The list: Mid-major hopes

By Berry Tramel

Published: February 28, 2008

Excluding Conference USA's Memphis, which is a major power in a mid-major league, the 10 best mid-major hopes for the NCAA Tournament:

•10. South Alabama 23-5: John Pelphrey went to Arkansas, but success continued under Ronnie Arrow, who returned as South Alabama's coach. Jags lost 91-88 at Vanderbilt.

•9. Virginia Commonwealth 21-6: Jeff Capel's successor, Anthony Grant, has Rams riding high. Won at Maryland.

•8. Stephen F. Austin 22-3: Win at OU shows Lumberjacks are for real.

•7. Davidson 21-6: Wildcats lost by four to North Carolina, by six to Duke, by one to N.C. State and by 12 to UCLA.

•6. Kent State 23-5: Beat Butler; capable of repeating stirring run to Elite Eight in 2002?

•5. St. Mary's 24-4: Gaels have beaten Drake, Oregon and Seton Hall.

•4. Gonzaga 22-6: Patron saint of mid-majors still a contender, with wins over Virginia Tech, Saint Joseph's, UConn, Utah and Georgia, and losses to Washington State, OU, Tennessee and Memphis.

•3. Drake 24-4: Tom Davis' son, Keno, quickly has coached the Bulldogs to Missouri Valley supremacy, with sweeps of Creighton and Illinois State, plus wins over Iowa and Iowa State.

•2. Butler 25-3: Lost at home to Drake the other day, but Butler's track record in March is strong, and its victims include Michigan, Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Ohio State and Florida State.

•1. Xavier 24-4: Some don't classify Atlantic-10 schools as mid-major, which is nonsense. But the X-men play like a major power, with victories over Indiana, Kansas State, Cincinnati, Auburn and Creighton.

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