{"id":37331,"date":"2021-02-15T07:30:35","date_gmt":"2021-02-15T12:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=37331"},"modified":"2026-02-28T15:12:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T20:12:45","slug":"most-dangerous-mid-majors-in-college-basketball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2021\/02\/15\/most-dangerous-mid-majors-in-college-basketball\/","title":{"rendered":"Most Dangerous Mid-Majors In College Basketball"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As Carl Spackler reminded us in the movie Caddyshack, everyone loves a Cinderella story.<\/p>\n<p>Each year, college basketball fans try to predict which small school team will fit into &#8220;the glass slipper&#8221; and upset one of the top seeds in the NCAA Tournament. The excitement level of the opening round is directly correlated to the number of upsets we see in those first few days. Now that the Seeding Committee has provided insight into the seeding minds of the NCAA Tournament with Saturday&#8217;s Bracket Preview Show, we can turn our attention towards identifying this year&#8217;s most dangerous mid-majors.<\/p>\n<p>Here, in reverse order, are the Top 5 small schools that could be this year&#8217;s &#8220;Cinderella&#8221; in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n<h2>Most Dangerous Mid-Majors In College Basketball<\/h2>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3>Atlantic-10 Duo<\/h3>\n<p><strong>5.<\/strong> St. Bonaventure Bonnies<br \/>\n<strong>Record:\u00a0<\/strong> 10-3<br \/>\n<strong>Adj Off\/Def Efficiency:<\/strong>\u00a0 52nd, 53rd<br \/>\n<strong>SOS<\/strong>:\u00a0 44th<br \/>\n<strong>Best Wins:<\/strong>\u00a0 VCU (70-54), at Richmond (69-66)<br \/>\n<strong>Bad Losses:\u00a0<\/strong>None<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud835\udd61\ud835\udd56\ud835\udd63\ud835\udd57\ud835\udd56\ud835\udd54\ud835\udd65 \ud83d\udd1f<\/p>\n<p>What is the \ud835\ude64\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude61\ud835\ude6e <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/A10MBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#A10MBB<\/a> program to score \ud83d\udd1f or more wins in conference in each of the last 6\u20e3 years?<\/p>\n<p>You&#39;re looking at their account right now. That would be us.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Bonnies?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Bonnies<\/a> || <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Unfurl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Unfurl<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gIcH02gpPl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/gIcH02gpPl<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Bonnies Men&#39;s Basketball (@BonniesMBB) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BonniesMBB\/status\/1262405081774858243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May 18, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The start of St. Bonaventure&#8217;s season was delayed two weeks due to COVID protocols, but the Bonnies have started to show their potential. Their big issue is depth, especially after junior <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=anthony-roberts-1,anthony-roberts-2&amp;search=Anthony+Roberts&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anthony Roberts<\/a><\/strong> (5.3 ppg, 2.7 apg) left the program permanently three weeks ago. Roberts averaged a critical 21.3 minutes per game, and has left the Bonnies&#8217; rotation at just six players. Head coach <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=mark-schmidt-3,mark-schmidt-2&amp;search=Mark+Schmidt&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mark Schmidt<\/a><\/strong>&#8216;s team has still managed to go 6-2 since Roberts departure, and have the talent to beat any team in the country.<\/p>\n<p>They have a remarkable group of five juniors, who account for over 63 points per game. Point guard <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/kyle-lofton-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyle Lofton<\/a><\/strong> (15.4 ppg, 5.1 apg), <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/jaren-holmes-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jaren Holmes<\/a><\/strong> (13.8 ppg, 40.7% 3P), <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/jalen-adaway-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jalen Adaway<\/a><\/strong> (12.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg), and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/dominick-welch-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dominick Welch<\/a><\/strong> (11.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 38.4% 3P) fortify a strong perimeter attack. But the most valuable player is 6-foot-10 forward <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/osun-osunniyi-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Osun Osunniyi<\/a><\/strong>, who averages 10.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. They will need to win the Atlantic 10 Tournament, but Schmidt&#8217;s Bonnies certainly have the talent to do so. If St. Bonaventure can avoid foul trouble, they are a tough matchup for any Top 25 program.<\/p>\n<p>[pickup_prop id=&#8221;4940&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><strong>4.