2022-23 Preview: Best of the Mid-Majors
While they may not belong to a power conference, these college teams pack a March-sized punch
In order to do prospect scouting the right way, we firmly believe that understanding the schemes and team circumstances that surround each prospect is necessary. Get to know the coaches and what they look to do on both ends. Learn about the teammates so we can contextualize how a prospect’s usage comes to be. Understand opponents to make sure the game-to-game product is better contextualized. Without doing that, our scouting feels rather incomplete and leaving too many variables unaccounted for. In order to nail college scouting, we need to get to know as much about the college landscape as possible.
With that in mind, we’re putting our observations and predictions to the page on every major conference team in college basketball. We’ll discuss their style of play, their holes on the roster, pro prospects, where they might land next to their conference rivals, swing factors to their success this season, and more. Some will see this as a college season preview — and that’s quite alright. What this is intended to be just as clearly, though, is a guide to refer back to for team understanding all season.
The best prospects in college basketball don’t just reside in major conferences. Year after year, guys outside those leagues push their way into the first round and even the lottery. Ja Morant (Murray State), Damian Lillard (Weber State), CJ McCollum (Lehigh), Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga), and so many more have become stars from mid-major leagues; even popular sleepers like Bones Hyland (VCU), Quentin Grimes (Houston), Fred VanVleet (Wichita State), and Pascal Siakam (New Mexico State) can be found at these levels. It’s important to go into each season with a watchlist of the players outside of major conferences that need to be watched.
The teams we review here will be the best mid-major teams with multiple prospects we are tracking. The order will ascend towards the best mid-major program, and at the end we will have a listing of all mid-major prospects we are tracking. Some teams, such as Colorado State, figure to be high-achieving teams this season and have a great prospect, but don’t have enough players we’re watching to get a full breakdown. Others, like Saint Mary’s, figure to be really strong but may not have a prospect currently on our radar.
Cincinnati Bearcats
Head Coach: Wes Miller
Record Last Year: 18-15, 8th in AAC
Prospects to Watch: Daniel Skillings, Landers Nolley, Jeremiah Davenport, Jarrett Hensley, Rob Phinisee
A strong loot on the transfer portal for second-year head coach Wes Miller should have the Bearcats improving on their 18 wins in the AAC. While the league isn’t exactly a mid-major, the conference doesn’t get its own standalone piece from us, so we’ll throw Cincy in here. Landers Nolley is a fantastic shooter and a shrewd addition from in-conference Memphis. Rob Phinisee has started in the Big Ten for much of his career and is using his final year of eligibility to steady the point next to returning starter and leading scorer David Dejulius. Both are fifth-year options that can lead this team on and off the floor.
6’7” senior Jeremiah Davenport is back, likely as their top scoring option. Davenport drills from downtown and is really fluid for his size. We have high expectations for freshman Daniel Skillings, a Philly product who has size at 6’5” and can really score on multiple levels. He’s crafty and a gamer with a nearly seven-foot wingspan. He and Davenport, with Nolley as a shooter around them, give the Bearcats some really intriguing and long pieces to play an up-tempo style with. Mika Adams-Woods adds more length and experience; he started 32 games last year.
The backcourt and wing rotations are in a great spot. What prevents the Bearcats from truly knocking on the door of the top 25 is the lack of proven interior play. Viktor Lakhin, Ody Oguama and freshman pick-and-pop artist Sage Tolentino (former Auburn commit) will all duke it out for minutes. It may be done by platoon and matchup, but it’s nice to know there are at least bigger bodies on the roster. Look out for the Bearcats!
Dayton Flyers
Head Coach: Anthony Grant
Record Last Year: 24-11, t-2nd in Atlantic-10
Prospects to Watch: DaRon Holmes, Mustapha Amzil, Toumani Camara, Kobe Elvis, Mike Sharavjamts
Anthony Grant’s offensive system is as high-powered as you’ll find for a non-power conference school. He wins games and has done a really nice job identifying talent on the recruiting trail. DaRon Holmes, a former top-60 recruit, is entering his sophomore year and is a trendy breakout candidate. He’s hyperefficient near the basket and no slouch away from it; while he doesn’t shoot it (yet) he’s a really good passer and rarely makes mistakes. NBA teams want to see if he can play the 5 at the next level.
His frontcourt partner is a fellow sophomore in Mustapha Amzil, a uniquely skilled Finnish prospect that really shoots the ball. A great tandem on the interior is forming in Dayton, while Toumani Camara is an explosive athlete that plays the 3 and the 4. This could be the best three-man frontcourt rotation of any mid-major — including Gonzaga.
