CBB Review’s Mid-Major basketball love continues with part three of our mid-major preview.
Check out Matt Karner’s and Matt Waldman’s thoughts on the Horizon League, CAA, Big Sky, Atlantic Sun, America East, and Big West. Click here for part one featuring the Atlantic 10, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, WCC, and Ivy League and part two taking a look at Conference USA, the SoCon, the Southland, the MAC, the OVC, and the Summit League.
Horizon League
Who is the favorite to win the conference?
Matt K: Wright State has established itself in the Horizon. With Loudon Love returning, the Raiders have a great opportunity to finish first. The Raiders should be hungry as well after a disappointing loss to UIC in the conference semifinals last year.
Matt W: Wright State is still the favorite even after losing some key guys heading into the new season. It helps to have a dominant big man like Loudon Love, who can alter a game and force you to work solely from the perimeter. The Raiders will need some guys who played smaller roles to step up, but the talent overall is better than what the rest of the league has to offer.
Who is an under the radar team who can make a run to the NCAA tournament?
Matt K: Youngstown State is getting some looks because they do return four starters and first team all-conference selection, Darrius Quisenberry. The Penguins are not a household name at the top of the standings in the Horizon and may have its best team and best opportunity to win the league. The Penguins did find a way to beat Wright St. last season and narrowly lost to Northern Kentucky in back to back games, so the Penguins do have what it takes.
Matt W: Youngstown State is looking for its first NCAA berth in 40 years as a Division I program. The Penguins won six of their final 10 games at the end of last season and have a budding star in Darius Quisenberry, who decided to withdraw from the NBA Draft. YSU will have to lean on some younger guys to boost their frontcourt, but that should not hold them back too much from making their own run for a title.
Who are the top three players for CPOY?
Matt K: Loudon Love won last season’s POY award and with the departure of Bill Wampler and Cole Gentry, Loudon will need to do even more this season for Wright St. to remain at the top of the Horizon. It won’t be easy as Detroit-Mercy’s Antoine Davis is right on his heels. Davis can score from anywhere and finished fourth in the nation last season. With Youngstown St. success, Darrius Quisenberry will also be in the shuffle for POY.
Matt W: Loudon Love won this last season after nearly averaging a double-double with points and rebounds. He should be able to get that double-double this season while taking the Raiders back to another title. Darius Quisenberry at Youngstown State will have a say, and Antoine Davis gets lost in the shuffle because of how poor Detroit is. However, he is a scoring machine, averaging 24.3 per game last season.
What coach could potentially be coaching their last season with their team?
Matt K: Pat Baldwin at Milwaukee. Milwaukee thought they had hired the right guy in LaVall Jordan but after one season Jordan left the program to coach at Butler. In three years Baldwin has not finished above .500 in league play and this fourth year will be very crucial for the administration to see improvement in the Horizon standings.
Matt W: Wright State’s success may lead to their coach moving on. Scott Nagy has won 20 or more games in each of his first four seasons and been a conference tournament or regular-season champion in the last three. Winning another title and getting back to March Madness is sure to draw attention. Furthermore, Wright State is facing some internal issues with cutting sports and falling below the threshold to remain in Division I. The school has applied for a waiver due to the circumstances surrounding the decisions, but it may be the right time for Nagy to capitalize on his success at the school and take a bigger opportunity.
What will be the best games to catch this season?
Matt K: Wright State’s and Northern Kentucky’s rivalry has been great to watch and will still be that way this season. The Horizon League as a whole is always an exciting conference with terrific games from top to bottom.
Matt W: Wright State and Northern Kentucky have built up a nice rivalry since NKU moved up to the D-I level. Northern Kentucky may take a step back this season, but you can be sure they’ll still want to take their best swings at the Raiders. It will also be interesting to see how Robert Morris adjusts to the Horizon League, which tends to have better competition than the NEC, where they are coming from.
Horizon League Player of the Year
Matt K: Loudon Love (Wright St)
Matt W: Loudon Love (Wright St)
Horizon League First Team All-Conference
Matt K: Loudon Love (Wright St), Antoine Davis (Detroit), Darius Quisenberry (YSU), Te’Jon Lucas (Milwaukee), Amari Davis (Green Bay)
Matt W: Antoine Davis (Detroit), Darius Quisenberry (YSU), Marcus Burk (IUPUI), AJ Bramah (RMU), Loudon Love (Wright St)
Horizon League Coach of the Year
Matt K: Jerrod Calhoun (YSU)
Matt W: Scott Nagy (Wright St)
CAA
Who is the favorite to win the conference?
