MID-MAJOR SCHEDULING IS TOUGHER THAN YOU THINK

When I was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the head coach of the men’s basketball team, Dave “Augie” Vander Meulen, taught a terrific and informative coaching class. It's been many years since I sat in that classroom, but I will never forget one of the first things the two-time NCAA Division III national championship coach explained to us.

Winning comes down to three things, in this order... CLICK HERE to read James Wilhelmi's feature.

It's been a pretty good off-season for Penny Collins. Tennessee State has brought in five new players via the transfer portal, including Kinyon Hodges. The 6-foot-2 guard was named to the Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer Team, after averaging 14.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game last season at Eastern Illinois. After three seasons at Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff Missouri, Hodges proved he could be an explosive scorer at the mid-major level. Coach Collins also welcomes E.J. Bellinger Jr. (Belmont), Denim Dawson (Nebraska), Jason Jitoboh (Florida), and Michael Shanks (Belmont). The 6-foot-6 Denim Dawson is a two-way player who should be an immediate impact guy for TSU.

MORE BREAKS & MORE BUZZER BEATERS

Considering recent discussions about potential alterations to college basketball, some have proposed that the adoption of quarters, as well as the inclusion of the ability to advance the ball with a timeout late in the game, could prove beneficial.  

I'm unsure why this seems like such a difficult decision.  This seems to be a no brainer to me since it's already being done in the NBA and in women's basketball at the college level.  

Despite the resistance from traditionalists, the implementation of such modifications could yield positive outcomes for men's college basketball... CLICK HERE to read James Wilihelmi's entire feature.

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Former Four-Star recruit Gregg Glenn III didn’t get a lot of playing time as freshman at Michigan, so he transferred to Tulane. Coming out of high school the 6-foot-7 Florida native was recruited by Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Maryland, and others. Great get for Ron Hunter. He should get plenty of run for the Green Wave.

Max Abmas is a terrific addition for Rodney Terry and Texas. His time at Oral Roberts produced a lot of wins. The Golden Eagles won 84 games and made two trips to the NCAA Tournament, which included that magical run to the Sweet 16 in 2021. This past season ORU was a perfect 18-0 in Summit League play and 21-0 if you count their dominant three-game run through the conference tournament. That wasn’t all Max Abmas, but he was certainly a big part of it. The 6-foot-1 guard was top priority for teams preparing to face ORU. He will still get plenty of attention, but Texas will have more scoring options so Max Abmas will be a problem! Abmas, who was the 2021 Lou Henson National Player of the Year, was one of only four ‘mid-major’ players to be named a finalist for the 2023 Lou Henson and Lute Olson POY awards.

Let's talk about the new NCAA rule that allows prospective student-athletes to take as many official visits as they need to decide where they will attend school. They still can only take one to each institution, except for basketball where they can take two: one in their junior year and one in their senior year. The old number of official visits used to be an arbitrary five. I spent many years as a low/mid-major assistant coach, and we always felt good when a recruit was using one of their official visits to come to our campus. At Howard University, where I once coached, we had a Homecoming weekend that many wanted to attend. As Ludacris once said, 'Then jump in the car and just ride for hours, makin' sure I don't miss the homecoming at Howard.' However, schools with limited budgets can't afford visits "just for the fun of it."  The pressure will be ramped up a notch as they will have to evaluate carefully whether a prospect is serious about potentially committing to their program or just taking a free weekend vacation to check out the hype.

The transfer portal has been talked about ad nauseam this spring. However, one more point must be mentioned. AAU coaches have had multiple weekends of practices as well as tune-up tournaments. This past weekend, from 4/21-4/23, was the first live weekend where Division 1 coaches could attend their events. Did coaches come out? Of course, some of them did. But many we checked with were skipping these events and hosting players from the portal. The NCAA might want to adjust their calendar and look at placing these live weekends in May while schools try to shore up their rosters.

After three seasons at Auburn, and one at Arizona State, Devan Cambridge has landed in Oregon. Cambridge short nearly 50% from the field and averaged 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game with the Sun Devils. Dana Altman also picked up Kario Oquendo from Georgia where he averaged 12.7 points per game this past season. 

