Top 10 Wins of the Week

The first week of the season is in the books! Some mid-majors missed chances to get resume-building wins, but others capitalized on these early season opportunities. We've picked our Top 10 Wins of the Week for mid-majors.


10. North Florida over Illinois - It's worth noting anytime a team from the A-Sun takes down a team from the Big Ten, but this wasn't as big of an upset as some made it out to be. North Florida should be the favorite to win the A-Sun and Illinois is riddled with injuries at the moment. We'll learn more about the Ospreys soon. Their non conference still includes Louisville, St. Louis, LSU, Dayton, Arkansas, and VCU. Yikes.

9. Chattanooga over Georgia - It took overtime, but the Mocs got a big win in their opener. They have a new head coach this year, but they're hoping to pick up where they left off last year. As for Georgia, they scheduled a tough slate of mid-majors. Their next game is against Murray St. The Bulldogs could be staring 0-2 in the face.

8. Montana over Boise St. - Boise St. has been a bubble team for a couple seasons in a row now, so this is a quality win for the Grizzlies. They followed it up with a loss to San Jose St., though. Boise shouldn't get too discouraged. One loss won't ruin the season. They will need to pick it up quickly, though. They play number 12 Arizona next.

7. Valparaiso over Iona; Valparaiso over Rhode Island - Two good wins in a week puts Valparaiso at number 6. Iona has started the season 0-2, but they should compete for the MAAC title once again this year. Rhode Island, although without their star E.C. Matthews who is out for the season, was expected to be a factor in the A-10 race as well. It's a great win for Valpo who is one of the best mid-majors in the nation and a fringe top 25 team.

6. Sacramento St. over Arizona St. - We aren't saying Sacramento St. isn't good. But the expectations for Bobby Hurley's first year as the head coach at Arizona St. were high. Unreasonably high? Perhaps. Either way, this is a really good win for the Hornets. They and Eastern Washington duked it out for the Big Sky Conference championship last year, and that could very well be the case again this year if this game is any indication.

5. Long Beach St. over BYU; Long Beach St. over Seton Hall - We wrote a piece last year about LBSU's non-conference scheduling and this season is no different. The 49ers play Oklahoma St., San Diego St., Colorado St., UCLA, Oregon, Arizona, and Duke. All before New Year's. If they're going to build an at-large resume they'll need to win some of those games. They're off to a good start by beating BYU and Seton Hall in 2 of their first 3 games.

4. William & Mary over NC State - This isn't so much about William & Mary beating NC State as it is about how badly they beat them. The Tribe won by 17 points. That's not a typo. They absolutely dominated the game. NC State may not have been picked to win the ACC, but the Wolfpack always expect to be competitive in the nation's best conference. For William & Mary to totally dismantle them like they did is a very good sign for fans of the Tribe.

3. Radford over Georgetown - After game 1 Georgetown could have been written off. Everyone could have assumed that this just wasn't going to be a good year for the Hoyas. Then they went to College Park and played the Terps right down to the wire. That's a Maryland team, by the way, who some think will compete for the national title. This is not a bad Georgetown team. But Radford beat them in double overtime. It was a shocking result and a fantastic win.

2. Western Illinois over (17) Wisconsin - If we were picking most surprising win of the week, this would be the one. Sure, the Badgers lost a lot from their national runner-up team from a year ago. But there could not have been anyone out there who saw this coming outside of Macomb, Illinois. The Leathernecks surprised Wisconsin and the country. They could do it again if they continue to play well. They have games against Creighton and Iowa still left on the non-conference slate.

1. George Washington over (6) Virginia - There is no doubt that the best win of the week goes to George Washington. The Colonials have pretty consistently fought for NCAA Tournament births over the past several years, but UVA has been on a different level. This is a team who has gone toe-to-toe with the Dukes and Carolinas in ACC play. They were the number 1 team in the country for long stretches last year. They lost a lot from that team, but they were still expected to be a top 10 team this year. They may well still be a top 10 team, but George Washington might also not have anything to worry about when it comes to Selection Sunday this year.