Matt K: Last season’s best teams have pretty much been depleted. The middle of the pack retained a little more and the bottom tier from last season has the most experience coming back. It honestly can be a toss-up of who wins the conference. I am going to have to say, Drexel. With Cam Wynter and James Butler returning, Drexel has two of the best players in the conference. It won’t be easy after finishing eighth last year but climbing the rankings this year shouldn’t be too challenging.
Matt W: This may be the most wide-open of all the league races in the country this season. When there are so many variables, the safe bet would be to go with consistency in Hofstra. However, I really like what Towson has done to improve in the off-season. They surrounded their young in-house talent with transfers who can be veteran leaders. I’m rolling with the Tigers.
Who is an under the radar team who can make a run to the NCAA tournament?
Matt K: Delaware is returning both Kevin Anderson and Ryan Allen who could both make a push to be first team all-conference selections. Delaware lost Nate Darling which is a huge factor to consider, but the team still remains quite solid. Delaware is flying completely under the radar and could completely surprise everybody.
Matt W: Drexel looks primed to make their push towards the top of the league. It helps to be led by Cam Wynter, who should be the preseason POY favorite. He is one of a few guards who have been developing together for the betterment of the program. Meanwhile, James Butler doesn’t get enough credit for the work he does in the paint.
Who are the top three players for CPOY?
Matt K: The entirety of last season’s first team all-conference selections are gone and only five players remain from all three all-conference teams meaning this race is wide open. Cam Wynter of Drexel is my overall favorite and has plenty of opportunities to continue his success. Matt Lewis at James Madison averaged 19 PPG last season and has the chance to exceed that. Lastly, keep watch on James Butler at Drexel. If Wynter is having a hard time of things this season, Butler will step up and fill that void.
Matt W: Cam Wynter can score and pass at a high clip while also being a pest on defense. That kind of formula puts him as the favorite. Matt Lewis at James Madison fits that profile as well and could average 20 or more points per game this season. Keep an eye on Kevin Anderson at Delaware as well, who will be asked to do more with the losses of Nate Darling and Justyn Mutts.
What coach could potentially be coaching their last season with their team?
Matt K: This doesn’t look to be a conference that will be making any coaching changes this offseason. There are already new coaches in their first years who will have a few years to go before they may be let go. Joe Mihalich at Hofstra could potentially be on the radar at bigger programs should they choose to make a change after two straight seasons with less than 10 losses. With his team depleted this year, it will be a good test of his abilities to put the pieces together.
Matt W: I honestly can’t foresee any changes here. The teams that have been poor of late made changes in the off-season, and everyone else seems firmly planted as they are building up their programs. Take into account that just about every team could lay a claim to being the preseason favorite, and it’s hard to make the case for anyone to go.
What will be the best games to catch this season?
Matt K: This conference hasn’t kept a pack of teams consistently at the top of the rankings over the last few seasons so every game is of the utmost importance. Drexel and Hofstra are my favorites to win the conference along with Townson so the three of them playing one another should be exciting to watch.
Matt W: I’m going to take a slightly different route and choose the Delaware-Drexel rivalry. Its luster had been lost for a while as both programs struggled to compete at the same time. However, it has come alive recently, and both teams have better odds than others to push for a CAA title. That may add a little extra fuel to the fire, and it’s the only set of games that each team will get to host on its own court in conference play due to pandemic scheduling changes.
CAA Player of the Year
Matt K: Cam Wynter (Drexel)
Matt W: Cam Wynter (Drexel)
CAA First Team All-Conference
Matt K: Cam Wynter (Drexel), Matt Lewis (JMU), James Butler (Drexel), Isaac Kante (Hofstra), Luke Loewe (William & Mary)
Matt W: Cam Wynter (Drexel), Matt Lewis (JMU), Kevin Anderson (Delaware), James Butler (Drexel), Isaac Kante (Hofstra)
CAA Coach of the Year
Matt K: Zach Spiker (Drexel)
Matt W: Pat Skerry (Towson)
Big Sky
Who is the favorite to win the conference?