Siena has seen some very talented guards transfer and flourish elsewhere. Most notably Jalen Pickett, who was a National Player of the Year candidate at Penn State. Nobody is comparing Javian McCollum to Pickett, but he will be a really nice addition next season for Porter Moser and Oklahoma. The 6-foot-2 guard had a solid freshman season, but he emerged as Mid-Major All-America candidate this past season. The sophomore averaged 15.9 points per contest for the Saints.

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Pittsburgh completely flipped the script last season via the transfer portal. Picked to finish 14th in the ACC, the Panthers challenged for a conference title, with additions like Blake Hinson who was named the recipient of the 2023 Riley Wallace award, presented annually to the most impactful transfer. Head coach Jeff Capel hopes he has another candidate in 2024, with Ishmael Leggett and Zack Austin. The 6-foot-3 Leggett averaged just over 16 points and nearly 6 rebounds per game at Rhode Island, while the 6-foot-7 Austin was good for 14 points and over 5 rebounds a night for High Point.



CLICK HERE to read more about the 2023 Riley Wallace National Player of the Year award.

It was a breakout season for Fordham and more help for 2023-24 is on the way. Head coach Keith Urgo, who was named the recipient of the Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year award, has added Japhet Medor and Josh Rivera. Medor is a 6-foot guard who averaged just under 14 points and 4 rebounds per contest for UTSA. Rivera is a 6-foot-7 transfer from Lafayette where he scored over 10 points per game.

Two really good mid-major players are headed to Knoxville, TN.  Getting Jordan Gainey from USC Upstate wasn’t a major surprise, since his dad Justin is an assistant coach at Tennessee. Two years ago, Gainey was one of the top freshmen in mid-major college basketball. In his two seasons he’s shown that he can play anywhere. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged just over 15 points and nearly 2 steals per game. Harvard had a down year, but Chris Ledlum certainly did not. The 6-foot-6 senior averaged 19 points, over 8 rebounds and just under 2 steals per game.

The 2023 Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year picked up a nice under-the-radar addition. Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse welcomes Lehigh guard Evan Taylor to Music City. The 6-foot-6 guard can shoot it and he will be a nice replacement for Myles Stute who transferred to South Carolina. Vandy has had six players enter the transfer portal so adding Taylor is a nice addition.  

CLICK HERE to read more about the 2023 Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year award.

Nicolas Timberlake was a hidden gem at Towson. The 6-foot-4 guard, who averaged nearly 18 points per game and shot just under 42% from beyond the arc, helped the Tigers to a third-place finish in the Colonial Athletic Association. Towson finished 12-6 and 21-12 overall and Timberlake was ‘that guy’ for head coach Pat Skerry. Outside of the CAA, he was a relative unknown. He won’t be unknown next season. Terrific addition for Bill Self and Kansas.

Andrew Rohde is a nice addition for Tony Bennett and Virginia. The 6-foot-6 Wisconsin native averaged 28.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists in high school. He received a lot of interest from Mid-American Conference schools and Horizon League programs including Milwaukee. DePaul was the only non-mid-major to seriously recruit him, but he opted for St. Thomas-Minnesota where he led the team in scoring. He was named to the Kyle Macy Freshmen All-America team. 

CLICK HERE to check out the 2023 Kyle Macy Freshmen All-America Team.

Texas Southern head coach Johnny Jones has added three players for next season, including a pair of 6-foot-10 post players. Oak Cliff, Texas native Jahmar Young Jr. had stints at SMU and most recently Memphis, while Kenny Hunter averaged 6 points and 5 rebounds per game this past season at Louisiana Tech. Coach Jones also landed Jonathan Cisse. In one season at Incarnate Word, the 6-foot-1 guard averaged nearly 17 points per contest. He can shoot it. When are people going to give Johnny more love? He’s taken three different programs to the NCAA Tournament.

Start with what you know. New South Florida head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim brought three key guys with him to USF, led by Lou Henson National Player of the Year finalist Chris Youngblood. This past season at Kennesaw State, the 6-foot-4 guard scored just under 15 per contest, while shooting nearly 42% from beyond the arc. 

CLICK HERE to read more about the 2023 Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year award.

