2018-19 MVC Predictions:

[redneckredbird]

Where's the love??? I'm already chomping at the bit for next year!

https://www.midmajormadness.com/2018/4/3/17192394/mid-major-rankings-2018-19-way-too-early-nevada-gonzaga-south-dakota-state-loyola

Will all come down to guard play. If it’s way better we have a shot. If anything goes wrong there we have no shot.

Basically the new JUCOs have to be awesome.

I'm still pretty high on EC. I think he will be much more settled next year. He wants it too bad to not improve. That was arguably what was holding him back last year, he wanted to do too much. If he is good, we are a potential giant killer.

 

[Adunk33]

Where's the love??? I'm already chomping at the bit for next year!

https://www.midmajormadness.com/2018/4/3/17192394/mid-major-rankings-2018-19-way-too-early-nevada-gonzaga-south-dakota-state-loyola

Will all come down to guard play. If it’s way better we have a shot. If anything goes wrong there we have no shot.

Basically the new JUCOs have to be awesome.

I'm still pretty high on EC. I think he will be much more settled next year. He wants it too bad to not improve. That was arguably what was holding him back last year, he wanted to do too much. If he is good, we are a potential giant killer.

EC has posted some pictures recently of post-workouts. He's been putting up 1k shots over the last few days and hitting around 75% of them. (Proof by picture of the shooting gun that counts shots taken and made.)

 

[TIMMY]

WARNING TO ALL: Only the MVC tourney champ will get a NCAA bid....

Yeah well funny thing about this. Sorry if it's been mentioned. Lou Canellis was on with Laurence Holmes last night. Lou said he spoke at length to someone on the selection committee who insisted Loyola was in if we beat them in the championship game. It would have lowered their seed, but they were in. He said the committee was on to Loyola after they beat Florida. Canellis is a big Loyola guy for sure, but I've always found him pretty credible.
Also Laurence Holmes is an excellent listen when you get the chance. In depth interviews. He did a great job with HCDM.

 

[V Boy]

WARNING TO ALL: Only the MVC tourney champ will get a NCAA bid....

Yeah well funny thing about this. Sorry if it's been mentioned. Lou Canellis was on with Laurence Holmes last night. Lou said he spoke at length to someone on the selection committee who insisted Loyola was in if we beat them in the championship game. It would have lowered their seed, but they were in. He said the committee was on to Loyola after they beat Florida. Canellis is a big Loyola guy for sure, but I've always found him pretty credible.
Also Laurence Holmes is an excellent listen when you get the chance. In depth interviews. He did a great job with HCDM.

Believe Loyola was the lowest-rated 11 seed (i.e.-- below of the play-in at-large teams) AFTER it beat ISU in Arch title game, so don't think this is right.

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

WARNING TO ALL: Only the MVC tourney champ will get a NCAA bid....

Yeah well funny thing about this. Sorry if it's been mentioned. Lou Canellis was on with Laurence Holmes last night. Lou said he spoke at length to someone on the selection committee who insisted Loyola was in if we beat them in the championship game. It would have lowered their seed, but they were in. He said the committee was on to Loyola after they beat Florida. Canellis is a big Loyola guy for sure, but I've always found him pretty credible.
Also Laurence Holmes is an excellent listen when you get the chance. In depth interviews. He did a great job with HCDM.

Going to see Lou this weekend and will try to get some details.

 

[cpacmel]

WARNING TO ALL: Only the MVC tourney champ will get a NCAA bid....

Yeah well funny thing about this. Sorry if it's been mentioned. Lou Canellis was on with Laurence Holmes last night. Lou said he spoke at length to someone on the selection committee who insisted Loyola was in if we beat them in the championship game. It would have lowered their seed, but they were in.

I think you have a committee member trying to save face...


https://twitter.com/nicoleauerbach/status/972973303576047617?s=12

 

[TIMMY]

WARNING TO ALL: Only the MVC tourney champ will get a NCAA bid....

Yeah well funny thing about this. Sorry if it's been mentioned. Lou Canellis was on with Laurence Holmes last night. Lou said he spoke at length to someone on the selection committee who insisted Loyola was in if we beat them in the championship game. It would have lowered their seed, but they were in.