Matt K: Without a question, it’s Eastern Washington. The Eagles return four starters from a team that finished first a season ago. Eastern Washington will have to fill a major void with the loss of Mason Peatling, last year’s Big Sky POY, but the pieces are set in place for the Eagles to repeat and may not even be challenged.
Matt W: I’m not sure how you can pick against Eastern Washington heading into the season. The Eagles still have plenty of talent remaining, even with the loss of POY Mason Peatling. The gap may have shrunk between them and their challengers, but EWU is still the team to beat until proven otherwise.
Who is an under the radar team who can make a run to the NCAA tournament?
Matt K: If anyone has what it takes to take down Eastern Washington, it’s Northern Colorado. The Bears came narrowly lost last year in both matchups with the Eagles before ultimately falling. Northern Colorado lost key pieces in Jonah Radebaugh and Trent Harris but have plenty of firepower left. Even better news, the Bears get the Eagles at home in back-to-back games with the new covid related scheduling this season.
Matt W: Northern Arizona has a solid backcourt led by junior Cameron Shelton, who looks like the next great star in this league. Coach Shane Burcar coached entirely under the interim tag last season and did well enough to get the full-time gig. He will get the most out of his team and could have them sneak into the top half of the league and then some.
Who are the top three players for CPOY?
Matt K: With the departure of Mason Pealting, it’s time for Jacob Davison to step up. Davison actually led the Eagles in scoring last season and has it in him to fill the void left behind. Northern Arizona’s Cameron Shelton will be in the mix as well Davision’s teammate Kim Aiken. Depending on who fills the void more, I have a feeling that either Aiken or Davison are named POY.
Matt W: Cameron Shelton’s aforementioned stardom is backed up by his 14.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game last season. It’s scary to think about, but he could improve in all of those categories this season. Jacob Davison will be Eastern Washington’s biggest contender for this award. Bodie Hume of Northern Colorado and Jubrile Belo of Montana State are ones to keep an eye on as well.
What coach could potentially be coaching their last season with their team?
Matt K: In all honesty, I am surprised that Sacramento State hasn’t made a change sooner. The program doesn’t have a rich history but in 12 years, Brian Katz has only finished .500 or better in the conference twice. The Hornets need a change. However, this may not be the year with a hard hit budget.
Matt W: This is another league where a coaching change seems unlikely. Brian Katz at Sacramento State would appear most likely, but the school commitment to him has been strong, even with the ups and downs the program has had in his 12 seasons as coach. Otherwise, recent coaching changes have occurred at the worst programs in the league.
What will be the best games to catch this season?
Matt K: Eastern Washington is an exciting team to watch all the time because they score the ball. Unlucky for them, the Eagles play two games at Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado with a home and home series with Montana. That’s five road games against arguably the three next best teams making for exciting games to watch.
Matt W: Eastern Washington and Montana have a nice rivalry brewing of late. They have been the two most consistent teams in the league of late, and it’s come down to them for the NCAA Tournament representative here. It should be more of the same between them this season.
Big Sky Player of the Year
Matt K: Jacob Davison (EWU)
Matt W: Jacob Davison (NAU)
Big Sky First Team All-Conference
Matt K: Jacob Davison (EWU), Cameron Shelton (NAU), Kim Aiken (EWU), Bodie Hume (No. Colorado), Jubrile Belo (Montana St)
Matt W: Jacob Davison (EWU), Cameron Shelton (NAU), Bodie Hume (No. Colorado), Cameron Satterwhite (Montana), Jubrile Belo (Montana St)
Big Sky Coach of the Year
Matt K: Shantay Legans (EWU)
Matt W: Shane Burcar (NAU)
Atlantic Sun
Who is the favorite to win the conference?
Matt K: It may not be easy, but Lipscomb has everything they need to finish as A-Sun champions. Ahsan Asadullah will lead this team and it will be a challenge for every team to guard him. Greg Jones and KJ Johnson return as starters to give Lipscomb the firepower needed to win.
