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NCAA Basketball: AAC’s best and mid-major threats among biggest questions

By Tristan Freeman

DAYTON, OHIO - JANUARY 14: Trey Landers #3 and Jalen Crutcher #10 of the Dayton Flyers celebrate against the VCU Rams at UD Arena on January 14, 2020 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OHIO - JANUARY 14: Trey Landers #3 and Jalen Crutcher #10 of the Dayton Flyers celebrate against the VCU Rams at UD Arena on January 14, 2020 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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BOULDER, COLORADO – DECEMBER 10: Spencer Haldeman #30 of the Northern Iowa Panthers (Photo by Lizzy Barrett/Getty Images)
BOULDER, COLORADO – DECEMBER 10: Spencer Haldeman #30 of the Northern Iowa Panthers (Photo by Lizzy Barrett/Getty Images) /

3. Which unranked mid-major team is most likely to make a Sweet 16 run?

Gluck

Rhode Island. The Rams are currently second in what is a very strong Atlantic-10 conference this year and have lots of quality wins throughout their season, currently sitting at number 32 in the NET rankings. Star guard Fatts Russell is a bucket getter, but the x-factor may be big man Cyril Langevine. Standing a solid 6-8 230 lbs, the New Jersey native is a tough player, currently pulling down double-digit rebounds and almost 2 blocks per game. The Rams have confidence from how well they played in early season matchups against Maryland and WVU, and Russell and Langevine are a talented inside out duo that can bring Rhode Island into the second weekend in March.

Winick

Northern Iowa is the pick here. They may not be the single most talented team to qualify for this question, but they have the perfect formula to win some games in the Tournament should they get there. First off, they have AJ Green, a bonafide superstar who is averaging over 20 points per game. Second, and perhaps most importantly, this team shoots the lights out of the ball. They are 4th in the nation from behind the arc, at 40.1%, and if they get hot in March, could certainly upset some power conference teams, just as they have already done this season to Colorado and South Carolina.

Simberg

For me, this is a toss-up between and St Mary’s and Northern Iowa. I love the guards on both squads but I’ll lean St. Mary’s due to the experience. The Gaels made the tournament last year and have an elite, scoring guard in Jordan Ford. They’ve also played tougher opponents like Wisconsin, Dayton, Gonzaga, and BYU that should help them come March. With Ford at the helm, I can easily see the Gaels sneaking into the Sweet 16.

Cravalho

Northern Iowa looks like an elite mid-major team with a strong chance of making a run in March. Just look at their strong non-conference performance with a win over South Carolina, a road victory at Colorado, and a 5-point loss to West Virginia. Even with the recent league loss to Loyola-Chicago on the road, the 22-4 Panthers are the best team in the Mountain Valley Conference led by sophomore guard, AJ Green (20.2 PPG, 3.2 APG, 3.1 RPG, 40.6 3P%).

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