NCAA Basketball: Top 10 mid-majors from first month of 2018-19 season

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CHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 16: Kenny Cooper #21 of the Lipscomb Bisons reacts after a score against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

9. Lipscomb Bisons 6-1

Coming off the most successful season in program history, earning their first-ever Atlantic Sun title and trip to the NCAA Tournament, the Lipscomb Bisons are during the first month of the season that last year was no fluke.

Head coach Casey Alexander’s team is 6-1 with road wins over SMU and No. 18 TCU three days apart. In fact, Lipscomb is now on a four-game road after defeating Morehead State and Middle Tennessee State on Saturday. Their lone loss came in between those winning streaks to Nashville rival Belmont.

One of the things that have made Lipscomb successful is their ability to force their opponents into mistakes. They rank 16th in turnover margin (5.4) and 11th in turnovers forced (18.57), and even though they have given up 69 points per game they are 42nd in scoring margin because they score 84.1 points of their own.

The senior led Bisons have senior forwards Eli Pepper and Rob Mayberry who have shot a combined 62% from the field while 21.8 points and 10.5 rebounds. Freshman center Ahsan Asadullah has been a productive piece in just 13 minutes of action, with eight points and 5.4 rebounds. The Bisons’ backcourt is led by senior Garrison Matthews and his 20 points, 4.4
rebounds, and two assists. His cohort is junior Kenny Cooper who has added 12 points and a team-leading 3.1 assists and 2.6 steals per game.

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