Sophomores Malachi Smith, Kobe Elvis, Koby Brea and RJ Blakney are all back after logging significant minutes as freshmen. Elvis could be the leader of the group and the player primed for a big breakout. Throw in freshman Mike Sharavjamts on the wing and the Flyers are really deep. Winning 24 games last year with six freshmen in the rotation speaks to how talented this group is. Retaining them shows the group buys into being here and playing with each other. While VCU and Saint Louis are also really talented groups, Dayton stands out to us as the class of the A-10. Scouts will tune in to see Holmes all year; he’s pushing on being a first-round prospect in our book.
Drake Bulldogs
Head Coach: Darian DeVries
Record Last Year: 25-11, t-2nd in MVC
Prospects to Watch: Tucker DeVries, Sardaar Calhoun
The Bulldogs had a tremendous season last year and look to punch a ticket to the NCAA Tournament this year. Darian DeVries proves that sometimes the best recruiting strategy is to have kids; his son Tucker was their best player as a freshman. At 6’7”, DeVries can shoot it from deep and create, and he’s a stat-sheet stuffer on defense. He’s a legitimate and underrated pro prospect.
The band is back together, too, with many seniors opting to return for their fifth year. Roman Penn (11.1 PPG), Garrett Sturtz (11.0), DJ Wilkins (10.3) and Darnell Brodie (5.8) are all back. Penn, Sturtz and Wilkins are an incredibly balanced backcourt trio. Wilkins is the shooter of the group while Penn is the main facilitator. They’re wildly experienced, and with all the pieces returning of a top-45 offense in the country, they should pick up right where they left off.
Intriguingly, the Bulldogs have added a major conference transfer in Sardaar Calhoun. Calhoun comes with stops at Texas Tech and Florida State under his belt. A former JUCO product, Calhoun carved out a role with the Seminoles as a 3-point specialist. He’s got good size at 6’6” and is experienced, giving another body and depth on the wings. This offense should be dynamic, and with a sleeper in DeVries and an intriguing shooter in Calhoun, scouts may want to make the trip to Des Moines.
Memphis Tigers
Head Coach: Penny Hardaway
Record Last Year: 22-11, 3rd in AAC
Prospects to Watch: Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, Kendric Davis, DeAndre Williams
It’s safe to say that the Jalen Duren and Emoni Bates era was a bit of a disappointment. Duren got drafted in the lottery and lived up to the hype, but Bates flamed out, and the result of their one year isn’t a major boon on the recruiting front. Instead, Penny Hardaway turned his attention towards the transfer market, bringing in three highly-coveted mercenaries. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu (Texas-Arlington) and Kendric Davis (SMU) will start right away for the Tigers. Akobundu-Ehiogu is the most athletic big man in the nation and a major threat as a roller. Pairing him with scoring guard Davis will give the Tigers a staunch pick-and-roll attack.
DeAndre Williams is back for what seems like his 30th season in college. Alex Lomax is a fifth-year senior to play the backup point, Chandler Lawson is a senior who has been around the block, and senior Malcolm Dandridge will reprise his role as backup 5-man. There’s a ton of experience on this team.
Of course, Memphis will need to shoot it. Davis is a natural-born scorer, but this roster is somewhat thin at the combo spots with experience and scoring. In order for the pick-and-roll to be a mainstay of the Tigers’ offense, they’ll need guys to step up. The main candidates: UTEP transfer Keonte Kennedy (32% from 3) and Georgia Southern transfer Elijah McCadden (23.4%). Not exactly the best shooting bunch.
Wyoming Cowboys
Head Coach: Jeff Linder
Record Last Year: 25-9, 4th in Mountain West
Prospects to Watch: Max Agbonkpolo, Graham Ike, Ethan Anderson, Jake Kyman, Hunter Maldonado
After winning 25 games and pushing Indiana in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, Jeff Linder wasn’t satisfied. Sure, big man Graham Ike is one of the best players they’ve had since Theo Ratliff, and by retaining him, Linder knew he needed to boost their resume. The MWC was seeing a bit of a changing of the guard; Boise State and Utah State were coming back down to earth, Colorado State lost David Roddy to the NBA, and it was the Cowboys’ time to take the league by storm.
Ike is a great back-to-basket scorer that commands post-ups all the time. Big man Max Agbonkpolo is 6’8” shooter (in theory; only 28% last year) with athletic and defensive tools to be the ideal partner next to Ike. 6’7” guard Hunter Maldonado is back to be their top perimeter option, while USC transfer Ethan Anderson provides a jolt of speed and playmaking at the point. UCLA transfer Jake Kyman is a shooting specialist to space the floor around all these pieces.