Matt W: There is a lot to like about Lipscomb heading into the new season. It starts with Ahsan Asadullah, who is one of the best big men in the entire country. Meanwhile, KJ Johnson is ready to assert himself as the team’s leading backcourt member. Coach Lennie Acuff took this squad to its third-straight A-Sun Tournament Final last season in his first year. Expect that consistency to continue.
Who is an under the radar team who can make a run to the NCAA tournament?
Matt K: Stetson finished tied for third in the conference with Lipscomb last season. The Hatters return all five of their starting lineup and have a potential POY of the year candidate in Rob Perry. Christian Jones and Mahamadou Diawara will both be potential all-conference selections giving Perry and the Hatters the stability to make a run to the NCAA tournament.
Matt W: Stetson exceeded expectations last season in Coach Donnie Jones’ first season. It shouldn’t come as a shock though, as Jones has done that at his previous stops as well. The Hatters have an exciting young duo in Perry (last year’s freshman of the year) and Diawara. They appear to be the team that is the biggest threat to Lipscomb and also seem poised to hang around the top of the league for the next few seasons.
Who are the top three players for CPOY?
Matt K: There is a clear favorite for the conference POY and that is Ahsan Asadullah. Asadullah is the only first team all-conference selection returning and is on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar watchlist for the nation’s best center. This one should be in the bag for Asadullah but there will always be challengers. Rob Perry and Carter Hendricksen are the best options to potentially win the award but will need fantastic seasons.
Matt W: I’m not sure you need a shortlist of three, as Ahsan Asadullah is the favorite by a large margin. He averaged 18.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last season, and it is reasonable to expect that he will push that scoring average over 20 points per game this season. Rob Perry at Stetson and Carter Hendricksen at North Florida are the other two I’ll mention. They should have fantastic seasons, but they just won’t compare to what Asadullah should do.
What coach could potentially be coaching their last season with their team?
Matt K: There aren’t many options here for a coach to leave. Five of the coaches in the conference are only entering their second or third year at the school. The others seem to be in a good spot. Ritchey McKay could potentially be on a shortlist for a new coaching job if something opens up because of the success he has had at Liberty. At the other end of the Spectrum, it could be Jacksonville’s Tony Jasick. If any school were to part ways with their current coach it would have to be Jacksonville.
Matt W: If there is any coach on the hot seat this season, it may be Tony Jasick at Jacksonville. He hasn’t had a winning season in three years, and the Dolphins don’t appear to be heading for one this season. Jasick appeared to have the program in the right direction early on in his tenure here but may be stalling out. Keep an eye out on how the season develops there.
What will be the best games to catch this season?
Matt K: Lipscomb’s biggest challenge will be Stetson, Liberty, and North Florida. The Bisons had success against the programs last year and with the new covid scheduling Lipscomb looks to be in a good position. Lipscomb gets both Liberty and North Florida at home and faces Stetson on the road. Either way, these are the matchups I am most looking forward to.
Matt W: Lipscomb and Stetson look like the two best teams, and that means their match-ups should be the most exciting. However, I’m also keeping an eye on how Bellarmine does in their first season in the league. The Knights were a solid Division II program and should be able to play decently enough to be competitive in year one of the D-I era.
Atlantic Sun Player of the Year
Matt K: Ahsan Asadullah (Lipscomb)
Matt W: Ahsan Asadullah (Lipscomb)
Atlantic Sun First Team All-Conference
Matt K: Ahsan Asadullah (Lipscomb), Carter Hendricksen (UNF), Rob Perry (Stetson), Jamari Blackmon (North Alabama), Caleb Catto (FGCU)
Matt W: Ahsan Asadullah (Lipscomb), Rob Perry (Stetson), Carter Hendricksen (UNF), Mahamadou Diawara (Stetson), Caleb Catto (FGCU)
Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year
Matt K: Lennie Acuff (Lipscomb)
Matt W: Lennie Acuff (Lipscomb)
America East
Who is the favorite to win the conference?
Matt K: Vermont has finished top three in the conference for 12 consecutive years and won eight of those regular season titles. In the last four years, Vermont has gone 59-5 in conference play. The conference is theirs to win even with the loss of two-time America East POY, Anthony Lamb.
Matt W: Even with the loss of Anthony Lamb, Vermont will be the favorite once again. The Catamounts have been the class of the league of late, fending off other programs that have made pushes over the years. That will be the case again, this time behind the playmaking of Stef Smith and defense of Ben Shungu.