I think you have a committee member trying to save face...


https://twitter.com/nicoleauerbach/status/972973303576047617?s=12

That could very well be. I don't follow the numbers so I wouldn't have a clue. Lou seemed to know the committee guy so It'll be interesting if Chi comes up with something.

 

[ekeyfanclub]

Have to remember too they were behind the last at large on the seed list after winning the conference tourney. Hard to see how a loss to us in the championship would have put them in the conversation for an at large. They should have been but no way they would have been.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[redbirdrc]

8 mid-major basketball teams who could be next season’s Loyola-Chicago

Which mid-major could make a magical run to the Final Four next season?


marques_townes-loyola-chicago
NCAABy Sean Keeley on April 4, 2018

The 2018 NCAA Tournament was full of so many amazing moments and performances that it’s hard to remember every single one. There was 16-seed UMBC’s epic win over one-seed Virginia, FSU’s big win over one-seed Xavier, Nevada’s 22-point comeback against Cincinnati, Syracuse’s run from the First Four to the Sweet Sixteen, Texas A&M’s obliteration of North Carolina, Jordan Poole’s huge buzzer-beater, and finally Villanova’s dominant run to a second NCAA title in three years.

In the end, though, the 2018 tourney will probably best be remembered for the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers, who rambled all the way from an 11-seed to the Final Four thanks to a series of last-second heroics and huge performances. They transcended what was expected of them and become one of the few true mid-majors to make it to the Final Four in the last few decades.

With their magical run, Loyola provided a blueprint for other schools to follow and drew a line in the sand to all the other mid-majors out there with a double-digit seed and a dream: We did it, now it’s your turn.

So the question is, which mid-major school has the chance to be the Loyola-Chicago of the 2019 NCAA Tournament? Let’s look at the contenders.

Montana Grizzlies

The 2017-18 season was a historic one for the Grizz. Just one year removed from a 16-16 finish, Montana finished 26-8, won the Big Sky Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and played in their first NCAA Tournament since 2013. Their season ended in the first round when they ran into eventual national runner-up Michigan.

So knowing all of that, consider that Montana is only losing one player from this year’s squad (Fabijan Krslovic) and returns their top three scorers, all of whom will be seniors (Ahmaad Rorie, Michael Oguine, and Jamar Akoh). That trio combined for 45.8 points per game and should all improve even further. They’ll enter the season as clear favorites to repeat in the Big Sky, but after that, the sky’s the limit.

Illinois State Redbirds

If there’s any school out there who’d love to replace Loyola-Chicago next season, it’d be the Redbirds of Illinois State. Their 18-15 campaign ended when they lost to the Ramblers in the MVC championship game.

What must give ISU hope is the news that Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year Milik Yarbrough announced he won’t put his name in the NBA Draft and will return for his senior season. After putting up 16.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists per game, he’ll return with a chance to add to an already impressive resume. Along with Yarbrough, the Redbirds also return Phil Fayne (15.6 ppg) and Keyshawn Evans (15.2 ppg), and William Tinsley (35 blocks) for what could be a very dangerous mid-major come tournament time, assuming they get past the Ramblers.

For what it’s worth, they’re actually getting the same championship odds as Loyola for next season as of right now.



Northern Colorado Bears

In the span of one season, Loyola-Chicago went from 18–14 to the Final Four. Keep that in mind when you consider a team making the jump from a CIT bid to the NCAA Tournament. While all eyes were on the Ramblers, Northern Colorado was busy winning the 2018 CollegeInsider.com Tournament. It was a huge turnaround for the Bears, who went 11-18 last season and finished the 2017-2018 campaign with a 26-12 record.

They’ll lose senior Andre Spight, who not only led the team in scoring but also set the school’s single-season scoring record. Still, they should get plenty of production from Jordan Davis and Jalen Sanders. It might be between them and Montana for the Big Sky crown and then… who knows.



South Dakota State Jackrabbits

SDSU is coming off a very similar regular season as Loyola-Chicago. They finished the season 28-7, won the Summit League, and earned a bid into the NCAA Tournament. As a 12-seed, they might have been a trendy pick except that 12-seeds seem to have been replaced by 13-seeds as the upset special. The Jackrabbits lost in the first round to Ohio State.

