Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Best Mid-Majors

As March inches closer and closer, everyone will look to locate the "Cinderella" of the tournament. Today, I will give the ten mid-majors that can cause some havoc in the tournament this year. To be clear, I am defining mid-majors as every conference besides the ACC, AAC, A10, B10, B12, BE, MWC, P12, SEC.

10. Hawaii (20-3, 9-1 Big West) I outlined Hawaii's upward trajectory in a recent blog, but the Rainbow Warriors could be dangerous if they can get by UC Irvine and Long Beach State in the Big West tournament. Aaron Valdes and Roderick Bobbitt can hold their own with any backcourt defensively, and Stefan Jankovic fits the team well from a schematic standpoint. If Hawaii draws a team that struggles to guard the guard position, they can pull off a major upset.
9. Yale (17-5, 8-0 Ivy) In a league that has recently been dominated by Harvard, Yale has emerged as the team to beat while the Crimson rebuild. Justin Sears has a shot to win the Ivy League POY, and Brandon Sherrod set a D1 record earlier this year for most consecutive field goals made. Like most Ivy teams, Yale is a disciplined squad that specializes in rebounding the basketball.
8. Chattanooga (23-4, 12-2 Southern) After head coach Will Wade left for VCU, many felt like Chattanooga would struggle this year. On the contrary, the Mocs have been tough to beat. The best win on their profile, a road victory at Dayton, ranks as one of the top wins of the season. Chattanooga will be at a disadvantage come March, however, due to a lack of experience with their current roster. The Mocs have been dinged up all year, which will play a role come tournament time.
7, Arkansas Little Rock (22-3, 12-2 Sun Belt) UALR  is razor sharp defensively, ranking 17th in the country in Defensive Efficiency. What makes Little Rock so difficult to beat is how they slow down the game. They are 341st in Adjusted Tempo, which means that they force teams to play their style. Little Rock will struggle in the first round of the tournament if they play a team like Notre Dame or Duke that looks to get up and down the court quickly and score in bunches.
6. Stony Brook (22-4, 13-0 America East) The Seawolves are the hottest team in the country right now, rattling off 18 straight wins. Led by the duo of forward Jameel Warney and guard Carson Puriefoy, Stony Brook is solid both offensively and defensively.Their biggest test of the conference season comes Wednesday at Albany. If Stony Brook wins that game, they will win the conference outright.
5. Valparaiso  (21-5, 11-2 Horizon) Valparaiso boasts a stifling defense that ranks 3rd in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. After nearly beating Maryland in the tournament last year, Valparaiso has the tournament experience to pull of an upset. First, they will need to win their conference tournament, as their at-large chances are slim after being swept by Wright State. If they do get in, look for Valpo to win against a team that struggles to score.
4. Saint Mary's (20-4, 11-3 WCC) Nobody expected the Gaels to be this good this soon. Most of their production comes from underclassmen, but Saint Mary's started the season hot and kept it going. Saint Mary's can score, ranking 22nd in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. With the quantity of wins, you would expect the Gaels to be a good bet to play in the Tournament. However, after being swept by Pepperdine, they sit squarely on the bubble.
3. Gonzaga (20-6, 12-2 WCC) Simply put, Gonzaga is having a down year. The departures of guard Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. hurt more than expected. As a result, Gonzaga currently sits around a nine seed. The Zags are led by forwards Kyle Wiltjer and Domantas Sabonis, but if one of the two struggles, Gonzaga is doomed. They will likely make the tournament and be a trendy upset pick, but be cautious of advancing them far in your bracket.
2. Monmouth (22-5, 14-2 MAAC) Known well for the antics of their bench mob, these Hawks can also put on a show on the court. Led by Junior point guard Justin Robinson, who averages 20.3 points per game, Monmouth likes to run and gun, ranking 17th in adjusted tempo. As long as Monmouth avoids a bad loss to close out the season, or in the MAAC tournament, they should get an at-large berth thanks to an impressive non-conference slate.
1. Wichita State (19-7, 12-2 MVC) The Shockers are traditional mid-major powers. With the Senior duo of Ron Baker and Fred Van Vleet, expectations were high entering the season. However, Van Vleet suffered an early injury, and Wichita State struggled early. They then clawed their way back to the top 25 recently, but losses to Illinois State and Northern Iowa put them close to the bubble. Wichita should get into the tournament, and they will be a popular pick to advance given their recent success.