Who is an under the radar team who can make a run to the NCAA tournament?
Matt K: In its 68-year history as a Division I program, New Hampshire has not reached an NCAA tournament. In fact, they have only had 12 seasons where they finished the season .500 or better and three of those years came in the last six years. The Wildcats return all five starters led by Nick Guadarrama and Sean Sutherlin who could both make a push for first team all-conference. New Hampshire finished tied for fourth in the conference last year and may have the best shot to make a run.
Matt W: New Hampshire is returning five players who had at least 20 starts last season. That starts with Nick Guadarrama and Sean Sutherlin, who both put up similar numbers in scoring and rebounding. The Wildcats try to suffocate you on defense while scoring just enough to win. If Vermont slips up, New Hampshire could be the team that benefits the most.
Who are the top three players for CPOY?
Matt K: Obadiah Noel at UMass-Lowell. Noel has to do more than anyone for his team to be competitive and it looks to like it will be the same this season. Vermont’s Stef Smith could make a push for the award depending on how much production he picks up with no Anthony Lamb on the court. Lastly, a newcomer to the conference NJIT will have Zach Cooks in the mix. Cooks is in a similar position as Noel, the team isn’t great, but his production is precious for them to be competitive.
Matt W: UMass-Lowell may be a step behind some of the better teams in the league heading into the season, but they do have an outstanding guard in Obadiah Noel. He averaged a little over 18 points per game last season, and an increase to 20 points per game seems likely. Meanwhile, he will also pick your pocket, averaging 1.7 steals per game a season ago. Stef Smith of Vermont will be their best candidate, while newcomer Zach Cooks of NJIT has the talent to throw his name in the hat as well.
What coach could potentially be coaching their last season with their team?
Matt K: It could be time for Binghamton to part ways with Tommy Dempsey or even UMass-Lowell to cut ties with Pat Duquette, but the coach who I see moving on is Vermont’s, John Becker. Becker is entering his 10th season with the Catamounts and has had nothing but success. Nine straight 20 win seasons, 219-91 record, and 111-23 in conference play. Vermont is one of only seven programs to have won at least 20 or more games in the last 12 years. Much of that success is attributed to Becker and any major program would be lucky to snatch him up.
Matt W: Tommy Dempsey at Binghamton. This could be another case where the school commits to him regardless of outcomes, but it feels like progress has stagnated. The Bearcats aren’t winning single-digit games anymore, but that’s only by a slim margin. The bottom line is that he is 67-180 in eight years there, and there is little optimism for this season, especially with breakout freshman Sam Sessoms transferring to Penn State. Dempsey may not get the axe, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he did.
What will be the best games to catch this season?
Matt K: Over the last three seasons Vermont has lost a total of six games to conference opponents, five in the regular season, and one loss to UMBC in the conference tournament. Four of those six losses came at the hands of UMBC. The Retrievers seem to have Vermont’s number and always make it exciting to watch. Better this year, UMBC gets Vermont at home for back-to-back games to end conference play.
Matt W: Vermont always seems to be challenged by UMBC, and the Retrievers will be competitive enough this season to make their case for an A East title. UMBC is also one of the few teams that seem to find a way to win at Vermont’s home gym, which is important when considering the conference tournament is played at the higher seed’s court. This is becoming one of the best mid-major rivalries out there.
America East Player of the Year
Matt K: Obadiah Noel (UMass-Lowell)
Matt W: Obadiah Noel (UMass-Lowell)
America East First Team All-Conference
Matt K: Obadiah Noel (UMass-Lowell), Stef Smith (Vermont), Zach Cooks (NJIT), Darnell Rogers (UMBC), Cam Healy (Albany)
Matt W: Obadiah Noel (UMass-Lowell), Stef Smith (Vermont), Zach Cooks (NJIT), Nick Guadarrama (UNH), Cam Healy (Albany)
America East Coach of the Year
Matt K: John Becker (Vermont)
Matt W: Bill Herrion (UNH)
Big West
Who is the favorite to win the conference?
