NCAA Basketball: Which mid-major are poised for a deep run in 2018-19?

Nevada Wolf Pack

The Wolf Pack finished last season 29-8, winning the Mountain West regular season title and making a run to the Regional Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament where they fell to the aforementioned Loyola. Head coach Eric Musselman is losing one major competitor to graduation in guard Kendall Stephens, who averaged 13 points per game.

He does return five of his top seven scorers, including Jordan Caroline and Lindsey Drew, who combined to average averaged 25.8 points, 12.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists per contest in 2017.  The biggest coup of the offseason for Nevada was definitely the return of the Martin twins, Caleb and Cody. The two forwards tested the NBA draft waters and ultimately decided to return to Reno.

The wins kept coming for the Wolf Pack this summer as they landed a commitment from five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American power forward Jordan Brown. The 6-foot-10 Brown is ranked as the top recruit in California and No. 17 nationally by 247Sports.   The frontcourt depth was bolstered even further by the addition of two transfers. Trey Porter who averaged 13 points and six rebounds for Old Dominion last season while 6-foot-7 forward Tre’shawn Thurman, who is eligible after sitting out last season, averaged 13.8 points and 7.8 rebounds for Nebraska-Omaha in 2016-17. Musselman’s two other recruits so far this summer, 6-foot-10 K.J. Hymes and 6-foot-7 Vincent Lee, add even more depth at the forward position.

Not to be outdone, the backcourt depth of Nevada is just as strong behind Caroline and Drew and also bolstered by three eligible transfers: Jazz Johnson (Portland), Nisre Zouzoua (Bryant) and Corey Henson (Wagner). The guard trio combined to average 50.7 points during their last season of action.