Mid-Major Madness
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How did every first-year mid-major coach do in 2025-26?
A year ago, I wrote about my three favorite mid-major coaching hires from that cycle. It featured Eric Olen (New Mexico), Bryan Hodgson (South Florida) and Lennie Acuff (Samford). We now know that Olen made the NIT semifinals in year one, Hodgson made the NCAA Tournament in year one and is off to Providence, and […]
MMM Reacts Survey: Is the executive order placing limits on time and number of transfers good?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Mid-Major fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Please take our survey The current wild, wild west nature of college athletics may be coming […]
The Men’s Other Top 25: Utah State closes season at No. 1
“One Shining Moment” has played. The 2025-26 college basketball season has come to a close. With that, the final ranking of the Men’s Other Top 25 has been compiled. Utah State closes the season atop the ranking. The Aggies won the Mountain West regular season and tournament championships. They were the only team from the […]
The Women’s Other Top 25: Princeton closes season atop poll
Princeton, who played in a seventh straight NCAA Tournament, closed the 2026 as the No. 1 team in the Women’s Other Top 25. The Tigers finished 26-4 and garnered a 9-seed for the second time in the last three seasons. The Ivy League owned the top two spots in the final ranking as Columbia surged […]
Easton Bazzoli, Gannon, add to legacy of “The System” with program’s first national championship
INDIANAPOLIS – Jim Crutchfield notoriously doesn’t watch much basketball outside of his own Nova Southeastern teams, but one has to imagine that the legendary coach cracked a smile as Easton Bazzoli led Gannon to the program’s first ever national championship. While Bazzoli never worked for Crutchfield, he picked up Crutchfield’s famed “System,” and continued it […]
From NAIA to the Final Four: Ben Humrichous leapfrogs to college basketball’s biggest stage
Tonight, graduate senior forward Ben Humrichous will take the floor on the nation’s biggest stage as Illinois prepares to play in its sixth Final Four with a shot at the program’s first ever National Championship on the line. Humrichous’ journey to Indianapolis is about as unique as any you’ll find on the court this weekend, […]
NCAA Reacts Results: Can we see a mid-major in the Final Four again soon?
We will get another mid-major in the Final Four – at some point. It’s been bleak. No mid-majors making even the second weekend, let alone the third weekend for a second straight year. We’re just three years removed from TWO mid-majors in the Final Four. We love you San Diego State and Florida Atlantic. Now, […]
Former Colgate assistant Cam Crocker is the outside-the-box hire propelling Illinois to Final Four
INDIANAPOLIS — Brad Underwood turned over every stone to build Illinois’ 2025-26 roster. His embrace of recruiting internationally – specifically in the Balkan region – has brought much fanfare, as has being one of just two high-major programs to offer Keaton Wagler a scholarship. But his roster wasn’t the only part of his program that […]
These three former mid-major starters are the Final Four’s know-your-role All-Stars
INDIANAPOLIS – Alec Millender and Dwayne Koroma committed to UConn the same week in May. Most Husky fans had no idea who they were, but they were both seeking the same thing. Millender, who played for IU Indy last season as a senior for over 30 minutes per game, shot Koroma a direct message asking […]
Former Campbell transfer Anthony Dell’Orso is Arizona’s glue
INDIANAPOLIS — Anthony Dell’Orso only played nine minutes in Arizona’s Regional Final victory over Purdue. He made one field goal, but it was the most important shot of the game. With the Wildcats on a run, he sprinted to the right wing in transition, and Jaden Bradley fed him an underhand pitch. He calmly drilled […]
NIT Semifinals: Tulsa advances, Illinois State and New Mexico’s seasons end
INDIANAPOLIS – On Nov. 3, we started with 280 Division-I mid-major programs. On April 3, we are down to just one remaining. The Tulsa Golden Hurricane defeated New Mexico inside Hinkle Fieldhouse on Thursday night to grab its 30th win of the season and advance to Sunday’s NIT Championship Game against Auburn, which took down […]
Mid-Major connections to women’s Final Four
There hasn’t been a mid-major team in the women’s NCAA Tournament since the first round. But as the tournament has come down to the Final Four there are still several mid-major connections for the four teams in Phoenix – particularly among the coaching staffs. UConn None UCLA Tony Newnan – Associate Head Coach Newnan was […]
Dusty May returns to the Final Four. This time, it was expected
INDIANAPOLIS — Three years ago, Dusty May and his players were adamant that Florida Atlantic wasn’t a Cinderella. The word itself almost seemed to trigger them. But with the perspective of time gone by, seeing the Owls cut down the nets at Madison Square Garden and head to the Final Four is one of the […]
How Yaxel Lendeborg’s mid-major roots have propelled him to new heights
The story of the man who has led Michigan to the 2026 Final Four almost didn’t start. To get here, Yaxel Lendeborg — the Wolverines’ 6-foot-9, do-everything, superstar forward — took the path less traveled, to say the least. Academically ineligible throughout most of his high school career, Lendeborg only played 11 games of varsity […]
Mid-Major Madness Reacts Survey: When will be the next time a mid-major reaches the Final Four?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Mid-Major fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Remember the days of two mid-majors in the Final Four? That was only three years ago. […]
Dan Geriot reflects on first season: ‘It’s not good enough.’
