Few would have seen it coming final season when Robert Morris busted down the door to the NCAA Match only one 12 months after ending 10-22. The Colonials turned their fortunes in a rush, as they gained the Horizon League common season and event titles, incomes a No. 15 seed within the Huge Dance.
Of their first March Insanity look since 2015, Robert Morris pushed No. 2 seed Alabama late into the second half earlier than the Crimson Tide escaped with a aggravating victory. Although it did not win a sport within the event, Robert Morris was completely an instance of a mid-major program that popped.
Because the 2025-26 season creeps nearer, we’re on the hunt for mid-major groups that would do the identical this season. To suit the invoice of a mid-major group that “pops,” you do not essentially have to extend your win complete by 16. However we’re trying to find groups from outdoors the high-major realm with juice to be harmful and/or considerably higher than lately.
Projecting high 25 faculty basketball packages of subsequent 25 years: Groups set for many long-term success
Kyle Boone
As with most of our Dribble Handoffs, our writers are free to therapeutic massage the standards nonetheless they see match. However there will definitely be bonus factors awarded if anybody picks a mid-major group that proceeds to tug a turnaround like what Robert Morris did final season.
Listed here are our picks for the mid-major groups that can pop in 2025-26.
Boise State has been constantly good underneath Leon Rice — proof being three journeys to the NCAA Match previously 4 seasons and three top-two finishes within the Mountain West Convention previously 4 seasons. So I am hesitant to put the mid-major label on the Broncos.
However Boise State is not in a power-conference. And Boise State has by no means really gained a sport within the NCAA Match. So, by most individuals’s definition, the mid-major label suits. And, if that’s the case, then the Broncos, on paper, needs to be top-of-the-line mid-majors in faculty basketball this upcoming season. They return three of the highest 5 scorers from final season’s group that gained 26 video games and added UCLA switch Dylan Andrews and Georgetown switch Drew Fielder. That is a stable core that ought to have the Broncos among the many favorites within the MWC — and presumably the favourite. — Gary Parrish
It is by no means been tougher to forecast which groups from single-bid leagues will make a pop. That in thoughts, I am going to go together with a program that employed a coach who has been on the college beforehand and is coming off a nationwide championship. Kevin Hovde was an assistant the previous few years underneath Todd Golden at Florida.
Years in the past, he was on employees underneath Kyle Smith at Columbia. Now he is the coach of the Lions, a group that is been underneath .500 each season since Smith left in 2016. However because of returning a bulk of its roster and with the infusion of some dimension within the portal, I am going to say Columbia instantly shifts in 12 months 1 underneath Hovde. Mark me down for 18-plus wins and a visit to the Ivy League title sport. — Matt Norlander
George Washington is poised to construct on a 21-win season and produce its finest marketing campaign in a minimum of a decade underneath fourth-year coach Chris Caputo. The longtime assistant underneath Jim Larranaga at George Mason and Miami has 4 gamers again who began a minimum of 15 video games final season and a head-turning switch class. The portal haul consists of 4 gamers who averaged double-figures at different mid-major faculties final season and former Northwestern large Luke Starvation, who performed in 56 video games with 10 begins for the Wildcats over the previous two seasons.
This mixture of returning manufacturing and switch expertise really places GW on par with some lower-tier high-major packages when it comes to roster outlook. It is a signal that the Revolutionaries, who aren’t slowed down by the monetary necessities of a soccer roster, are critical about getting good at basketball once more. Different groups within the Atlantic 10 are critical about hoops and well-equipped to reach this period, too. However GW suits the invoice of a group that may “pop” after a tough previous decade. The Revolutionaries made three straight NCAA Tournaments from 2005-07 and 5 in a seven-season span between 1993 and 1999. This system’s 2025-26 squad is able to bringing the nice instances again to the nation’s capital. — David Cobb
San Diego State has been the mannequin of consistency for mid-majors during the last 5 years. The Aztecs have reached the NCAA Match in every of the earlier 5 years — and would’ve probably been within the combine for a No. 1 seed in 2020 when the NCAA Match was canceled resulting from COVID-19. Over that span, SDSU has reached the Candy 16 twice and appeared within the nationwide title sport in 2023.
I really like the roster SDSU is bringing again, which is led by two potential first-round picks: Miles Byrd and Magoon Gwath. The outlook of SDSU’s season might’ve been drastically completely different had both of them departed. Byrd was deep into the NBA Draft course of, and Gwath entered the switch portal earlier than withdrawing and returning to highschool. Brian Dutcher is a implausible coach who will get essentially the most out of his gamers. After an embarrassing blowout loss to North Carolina within the First 4, search for SDSU to bounce again in an enormous manner in the course of the 2025-26 marketing campaign. Nonconference video games towards Michigan (Nov. 24) and Arizona (Dec. 20) are ones to regulate. — Cameron Salerno
Northern Iowa is quietly slated to return over 72% of its minutes from a squad (per Torvik) that completed with a 14-6 file within the Valley. Whereas Illinois State has earned some well-deserved buzz for retaining its two finest gamers, Northern Iowa additionally did yeoman’s work protecting the portal vultures away from three veteran starters: level guard Trey Campbell, taking pictures guard Max Weisbrod and ahead Ben Schwieger. That trio of seniors offers a robust nucleus, however Ben Jacobson was additionally capable of maintain onto three extra rotation gamers, together with Leon Bond III. That is a sneaky-big deal. When wholesome, Bond could be a two-way terror and top-of-the-line gamers within the Missouri Valley. Bond and Campbell give UNI a 1-2 punch that may go band-for-band with anyone on this league.
If this new-look frontcourt can settle in, Northern Iowa can completely dance for the primary time since 2016. You already know what can occur when Jacobsen is prowling the sidelines in March Insanity. Excessive-majors beware. — Isaac Trotter