Columbus, Ohio native Ben Wight began his career at the University of Ohio, transferred to William & Mary and is now back in the Buckeye state at Toledo. Dick Vitale would call the 6-foot-9 forward an All-Windex player because he cleans up on the glass. He’s an excellent offensive rebounder.  

Southern Utah’s hiring of Rob Jeter caught a lot of people by surprise, but this is a terrific hire. Because of Southern Utah’s recent success, it’s easy to forget that this program was a mess when former coach Todd Simon took over. It was important to bring in a guy that had done more with less. In three seasons, Jeter led Western Illinois to its most success in a decade, which included a postseason appearance last season. Prior to Western, Jeter had five 20-win seasons, three Horizon League regular season titles, and two trips to the NCAA Tournament in his stint at Milwaukee. He knows how to win.

TCU head coach Jamie Dixon has brought in three outstanding mid-major players. The latest is Trevian Tennyson, a graduate transfer from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi where he helped the Islanders to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances. He averaged just under 16 points per contest this season. He will fit nicely in a backcourt with former Delaware Blue Hen Jameer Nelson who scored over 20 per game this past season. Up front Dixon added Coastal Carolina transfer Essam Mostafa. The 6-foot-9 import from Egypt averaged a double-double this past season for the Chanticleers. 

Indiana State head coach Josh Schertz got an up-close look at his newest player back in early December. Southern Indiana’s Isaiah Swope had a career-best 28 points against the Sycamores. Swope was 8-for-9 from beyond the arc that night and shot 42% from deep this past season. The 5-foot-10 guard is an ideal fit in the Indiana State offense.

Justin Wright has been one of the best players in the MEAC. He was an excellent three-point shooter and was a big part of the recent success at North Carolina Central. The 6-2 guard is a great addition for head coach Stan Johnson and Loyola Marymount. 

New Austin Peay head coach Corey Gipson landed a nice guard from Quinnipiac. Dezi Jones can shoot it from deep so he will fit in nicely with Gipson’s style of play. Five of his players from Northwestern State came with him, including Lou Henson All-American Demarcus Sharp and a talented freshman in Jalen Hampton.  Austin Peay will be an immediate factor in the ASUN.

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It took a little while, but Texas finally made it official... Rodney Terry is their guy! Yes, this team had a bevy of talent, but Terry also had something to do with that. And things really could have gone in the other direction quickly, after Chris Beard was suspended and ultimately fired. That’s an unsettling thing for a team to deal with in the middle of what was already a good season. But the Longhorns never missed a beat. That’s a credit to Rodney. It was great to see him get plenty of attention for National Coach of the Year honors, but it was even better to see Texas remove that interim tag.

I agree with Coach Kampe. There has been a lot of talk in recent years about changes being made to the NCAA Tournament. Leave it alone... 

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Great hire by Wichita State. I don’t think Paul Mills got nearly enough credit for what he did, during his time at Oral Roberts. Max Abmas was the star when the Golden Eagles went to the Sweet 16 two years ago. While Abmas returned, all of the other key players, including Kevin O’Banor (went to Texas Tech) transferred out. Mills had to re-tool it and all he did this season was go undefeated in conference play (18-0) and his team dominated in the Summit League tournament. He will get it cranked up at Wichita State. 

Terrific hire by Arkansas State, bringing in Alabama assistant Bryan Hodgson. Former head coach Mike Balado was an excellent recruiter, who brought in players like Norchad Omier who was a big part of Miami’s run to the Final Four this season, but ASU couldn’t quite get over the top. Hodgson had been with Nate Oats, going back to his time and success at Buffalo. Great person. Great coach. Great hire.

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Historic victory for FDU. They had a plan, and they have guards.  Texas Southern head coach Johnny Jones got a first-hand look at the Knights just a couple nights earlier... 

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Corey Gipson did a phenomenal job in his one season at Northwestern State and now he’s off to his alma mater, Austin Peay. Gipson led NSU to 22 wins this season. It was the first 20-win season since 2013 and the first winning season since 2015. Gipson earned a reputation as being an excellent recruiter in his seven seasons as an assistant at Missouri State. Given the opportunity, he proved he can lead a program. Austin Peay got their guy!

