Mid-major Basketball: 5 biggest offseason storylines heading into 2020-21

SPOKANE, WASHINGTON - JANUARY 18: Drew Timme #2 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs battles for control of a loose ball against Zac Seljass #2 of the BYU Cougars in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center on January 18, 2020 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /

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CHICAGO, IL – NOVEMBER 14: A detail view of a basketball net (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

In a wild offseason, what are some of the top storylines pertaining to mid-major basketball programs heading into the 2020-21 campaign?

There’s no question that this offseason has been very unique in college basketball overall due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NBA Draft deadline for underclassmen players has been extended until August 3, while many players are still making decisions as to whether to go pro (due to the uncertainty of the upcoming season) or stay in school for one more year.

As far as mid-major basketball teams go, they have to go through not only all of that stuff but also the usual transfer noise that can affect their respective programs. As usual, a number of teams suffered heavy losses, including Stony Brook, who lost its top three contributors (Andrew Garcia, Elijah Olaniyi, and Makale Foreman) to the transfer portal.

Other teams got lucky, adding some former power conference talent to bolster their respective rosters. And depending on how the waiver process occurs via the NCAA, some mid-major programs could be in a great position for the 2020-21 season.

While there still could be some news that happens in August, it seems as if we have a clear idea of how the overall rosters look, giving an idea of which teams will be contenders or pretenders a few months from now. That’s thanks in part to what has happened this offseason. Just speaking of mid-major basketball, here are five of the most notable storylines.

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