Busting Brackets
Fansided

NCAA Basketball: Best mid-major players of the 21st Century

By Logan Butts

GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 18: C.J. McCollum #3 of the Lehigh Mountain Hawks reacts in the second half against the Xavier Musketeers during the third round of the 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 18, 2012 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 18: C.J. McCollum #3 of the Lehigh Mountain Hawks reacts in the second half against the Xavier Musketeers during the third round of the 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 18, 2012 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 31: Tyler Cavanaugh #34 of the George Washington Colonials guards Alec Peters #25 of the Valparaiso Crusaders during their NIT Championship game at Madison Square Garden on March 31, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 31: Tyler Cavanaugh #34 of the George Washington Colonials guards Alec Peters #25 of the Valparaiso Crusaders during their NIT Championship game at Madison Square Garden on March 31, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /

MAAC

Canisius: Billy Baron

Fairfield: Derek Needham

Iona: Scott Machado

Manhattan: Luis Flores

Marist: Jared Jordan

Monmouth: Justin Robinson

Niagara: Kahlil Dukes

Quinnipiac: Justin Rutty

Rider: Jason Thompson

Saint Peter’s: Keydren Clark

Siena: Kenny Hasbrouck

Keydren Clark and Jared Jordan deserved better teams because they were legit stars.

MAC

Akron: Romeo Travis

Ball State: Jarrod Jones

Bowling Green: Keith McLeod

Buffalo: Javon McCrea

Central Michigan: Chris Kaman

Kent State: DeAndre Haynes

Miami: Michael Bramos

Ohio: D. J. Cooper

Toledo: Tre’Shaun Fletcher

Western Michigan: David Kool

People should talk more about D.J. Cooper and Ohio’s run to the Elite Eight.

MEAC

Bethune-Cookman: C. J. Reed

Coppin State: Tywain McKee

Delaware State: Jahsha Bluntt

Florida A&M: Rome Sanders

Howard: James Daniel III

Morgan State: Reggie Holmes

Norfolk State: Kyle O’Quinn

North Carolina A&T: Lamont Middleton

North Carolina Central: Jeremy Ingram

South Carolina State: Thurman Zimmerman

I’ll forever remember O’Quinn doing whatever he wanted in Norfolk’s first round upset of Missouri.

Missouri Valley

Bradley: Danny Granger

Drake: Adam Emmenecker

Illinois State: Paris Lee

Indiana State: Jake Odum

Loyola-Chicago: Clayton Custer

Missouri State: Kyle Weems

Northern Iowa: Seth Tuttle (shoutout to Adam Koch)

Southern Illinois: Darren Brooks (shoutout Jamaal Tatum)

Valparaiso: Alec Peters

This group would really complement each other as an actual team. A very balanced and talented group of players.

Mountain West

Air Force: Nick Welch

Boise State: Chandler Hutchison (shoutout to Derrick Marks)

Fresno State: Melvin Ely (shoutout to Marvelle Harris)

Colorado State: Gian Clavell

Nevada: Nick Fazekas (shoutout to Luke Babbitt and Kirk Snyder)

UNLV: Wink Adams

New Mexico: Kendall Williams (shoutout to Darington Hobson)

San Diego State: Jamaal Franklin (shoutout to Xavier Thames)

Utah State: Jaycee Carroll

Wyoming: Josh Adams (shoutout to Larry Nance Jr.)

San Diego State could have had a whole starting lineup of really good players, but I’ll take Nevada’s top three over the Aztecs.

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