The big question for next season is whether or not Mike Daum returns for his senior season. He averaged 23.9 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game for an absolutely dominating season. If he returns, he’ll anchor a lineup that also includes scorer David Jenkins Jr. and rising guards Tevin King and Skyler Flatten. They’ll be the favorite to repeat as Summit champs and perhaps get over the hump in the NCAA Tournament.

Buffalo Bulls



The world of Upstate New York basketball revolves around Syracuse, but don’t discount the growth of Buffalo’s program in recent seasons. While the Orange scrambled to make the tourney, the Bulls dominated the MAC, going 27-9 and winning both the regular season and conference tournament crowns.

They then announced themselves to the nation by upsetting trendy pick Arizona in the first round before losing to Kentucky in the second. Assuming All-MAC players Nick Perkins and CJ Massinburg both return, the Bulls should be in prime position to keep this momentum going.

UNC Greensboro Spartans

Another mid-major which had a great regular season (27-8), won their conference season and tournament titles and entered the NCAA Tournament with a chance. UNC Greensboro came close, but ultimately fell short in their first-round upset bid against Gonzaga.

Still, the pieces are all there for the Spartans to try again next year. Coach Wes Miler has turned UNCG into the class of the Southern Conference (good thing they extended him) and he returns three starters next season where they should be among the favorites to go back to the tourney. Leading scorer Francis Alonso is among the returnees and should be the centerpiece of another strong Spartan squad.

Georgia State Panthers



The Panthers had a shot to upset two-seed Cincinnati in the first round of the NCAAs, but it didn’t quite come together. Still, GSU put together a solid season with a 24-11 record and won the Sun Belt conference tournament. The key to GSU’s future success could be in the hands of guard D’Marcus Simonds. The sophomore earned an AP All-America Honorable Mention and is already No. 15 on the school’s career scoring list. After averaging 21.2 points per game, it’s logical that he’ll put his name in the hat for the NBA Draft.

But on the off chance that he doesn’t, look out Sun Belt (and everyone else). The Panthers will return a trio of rising seniors in Jeff Thomas, Malik Benlevi, and Devin Mitchell as well, so either way, they should be a solid team next season.

Loyola-Chicago Ramblers



How could we make a list of who the next Loyola-Chicago could be without mentioning Loyola-Chicago? Rising seniors Clayton Custer and Marques Townes will be back and assuming players like Cameron Krutwig can make the leap to the next level, we could be in for a repeat performance in the regular season.

Who knows, the Ramblers might even get enough national attention this time around for an at-large bid even if they don’t win the MVC tournament. Perhaps most importantly, they know how to win in the NCAA Tournament now and no one is going to want to face them (or Sister Jean) if they make it back.

 

[RedbirdNation24]

8 mid-major basketball teams who could be next season’s Loyola-Chicago

Which mid-major could make a magical run to the Final Four next season?


marques_townes-loyola-chicago
NCAABy Sean Keeley on April 4, 2018

The 2018 NCAA Tournament was full of so many amazing moments and performances that it’s hard to remember every single one. There was 16-seed UMBC’s epic win over one-seed Virginia, FSU’s big win over one-seed Xavier, Nevada’s 22-point comeback against Cincinnati, Syracuse’s run from the First Four to the Sweet Sixteen, Texas A&M’s obliteration of North Carolina, Jordan Poole’s huge buzzer-beater, and finally Villanova’s dominant run to a second NCAA title in three years.

In the end, though, the 2018 tourney will probably best be remembered for the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers, who rambled all the way from an 11-seed to the Final Four thanks to a series of last-second heroics and huge performances. They transcended what was expected of them and become one of the few true mid-majors to make it to the Final Four in the last few decades.

With their magical run, Loyola provided a blueprint for other schools to follow and drew a line in the sand to all the other mid-majors out there with a double-digit seed and a dream: We did it, now it’s your turn.

So the question is, which mid-major school has the chance to be the Loyola-Chicago of the 2019 NCAA Tournament? Let’s look at the contenders.

Montana Grizzlies

The 2017-18 season was a historic one for the Grizz. Just one year removed from a 16-16 finish, Montana finished 26-8, won the Big Sky Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and played in their first NCAA Tournament since 2013. Their season ended in the first round when they ran into eventual national runner-up Michigan.