<\/strong> Saint Louis Billikens<br \/>\n<strong>Record:\u00a0<\/strong> 10-3<br \/>\n<strong>Adj Off\/Def Efficiency:<\/strong>\u00a0 46th, 42nd<br \/>\n<strong>SOS<\/strong>:\u00a0 263rd<br \/>\n<strong>Best Wins:<\/strong>\u00a0 LSU (85-81), N.C. State (80-69)<br \/>\n<strong>Bad Losses:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2021\/02\/08\/mid-major-2020-21-takeaways-week-eleven\/\" target=\"_self\">at LaSalle (82-79)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/SLU_Billikens\/status\/1360250767152721920?s=20<\/p>\n<p>Saint Louis has been severely impacted by the COVID protocols, going over one month without playing a game. The Billikens defeated UMKC on December 23rd, and then played their next game on January 26th at home against Dayton (a 76-71 loss). That lack of visibility has caused most college basketball fans to forgot how good this Saint Louis team can be. They rank first in Atlantic 10 play in 2P percentage allowed, holding opponents to just 39.4% from inside the arc. They are also one of the best rebounding teams in the nation, ranking Top 25 in both offensive and defensive rebounding efficiency <a href=\"https:\/\/kenpom.com\/team.php?team=Saint+Louis\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">per KenPom.<\/a> The Billikens have also greatly improved at their Achilles&#8217; heel, free-throw shooting.\u00a0 Saint Louis is shooting a respectable 71.7% from the foul line, a vast improvement over last season&#8217;s 57.1%, worst in college basketball.<\/p>\n<p>They have a dominant three-guard lineup with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/javonte-perkins-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Javonte Perkins<\/a><\/strong> (17.8 ppg, 41.9% 3P), <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/jordan-goodwin-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jordan Goodwin<\/a><\/strong> (15.1 ppg, 10.2 rpg), and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/gibson-jimerson-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gibson Jimerson<\/a><\/strong> (10.8 ppg, 43.7% 3P) the Billikens are a nightmare to defend on the perimeter. Point guard <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/yuri-collins-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Yuri Collins<\/a><\/strong> (5.7 ppg, 6.4 apg) is currently out with an ankle injury, keeping the Billikens under the national radar. If they find their way into the NCAA Tournament, watch out for Saint Louis as one of the most dangerous mid-majors.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Bulldogs Overcoming Adversity<\/h3>\n<p><strong>3.<\/strong> Drake Bulldogs<br \/>\n<strong>Record:\u00a0<\/strong> 20-2<br \/>\n<strong>Adj Off\/Def Efficiency:<\/strong>\u00a0 56th, 64th<br \/>\n<strong>SOS<\/strong>:\u00a0 289th<br \/>\n<strong>Best Wins:<\/strong>\u00a0 Loyola Chicago (51-50 OT)<br \/>\n<strong>Bad Losses:\u00a0<\/strong>at Valparaiso (74-57)<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Pretty much a perfect result for Valley: Loyola winning the first game in a blowout makes it highly likely they&#39;ll stay in the top 30 of NET, so Drake&#39;s game 2 win will be Q1.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Bart T\ud83c\udfc0rvik (@totally_t_bomb) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/totally_t_bomb\/status\/1361081587077509120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">February 14, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Just when everyone (including myself) was ready to write-off Drake after losing senior forward <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/shanquan-hemphill-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ShanQuan Hemphill<\/a><\/strong> to a broken foot, the Bulldogs pull of a fantastic 51-50 overtime win over rival Loyola Chicago. Led by point guard <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/roman-penn-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Roman Penn<\/a><\/strong> (12.1 ppg, 6.5 apg) and sharpshooter <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/dj-wilkins-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">D.J. Wilkins<\/a><\/strong> (43.3% 3P) the Bulldogs still have a chance to tie the Ramblers for the regular-season Missouri Valley Conference title. They are one of the best in the country at guarding the arc, allowing opponents just 29.6% from 3P. The Bulldogs are also one of the nation&#8217;s top all-around rebounding teams. Reports are that Hemphill could return in time for the NCAA Tournament, making Drake&#8217;s Quadrant I win over Loyola-Chicago even more critical. If the Bulldogs make it to Indianapolis, and Hemphill returns, you are looking at one of the most popular first-round underdogs picks.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>The Surprise Dangerous Mid-Major Team<\/h3>\n<p><strong>2.