2008 Mid Major Basketball Preview

Well.....Kinda. In this section of Maddux Sports’ 2008- 2009 NCAA Basketball Preview, we take a look at important teams from some of the other conferences—those that contain a team or two that have a chance to make it to the NCAA Tournament and that may rise to national prominence.

Five conferences offer two teams each in this section of our preview, while eight other conferences contribute one team each. The Atlantic 10, Conference USA, Missouri Valley, Mountain West and WCC provide two clubs. One team comes from each of the following leagues—Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Ivy League, MAAC, MAC, Southern and WAC.

The top of the heap includes Conference USA’s Memphis Tigers, who had quite a run in the NCAA Tournament last year and the WCC’s Gonzaga Bulldogs, who always seem to be a contender. The Mountain West’s UNLV Rebels could go two or three deep into the national tourney. The Davidson Wildcats of the Southern Conference also look like contenders.

Upstarts who will be happy to make it to the Big Dance include the Cal State Northridge Matadors (Big West), the Cleveland State Vikings (Horizon Conference) and the Cornell Big Red (Ivy League). Of the two teams from the Missouri Valley Conference, the Creighton Bluejays look to have the best chance at the NCAA tourney. Perhaps one of these clubs has a chance of going two deep into the tournament.

Those that look to be on the cusp of the NCAA, but that could end up in the NIT instead, include Conference USA’s Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Missouri Valley’s Southern Illinois Salukis and WCC’s Saint Mary’s Gaels.

This year, the college basketball season will be filled with weeks of upsets, surprises and amazing plays at both ends of the court. Teams will be battling for conference championships, for conference tournament crowns and for an invite to the ultimate tourney—the Big Dance. Those who don’t make it to the NCAA Tournament will settle for second best—the National Invitational Tournament. Those who don’t make it to the NIT, may go to the College Basketball Invitational or simply sit at home. No matter what happens, the college basketball season is a mighty marathon that’s a lot of fun to watch.

2008- 2009 NCAA Basketball Preview The Other 18

1) BYU Cougars
2) Cal State Northridge Matadors
3) Cleveland State Vikings
4) Cornell Big Red
5) Creighton Blue Jays
6) Davidson Wildcats
7) Gonzaga Bulldogs
8) Kent State Golden Flashes
9) Memphis Tigers
10) Nevada Wolfpack
11) Saint Marys Gaels
12) Siena Saints
13) Southern Illinois Salukis
14) Temple Owls
15) Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
16) UNLV Runnin Rebels
17) VCU Rams
18) Xavier Musketeers