Two Mid-Majors to Watch for This March
March Madness is upon us, and there’s no madness without upsets, buzzer-beaters, and tournament runs from mid-majors. Several mid-majors can make a splash this March, but there are two who I think will make the biggest splash. Those two teams are the UC San Diego Tritons and the Drake Bulldogs. These teams are currently second and third in the mid-major top 25 coaches poll and first in their respective conferences. They both have stars who can take over games and coaches who have previous success. Here is why I believe these are the two mid-majors to look out for this March.
First is the UC San Diego Tritons, led by head coach Eric Olen. UC San Diego previously played in Division II until 2020, when it joined the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. Now in their fifth year, coach Olen has turned his team into one of the more exciting mid-majors in the country. The Tritons have won nine consecutive conference games after their 83-44 win against Hawaii. They lead the nation in turnover margin at +7.2 and rank second nationally in scoring margin at 18.4. Their current NET ranking is 36, second best among mid-majors, only behind Saint Mary’s. The Tritons are led by star Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, who leads the team in scoring, assists, and rebounds. To make a run in March, you must have a star, and Tait-Jones is just that; the six-foot-six guard from New Zealand has been dominant this year, averaging 19.8 points per game while shooting 58.5% from the field. This team should be in March Madness even if they don’t win their conference tournament, as it would be a travesty if they don’t get in. UC San Diego has the recipe for a Cinderella run, as they can score with just about anyone in the country. Look out for this team when filling out your brackets this March.
The second mid-major that can make a run is the Drake Bulldogs. I previously wrote about this team early in the year, and all they have done since is win. The Bulldogs are 25-3 with a two-game lead on Bradley in the Missouri Valley Conference. Drake has made the tournament each of the past two seasons but bounced in the first round. They have seen success, but nobody knew what this season would bring with a new head coach in Ben McCollum. McCollum came from a Division II school, Northwest Missouri State, where he saw many successes, winning multiple National Championships. He brought in a new roster from Division II, JUCO, and a few transfers. He also brought that winning culture with him as the Bulldogs are 1-0 against Quad One and 4-1 against Quad Two teams, with their most significant victory coming against SEC side Vanderbilt early in the year. McCollum opts for a more controlled, slow-paced game controlled by their point guard, Bennett Stirtz. Stirtz leads their team in points, assists, and steals, averaging the most minutes per game in the country, with 39.1 minutes a game. He controls everything for this team and looks unguardable at times, as he just averaged 25.5 points, eight rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 steals in their two wins this week. If Bennett Stirtz can stay hot, Ben McCollum can take this team on a run come March.
These teams have brought us the two best mid-major stories this year. One team recently joined Division I, while the other mainly plays Division II players. It will be tight if either team falters in their conference tournament, but the committee would make a big mistake by leaving them out. If they both can get in, keep an eye out for them when filling out your brackets.
