Top 10 Mid-Major basketball programs for 2024-25

The college basketball season is just around the corner. That means it’s time for preseason rankings. This time around, I wanted to take some time to rank teams that don’t normally get much media love. These teams are the ones that become legendary in March.

The ones that everyone spends countless hours trying to find within their bracket.

Ponder no more. I have found the ten best mid-major basketball teams this year in college hoops. One rule before we get started. I wanted to find real mid-majors. This list will only consist of teams in conferences that do not have a corresponding FBS conference.

That eliminates the Power Six, as well as the American Athletic, Conference USA, Sun Belt, Mountain West and the MAC. Without further ado, here are the top ten mid-major basketball teams for 2024-25.

10. Little Rock, Ohio Valley

A former member of the Sun Belt, the Trojans are set to enter their third season in the Ohio Valley. This team enters the season as the favorites to win the conference and the auto-bid to the NCAA Tournament.

They even appeared on some Preseason AP Top 25 ballots. Watch out for a pair of graduate students in KK Robinson and Mwani Wilkinson trying to lead the Trojans to the big dance for the first time since 2016.

9. High Point, Big South

Alan Huss enters his second season as head coach after winning 27 games in his debut. The Panthers have expectations this year after they won the regular season Big South Championship last season.

An upset against Longwood in the conference tournament ended their NCAA Tournament aspirations.

Eight players return from that team alongside 12 new members of the roster, including D’Maurian Williams who spent two seasons at Texas Tech.

8. McNeese State, Southland

McNeese coach Will Wade received attention from power conference programs with head coaching vacancies but ultimately chose to spend one more year in Lake Charles. The Cowboys won 30 games last season and made the NCAA Tournament for only the third time in the history of the program and the first time in over two decades.

Cowboys players also took five of the ten spots in the preseason first and second teams of the Southland Conference.

7. Bradley, Missouri Valley

Bradley has been consistent within the Missouri Valley Conference and this may be the year they break through. The two teams consistently ahead of them Drake and Indiana State have undergone major changes during the offseason.

The Braves have won 20-plus games in each of the past two seasons and enter this year having received 46 of the 49 first-place votes in the preseason poll. Look for Duke Dean and Darius Hannah to lead the team to their first NCAA appearance since 2019.

6. Saint Louis, Atlantic 10

Remember how I mentioned that Indiana State lost their head coach? This is where he ended up. Josh Schertz comes over alongside Robbie Avila in the hopes of restoring some prestige to Saint Louis.

The Billikens have a chance to contend in an Atlantic 10 Conference filled with talented teams like Saint Joseph, Loyla-Chicago, VCU and another team we will get to, but don’t count these guys out.

If Avila can work some magic like he did in Arch Madness, Saint Louis could surprise people and be dancing in March.

5. Saint Mary’s, West Coast Conference

The Gaels have been a consistent power in the West Coast Conference along with Gonzaga. The loss of Aidan Mahaney to UConn concerns me, but the team is still placed second in the conference preseason poll.

Augustas Marciulionis and Mitchell Saxen will have to carry the load in order for the Gaels to be a tournament team.

4. Princeton, Ivy League

Princeton received 15 of the 16 first-place votes in the Ivy League preseason poll. This comes two years after making a surprise run to the Sweet 16. The Ivy League always produces a team capable of winning a game or two in March.

They bring back the reigning conference player of the year Caden Pierce and another first-team player Xavian Lee. Pair that with a coach in Mitch Henderson who’s won more than 20 games in the last three seasons and the Tigers will be dangerous once again.

3. Grand Canyon, Western Athletic

Bryce Drew will be coaching at a power program sooner rather than later. Since taking over in 2020, the younger brother of Baylor coach Scott Drew has taken the Antelopes to three NCAA Tournaments in four seasons.

Last year they pulled off the upset against Saint Mary’s and could be primed to win more tournament games.

They bring back reigning WAC Player of the Year Tyon Grant-Foster and another first-team guard Ray Harrison. The Antelopes are a true dark horse contender in 2024-25.

2. Dayton, Atlantic 10

The Flyers come into the season off a win in the NCAA Tournament. They added Posh Alexander from Butler to a core of Nate Santos and Enoch Cheeks for a three-headed monster.

The Flyers have finally broken through in the Atlantic 10 under Anthony Grant and are trying to reach the big dance in consecutive seasons for the first time since they made four straight tournaments from 2014 to 2017.

As seen in the Saint Louis entry, it will be tough, but the Flyers should be flying high when it matters most.

1. Gonzaga, West Coast Conference

In 2026, Gonzaga will graduate from mid-major status when they go to the Pac-12. It’s about time. The greatest mid-major program in the sport should live up to that billing again this season. Favorites to win the West Coast Conference.

The team has made 25, that’s right 25, straight NCAA Tournaments.

The Bulldogs open the year at No. 6 in the AP Poll and this could be the year they win the whole thing.

Nathan Johns is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jzn5275@psu.edu.