NCAA Basketball: 10 mid-majors to watch for ahead of 2021 offseason

Mar 20, 2021; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; St. Bonaventure Bonnies guard Jalen Adaway (33) moves in for a basket against the Louisiana State Tigers during the second half in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports /

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NCAA Basketball Grand Canyon Antelopes Jovan Blacksher Jr. Patrick Breen/Arizona Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK /

Grand Canyon Antelopes

2020-21 record: 17-7 overall, 9-3 WAC
Key returners: Jovan Blacksher Jr. (12.0 ppg), Gabe McGlothan (6.1 ppg)
Key additions: Aidan Igiehon (Louisville, 2.6 ppg), Yvan Ouedraogo (Nebraska, 3.4 ppg), Taeshon Cherry (Arizona State, 3.9 ppg)

Few coaches have enjoyed as miraculous of a turnaround as Bryce Drew, who – two years removed of enduring a winless SEC season at Vanderbilt – led the Antelopes to their first-ever Div. I NCAA Tournament appearance this past year, claiming the WAC crown and earning a 15-seed in March Madness.

Grand Canyon’s resume consisted of few impressive victories, with the best being a 10-point win over Nevada – but the Antelopes also hung around with a few quality opponents, falling to Arizona State, San Francisco, and Colorado – all in a row – by margins of one, three, and 10. The Antelopes struggled down the stretch after kicking off the WAC regular season on a nine-game win-streak, losing three of their last five – but rebounded nicely at the end, claiming two games in the WAC Tournament by an average of 26.0 points.

Drew will face the challenge of replacing two titans in Asbjorn Midtgaard and Alessandro Lever, both of whom led Grand Canyon in scoring and rebounding – but the Antelopes will see floor general Jovan Blacksher Jr. return, as well as key role player Gabe McGlothan, who should step in and take over duties inside the paint.

But the Antelopes’ success this past season has led to some nice additional positives, as well, in the form of a few Power 5 transfers. Taeshon Cherry, who was a significant role player for Arizona State the past three seasons, Aidan Igiehon, a quality shooter from Louisville who did not earn much playing time for the Cardinals, and Yvan Ouedraogo, the starting center for Nebraska during the 2019-20 season, will all supply top-tier depth to the Antelopes’ roster, and should keep Grand Canyon at the top of the WAC.

Despite the losses inside with Midtgaard and Lever both gone, the Antelopes may take a bit to discover their new identity – but with Blacksher Jr. leading the way in the backcourt and an influx of marquee transfers en route, Grand Canyon should be the early favorites to claim the WAC crown yet again.

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