So knowing all of that, consider that Montana is only losing one player from this year’s squad (Fabijan Krslovic) and returns their top three scorers, all of whom will be seniors (Ahmaad Rorie, Michael Oguine, and Jamar Akoh). That trio combined for 45.8 points per game and should all improve even further. They’ll enter the season as clear favorites to repeat in the Big Sky, but after that, the sky’s the limit.

Illinois State Redbirds

If there’s any school out there who’d love to replace Loyola-Chicago next season, it’d be the Redbirds of Illinois State. Their 18-15 campaign ended when they lost to the Ramblers in the MVC championship game.

What must give ISU hope is the news that Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year Milik Yarbrough announced he won’t put his name in the NBA Draft and will return for his senior season. After putting up 16.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists per game, he’ll return with a chance to add to an already impressive resume. Along with Yarbrough, the Redbirds also return Phil Fayne (15.6 ppg) and Keyshawn Evans (15.2 ppg), and William Tinsley (35 blocks) for what could be a very dangerous mid-major come tournament time, assuming they get past the Ramblers.

For what it’s worth, they’re actually getting the same championship odds as Loyola for next season as of right now.



Northern Colorado Bears

In the span of one season, Loyola-Chicago went from 18–14 to the Final Four. Keep that in mind when you consider a team making the jump from a CIT bid to the NCAA Tournament. While all eyes were on the Ramblers, Northern Colorado was busy winning the 2018 CollegeInsider.com Tournament. It was a huge turnaround for the Bears, who went 11-18 last season and finished the 2017-2018 campaign with a 26-12 record.

They’ll lose senior Andre Spight, who not only led the team in scoring but also set the school’s single-season scoring record. Still, they should get plenty of production from Jordan Davis and Jalen Sanders. It might be between them and Montana for the Big Sky crown and then… who knows.



South Dakota State Jackrabbits

SDSU is coming off a very similar regular season as Loyola-Chicago. They finished the season 28-7, won the Summit League, and earned a bid into the NCAA Tournament. As a 12-seed, they might have been a trendy pick except that 12-seeds seem to have been replaced by 13-seeds as the upset special. The Jackrabbits lost in the first round to Ohio State.

The big question for next season is whether or not Mike Daum returns for his senior season. He averaged 23.9 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game for an absolutely dominating season. If he returns, he’ll anchor a lineup that also includes scorer David Jenkins Jr. and rising guards Tevin King and Skyler Flatten. They’ll be the favorite to repeat as Summit champs and perhaps get over the hump in the NCAA Tournament.

Buffalo Bulls



The world of Upstate New York basketball revolves around Syracuse, but don’t discount the growth of Buffalo’s program in recent seasons. While the Orange scrambled to make the tourney, the Bulls dominated the MAC, going 27-9 and winning both the regular season and conference tournament crowns.

They then announced themselves to the nation by upsetting trendy pick Arizona in the first round before losing to Kentucky in the second. Assuming All-MAC players Nick Perkins and CJ Massinburg both return, the Bulls should be in prime position to keep this momentum going.

UNC Greensboro Spartans

Another mid-major which had a great regular season (27-8), won their conference season and tournament titles and entered the NCAA Tournament with a chance. UNC Greensboro came close, but ultimately fell short in their first-round upset bid against Gonzaga.

Still, the pieces are all there for the Spartans to try again next year. Coach Wes Miler has turned UNCG into the class of the Southern Conference (good thing they extended him) and he returns three starters next season where they should be among the favorites to go back to the tourney. Leading scorer Francis Alonso is among the returnees and should be the centerpiece of another strong Spartan squad.

Georgia State Panthers



The Panthers had a shot to upset two-seed Cincinnati in the first round of the NCAAs, but it didn’t quite come together. Still, GSU put together a solid season with a 24-11 record and won the Sun Belt conference tournament. The key to GSU’s future success could be in the hands of guard D’Marcus Simonds. The sophomore earned an AP All-America Honorable Mention and is already No. 15 on the school’s career scoring list. After averaging 21.2 points per game, it’s logical that he’ll put his name in the hat for the NBA Draft.