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Today Georgia Avenue is buzzing about basketball in “The Burr” thanks to Coach Blakeney and the Bison beating Norfolk State last night. Howard University, the outright champions of the MEAC, has their sights set on cutting down the nets in Norfolk. If they can, it will be their first time making the NCAA tournament since 1992.

Here come the Eagles. It’s March, which means North Carolina Central is making its annual run. After dropping three straight, to close out January, Central has won six in a row and currently sits tied with Norfolk State for second place in the MEAC.

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Oral Roberts is 17-0 in the Summit League and it’s only fitting that the road to 18-0 would go through South Dakota State which has been the team to beat in the Summit over the last decade. They will meet on Saturday afternoon.

The math is simple for Kennesaw State… Win tonight at Central Arkansas, and clinch at least a share of the ASUN regular-season title and grab the No. 1 seed in the conference tourney. Amir Abdur-Rahim should get some National Coach of the Year votes.

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Since making the move to division I, the school-record for wins at UMass-Lowell was 15. The River Hawks have 23 (and counting) this season. The former division II powerhouse will be one of the favorites in the upcoming America East tournament.

Dedrique Taylor’s Cal State Fullerton team has run off five straight, including an impressive effort on Monday night at UC Santa Barbara. During the five-game stretch, guard Max Jones and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. have picked it up, combining for 33 points per contest.

With the MEAC tournament right around the corner, here is a name to remember… Brendan Medley-Bacon. The 7-footer from North Carolina Central averages 12 points, 5.6 rebounds and nearly 2 blocks per game. The big fella makes his presence felt.

Very quietly Quinnipiac is 19-9 and 10-7 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. It’s been nearly a decade since the Bobcats posted 20 wins. Baker Dunleavy has done a terrific job.

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After hitting a bump in the road early in conference play, Indiana State has run off six straight wins to climb within one game of the lead in the Missouri Valley. Impact transfer Courvoisier McCauley continues to play like an All-American for the Sycamores.

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Balance is a way of life in Vermont. The top six average 7-12 points per game for the first place Catamounts. Bellarmine transfer Dylan Penn has been a big addition. His 12 points per game lead the team. Impact transfer!

Oral Roberts enters the week, one of just three teams still unbeaten in conference play and the Golden Eagles have a chance to clinch the Summit League regular season title this Thursday. What a season it’s been so far for ORU.

Antoine Davis saved his best for last. Detroit’s scoring machine leads the nation in scoring (27.7) and is averaging just under 32 points per game since the start of 2023, including four games with 40 or more.

After seven seasons as an assistant at Missouri State, Corey Gipson has already secured Northwestern State’s first winning season since 2014-15. JaMonta Black, Isaac Haney and Demarcus Sharp came with him from MSU and freshman Jalen Hampton is going to be a good one.

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National Player of the Week nominees… Tre Jackson and Vonterius Woolbright combined for 77 of Western Carolina’s 95 points in a double-OT win at Wofford. Jackson set a school-record with 47 points. Woolbright added 30 and the game-winner with 16 seconds left in the second overtime.

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Tuesday’s win over Saint Louis improved Fordham’s record to 18-4 overall and 6-3 in the Atlantic 10. The 18 wins matches the most for Fordham in over 30 years. Youngstown State transfer Darius Quisenberry has been a difference maker. This team isn’t done making noise this season.

Binghamton heads into February tied for second place in America East. Just a couple of weeks ago the Bearkats were alone in first. It was the first time in 17 years that Binghamton was in first place in mid-January. Head coach Levell Sanders continues to make progress.

Teams coached by Sean Woods have been very consistent over the past four years, winning close to 70% for their SWAC games. Saturday’s big win over Alcorn State gives the Jaguars full control of first place and improved their record to 7-1.

Put him on your list for National Player of the Week consideration. After dropping 46 on Monday against North Dakota, Trenton Massner had 23 points and the game-winning triple with 2 seconds left against South Dakota. The Western Illinois guard is averaging 18 points per game this season.