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The buzzer wasn’t the only sound that went off as the final seconds of Iona’s season ticked off the clock in a first-round MAAC Tournament loss to Sacred Heart on Thursday, March 5. You had to cover your ears to avoid the loud growl and roar of the elephant that had […]
Columbia travels around country on way to WBIT semifinals
5,970 miles traveled and just 41 hours in New York City. That sums up the last 10 days for the Columbia women’s basketball team, who is set to take the floor for the WBIT semifinals against Wisconsin in the WBIT semifinals this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. ET at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kan. So, […]
Evan Bradds chases a title with Duke before bringing high-level influences back to Belmont
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A year and a half on from Hurricane Helene, I-40 in some areas between North Carolina and Tennessee is still down to just one lane in each direction. The hurricane changed the communities and families in those Appalachian regions of the states, but passing through that section in either direction will take […]
From the Big Sky to the Big Apple
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the court with the Big East Player of the Year and multiple five-star recruits, it was a small guard from Spokane, Wash., who averages under seven points per game and hadn’t scored all day, who took the final shot. But to anybody following St. John’s closely over the course of the […]
New Mexico voted as most likely to win NIT
After two days of thrillers, we now have an NIT final four as they converge upon Hinkle Fieldhouse. Of the four, we have three No. 1 seeds with the lone three-seed being the Redbirds of Illinois State. The other three, Auburn, Tulsa and New Mexico have had their battles, but of the crowd, SBNation fans […]
Hofstra’s future appears bright under its ‘Guardfather’
The day before the Hofstra Pride played its first NCAA tournament game in 25 years against the Alabama Crimson Tide, head coach Craig “Speedy” Claxton showed up to a media press conference in Tampa wearing a custom-made black hoodie with a white Hofstra logo and the words “THE GUARDFATHER” inscribed on the front. The first […]
Where have all the mid-majors gone?
There are no mid-majors in the Sweet 16 in both the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments for a second straight year. We know it’s been bad. But how does this trend stack up over the last 20 postseasons? This year’s men’s tournament saw four teams advance to the round of 32. Last year had five. […]
MMM Reacts Survey: Who will win the NIT?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Mid-Major fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. There are just eight teams remaining in the NIT, and SEVEN of them are mid-majors. Plus, […]
Sharp dressed men of March: first weekend recap and Sweet 16 preview
While the number of head coaches who wore suits for first-weekend action is lower than it should be, in Sunday’s late window, Dan Hurley and Nate Oats wrapped up the first and second rounds in blazers, which provided a nice, old-school conclusion to the week. Here is a recap of how the best-dressed head coaches […]
The NIT is the mid-major tournament we all wanted
No mid-majors left in the NCAA Tournament? No problem. We still have men’s mid-major postseason action in a different form as the National Invitation Tournament has blessed us with a final eight that includes seven mid-major squads. As we look into the quarterfinals starting Tuesday, let’s preview all of the matchups headed into the final […]