NCAA Basketball: Why do mid-majors get less respect than power schools?

Highlights

It seems like every year the country falls in love with a small mid-major school. Either that school makes a run to the Sweet 16 or further, or that team gets a huge win over a huge school. Occasionally, the mid-major schools have a storybook season and play their way in a position for one of the top seeds in the NCAA tournament.

The 2019-2020 season saw a few of these happen. The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks who have become one of the better mid-majors and have been at the top for a handful of seasons went into Cameron Indoor Stadium and beat the Duke Blue Devils. David took down Goliath and did something that few teams from any conference have done. Duke doesn’t lose at home especially to mid-major schools. That was the biggest upset in the country and that win is not going to be forgotten for a long time.  The Lumberjacks were not the only mid-major school to make headlines a season ago.

The Dayton Flyers and the San Diego State Aztecs had potential storybook seasons. Dayton lost two games all season and was headed for their first-ever one seed in the NCAA tournament. The Flyers also had the player of the year in College Basketball a season ago in Obi Toppin. Toppin and the Flyers never got the chance to make their March run, a run many thought was going to end after the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. Toppin has declared for the NBA draft and has a chance to be a star in the NBA.

The Aztecs were the last undefeated team in the country a season ago and they were one of the most complete teams in the country. The team did have a star, but they were so much more than him. They centered around their smothering defense and they had a tremendous amount of depth. San Diego State ran through the Mountain West Conference and won the conference going away.

The Aztecs were one of the great stories of last year because everyone was picking the Utah State Aggies to run away with the league, Utah State did end up winning the conference tournament, but everyone picked them to win the regular season as well. No one and truly no one would have ever picked San Diego State to be the last remaining undefeated team last year. The Aztecs were going to make a run in the NCAA tournament, and they were a sure-fire Final Four team. They had all the pieces necessary, many may disagree, but that conversation is a moot point considering the tournament never came to be.

San Diego State and Dayton were not outliers, there have been many mid-major schools that have had a record season. Saint Joseph’s with Delonte West and Jameer Nelson went 30-2 losing in the conference title game as well as in the elite eight.  The Hawks were given a one seed that year. The Temple Owls were also given a one seed in 1988 and made it to the elite eight.

Wichita State had a team with Ron Baker, Fred Van Vleet, and entered the NCAA tournament undefeated only to lose in the third round of the NCAA tournament. Memphis with Derrick Rose and UMass with Marcus Camby are two teams who both made the National Final. Indiana State with Larry Bird had the showdown with Magic Johnson in the NCAA tournament. No one will forget the Psi Slamma Jama Houston teams that won the title. That was before anyone cared about major vs mid-major though they just wanted basketball.

There are many other teams like Loyola Marymount, Steve Nash and Santa Clara, Bill Russell and San Francisco, that are not being forgotten, but for the purpose of brevity, it should be noted that Mid Majors once again have provided the foundation for the power schools to rise to the level they have been. Without the mid-major schools, the game would not have been

Perhaps the greatest college basketball team of all time is a mid-major. The 1990-1991 UNLV Rebels with Larry Johnson, Stacy Augmon, Greg Anthony and Anderson Hunt are in the conversation for the best college basketball team of all time. Many don’t want to crown them the greatest of all times as that team was upset in the final four for their only loss on the year. However, that team consistently scored over 100 points, crushed nearly every opponent they played, and had some of the best college basketball players ever. Mid-majors have a long list of accomplishments and they should be given the needed reverence and respect.

There are many other teams like Loyola Marymount, Steve Nash and Santa Clara, Bill Russell and San Francisco, that are not being forgotten, but for the purpose of brevity, it should be noted that Mid Majors once again have provided the foundation for the power schools to rise to the level they have been. Without the mid-major schools, the game never would have reached the heights it has reached, and the power schools arguably would never have risen to prominence.