While the three transfers help add depth and important skills to the table, the Cowboys have some really good returners that could fend them off. 6’4” guard Xavier DuSell really caught our eye in a few viewings last year. He and 6’8” forward Jeremiah Oden started 20 games or more last year, while swingman Brendan Wenzel played over 20 minutes a game. This is one of the deepest mid-major teams in the country, will likely finish ranked in or just outside the top-25, and can be a high seed. Maldonado and Ike are legitimate pro prospects worth monitoring.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Head Coach: Mark Few
Record Last Year: 28-4, 1st in WAC
Prospects to Watch: Nolan Hickman, Hunter Sallis, Julian Strawther, Drew Timme, Rasir Bolton, Malachi Smith, Efton Reid, Anton Watson
The best player in college basketball resides in Spokane. He plays for a veteran coach, in a system built around his success, with other really good players, and in a league where his game can dominate. The stars have aligned for Drew Timme to become not just the face of college basketball but one of the most dominant scorers the game can offer. The Zags lost more than just Chet Holmgren: their backcourt lost its leader in Andrew Nembhard.
Luckily, Mark Few has stacked his backcourt rotation. Starter Rasir Bolton returns to the fold, and sophomores Nolan Hickman and Hunter Sallis are all ready for larger workloads. Hickman, in particular, is a favorite of ours due to his shooting ability and how effortless he makes the game. The real prize may be Malachi Smith, the Chattanooga transfer who shot 40% from 3 last year, averaged 20-7-3, and is an efficient finisher near the rim. Now Timme has shooters all around him (including NBA prospect wing Julian Strawther, who may be the team’s top draft pick next year).
Down low, Timme has two talented frontcourt partners in Anton Watson and LSU transfer Efton Reid. They’ll help make the hi-lo offense keep running, as both are solid passers and threats in the post.
Look, the Zags may not have the top-five pick on their roster this year. They’re built to win the college game now more than ever. A top-five team without a doubt, they go eight deep (possibly nine with Dominick Harris) and are talented and balanced. Don’t expect a step back from them.
Houston Cougars
Head Coach: Kelvin Sampson
Record Last Year: 32-6, 1st in AAC
Prospects to Watch: Jarace Walker, Terrence Arceneaux, Marcus Sasser, Tramon Mark, Jamal Shead
This is it, folks. Our preseason #1 team in the country. Kelvin Sampson has guided the Cougars to the Elite 8 in consecutive years, and several returners bring that experience back with them. Marcus Sasser is the lifeblood of this team; he was injured and missed their postseason run this year. If he were healthy, we expect they could’ve gone farther. He wasn’t the only one hurt. Tramon Mark missed the season and is a long, athletic defender that can knock down shots.
If there’s a positive from those injuries, it’s that Jamal Shead really turned into a go-to player. He’s a sensational distributor (10 PPG, 5.8 APG) and makes for a tough matchup next to the scoring-minded Sasser. Shead was surrounded by seniors last year; four seniors have now departed the program, but 6’8” big Reggie Chaney is back to bolster the frontcourt. He and Kiyron Powell are likely to compete for starter reps at the 5.
Of course, the big gaps are at the forward spots, where two fabulous freshmen are incoming. Jarace Walker is an animal, an inside and outside presence with no fear, a physical frame that he uses liberally, and growing shooting touch from the perimeter. He’ll mismatch anybody in the AAC and is ready to paly from day one. Terrence Arceneaux is one of our favorite under-the-radar prospects; a really confident scoring wing ready to help alleviate the burden on Sasser’s shoulders.
The Cougars are talented, they have an identity as a group of tough guys, the talent to go out and win games, and a coach who is as good at teaching defense as anyone in the country. There could be three players from this team drafted in 2023, making them a must-see for NBA scouts and a ‘can’t miss’ for college fans. The Cougars are legit.
Other prospects to watch
Emmanuel Akot, Western Kentucky
Taran Armstrong, Cal Baptist
Emoni Bates, Eastern Michigan
Khalif Battle, Temple
Mike Bothwell, Furman
Tyler Burton, Richmond
Yuri Collins, St. Louis
Isaiah Crawford, Louisiana Tech
Antoine Davis, Detroit
Rahsool Diggins, UMass
Max Fiedler, Rice
Eric Gaines, UAB
Kamaka Hepa, Hawaii
Zach Hicks, Temple
Rylan Jones, Utah State
Taevion Kinsey, Marshall
Jamal Mashburn Jr., New Mexico
Nathan Mensah, San Diego State
Omari Moore, San Jose State
Francis Nwaokorie, San Diego
Javonte Perkins, St. Louis
Xavier Pinson, New Mexico State
Zyon Pullin, UC-Riverside
Jamarion Sharp, Western Kentucky
Osborn Shema, Iona
Jalen Slawson, Furman
Isaiah Stevens, Colorado State
Deon Stroud, Fresno State
Darrion Trammell, San Diego State
Corey Walker, South Florida
Samuell Williamson, SMU