When Wichita State traveled to Northern Iowa on Saturday, it marked the first time that two top-25-ranked Missouri Valley Conference teams squared off since 1982.
While the game did not live up to its billing, as the Panthers curb-stomped the Shockers, the lopsided result does not devalue the teams or the Valley at all.
Think about it: Wichita State had not lost a conference game in almost two years, riding a 27-game MVC winning streak. Northern Iowa has come on in the past few years as well, with a magical NCAA Tournament run in 2010 and a near-certain berth waiting this March.
Even though Saturday’s game did not generate the quality many were anticipating, the excitement two mid-majors were able to generate was good to see. This speaks to the excitement that has been created by a handful of mid-majors across the country which are now traditional top-25 squads.
Outside of VCU — which faced a similar matchup Saturday with Richmond — and Butler (which has since joined the Big East), it is hard to find a period of mid-major prominence as strong as what we’ve seen in the last five to six years, with with Gonzaga’s consistency stretching longer than that, over the past decade-plus. It made me think about what has created a window of availability for a dynasty within the ranks of mid-majors.
The answer is very simple: stability. While Brad Stevens left for the NBA, each of the other aforementioned programs have not had a coach leave. Beyond the boss on the bench, it needs to be said that it is rare for players in these programs to leave early for the NBA. Even when such an instance does occur, these programs still get three years out of them. While viewing the hyped recruits in major conference college basketball, the top high school players are brought in and leave in a year or two. This forces the process and cycle to start over.
While watching mid-major basketball, these teams play “old school basketball.” While this term can be overused and difficult to understand, it is quite simple. Everyone is on the same page and playing for the team, because the chemistry has everyone on the same page. They pass the ball and cut while each player knows exactly what the other is doing. This type of chemistry can only be forged with time and players being on the court together for more than just a “one-and-done” year. This is one place where mid-majors actually have an advantage.
While watching the Gonzaga game last night against Memphis, I was thinking about the quality wins the Bulldogs have. They have beaten SMU, St. John’s, Georgia, and Memphis out of conference. This is one aspect that hinders mid-major teams. Scheduling non-conference games outside of the early-season tournaments creates serious issues, especially at home. Gonzaga has the longest home winning streak in the nation for a reason… because teams are scared to play there.
Though mid-majors have made some progress on a national level, there is still a lot of work to do. Losses to a mid-major squad are still viewed as bad losses for many major conference teams across the country. When that stigma changes, we will get to see more quality non-conference matchups and not have to rely on mid-season conference games like Wichita State-Northern Iowa to create the only buzz for these squads before the Big Dance. Until then, we have to enjoy the top mid-majors playing each other — as was the case on Saturday — and appreciate these clashes as the best way for them to increase their seedings in March.