But on the off chance that he doesn’t, look out Sun Belt (and everyone else). The Panthers will return a trio of rising seniors in Jeff Thomas, Malik Benlevi, and Devin Mitchell as well, so either way, they should be a solid team next season.

Loyola-Chicago Ramblers



How could we make a list of who the next Loyola-Chicago could be without mentioning Loyola-Chicago? Rising seniors Clayton Custer and Marques Townes will be back and assuming players like Cameron Krutwig can make the leap to the next level, we could be in for a repeat performance in the regular season.

Who knows, the Ramblers might even get enough national attention this time around for an at-large bid even if they don’t win the MVC tournament. Perhaps most importantly, they know how to win in the NCAA Tournament now and no one is going to want to face them (or Sister Jean) if they make it back.

It's crazy. I've only been following this program since I started school there in 2011. And I swear every single year we've been on at least one list of "the most dangerous mid-majors" or something like that. But damnit, we just can't get over the hump. We've had so much talent come through the program over the last 8 years. Can we just friggin put it together and win 3 games in STL one time?? Being a Redbird fan sure is starting to feel like being a Cubs fan up until they finally broke through. "There's always next year!"

 

[SgtHulka]

8 mid-major basketball teams who could be next season’s Loyola-Chicago

Which mid-major could make a magical run to the Final Four next season?


marques_townes-loyola-chicago
NCAABy Sean Keeley on April 4, 2018

The 2018 NCAA Tournament was full of so many amazing moments and performances that it’s hard to remember every single one. There was 16-seed UMBC’s epic win over one-seed Virginia, FSU’s big win over one-seed Xavier, Nevada’s 22-point comeback against Cincinnati, Syracuse’s run from the First Four to the Sweet Sixteen, Texas A&M’s obliteration of North Carolina, Jordan Poole’s huge buzzer-beater, and finally Villanova’s dominant run to a second NCAA title in three years.

In the end, though, the 2018 tourney will probably best be remembered for the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers, who rambled all the way from an 11-seed to the Final Four thanks to a series of last-second heroics and huge performances. They transcended what was expected of them and become one of the few true mid-majors to make it to the Final Four in the last few decades.

With their magical run, Loyola provided a blueprint for other schools to follow and drew a line in the sand to all the other mid-majors out there with a double-digit seed and a dream: We did it, now it’s your turn.

So the question is, which mid-major school has the chance to be the Loyola-Chicago of the 2019 NCAA Tournament? Let’s look at the contenders.

Montana Grizzlies

The 2017-18 season was a historic one for the Grizz. Just one year removed from a 16-16 finish, Montana finished 26-8, won the Big Sky Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and played in their first NCAA Tournament since 2013. Their season ended in the first round when they ran into eventual national runner-up Michigan.

So knowing all of that, consider that Montana is only losing one player from this year’s squad (Fabijan Krslovic) and returns their top three scorers, all of whom will be seniors (Ahmaad Rorie, Michael Oguine, and Jamar Akoh). That trio combined for 45.8 points per game and should all improve even further. They’ll enter the season as clear favorites to repeat in the Big Sky, but after that, the sky’s the limit.

Illinois State Redbirds

If there’s any school out there who’d love to replace Loyola-Chicago next season, it’d be the Redbirds of Illinois State. Their 18-15 campaign ended when they lost to the Ramblers in the MVC championship game.

What must give ISU hope is the news that Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year Milik Yarbrough announced he won’t put his name in the NBA Draft and will return for his senior season. After putting up 16.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists per game, he’ll return with a chance to add to an already impressive resume. Along with Yarbrough, the Redbirds also return Phil Fayne (15.6 ppg) and Keyshawn Evans (15.2 ppg), and William Tinsley (35 blocks) for what could be a very dangerous mid-major come tournament time, assuming they get past the Ramblers.

For what it’s worth, they’re actually getting the same championship odds as Loyola for next season as of right now.



Northern Colorado Bears

In the span of one season, Loyola-Chicago went from 18–14 to the Final Four. Keep that in mind when you consider a team making the jump from a CIT bid to the NCAA Tournament. While all eyes were on the Ramblers, Northern Colorado was busy winning the 2018 CollegeInsider.com Tournament. It was a huge turnaround for the Bears, who went 11-18 last season and finished the 2017-2018 campaign with a 26-12 record.

