Mid-major Basketball: 5 key questions and storylines for 2021-22 season

5. More likely to happen; Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Milwaukee make the NCAA Tournament via Horizon League auto bid or Chet Holmgren and Gonzaga loses a game in WCC play?

Ferruci

Milwaukee makes the NCAA tournament

As evidenced by last year’s crazy opening round, the Horizon League could be won by anyone. Milwaukee will return two of their top three players in terms of minutes contribution in DeAndre Gholston and Josh Thomas while high major transfer Vin Baker Jr. joins the club after sitting out due to transfer rules.

Then, of course, there is Patrick Baldwin Jr. joining his father picking the Panthers over Duke and others. His ability to stretch the floor standing at 6-10 while holding the capability to shoot the basketball is something other Horizon League coaches rarely face. Consistency will be key as Baldwin Sr. sent six different starting lineups out to center court last year.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga has been the model of consistency. The Zags have lost three conference games the last five seasons including undefeated campaigns in two of the last three seasons. Despite losing two top 15 picks on last year’s national run-ups, Mark Few reloaded with the third-ranked recruiting class according to 247 Sports.

The class includes revolutionary talent Chet Holmgren and fellow five-star Hunter Salis. And don’t forget about one of the favorites to win national player of the year, Drew Timme. Andrew Nembhard returns to make it all go, and I do not see this team losing in WCC play.

Watson

The Horizon League Tournament has been one of, if not the single most chaotic league tournaments in all of college basketball the last few seasons. Milwaukee will likely not win the league’s regular-season title, but they are certainly talented enough to make a run through the tournament and steal the auto-bid if Patrick Baldwin Jr. and DeAndre Gholston can peak at the right time.

Schroeder

I’m going with Baldwin and the Panthers. One player of ‘Junior’s’ talent level can lift an entire team at the Horizon level to greater heights than in some other leagues. Gonzaga won’t go undefeated, but they will have a spotless WCC record.

Loose

This is a tricky one. The Horizon League is one of those conferences where anything can happen, especially in a one-bid league’s conference tournament. Gonzaga will still be worlds ahead of the rest of the WCC.

It’s tempting to just assume Milwaukee is the answer, but Baldwin alone leading the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament would be a pretty incredible story. That’s the pick though; it’ll take an otherworldly effort for any of those WCC teams against the Zags.