By Aidan Joly
As it is every year, we have potential Cinderellas to watch and so far this year has been no different. Here are eight mid-major teams to watch at this point in the season.
Towson
This is a program that had a 21 win improvement from the 2020-21 season to the 2021-22 season, going from four wins to 25 wins. The season ended with a trip to the CAA semifinals and a trip to the NIT. Now, the Tigers are off to a 5-0 start behind 18.4 points per game from Nicholas Timberlake and 13 per game from Charles Thompson. The CAA has multiple teams capable of making runs and Towson is one of them.
Charleston
Another CAA team. Traditionally one of the better mid-major programs in that part of the country, Pat Kelsey’s Cougars emphasized their strong start by winning the Charleston Classic, a tournament that the program hosts, for the first time ever since the tournament began in 2008. To do it, it beat Davidson, Colorado State and then Virginia Tech in the championship game. The Cougars also have win over Richmond. It is 4-1 with the one loss coming to No. 1 North Carolina, but they led by seven at the half and trailed by single digits in the final five minutes. This is another team to keep an eye on. Towson and Charleston will play each other for the first time this season on New Year’s Eve. Buckle up.
UAB
A team out of the Conference USA and led by former Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy, the Blazers are off to a strong 4-1 start and are ranked No. 42 in the country on KenPom while this column was being written. On Tuesday, it finished off winning its bracket of the Sunshine Slam Classic in Daytona, Fla., beating South Florida by 15 and Georgia by 14 to do it. Jordan Walker put up 30 points in the tournament’s title game on Tuesday to up his point per game average to 24.6, good for third in the country. It’s one loss comes to Toledo, who we’ll talk about next.
Toledo
The Rockets are 4-2 right now, but still remain the top dog in the MAC before conference play begins. It won a game against the aforementioned UAB and also has wins against Valparaiso, Oakland the Northern Kentucky. The Rockets have three 15+ point scorers in Rayj Dennis (20.2), JT Shmuatw (19.8) and Setric Millner Jr. (15.0). This is a team that could give fits to other teams throughout the season and come March.
Louisiana
The Ragin’ Cajuns are off to a 5-0 start to the season and turned some heads with a 76-72 overtime win against SMU on Tuesday night. It also has wins against Harvard, East Tennessee State and Louisiana Tech. Big man Jordan Brown has been fantastic, averaging 20.2 points per game on a 58.6% shooting clip and also grabs 7.2 rebounds per game. The Sun Belt, which now boasts 14 teams, is very deep. Louisiana is still relatively low in KenPom (No. 124), than some other teams, but don’t be surprised if they move right on up. It is one of two remaining undefeated teams in the league.
James Madison
Talking about a second team in the Sun Belt, it’s not the other remaining undefeated team, but 4-1 James Madison is legit. It turned heads on the first day of the season by beating Division III Valley Forge 123-38, but backed it up by scoring 95 or more points in each of its next three games before a loss to No. 1 North Carolina. Takal Molson and Vado Morse each score 14.6 points per game. It is set to play in the Savannah Invitational this weekend with games against NAIA College of Coastal Georgia on Friday, but it gets tougher with games against South Dakota State and Valparaiso on Saturday and Sunday.
Drake
The Bulldogs and head coach Darian DeVries have been here before. It won a game in the 2021 NCAA tournament as one of the last four teams in. It then had a down year by program standards last year, but still made it to the CBI, winning a total of 25 games and went 13-5 in Missouri Valley league play. Now, the Bulldogs are off to a 5-0 start and are ranked at No. 70 in KenPom. It has wins against the likes of Wofford, Buffalo and Wyoming before league play, one that no longer has Loyola Chicago. This seems like Drake’s league to lose.
Sam Houston State
One of two undefeated teams remaining in a 14-team WAC, the Bearkats are off to a 5-0 start that includes a pair of true road wins against two Power 6 programs in Oklahoma and Wyoming. It hangs the hat on the defense, having not allowed more than 55 points in a single game this season. As this is written, it holds a 20-point lead against South Dakota at the Fort Myers Tip-Off. The WAC is a tough-as-nails league, but the Bearkats will remain a threat all season into March.
AJ Hoops 