They’ll lose senior Andre Spight, who not only led the team in scoring but also set the school’s single-season scoring record. Still, they should get plenty of production from Jordan Davis and Jalen Sanders. It might be between them and Montana for the Big Sky crown and then… who knows.



South Dakota State Jackrabbits

SDSU is coming off a very similar regular season as Loyola-Chicago. They finished the season 28-7, won the Summit League, and earned a bid into the NCAA Tournament. As a 12-seed, they might have been a trendy pick except that 12-seeds seem to have been replaced by 13-seeds as the upset special. The Jackrabbits lost in the first round to Ohio State.

The big question for next season is whether or not Mike Daum returns for his senior season. He averaged 23.9 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game for an absolutely dominating season. If he returns, he’ll anchor a lineup that also includes scorer David Jenkins Jr. and rising guards Tevin King and Skyler Flatten. They’ll be the favorite to repeat as Summit champs and perhaps get over the hump in the NCAA Tournament.

Buffalo Bulls



The world of Upstate New York basketball revolves around Syracuse, but don’t discount the growth of Buffalo’s program in recent seasons. While the Orange scrambled to make the tourney, the Bulls dominated the MAC, going 27-9 and winning both the regular season and conference tournament crowns.

They then announced themselves to the nation by upsetting trendy pick Arizona in the first round before losing to Kentucky in the second. Assuming All-MAC players Nick Perkins and CJ Massinburg both return, the Bulls should be in prime position to keep this momentum going.

UNC Greensboro Spartans

Another mid-major which had a great regular season (27-8), won their conference season and tournament titles and entered the NCAA Tournament with a chance. UNC Greensboro came close, but ultimately fell short in their first-round upset bid against Gonzaga.

Still, the pieces are all there for the Spartans to try again next year. Coach Wes Miler has turned UNCG into the class of the Southern Conference (good thing they extended him) and he returns three starters next season where they should be among the favorites to go back to the tourney. Leading scorer Francis Alonso is among the returnees and should be the centerpiece of another strong Spartan squad.

Georgia State Panthers



The Panthers had a shot to upset two-seed Cincinnati in the first round of the NCAAs, but it didn’t quite come together. Still, GSU put together a solid season with a 24-11 record and won the Sun Belt conference tournament. The key to GSU’s future success could be in the hands of guard D’Marcus Simonds. The sophomore earned an AP All-America Honorable Mention and is already No. 15 on the school’s career scoring list. After averaging 21.2 points per game, it’s logical that he’ll put his name in the hat for the NBA Draft.

But on the off chance that he doesn’t, look out Sun Belt (and everyone else). The Panthers will return a trio of rising seniors in Jeff Thomas, Malik Benlevi, and Devin Mitchell as well, so either way, they should be a solid team next season.

Loyola-Chicago Ramblers



How could we make a list of who the next Loyola-Chicago could be without mentioning Loyola-Chicago? Rising seniors Clayton Custer and Marques Townes will be back and assuming players like Cameron Krutwig can make the leap to the next level, we could be in for a repeat performance in the regular season.

Who knows, the Ramblers might even get enough national attention this time around for an at-large bid even if they don’t win the MVC tournament. Perhaps most importantly, they know how to win in the NCAA Tournament now and no one is going to want to face them (or Sister Jean) if they make it back.

Great Post! Must have taken you an hour to type up

 

[isuquinndog]

Redbirdsrc, can you at least post the link you got that? I can get in trouble for people stealing content like that. Thanks.

 

[redbirdrc]

The Comeback twitter.com


8 mid-major basketball teams who could be next season’s Loyola-Chicago

Which mid-major could make a magical run to the Final Four next season?


marques_townes-loyola-chicago
NCAABy Sean Keeley on April 4, 2018

The 2018 NCAA Tournament was full of so many amazing moments and performances that it’s hard to remember every single one. There was 16-seed UMBC’s epic win over one-seed Virginia, FSU’s big win over one-seed Xavier, Nevada’s 22-point comeback against Cincinnati, Syracuse’s run from the First Four to the Sweet Sixteen, Texas A&M’s obliteration of North Carolina, Jordan Poole’s huge buzzer-beater, and finally Villanova’s dominant run to a second NCAA title in three years.