Matt K: It seems to be a two-horse race, but I am going to have to say, UC Santa Barbara. For three straight years, the Gauchos have finished in second place. UC Irvine is always right in the mix. UC Irvine has lost pretty much their entire starting lineup while the Gauchos return four of their top five including Amadou Sow and JaQuori McLaughlin who could both potentially make a push for Big West POY.
Matt W: It feels like UC Santa Barbara is finally ready to overcome UC Irvine. It still wouldn’t surprise me if UCI finds a way to win the league given their recent success, but I’m taking a flyer on UCSB. It helps to have a dominant big man like Amadou Sow. Meanwhile, the backcourt is in good hands with JaQuori McLaughlin and Devearl Ramsey.
Who is an under the radar team who can make a run to the NCAA tournament?
Matt K: UC Davis is led by Ezra Manjon who is most likely a first team all-conference selection. Manjon with the returning cast of Elijah Pepper and Damion Squire will give the Aggies a chance to make the NCAA tournament. Also keep an eye on the newcomers to the conference. UC San Diego finished 30-1 as a Division II school last season and CS Bakersfield has given the WAC powerhouse, New Mexico State, some trouble over the years. Both teams could be a big surprise this season.
Matt W: UCSB and UCI may beat up on each other enough to open the door for UC Riverside. The Highlanders have an older roster, led by a dominant frontcourt rotation with Callum McRae, Arinze Chidlom, and St. Mary’s transfer Jock Perry. Should either UCSB or UCI falter, UCR looks like the team most likely to take advantage.
Who are the top three players for CPOY?
Matt K: UC Irvine’s roster from last year has been depleted, yet Irvine is still expected to be in the running to win the conference. Collin Welp will have a big impact this year and should have a major improvement from his first team all-conference selection last year. Amadou Sow at UC Santa Barbara will be in the mix, but with JaQuori McLaughlin on his team as well, it is likely that Welp will outperform Sow. Lastly, Ezra Manjon or even Tyrell Roberts could potentially make a push for conference POY.
Matt W: This feels like it could be a two-horse race between Amadou Sow and Collin Welp. Sow is efficient down low, shooting close to 55 percent from the field last season while averaging 14.1 points per game. However, he also blocked a little over a shot a game defensively. Meanwhile, Welp continues to improve for the Anteaters and should do so once more. A darkhorse to watch for is Tyrell Roberts of UC San Diego, entering their first Division I season. He was their prior league’s player of the year after averaging 19.2 points per game and shooting a blistering 46.3 percent from beyond the arc.
What coach could potentially be coaching their last season with their team?
Matt K: Dedrique Taylor at Cal State Fullerton. Taylor made the NCAA tournament in 2018 and has finished above .500 in conference play three times in seven years, but it’s starting to get a little stale. Taylor can easily save his job with a solid performance but it most likely will be the same year after year if he stays around.
Matt W: Outside of a small run from 2010-13, Dan Monson’s time at Long Beach State has been largely uninspiring. The program just finished its fourth-straight season under .500, and their 11 wins last season were the fewest since winning six in Monson’s first season in 2007-08. The Beach wants to be competing higher than sixth or seventh place in the Big West, and a new coach may be the best way to achieve that moving forward.
What will be the best games to catch this season?
Matt K: It absolutely has to be UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara. The two split the series last season and Irvine is lucky enough to get UC Santa Barbara at home this year, but either way when these two play it is always exciting.
Matt W: There’s no question that the games between UCSB and UCI are the choices here. These two teams have been duking it out at the top the last few years, with UCI emerging every time. These will be title-deciding match-ups once more in 2020-21. Watch out for newcomer UC San Diego as well. The Tritons were a national title contender at the Division II level last season, losing just one game. They should adjust well in their first D-I season.
POY
Matt K: Collin Welp (UCI)
Matt W: Amadou Sow (UCSB)
1st Team:
Matt K: Collin Welp (UCI), Amadou Sow (UCSB), Ezra Manjon (UCD), JaQuori McLaughlin (UCSB), Tyrell Roberts (UCSD)
Matt W: Amadou Sow (UCSB), Collin Welp (UCI), Ezra Manjon (UCD), Arinze Chidom (UCR), Tyrell Roberts (UCSD)
COY
Matt K: Joe Pasternack (UCSB)
Matt W: Joe Pasternack (UCSB)
Feature Image Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images