Mid-Major Madness
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These are three of the best mid-major coaching hires in the 2026 cycle
Last year, I named Bryan Hodgson, Lennie Acuff and Eric Olen as the three best mid-major hires. I don’t have quite as strong of a conviction on three of them this year – there are a bunch that I really like – but what I did like about that group was how all three had […]
Three non-Division-I to Missouri Valley transfers to watch
Two years ago, Ben McCollum took a handful of Division-II players with him to Drake from Northwest Missouri State. It was thought to be somewhat of a rebuilding year for the Bulldogs who had lost head coach Darian DeVries to West Virginia, but we know that wasn’t close to reality. Bennett Stirtz, Tavion Banks, Mitch […]
How one college kid built Hardwood Empire, the viral college basketball simulation app
Finn Keating is a self-described hustler. He’s the type of person who always needs to be busy. His classes at Providence College and relationships with his friends are valuable and fulfilling, but he’s eager for more. Keating has long known himself to dive deep into side projects to fill his time and his endless energy. […]
The SoCon’s public endorsement of NCAA Tournament expansion leaves us with so many questions
While most that support mid-major basketball think it to be a bad idea, and that includes myself, the Southern Conference announced its support for the expansion of the NCAA Tournament from a 68-team field to 76 teams Tuesday morning by commissioner Michael Cross. Most of us have several questions, and it’s hard to know exactly […]
Now validated, Brendan Coyle returns to Siena as conduit to new era
Leading up to the 2026 MAAC Tournament in Atlantic City, Brendan Coyle was struggling. The sharpshooter who made 94 threes at a 39% clip in his junior season had dipped below 30% as a senior. When he walked on to play for Carm Maciariello in 2022-23, and then redshirted, he probably didn’t envision his career […]
‘Everybody’s just excited’: New Mexico’s retentions creates offseason buzz
Jake Hall and Uriah Tenette were unknown commodities coming into the 2025-26 season as freshmen at New Mexico. They were signed to UC San Diego by head coach Eric Olen, who took the pair with him to the Lobos when he took the gig. A year later, they’ve become two of the biggest names in […]
MMM Reacts Survey Results: Limiting transfers is a good idea, fans say
Four schools in four years. Playing college basketball into your mid-20s. Maybe even your late-20s. Coming back to school after an excursion in the pros. All that seems crazy … because it is. In fact, 64% of Mid-Major Madness fans believe limiting transfers is a good idea. This question stemmed from President Donald Trump signing […]
Colin Mitchell’s title-winning buzzer-beater honors his late grandfather
INDIANAPOLIS — The two weeks in between Mary Washington’s win over Trinity in the national semifinal and the Division-III National Championship Game in Indianapolis against Emory felt like an eternity for sophomore guard Colin Mitchell. In Emporia, 124 miles south of UMW’s Fredericksburg campus, three days on from helping the Eagles clinch a spot in […]
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, […]
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