In the end, though, the 2018 tourney will probably best be remembered for the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers, who rambled all the way from an 11-seed to the Final Four thanks to a series of last-second heroics and huge performances. They transcended what was expected of them and become one of the few true mid-majors to make it to the Final Four in the last few decades.

With their magical run, Loyola provided a blueprint for other schools to follow and drew a line in the sand to all the other mid-majors out there with a double-digit seed and a dream: We did it, now it’s your turn.

So the question is, which mid-major school has the chance to be the Loyola-Chicago of the 2019 NCAA Tournament? Let’s look at the contenders.

Montana Grizzlies

The 2017-18 season was a historic one for the Grizz. Just one year removed from a 16-16 finish, Montana finished 26-8, won the Big Sky Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and played in their first NCAA Tournament since 2013. Their season ended in the first round when they ran into eventual national runner-up Michigan.

So knowing all of that, consider that Montana is only losing one player from this year’s squad (Fabijan Krslovic) and returns their top three scorers, all of whom will be seniors (Ahmaad Rorie, Michael Oguine, and Jamar Akoh). That trio combined for 45.8 points per game and should all improve even further. They’ll enter the season as clear favorites to repeat in the Big Sky, but after that, the sky’s the limit.

Illinois State Redbirds

If there’s any school out there who’d love to replace Loyola-Chicago next season, it’d be the Redbirds of Illinois State. Their 18-15 campaign ended when they lost to the Ramblers in the MVC championship game.

What must give ISU hope is the news that Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year Milik Yarbrough announced he won’t put his name in the NBA Draft and will return for his senior season. After putting up 16.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists per game, he’ll return with a chance to add to an already impressive resume. Along with Yarbrough, the Redbirds also return Phil Fayne (15.6 ppg) and Keyshawn Evans (15.2 ppg), and William Tinsley (35 blocks) for what could be a very dangerous mid-major come tournament time, assuming they get past the Ramblers.

For what it’s worth, they’re actually getting the same championship odds as Loyola for next season as of right now.



Northern Colorado Bears

In the span of one season, Loyola-Chicago went from 18–14 to the Final Four. Keep that in mind when you consider a team making the jump from a CIT bid to the NCAA Tournament. While all eyes were on the Ramblers, Northern Colorado was busy winning the 2018 CollegeInsider.com Tournament. It was a huge turnaround for the Bears, who went 11-18 last season and finished the 2017-2018 campaign with a 26-12 record.

They’ll lose senior Andre Spight, who not only led the team in scoring but also set the school’s single-season scoring record. Still, they should get plenty of production from Jordan Davis and Jalen Sanders. It might be between them and Montana for the Big Sky crown and then… who knows.



South Dakota State Jackrabbits

SDSU is coming off a very similar regular season as Loyola-Chicago. They finished the season 28-7, won the Summit League, and earned a bid into the NCAA Tournament. As a 12-seed, they might have been a trendy pick except that 12-seeds seem to have been replaced by 13-seeds as the upset special. The Jackrabbits lost in the first round to Ohio State.

The big question for next season is whether or not Mike Daum returns for his senior season. He averaged 23.9 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game for an absolutely dominating season. If he returns, he’ll anchor a lineup that also includes scorer David Jenkins Jr. and rising guards Tevin King and Skyler Flatten. They’ll be the favorite to repeat as Summit champs and perhaps get over the hump in the NCAA Tournament.

Buffalo Bulls



The world of Upstate New York basketball revolves around Syracuse, but don’t discount the growth of Buffalo’s program in recent seasons. While the Orange scrambled to make the tourney, the Bulls dominated the MAC, going 27-9 and winning both the regular season and conference tournament crowns.

They then announced themselves to the nation by upsetting trendy pick Arizona in the first round before losing to Kentucky in the second. Assuming All-MAC players Nick Perkins and CJ Massinburg both return, the Bulls should be in prime position to keep this momentum going.

