and the basketball. Freshman swingman Jamal Olasewere pulled down eight defensive boards, on his way to double-digit rebounds at halftime.

FDU could not re-kindle their early game pace to start the second half, as neither team could claw ahead by more than three points for the first nine minutes. An NBA-three by Sean Baptiste gave FDU a five-point lead with just over ten minutes remaining, but jumpers by Olasewere and David Hicks closed the gap to one. With the Knights defense effectively shutting down Wisseh, the Blackbirds were forced to look elsewhere for offense and 6'1" guard Michael Culpo rose to the challenge.

His back-to-back three-pointers swung a five-point lead in the direction of LIU. "I felt comfortable, and shot real good in warm-ups," Culpo commented on his five field goals that all came from behind the arc.

After a pair of free throws put the Blackbirds up by seven, Terence Grier started a 10-4 run to close the gap to just a point at the four-minute mark.  Wisseh converted one free throw, only to have Grier drive the paint and tie the game at 61 with just over two-minutes remaining. Seconds later, Culpo fed Onyechi in the paint to account for the final points of the game. The teams combined for seven missed shots for the final 90 seconds, as every loose ball and rebound were contested with the effort worthy of an elimination game.

Fourth-seeded LIU heads to Hamden, CT to face the top seeded Quinnipiac Bobcats in their semifinal matchup. "We gave them a good game up there," Wisseh commented on the Blackbirds last trip north - a game in which the Blackbirds out-rebounded the Bobcats, the only time it's occurred this season.

Based on tonight's effort - it's hard to imagine anything other option in the NEC Men's Basketball Tournament.

Yikes Donald Buckram...if you played at LSU you would be a heisman hopeful! Over 400 yards from scrimage and 4 TDs this week. WOW!

Kinda bummed about Idaho...but Fresno St is always a tough out.

Navy won, and deserves to be in the Top 25....so, in a few hours maybe I will be excited!

Boise is not even close to as good as TCU.... if they played it wouldn't even be close. Thats the end of that.

Kent State laid a goose egg vs Akron. LOL...the zips are horrible.

I am actually gonna root for my arch rival (for this year....due to my cival war with the Troy fan here LOL) I hope they kill Arkansas and Mallett...I don't like Mallett.


One more thing...if USC gets a BSC bowl bid, I am going to puke.

It started when Vince Young ran for the winning td in the ncg vs usc. Vince Young was a dual threat qb. Usc qb was just a pocket passer. Next year we had Florida vs Ohio State. Tim Tebow and Chris Leak led the gators in a romp over the favored buckeye's. Together,  Tebow and Leak were the dual threat in that game. Tim Tebow threw for 1 td and rushed for another. He also accounted for 13 td's in his first year of play. Next year we had Lsu beating Ohio State University. Matt flynn was mostly a passing qb but had some capabilities as a runner. Last year the Tim Tebow led  gators defeated the Oklahoma Sooners. Tebow is the quintessential dual threat qb. When they play the ncg this year it most likely will be
Florida vs Texas. We will have two dual threat qb's in the game. Usc keeps getting these one dimensional qb's and they have lost to the Washington Huskies who have a dual threat qb (jake locker) and they lost to Oregon who had a dtqb(masoli) and got a beatdown. Matt Barkley and his backup Aaron Corp are not good enough to ever win a ncg or even a pac - ten title. Pete Carrol will either have to find better talent or the college football game has passed them by. I see at least three years of medicore play from usc. The usc system is old school and will not win any championships(national or pac-ten). If they don't go to a dtqb system usc will stop being a top ten team and just become irrelevant like ucla. Peace.

I am so sad...Navy and Central Michigan lost....

However, Congrats to TCU, Temple and Idaho!

I am not going to post more since I am so bummed.

MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC
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Navy and Cental Michigan won...so...I am happy and both are very close to being ranked...I have a feeling CMU might be this afternoon, and Navy just outside the top 25 at 6-2 beating Wake Forest yesterday. I was there, and the rain was gross...really really hard rain and wind...It pretty much screwed the WF passing game, but didn't really effect Navy's triple option, as Vince Murry the Navy FB had 175 yards rushing.

Ok, on with the random notes....

TCU is the real deal. I think it is a shame if they aren't ranked above Boise this week. The Broncos did kill Hawaii, but...Lets have BYU and Hawaii play and see what happens?

Idaho, everyones darling, gave up over 200 yards on the ground to a QB and got demolished. Dang.

I am loving UTEP after beating UH and Tulsa...Its going to be funny when a 9-3 UTEP plays in the CUSA title game, and a 11-1 Houston who will probably be ranked about 10-15 doesn't HAHA

Ohio inexplicably loses to Kent State...They had the MAC East in their hands...now, who knows? Temple? Its going to be a wild finish to see who Central Michigan gets to crush.

I am very suprised that Utah St beat La Tech...well done Aggies!

WOW...Troy stomped North Texas...thats not the WOW...the wow is that is sets up a huge Sun Belt game next week vs the UL Monroe Warhawks who are also undefeated in conferance. Should be the biggest Sun Belt game of the year.

Utah holds on versus AF...Man, AF is better than I thought coming into the year.

Idaho!!!! 6-1 really the most unbelievable story so far....I am floored by that.

Central Michigan is getting very close to being ranked at 6-1....After looking at it, I wouldn't be surprised if a 10-2 or 11-1 Central Michigan plays a 10-2 Ohio team in the MAC championship....both teams ranked at the time. Impressive.

Boise is not as good as TCU. That is apparent. I hope TCU doesn't stud their toe on BYU and hand another BCS bowl to the Broncos.

ECU and Tulsa in the CUSA championship....you will see. Sorry UH fans.

Anyone else think that maybe Western Kentucky wasn't really ready for Div I???? Would have rather seen App St. in the Sunbelt...

I am pretty suprised that SMU took Navy to OT...I feel good about Navy's chances against Wake Forrest this week.

What do these number mean to you?

 L 31-34, L 34-51, L 20-28, L 20-35, L 21-31, and L 0-35

Those are the scores of the 6 games Nevada and Fresno have played against the "Big Six"

I give them credit for scheduling good teams, but they obviously aren't ready yet.

That being said, Congrats to Idaho huh? 4-1...thats more than they usually win in TWO season.