Coaching has been my first love, but sitting at the table on the other side of the court was amazing. I recently had the privilege to be an analyst on “HBCU GO” for four games with Hall of Famer and broadcast legend Charlie Neal.

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The nation’s third longest winning streak ended last night in DeKalb, Illinois. David Coit, the top scorer last season at NJCAA Division III level, had a career-best 32 points in Northern Illinois’ win over Kent State. Coit is shooting over 60% in the last three games, all wins for the Huskies.

Darius McGhee just keeps doing his thing. Liberty’s National Player of the Year candidate recently made his 100^th three-point field goal of the season. He averages just under 5 made triples per game, while shooting 44%.

UMES trailed 58-51 with 45 seconds left at North Carolina Central. The Hawks closed the game on an 8-0 run. Don’t look now but UMES has moved into first place in the MEAC. Head coach Jason Crafton is a rising star in the profession.

After starting 0-2 in the Patriot League, Lehigh has run off six straight and sits alone in 2^nd place. Brett Reed’s guard trio of Keith Higgins, Evan Taylor and Tyler Whitney-Sidney combine to average just over 42 points per game.

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After a fast start to the season, which included a win at Syracuse and being ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25®, Bryant has been slowed by nagging injuries and a tough schedule. Last night’s win over NJIT was the third straight for the Bulldogs who are still right in the thick of the America East race. La Salle transfer Sherif Gross-Bullock has been a nice addition for head coach Jared Grasso.

Texas Southern’s early-season win over Arizona State seems like a lifetime ago. It was the lone bright spot in November and December. The Tigers entered 2023 with a 4-9 mark and preceded to lose five straight to open SWAC play. TSU finally broke through on Monday night against Jackson State. With the win TSU is 5-14 on the season. Mark it down, by season’s end Johnny Jones and his team will be a player in the SWAC Tournament. He has talent and he always has his teams ready to roll in March.

Without a lot of national attention, Kansas State improved to 15-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big 12. Longtime Baylor assistant Jerome Tang finally got an opportunity to be a head coach and he is doing a nice job. Former Little Rock transfer Markquis Nowell has led the way through the first four Big 12 games, including 36 at No. 6 Texas and 32 at No. 19 Baylor.

USC Upstate probably isn’t ready to challenge a Big South championship yet, but that doesn’t mean the program isn’t headed in the right direction. Dave Dickerson has done a terrific job of getting the Spartans back in the mix in the Big South. He took the program to postseason last and got a win at Appalachian State. Jordan Gainey and Jae Broadnax give him one of the best backcourts in the conference.  

Samford has survived a 7-game losing streak in December. The Bulldogs are now 4-0 in the SoCon, after a big road win last night at UNC Greensboro. With Ques Glover still sidelined, Samford struggled to find its way through December, but they are starting to look like the team we expected to see. Hopefully Glover can return in the next couple of weeks.

It's very early but Penn State looks like they will be a contender in the Big Ten. Former Mid-Major All-American Jalen Pickett was very productive in his first season for the Nittany Lions. This season he looks like one of the top players in the Big Ten.

Hard to believe Isaiah Wong isn’t talked about more. With Wong leading the way, Miami has won eight straight, including last night’s win over No. 6 Virginia. Wong, who had 24 against the Cavs, has averaged 26 points per game over the last four. Miami has guards.

Queens has won four straight, which includes road wins at High Point and ETSU. Kenny Dye continues to show why he was named to the Lou Henson award Preseason Watch List and AJ McKee is the only Royal to reach double figures in every game. At 9-2 Queens is third among ‘other’s receiving votes’ in the latest Mid-Major Top 25®.

Heru Bligen is off to a great start for Fairleigh Dickinson. After two seasons at Longwood and a third at Garden City, the 6-foot-2 senior is getting 14 points per game shooting over 65% from the field. That’s the BEST shooting percentage in college basketball for ANY PLAYER under 6-foot-3.

Cornell was picked to finish fifth in the Ivy League, but they look more like a contender than a middle of the pack squad. They have excellent balance with eight players getting 8-13 points per contest. As a team they rank Top 3 in college basketball in assists (20.9), made threes (11.9) and fastbreak points (21.67).

