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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WICHITA, KS – JANUARY 25: Center Jacob Enevold #11 of the Drake Bulldogs dives on the floor for a loose ball against guard Ron Baker #31 of the Wichita State Shockers during the second half on January 25, 2015 at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. Wichita State defeated Drake 74-40. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

24. Drake Bulldogs (10-2)

The preseason expectations for the Missouri Valley Conference were that Loyola-Chicago, Illinois State, and even Southern Illinois were the top teams. But to this point, all three have disappointed in one way or another.

One team did manage to crack the list from the league, a surprisingly good Drake team. Losing an All-Conference player in Reed Timmer and a couple other key contributors from a team that just finished .500 a year ago, the Bulldogs were expected to take a step backwards in the MVC. Instead it a large one forwards, thanks to the play of grad transfer Nick Norton.

The former UAB guard was a solid three-year starter for the Blazers but no one expected his scoring output to basically double to 15.5 ppg, while being very close to the elusive 50-40-90 shooting percentage splits. His 6.5 apg currently ranks tops in the MVC as well. With him and senior forward Nick McGlynn (16.1 ppg and 7.4 rpg) leading the way, the Bulldogs have pulled off impressive wins over New Mexico State, San Diego, Boise State in the non-conference.

We’ll see how much of a conference contender Drake really is, with home games against both Loyola-Chicago and Southern Illinois coming up. But as long as Norton continues to look like the MVC Player of the Year, the Bulldogs should be just fine.

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