Eric Bossi wrote about the top five teams likely to end up with Baldwin on their rosters. The Kentucky Wildcats came in at No. 3 behind the Duke Blue Devils and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers. (Note: Baldwin’s father is the coach at Milwaukee). The top five is rounded out by Northwestern and North Carolina.
Take Northern Kentucky, for example. The Norse joined Division I as members of the Atlantic Sun in 2012 and only became eligible for the NCAA Tournament in 2016. They have already moved to the Horizon League, qualified for two NCAA Tournaments and produced a rising star in the coaching profession in John Brannen, who is now at Cincinnati.
Robert Morris
New conference: Horizon League
Old conference: Northeast ConferenceThe Colonials are moving up in the mid-major world after more than three decades in the Northeast Conference that saw the program qualify for six NCAA Tournaments. Robert Morris closed its tenure in the league on top with a conference tournament championship that would have propelled the program to yet another Big Dance appearance if the event hadn't been cancelled. Now, it's onto the Horizon League, which has seen its automatic qualifier secure No. 14 seeds in the past two NCAA Tournaments, compared to the NEC, which has seen its last two champions get No. 16 seeds.
Purdue-Fort Wayne
New conference: Horizon League
Old conference: Summit LeagueAfter 13 seasons in the Summit League, it's onto a new Horizon for Purdue-Fort Wayne. The Mastodons put together some nice seasons in the Summit League but never qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Getting there from the Horizon League won't be any easier as the league expands from 10 to 12 by also adding Robert Morris. The move makes great logistical sense for the school for Purdue-Fort Wayne, though, as the program will no longer have to travel to the Dakotas.