UNC Greensboro Spartans

Another mid-major which had a great regular season (27-8), won their conference season and tournament titles and entered the NCAA Tournament with a chance. UNC Greensboro came close, but ultimately fell short in their first-round upset bid against Gonzaga.

Still, the pieces are all there for the Spartans to try again next year. Coach Wes Miler has turned UNCG into the class of the Southern Conference (good thing they extended him) and he returns three starters next season where they should be among the favorites to go back to the tourney. Leading scorer Francis Alonso is among the returnees and should be the centerpiece of another strong Spartan squad.

Georgia State Panthers



The Panthers had a shot to upset two-seed Cincinnati in the first round of the NCAAs, but it didn’t quite come together. Still, GSU put together a solid season with a 24-11 record and won the Sun Belt conference tournament. The key to GSU’s future success could be in the hands of guard D’Marcus Simonds. The sophomore earned an AP All-America Honorable Mention and is already No. 15 on the school’s career scoring list. After averaging 21.2 points per game, it’s logical that he’ll put his name in the hat for the NBA Draft.

But on the off chance that he doesn’t, look out Sun Belt (and everyone else). The Panthers will return a trio of rising seniors in Jeff Thomas, Malik Benlevi, and Devin Mitchell as well, so either way, they should be a solid team next season.

Loyola-Chicago Ramblers



How could we make a list of who the next Loyola-Chicago could be without mentioning Loyola-Chicago? Rising seniors Clayton Custer and Marques Townes will be back and assuming players like Cameron Krutwig can make the leap to the next level, we could be in for a repeat performance in the regular season.

Who knows, the Ramblers might even get enough national attention this time around for an at-large bid even if they don’t win the MVC tournament. Perhaps most importantly, they know how to win in the NCAA Tournament now and no one is going to want to face them (or Sister Jean) if they make it back.

 

[isuquinndog]

Here is the article. At least click on it once please, if you read the above article: http://thecomeback.com/ncaa/loyola-chicago-8-mid-majors-next-final-four.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

[Hamdonger]

WARNING TO ALL: Only the MVC tourney champ will get a NCAA bid....

Yeah well funny thing about this. Sorry if it's been mentioned. Lou Canellis was on with Laurence Holmes last night. Lou said he spoke at length to someone on the selection committee who insisted Loyola was in if we beat them in the championship game. It would have lowered their seed, but they were in.

I think you have a committee member trying to save face...

Yeah, I'm with you on this one, cpa.

ChiRedbirdFan in the know, though...so keep us posted brother.

 

[isuquinndog]

Hey we are 500/1 to win the national title next season!

https://twitter.com/Johnny_Detroit/status/981012656223113216

 

[Hamdonger]

Team predictions, let's see how the offseason plays out.

But if the roster is at it stands now, I think scoring will go DOWN a bit for Milik and Key (other stats should NOT go down, though) because of more offensively equipped players coming in and current blooming players, Fayne will be about the same because so many of his points come from energy plays.

Overall, if the chemistry is right and the guys buy in from a selfless perspective AND are willing to sacrifice personal stats...we SHOULD be a much more potent offensive squad with ten guys who can put the ball in the bucket.

 

[Hamdonger]

So Vegas has us even with Loyola. Doesn't mean sht today, yet that's a bit encouraging...

 

[Hamdonger]

EC has posted some pictures recently of post-workouts. He's been putting up 1k shots over the last few days and hitting around 75% of them. (Proof by picture of the shooting gun that counts shots taken and made.)

You know how long it takes to shoot 1000 jumpers?? That's impressive, and that's a lot of shots.

 

[DannyCooksey]

Where's the love??? I'm already chomping at the bit for next year!

https://www.midmajormadness.com/2018/4/3/17192394/mid-major-rankings-2018-19-way-too-early-nevada-gonzaga-south-dakota-state-loyola

Will all come down to guard play. If it’s way better we have a shot. If anything goes wrong there we have no shot.

Basically the new JUCOs have to be awesome.

I'm still pretty high on EC. I think he will be much more settled next year. He wants it too bad to not improve. That was arguably what was holding him back last year, he wanted to do too much. If he is good, we are a potential giant killer.

I hope EC can have a healthy and productive summer/fall. Not just working out and playing but hopefully watching a lot of film. He has so much to learn.