Mid-Major Minutes: Patrick McCaw’s NBA success & Chicago State’s new, great recruit

Good morning! If you’re reading this, you’re clearly starting your day off right with an effort to better yourself by becoming more educated about the goings-on in the mid-major world.

In a landscape so dominated by the biggest schools and conferences, it’s quite hard to winnow down the information you want and need to hear about your favorite mid-major programs.

Thankfully, Mid-Major Madness is here to aggregate the news and links for you, providing you with a brand-new, daily post about the world of mid-major hoops.

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#Content to Read

Marcus Keene is doing great things so far in the NBA Summer League (Hustle Belt)

After going undrafted this summer, Marcus Keene, the former Central Michigan Chippewa who led the NCAA in points per game last season, signed with the Washington Wizards to play for their Summer League team. In the time that he has been on the Wizards’ Summer League roster, he has been nothing short of impressive.

As the Hustle Belt’s James Snyder wrote:

While he has only scored a combined 15 points in the two games, it’s how he is scoring them that have me, and others, taking notice. He is proving, at least to me, that it wasn’t a fluke that he averaged 30 points a game last year for the Central Michigan Chippewas.

The ability to score as quickly as he can, in the variety of ways that he can, are a commodity. The guy also has a personality, and is only 5’9. That makes him an easy guy to root for. That’s also a commodity in the world of professional sports.

Chicago State just got its best recruit ever (Mid-Major Madness)

Our site’s Greg Mitchell — a WAC aficionado if there ever was one — wrote a piece highlighting how the Chicago State Cougars were able to land 2018 recruit Kezo Brown, a three-star guard. His commitment to Chicago State is a huge deal, and Mitchell wrote the following as proof of that:

This is the same Simeon that’s a Chicago prep powerhouse and has produced Derrick Rose and Jabari Parker, among others.

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And this is the same Chicago State program that has won just 23.3 percent of its games over the past seven seasons, and is one of the 76 schools that Verbal Commits lists as averaging just 2.000 stars per recruit. The site has no lower aggregate ranking. The school as a whole is also a year removed from budgetary concerns that seemed to threaten the athletic department.

Patrick McCaw’s defense made him an asset to Golden State (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

In a team as star-studded as the Golden State Warriors, it takes a lot to stand out — especially as a rookie. However, former UNLV small forward Patrick McCaw figured out exactly what it would take for him to make an impact on his new team: defense.

As Ed Graney detailed:

The Warriors believe McCaw can be one of those two-way players teams continuously pursue, but his place on the league’s best team was born from this reality: He can really defend.

He predictably led the Warriors in scoring during the NBA Summer League, but it’s those qualities his coaches most covet defensively that allowed McCaw to carve out a role during the team’s title run, to fit seamlessly among all the superstars.

Now McCaw has a championship ring to prove exactly what good defense will get you.

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Tweets of Interest

McCaw’s showing off that trophy at his old stomping ground

Wait. Was Ben just talking to a dog?

This Troy jersey might be my favorite one that Bryan has received thus far

The Timberwolves won a close one at Columbia’s summer camp

A former Louisiana Tech Bulldog signs with the Nuggets

This series that Southern Miss is doing is pretty cool

Boomer won the MVC Mascot Madness. Neither Kaboom nor Ace Purple won. I refuse to honor these results

thanks

Yale Basketball takes no breaks

Attention UTEP fans:

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Recruiting News