Mid-major Basketball: 3 under-the-radar teams for 2020-21 season

By Logan Butts | Sep 30, 2020

MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 16: Members of the Winthrop Eagles marching band cheer during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Butler Bulldogs at BMO Harris Bradley Center on March 16, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

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SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 06: Austin Fadal #1 of the Eastern Washington Eagles (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images) /

Eastern Washington Eagles

It’s understandable that Eastern Washington is flying under the radar heading into 2020-21. Last season, they won the Big Sky regular-season title and were the favorites to win the conference tournament before it was canceled due to COVID-19.

But that team had the Big Sky Player of the Year Mason Peatling and his nearly 1300 career points in tow. Now that Peatling is suiting up for Melbourne United of the Australian Basketball League, the Eagles (I’m seeing a trend here) are being slightly underestimated as contenders in the Big Sky.

Peatling wasn’t even the team’s leading scorer last season, that distinction belonged to Jacob Davison and his 18.4 points per game average, who returns this season. As does nightly double-double threat Kim Aiken Jr. and the rest of Eastern Washington’s nine-man rotation outside of Peatling.

With Northern Colorado (Jonah Radebaugh), Montana (Sayeed Pridgett), Montana State (Harald Frey), and Weber State (Jerrick Harding) all also having lost their top player but without returning the same experience that the Eagles have, the league could be Eastern Washington’s for the taking.

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