NCAA Basketball: Top mid-major and high-major performers early in 2022-23

Mid Majors

Over the first two weeks of the season, fans have been treated to some great basketball coming out of the mid-major ranks. The SWAC swept the Pac 12, Charleston beat everyone on their home floor at their home tournament, and there were so many more upsets to grab everyone’s attention heading into Feast Week. This week it was hard to pare the list down to 12 players. There were a lot of worthy players who could have been considered over the first two weeks. The list is inclusive of all conferences and all their games for the week. The nominees for week 1 were as follows:

Drew Pember

The big man from UNC Asheville finds himself on the list with a 40-point game on opening night. Pember also has scored over 20 against every division 1 opponent the Bulldogs have played this season. Pember is averaging 22 points and 9 rebounds. Those numbers go along with 49% from the floor and 45% from three. The big man is also averaging three blocks early in the season and looks like the early favorite for the Big South Player of the year. I believe Pember will see his name here a few more times as the year goes on.

Trenton Massner

The point guard from Western Illinois is one of the best guards in the country that almost no one has heard of. Massner is a stat sheet stuffer and is a nominee for the player of the week because of his triple-double on opening night. In that game against Illinois State, the guard had 12 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds. Any time a player gets a triple-double they are going to find themselves on a list for the player of the week. It is extremely hard to do in the college game.

The point guard got hurt mid-way through the DePaul game, a game that the Leathernecks were winning when he went out. After he got hurt Western Illinois was not the same on offense. The point guard was well on his way to another double-double in that one as he already had 8 points and 6 rebounds in 20 minutes.

Sam Sessoms

The graduate transfer at Coppin State is well-traveled and is making the most of his current opportunity. Sessoms is currently averaging 23 points per game to go along with 6 assists and 5 rebounds. He is also part of one of the highest-scoring backcourts in the country. He is shooting 50% from the floor and has turned the Eagles into a huge threat in the MEAC. Sessoms is a great shooter from deep, shoots 90% from the line, and gets his teammates involved. He will be on this list again.

Foster Loyer

The Davidson senior point guard finds his way on the list after having one of the better weeks of any mid-major player. Loyer scored 38 points in an opening win over Wright State. The game went two overtimes and Loyer played 48 minutes in that game. The point guard is shooting 45% from deep, and is hauling in 6 rebounds per game, and 5 assists. Loyer can fill it up fast and is going to average over 20 points per game this season. He finishes week 2 averaging 22 points per game.

Jelly Walker

Anyone who has watched Walker knows exactly why he is on this list. He is one of the best pure scorers in the college game and is currently second in the country in scoring with 26 points per game. He also scored 38 points in the opening game and followed that up with a 25-point game the following game. Walker is the point guard for UAB who also happens to be one of the best mid-majors in the country. Walker doesn’t provide much in the counting stats, but he is an elite scorer who shoots a very high percentage from deep.

DeShawndre Washington

New Mexico State has a good one in their new guard. Washington had a triple-double in his first game with the Aggies. It was against a non-Division 1 team but it was still a triple-double. The guard followed up that performance with 18 points and 12 rebounds in a loss against UTEP. The Aggies are in a tough spot right now given the recent news that has come out of the program, but Washington is a great player who is going to lead New Mexico State all year.

Tucker Richardson

Colgate has been one of the best mid-majors in the country over the last five seasons. The senior guard has been at the center of the Raiders’ dominance because of his ability to score and most importantly his ability to shoot the ball. Colgate is one of the best shooting teams in the country and Richardson is their best player. The guard steps up in the biggest games as well. He is averaging 19 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. Richardson is currently shooting 60% from the floor and 50% from deep. He is on pace for his best season at Colgate.

RayJ Dennis

Dennis has never had a role quite like he has had at Toledo this season. He is now having to pick up the scoring load after the Rockets lost some production last year. Dennis has successfully picked up the scoring load and finished last week averaging 21 a game and 8 assists. The 8 assists is a top 10 number in the country. Dennis is also shooting well over 50% from the floor and leads an explosive offense. The point guard is a great defender as he averages 2 steals per game and is shooting 52% from deep.

Aaron Estrada

Another point guard who is having a heck of a start to the year. It is no surprise to anyone to Estrada on this list as he has been one of the best-scoring guards over the last two seasons. He is highly efficient and one of the best guards in the country when it comes to rebounding and assisting. After the first two weeks, Estrada is averaging 23 a game, along with 6 rebounds and 6 assists per game. I love the guard who plays at Hofstra. He has no fear when he plays, and he knows he is better than you. He feeds off that and makes the Pride dangerous on offense. Watch Estrada if you have the chance he can really score.

Jalen Harris

Harris has been unbelievable to start the season. He is currently averaging 19 points per game and is on pace for his best offensive season. Harris has seen his role increase at Cal State Fullerton and is finally playing in an offense that fits his strengths. When the shooting guard played at American that offense was not conducive to his talents and strengths. The Eagles played slow and didn’t give Harris that many minutes. Fullerton is letting him play the whole game, giving him the freedom to move in the offense and play to his strengths which is shooting the three. The numbers should continue an upward trend for the guard.

Enrique Freeman

Freeman is probably going to be on this list every single week because he dominates the paint in any game that he plays in. The Akron Zips big man is a walking double-double and the reigning MAC defensive player of the year. He shoots a high percentage from the floor as he is currently shooting 60% from deep which leads to his 16 point per game average. He is also one of the best rebounders in the entire country. After two weeks Freeman is averaging 10 rebounds, and that is because of a 3-rebound game against Mississippi State. The best team in the MAC also happens to have the best player in the league as well. Freeman will win this award a few times this season.

Brandin Podziemski

Santa Clara got a good one in the transfer from Illinois. Podziemski played very sparingly at Illinois and needed a change of pace so as he goes west to California, he is becoming a star in the West Coast Conference. The guard opened the season with two 30-point games and then ended the week averaging over 20 points per game to go along with 9 rebounds. This is the most significant playing time the guard has ever gotten, and he is living up to his hype coming out of high school. He is only going to get better as the year goes on.

That does it for the nominees for this week’s mid-major player of the week. So, who did we pick as the winner of the inaugural Busting Brackets Mid Major Player of the Week?