NCAA Basketball: Top 25 mid-majors through non-conference play

NCAA Basketball: Top 25 mid-major teams through non-conference play

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Eric Musselman of the Nevada Wolf Pack gestures to his team during the championship game of the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Holiday Invitational basketball tournament against the Massachusetts Minutemen at the Orleans Arena on November 23, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nevada defeated Massachusetts 110-87. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /

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SPOKANE, WA – FEBRUARY 15: Head coach Mike Dunlap of the Loyola-Marymount Lions huddles with his team during a timeout in the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at McCarthey Athletic Center on February 15, 2018 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /

25. Loyola Marymount Lions (10-2)

Ranked 7th in the WCC Coaches Preseason poll, LMU was viewed as an afterthought coming into this season. It makes sense, returning essentially the same roster from an 11-win team a year ago, head coach Mike Dunlap looked to possibly be on the hot seat after another potential down year overall.

From a personnel standpoint, the players for the Lions have looked roughly the same. Senior guard James Batemon is once again the MVP, scoring around 20 ppg and four assists a night. Mattias Markusson provides the balance for LMU, scoring in double figures while bringing down eight rebounds a night.

The team scoring average of 71 ppg is the same as a year ago. However, the Lions are giving up just 59 ppg, ranking in the top-10 in the country. From an efficiency perspective, LMU still ranks up there as one of the best D-I defensive units. It’s a whopping 17-point difference in average from a year ago, which is why they’re poised to match their team win-total from a year ago in early January.

The biggest accomplishment for the team this season was their neutral site win over Georgetown, holding the Hoyas to just 52 points. The Lions started out 8-0 before getting humbled by the more athletic UCLA Bruins.

There are still concerns for this team once conference play arrives. They rely heavily on Batemon to score the Lion’s share of the points. One bad game by him will mean certain doom against the better WCC opponents. However, the defense is for real and will at least make most of the games competitive even if the offense struggles. Another reliable scorer will make LMU even more formidable.

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