Max Abmas (Oral Roberts) and Darius McGhee (Liberty) will square off tonight at 8pm at the Mabee Center in Tulsa, OK. Both players are All-Americans and both teams are among the favorites in their respective leagues.

In case you haven’t figured it out by now… Sam Sessoms has game! Coppin State’s 6-foot senior is THE ONLY PLAYER in College Basketball in the top 10 in total points (263) and total assists (63).

There is a Block Party happening at Western Kentucky. 7-foot-5 Jamarion Sharp is dominating the paint. He led the country in blocked shots last season (4.62 bpg) and he’s getting 5 per game this season for the Hilltoppers.

Apparently “good things come in threes” is the philosophy Seattle’s Cameron Tyson lives by.  The 6-foot-3 Houston transfer, who is originally from Bothwell, WA, has been on fire from beyond the arc. He’s shooting a blistering 47% from beyond the arc, making nearly 6 triples per game.

North Carolina Central’s Justin Wright definitely has the right stuff. The second leading scorer in the MEAC (17 ppg) has helped the Eagles win four straight, including a win over a very good UNC Asheville team. Mr. Wright has been in double figures in every game this season.

A double/double machine is putting in work down in South Carolina. Essam Mostafa, a 6-9 junior from Cairo, Egypt is averaging 13 points and nearly 13 rebounds for Coastal Carolina, including a recent 17 point and 16 rebound effort. Keep an eye on Essam.

“Will someone please check the coach’s son. He’s killing us.” Detroit senior Antoine Davis is at the top of everyone’s scouting report as the man as you have to stop. Thus far it’s been a futile effort. Davis is the NCAA record holder with 118 consecutive games in double figures. This season he is second in the nation, scoring 23.3 points per game. When it comes to scoring this tenacious Titan is terrific!

Matt Figger has a good one in Justin Johnson. The 6-foot-6 senior, at UT Rio Grande Valley, put up some good numbers last year with 18 points and 7 rebounds per contest. Last week he had 34 against Western Illinois and 26 against Northern Arizona.

High Point’s Jaden House is on fire. In just 24 minutes per game, he’s averaging 23 points per contest. Talk about being efficient. The Panthers are off to a 4-1 start and things are looking good for HPU’s GG Smith in his first year at the helm.

Last season’s most improved player in the Northeast Conference, just keeps getting better. Saint Francis (PA) junior Josh Cohen scored 40 on Monday. He was 15-of-19 from the field and 10-for-13 from the stripe. He is the first player to get 40 for Saint Francis since 1991.

James Madison is averaging a ridiculous 105 points per game, shooting 59% from the field (54% from three). It’s a very efficient and well-balanced offensive attack for head coach Mark Byington. Yes it’s very early, but JMU looks like a team with something to prove after not being allowed to play in its conference tournament last season.

An All-CAA selection last season, Nicolas Timberlake is off to a great start again. The 6-4 senior is scoring 21 points per game, shooting 51% from the field (42% from three). Towson is off to a program-best, 4-0 start and Timberlake looks like a mid-major All-American.

Not surprisingly Sam Sessoms is putting up good numbers for Coppin State. A Lou Henson All-American at Binghamton, Sessoms spent the last two seasons at Penn State. He’s averaging 23 points per game for the Eagles, shooting just under 50%. The Philadelphia native gets buckets.

Pretty good weekend for the SWAC in the SWAC/Pac-12 Legacy Series. Texas Southern rallied for a 67-66 overtime win over Arizona State, while Grambling was dominant in an 83-74 win over Colorado.

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Kenny Dye is a baller! The senior had 24 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds. His layup with 9 seconds left sealed the win over a very talented Marshall squad. And it was the first “W” for Queens (Charlotte, NC) in its first-ever division I game.

UNC Asheville’s Drew Pember is a good early pick for National Player of the week honors. The 6-foot-10 senior, who began his career in Knoxville, finished with 40 points and 9 rebounds in UNCA’s double-OT at Central Florida.  Big numbers from Pember but sometimes it’s not about how many you make, but when you make them. Fletcher Abee had just two buckets, but both were 3-pointers, and both came in the second overtime period. The transfer from The Citadel sealed the win over UCF.