<\/strong> Wright State Raiders<br \/>\n<strong>Record:\u00a0<\/strong> 17-4<br \/>\n<strong>Adj Off\/Def Efficiency:<\/strong>\u00a0 59th, 47th<br \/>\n<strong>SOS<\/strong>:\u00a0 205th<br \/>\n<strong>Best Wins:<\/strong>\u00a0 at Bowling Green (85-67)<br \/>\n<strong>Bad Losses:\u00a0<\/strong>Youngstown State (74-72)<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Wright State basketball: Raiders move into tie for first in Horizon League <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/D2qtgJimzD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/D2qtgJimzD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; David Jablonski (@DavidPJablonski) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DavidPJablonski\/status\/1361041951865372672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">February 14, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Wright State has a very similar profile to Loyola Chicago, but is getting much less attention. The Raiders are also anchored by a strong interior presence in 6-foot-8, 260 lb senior <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/loudon-love-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Loudon Love<\/a><\/strong> (16.7 ppg, 10.2 rpg). Over the last five games, Love is averaging 25 points and 10.8 rebounds with four double-doubles. Wright State has superb balance, ranking 43rd in 2P offense (54.3%) and 22nd in 2P defense (44.3% allowed). The Raiders are shooting a blistering 38.8% from 3P in conference play, led by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/grant-basile-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Grant Basile<\/a><\/strong> (48.6%), <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/tim-finke-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tim Finke<\/a><\/strong> (41.7% 3P), and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/jaylon-hall-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jaylon Hall<\/a><\/strong> (44.4% 3P). However, the Raiders are not overly reliant on their proficiency from beyond the arc, generating only 27.5% of their overall points from 3P (265th nationally).<\/p>\n<p>Head coach <strong>Scott Nagy<\/strong> has assembled a roster that is strong on both ends of the floor, with size inside and solid three-point shooting. Wright State has not played any of the national powerhouses, but they still remain one of the most dangerous mid-majors if they make the NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Top of The Dangerous Mid-Majors<\/h3>\n<p>1. Loyola Chicago Ramblers<br \/>\n<strong>Record:\u00a0<\/strong> 18-4<br \/>\n<strong>Adj Off\/Def Efficiency:<\/strong>\u00a0 38th\/1st<br \/>\n<strong>SOS<\/strong>:\u00a0 166th<br \/>\n<strong>Best Wins:<\/strong>\u00a0 at Drake (81-54), North Texas (57-49)<br \/>\n<strong>Bad Losses:\u00a0<\/strong> at Indiana State (76-71)<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Different 5-out zoom variations from Loyola Chicago&#39;s wins over Evansville this weekend <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gAVsnla7pE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/gAVsnla7pE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jordan Sperber (@hoopvision68) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hoopvision68\/status\/1358909303437078528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">February 8, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>This season, there is no better mid-major team this year than Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers are looking eerily similar to the 2017-2018 team that reached the Final Four. Their defense is elite, ranking 12th in defensive rebounding and 48th in lowest 2P percentage allowed (48%). Senior<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/cameron-krutwig-1.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cameron Krutwig<\/a><\/strong> (15.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg) anchors the interior, with double-digit scoring in 17 of his last 20 games. The Ramblers are shooting a mind-blowing 62.1% from inside the arc in conference play, generating 56.1% of their total points. Loyola Chicago has won 11 games in a row and just notched a dominant 81-54 victory at Drake. Even without overly impressive wins, the Ramblers played at Wisconsin and lost on a neutral court to Richmond by two points. In that magical 2018 run, their only big win was 65-59 at Florida. Loyola Chicago has proved it doesn&#8217;t need to play a litany of tough opponents to prepare for the NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n<p>With a great coach in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/porter-moser-2.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Porter Moser<\/a>,<\/strong> Krutwig&#8217;s dominance, and six players shooting over 36% from deep, this Loyola Chicago team is the quintessential dangerous mid-major primed for another magical Final Four run.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here, in order, is a list of the most dangerous mid-majors teams to keep an eye on as we approach the 2021 NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1103,"featured_media":34317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[773,1608],"tags":[4168,3933,2747,2344,2743,3263,2910],"class_list":["post-37331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-college-basketball","category-basketball","tag-dangerous-mid-majors","tag-drake-bulldogs","tag-loyola-chicago-ramblers","tag-mid-majors","tag-saint-louis-billikens","tag-st-bonaventure-bonnies","tag-wright-state-raiders"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1103"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37331"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":179412,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37331\/revisions\/179412"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}