Busting Brackets
Fansided

2017 NCAA Tournament: 10 mid-majors that deserve at-large bids

By Taylor Sturm

Mar 20, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders head coach Kermit Davis looks on during the second half of the second round against the Syracuse Orange in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 20, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders head coach Kermit Davis looks on during the second half of the second round against the Syracuse Orange in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 11
Next
Dec 3, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; Akron Zips forward Kwan Cheatham Jr. (2) and center Isaiah Johnson (23) and guard Josh Williams (1) and guard Jimond Ivey (0)and guard Antino Jackson (55) take the court against the Creighton Bluejays at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Creighton defeated Akron 82-70. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; Akron Zips forward Kwan Cheatham Jr. (2) and center Isaiah Johnson (23) and guard Josh Williams (1) and guard Jimond Ivey (0)and guard Antino Jackson (55) take the court against the Creighton Bluejays at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Creighton defeated Akron 82-70. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /

Akron Zips

The opening loss to Youngstown State set Akron back to begin the season, but the quality of competition is what narrowly put the Zips ahead of Belmont on this list.

With a respectable strength of schedule due to road matchups with Creighton and Gonzaga, Akron would be practically a lock to make the 2017 NCAA Tournament if it wasn’t for a rough late-February stretch in which they lost back-to-back games. Now, Akron must navigate a deceptively tough MAC tournament and hope that they can run the table – otherwise, the Selection Committee might overlook this talented squad.

Home/Mid Major Conferences