What has been your favorite storyline to follow during the offseason?
...
Chris Schutte: I’ve been way too invested in the Mitchell Robinson saga, but I’ll go a different route. As an IUPUI student and lone Jaguar fan online, their abrupt move to the Horizon League was exciting for me. I’m very much looking forward to watching them in a new league and talking trash to people online throughout the season.
...
Who are you looking forward to watching most this season?
Russ: Dikembe Dixson, just to see if he lives up to the hype he’s giving himself on Twitter.
#1. Kendrick Nunn (Oakland)Horizon League filed a lawsuit against Valparaiso--College Basketball Talk
Stats (2015-16 at Illinois): 15.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 39.1% 3-pt FG%
Nunn is the type of talent that rarely, if ever, lands at the mid-major level. A proven dynamic scorer in his 3 years at Illinois, off-the-court issues led to his eventual dismissal from the Illinois program, and he resurfaces this year at Oakland for his final year of eligibility. Nunn should absolutely dominate the Horizon League in his only season, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he winds up with his name on NBA Draft boards after his senior campaign.
...
#7. Cameron Morse (Youngstown State)
Stats: 22.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.1 apg, 31.9% 3-pt FG%
Morse is fourth among all returning players in scoring average from a season ago, and those prolific numbers could go up even more in his senior campaign with a new coach in Jerrod Calhoun.
“Coming into my last year, I’m really excited,” Morse said in a piece published on thejambar.com. “He wants to play an up-tempo style. He sold me when he said that we were going to average 85 points a game. Scoring is what I do, so I’m feeling confident in him.”
Morse needs to regain his 2015-16 3-point shooting form (41% from downtown), but if he does, the sky is the limit for him this season.
It’s hump day, and we have reached the halfway point of our mid-major positional rankings. Today, we’ll look at the small forward position, one that is loaded with talent at the mid-major level. The difficult thing in ranking these guys is labeling the small forwards when many spend significant time at multiple positions, whether it be guys on the small side who also see action at shooting guard or “big wings” who are also deployed as small-ball 4’s.Top 10 Mid-Major Players at Each Position: Power Forward--CBB Central
...
#7. Dikembe Dixson (UIC)
Stats: 20.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 36.7% 3-pt FG%
Before tearing his ACL in a victory over DePaul last season, Dixson was well on his way to a special sophomore campaign. He’s an incredible talent at the mid-major level, a do-it-all wing who can absolutely fill it up. The big question that looms is his health, but should he come back strong from that ACL injury, he has a chance to be MUCH higher on this list when the season comes to a close.
...
Just Missed the Cut:
...
Martez Walker (Oakland)
Whenever you do a rankings list like this, you always find yourself surprised by some of the things you find out doing some deep digging. The biggest takeaway from my doing these rankings has been the incredible star power at the power forward position in mid-major basketball. I had an incredibly difficult time cutting this list to just 10, but I think I’ve found the ten best power forwards at the mid-major level.
...
Just Missed the Cut
...
Jalen Hayes (Oakland)
Drew McDonald (Northern Kentucky)
#5. Tai Odiase (UIC)
Vitals: Senior, 6-9, 220 pounds
Stats: 11.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.8 bpg, 57.7% FG%
Odiase is an elite defensive player whose offensive skillset has improved each season of his college career. A standout at the recent Adidas Nations event earlier this month, Odiase enters his senior campaign as an under-the-radar potential NBA prospect. For now though, he joins Dikembe Dixson and Tarkus Ferguson in a scary 3-headed monster in Chicago for Steve McClain, who hopes to have his Flames contending for a Horizon League title this season.
Now I'm on top of the game, I remember when I was nothing. 💯🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/8KBrKqGruB
— Tai Odiase (@21Taiwo) August 24, 2017
Can Green Bay finally be a three point threat this season?--Phear The Phoenixvs. Green Bay Phoenix, Dec. 9
Last season record: 18-14
Last season KenPom: 190
Returning Offensive Value: 18.4%
Man, there seems to be a theme of Mizzou playing teams who are in a rebuild. Green Bay loses seven of its top eight contributors, including Kerem Kanter and Charles Cooper.
Head Coach Linc Darner has a tough turnaround. Darner is a solid coach and they’ve got a decent group of newcomers, enough to be decent.
The Mid-Major Basketball TV Streaming Guide--Mid-Major MadnessWhich team has the best chance to challenge Oakland in the HL this coming season?? Can UIC be that club??
— Tony Patelis (@CollegeHoopNews) August 16, 2017
Oakland has a chance to be one of the best mid-majors in the country. The trio of Martez Walker, Jalen Hayes, and Illinois transfer Kendrick Nunn should be special to watch. However, the recent departure of rim protector Isaiah Brock to focus on his education brings Greg Kampe’s team back to the pack a bit in the Horizon League. They are still the clear favorites, but I could see a couple teams hopping in and giving the Grizzlies a run for their money. One is Northern Kentucky, which claimed the league’s auto-bid last season and bring back 4 starters from last season. However, the team that has the most upside other than Oakland is UIC. The talent that Steve McClain has assembled is impressive, and this could be the year it all comes together. If superstar wing Dikembe Dixson recovers well from a torn ACL he suffered early last season, that team could be flat-out scary. Center Tai Odiase is an outstanding big man who turned heads with his play at the Adidas Nations camp this summer, making the all–tournament team. Rising sophomore guard Tarkus Ferguson stuffed the stat sheet a season ago (one of just 7 players to average at least 11.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, and 4.8 apg) and could contend for all-conference honors if he cuts down on turnovers. Guard Marcus Ottey also flashed the ability to score in bunches as a freshman. The Flames need to improve defensively, but the talent is there for a special season in Chicago.
As cutting the cord becomes more prevalent in today’s television consuming society, one reservation that can hold people back is losing their beloved live sports.
Look, I get it. We spend so much of our time watching sports, it’s hard to imagine a life where you don’t have access to your favorite team at the click of a remote. But there are other ways to watch your favorite team if you don’t have cable.
Here’s how you can stream the games from every mid-major conferences.
...
Horizon League
Site: WatchESPN
Cost: Free w/ ESPN subscription
Ron Patterson - IUPUI
The Jaguars will make the transition to the Horizon League without last season’s top three scorers. Patterson, who thrived as the team’s sixth-man last year, will have every opportunity to showcase the talent that once made him a coveted high-major recruit. In conference play last year, Patterson shot 45 percent from distance on just under five attempts per game. Coming in at just under 10 points per game last year, Patterson should be able to make the adjustment to carrying a heavier scoring load for the Jags this year.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9098921/usa_today_9195403.jpg)