NCAA Basketball: Five teams that can emerge as mid-major powers

With Wichita State officially announcing they will leave the Missouri Valley Conference, new NCAA basketball mid-major programs will have the chance to gain superiority.

The last decade of conference realignment has hurt mid-major programs but many can make the most of their opportunity. Scheduling has been challenging as strong mid-major programs have joined power conferences, however, Gonzaga has proven that you can develop into a nationally known team in a smaller league.

Wichita State has been a mid-major threat for years, and with the school changing conferences, they should no longer are considered an underdog team. The move solidifies the Shockers’ spot as a top team nationally.

Butler, Creighton, and Wichita State headline the mid-major programs who made the jump and other schools, like Davidson and VCU, are smaller schools that have also been very successful. The Atlantic 10 has often been near the top of non-power conferences.

Big name leagues have expanded and that continues to increase the importance of league affiliation. Mid-majors will have a more difficult time scheduling out-of-conference games and will need to look to early season tournaments to improve their Big Dance resumes.

While Gonzaga is a mid-major, they won’t be included on this list because they are obviously a powerhouse already. Dayton will also be left off because their recent success propels them to the top of the list.

Both the Mountain West and Missouri Valley have been struggling, and the annual challenge between the two conferences may need a shake up with the Shockers departing. Former perennial tournament teams like New Mexico, UNLV, and Northern Iowa have declined. This will open up the door for a new program to take over the top spot.