>Day Two: Mid-Major Conferences

IAD 2008-2009 COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREVIEW DAY TWO
BEST OF THE MID-MAJOR CONFERENCES

One step aside from being one of the big boys, the Mid-Major programs in Division 1 basketball have made a habit out of making noise come tournament time, no matter where they are or who they face. Their conference races and tournaments have grown to be some of the most interesting in all of college basketball. That trend was highlighted last early-spring with one conference in particular: the West Coast Conference.

Gonzaga has long been the upset and underdog kid of the NCAA Tournament that their Cinderella ways brought more interest into the West Coast Conference. Last year, two more teams made it way more interesting and together with the 'Zags, this year should be the conference's best ever. In 2008, all three of these teams went on to the NCAA Tournament and I wouldn't be shocked to see Gonzaga, St. Mary's and San Diego all return again this season. And while most outlets believe that Gonzaga and St. Mary's will be the "Toast of the Coast" (catchy, ain't it?)- I am fully behind the belief that San Diego will not only win the tournament title again, but that they will win the WCC outright. And why? Because the highly underrated Gyno Pomare was one of the most interesting and explosive players to watch last spring and he's not even statistically San Diego's top player. All five starters and top four scorers from last year are back, led by Pomare and senior Brandon Johnson. Johnson averaged just under 17 ppg but led the league with 80 three-pointers. Behind them, Gonzaga with Jeremy Pargo and St. Mary's with Patrick Mills are going to give the Toreros fits.

Barely considered a Mid-Major, Conference USA will be a point of interest as well with Memphis, UAB, UTEP and Tulsa all grasping for the crown. Memphis lost so much in NBA draftees Joey Dorsey, Chris Douglas-Roberts and that guy named Derrick Rose. But what cures the ills of coach John Calipari? A man by the name of Tyreke Evans. Arguably the best freshman in the country, Evans was the MVP of both the McDonald's All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic and should put up some Rose-like numbers this year. He's highlighted by senior big man Robert Dozier and I am imagining that junior JuCo transfer Roburt Sallie (originally committed to Nebraska) will help out on the wing as well. Behind them first is Tulsa, who has an awkward mix of veteran and newcomer at almost every position but are led by headstrong junior guard Ben Uzoh (15.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg). UAB will be the confusing team to read as they could go as far as upsetting Memphis for the top spot or being fifth in the conference depending on how the team gels around senior Robert Vaden. Can the younger squad account for the 22.2 points per game lost to graduation? Only time will tell.

And finally, pay close attention to the Horizon League, where the balance of power may actually be shifting after all these years. Butler lost five crucial players that won 59 games in the last two seasons. How players like Zach Hahn and Grant Liendecker can fill in for the likes of AJ Graves and Pete Campbell will be crucial for the Bulldogs. And while Matt Howard, as just a sophomore, is one of the league's best- it may be time for the Bulldogs to take a backseat during the season, though my money is still on them come tournament time. Cleveland State should run away in the regular season because of the combo of J'Nathan Bullock and Cedric Jackson. The duo may be one of the best on this level and combined for 28.7 points and 11.5 rebounds last year. The Vikings return two other starters as well. Also in the Horizon, look for Wisconsin-Green Bay and Illinois-Chicago to post longtime highs in wins.

Skipping to the individual side of things, there are a great deal of explosive Mid-Major players that could have an impact year. Osiris Eldridge at Illinois State of the Missouri Valley is one of the most overlooked talents at this level of Division 1. He averaged almost 16 points per game last season and is the top returning offensive threat in the conference. I'll be interested to see how a couple of former Indiana Hoosiers do in new homes as Joey Shaw is at Nevada and Ben Allen is at St. Mary's. The Aussie Allen could be a major catalyst for St. Mary's contention is the ever-more interesting West Coast Conference race. And of course, you have to pay attention to the guys that are on teams that won't really contend hard but still could be future NBA draftees. The previously mentioned Vaden is going to be one of the best players in Conference USA in trying to help UAB stay strong. It's a shame we won't get to see him alongside other former Hoosier Armon Bassett, who sits out Vaden's senior year as a transfer. Also, Wright State won't really be a factor in the Horizon League when it comes down the stretch, but Vaughn Duggins proved late last year that he can be clutch and I am sure he will just continue that trend. Want one of the nation's most explosive guard match ups? Slide over to the Summit League and check out North Dakota State's Ben Woodside against Oakland's Jonathan Jones.

Oh, did I mention a guy by the name of Stephen Curry? You know him, right? The darling of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. His Davidson Wildcats will storm through the Southern Conference (again), but Curry will be one of the very best players in college basketball this year. His defense is getting more keen by the game and his shooting touch is almost picture perfect. Now hopefully, Davidson's new point guard will be just as good at getting him the ball in the right place at the right time as the PG who graduated in the Spring.

ALL-MID MAJOR CONFERENCE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Matt Howard (Butler) - Player of the Year
Jonathan Jones (Oakland)
Robert Dozier (Memphis)
Stephen Curry (Davidson)
Robert Vaden (UAB)
Osiris Eldridge (Illinois State)

OTHER MID-MAJOR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tyreke Evans (Memphis)
Vaughn Duggins (Wright State)
J'Nathan Bullock (Cleveland State)
Cedric Jackson (Cleveland State)
David Kool (Western Michigan)
Jonathan Cox (Drake)
Lee Cummard (BYU)
Joey Shaw (Nevada)
Jeremy Pargo (Gonzaga)
Ben Allen (St. Mary's)
Gyno Pomare (San Diego)
Ben Woodside (North Dakota State)

IAD CONFERENCE CHAMPION PREDICTIONS (if different than regular season winner, automatic bid recipient will follow in bold)
Big West: UC-Santa Barbara - Cal State Northridge (NCAA Bid)
Conference USA: Memphis
Horizon: Cleveland State - Butler (NCAA Bid)
Mid-American (MAC): Kent State (East), Western Michigan (West) - Kent State (NCAA Bid)
Missouri Valley: Creighton
Mountain West: BYU - UNLV (NCAA Bid)
Patriot: American
Southern: Appalachian State (North), Davidson (South) - Davidson (NCAA Bid)
Summit: Oakland
Western Athletic (WAC): Nevada
West Coast: San Diego