The NCAA Tournament is still nearly two months away, but we’re definitely into that time of the year when bracketology and various metrics start getting thrown around. We’ll see resumes compared on national broadcasts as teams jockey for position in the coming weeks. Much of that attention will be on leagues like the Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC that should each put a great handful of teams into the Big Dance.
However, the world doesn’t just revolve around those teams and today we’re considering the mid-majors. March Madness is special because of mid-majors, Cinderellas, and those unforgettable stories, and let’s not forget that a few of those mid-majors didn’t get there by winning their conferences. We’ll look closely at some of the notable mid-majors so far this season and debate if those teams could sneak into the NCAA Tournament without a league title.
Miami-Ohio
Despite a perfect record, Miami’s NET is just 48 and it’s not hard to see why. The RedHawks haven’t and won’t play a single Quad 1 game this entire season. Among their three Quad 2 wins, not many people will be moved by wins over Akron, Bowling Green, and Wright State. If the RedHawks complete a perfect regular season and fall in the MAC Tournament, there’s certainly a chance they get in, but it’s hard to imagine this team getting any favors if they suffer a loss in the regular season with this schedule. With the way they’ve flirted with danger lately, they are playing a dangerous game.
New Mexico
The Lobos suffered a Quad 3 loss against rival New Mexico State but that came more than two months ago. Since then, they’ve picked a Quad 1 win at VCU and haven’t been upset, rising to a 6-2 mark in the MWC. They’ve got some strong wins, with victories over Nevada and Santa Clara on their register as well. Their NET has stabilized in the low 40’s in recent weeks and it’d be hard to keep them out unless things come undone ahead.
Saint Louis
Everything looks favorable for the Billikens with the way this team has played this season. Their only loss came by a single point to Stanford and they’ve won 14 straight games since. Saint Louis boasts Quad 1 wins over Santa Clara and VCU and is certainly the class of the A-10 through the first four weeks of league play. It’s hard to imagine this team faltering but if they fall in the A-10 Tournament there’s definitely a spot for this resume right now.
Saint Mary’s
The overall metrics look pretty good even without a Quad 1 victory. Saint Mary’s has looked great for most of the season, and their only real issue is a Quad 2 loss against Boise State in a one-point game back in December. They notched a handful of great wins over teams like Virginia Tech, Northern Iowa, and Wichita State even if those games haven’t aged the best. They could certainly help themselves out by knocking off Gonzaga again this year.
San Diego State
The triple-overtime home loss to Troy from two months ago is the real anchor on the resume for the Aztecs, but this resume looks pretty solid overall. Yes, this team wasn’t competitive against elite programs like Arizona and Michigan, but they have a Quad 1 win at Nevada and currently sit atop the league standings in a very strong MWC. San Diego State currently has four more Quad 1 chances on their schedule and are likely in good shape, especially if they stay near or at the top of the conference.
Santa Clara
Despite the solid NET at 45 there’s an immediate problem for Santa Clara. Their Quad 4 loss against Loyola Chicago right before Christmas is devastating and there’s nothing that will change the negativity that does to their entire resume. Fortunately, this team did pick up a slew of nice wins in nonconference play, with Quad 2 wins over McNeese State, Minnesota, Nevada, and Xavier. They just might need to find a way to add a Quad 1 win over Gonzaga or Saint Mary’s before the season’s end.
Utah State
Utah State has the third-highest NET among mid-major programs with that number sitting at 26. However, two recent losses for the Aggies really hurt what was an extremely strong resume. They’re certainly in good position as things currently stand and have picked up a Quad 1 win during MWC play already. It’ll be interesting to see if they can take advantage of further opportunities as they look to put last week’s Quad 3 loss to UNLV in the rearview.