Other Wins of Note:
Belmont over Marquette
Colorado St. over Northern Iowa
Old Dominion over Buffalo
Northern Iowa over Stephen F. Austin
Dayton over Alabama
George Mason over Ole Miss
Southern over Mississippi

Games to Watch This Weekend: November 20-22

Friday, November 20

• 1:00pm - Temple vs. Butler
• 7:00pm - Murray St. vs. Georgia
• 7:30pm - Duke vs. VCU: Havoc is gone, or at least its mastermind is. Shaka Smart has moved on to Texas, which leaves VCU without a real identity. They're working on creating one under first year head coach Will Wade. Beating Duke would be quite a statement.
• 8:00pm - Columbia vs. Northwestern

Saturday, November 21

• 12:00pn - Old Dominion vs. Purdue: Purdue has one of their best teams since the Gene Keady years, but Old Dominion is one of the more consistent programs at the mid-major level. The Monarchs are 3-0 so far on this young season with a good win over Buffalo. They will get their first real test against Purdue, though.
• 12:00pm - North Florida vs. Louisville
• 2:00pm - North Carolina vs. Northern Iowa
• 2:00pm - William & Mary vs. Dayton
• 2:30pm - Florida vs. Saint Joseph's
• 8:30pm - Chattanooga vs. Illinois

Sunday, November 22

• 4:30pm - Akron vs. Villanova
• 6:00pm - Valparaiso vs. Oregon: Both of the Sunday games to watch are quality, but if we had to pick one, it would be this one. Valparaiso has started the season hot winning their early games against decent opponents. This win would be on another level and would put Valpo on the national radar. 

2015 ESPN Tip-Off Marathon

ESPN and college basketball have had a long and storied history together. A more recent tradition is the Tip-Off Marathon. The marathon means you can watch college basketball from 7:30pm on Monday to midnight on Tuesday. It's glorious. And there are several mid-major games worth keeping an eye on during the more than 24 hours of games. The schedule is below with some commentary on the most important mid-major games.

Monday, November 16

• 5:30pm, ESPN2: (1) Connecticut vs. (13) Ohio St. (Women)
• 7:30pm, ESPN2: (4) Virginia vs. George Washington
• 9:00pm, EPSNU: Kennesaw St. vs. LSU
• 9:30pm, ESPN2: San Diego St. vs. (13) Utah - Steve Fisher usually puts together a solid team year in and year out. They will get a good early test against Utah, a program on the rise.
• 11:30pm, ESPN2: (17) Baylor vs. Oregon

Tuesday, November 17

• 1:45am, ESPN2: BYU vs. Long Beach St.
• 4:00am, ESPN2: Nevada vs. Hawaii
• 6:00am, ESPN2: Green Bay vs. East Tennessee St.
• 8:00am, ESPN2: Stephen F. Austin vs. Northern Iowa - Stephen F. Austin lost their opener to Baylor, and it wasn't really close. It was a setback for the Lumberjacks who had high expectations coming into the year. Northern Iowa also lost their opener to Colorado St. in the Mountain West/Missouri Valley Challenge. Neither of these teams expected to start the season 0-2, but one of them will.
• 10:00am, ESPN2: Valparaiso vs. Rhode Island - Valpo is one of the best mid-major teams in the country and have Sweet 16 potential. Rhode Island is an up and coming team under Danny Hurley, but they lost E.C. Matthews for the season during their opener on Friday. This will be a tough first test without him.
• 1:00pm, ESPN: Alabama vs. Dayton
• 3:00pm, ESPN: Colorado vs. Auburn
• 5:00pm, ESPN: (8) Oklahoma vs. Memphis
• 7:30pm, ESPN: (3) Kentucky vs. (6) Duke
• 9:00pm, ESPN2: Georgetown vs. (1) Maryland
• 10:00pm, ESPN: (5) Kansas vs. (19) Michigan St.

Opening Weekend Games to Watch

College basketball starts tomorrow, and we couldn't be more excited. It's just 125 days until the beginning of the NCAA Tournament. This weekend's games might be some player's first foray into the world of major college basketball, but their performances this weekend could give a team the win they need to get that bid to the big dance. Let's take a look at some of the mid-major games we'll be keeping an eye on.

Friday

7:00pm - Pitt vs. Gonzaga

Pitt isn't going to be fantastic this year, but Gonzaga lost Kevin Pangos and Byron Wesley. Will the Zags be a top 10 team again or will this be a down year? They do still have pre-season All-American Kyle Wiltjer. Their opener against Pitt should give us an idea of how good this team could be.

7:00pm - Chattanooga vs. Georgia

The Mocs lost their head coach, Will Wade, to VCU after last season. Still, they finished last season at 22-10 (15-3) and will look to have another great season under first-year head coach Matt McCall. They will get a good first test against Georgia who finished a respectable 21-12 last season.

7:30pm - Sacramento St. vs. Arizona St.

Sacramento St. had one of their best years in school history last year going 21-12 (13-5) and playing in the CIT. Head coach Brian Katz has this team trending in the right direction. When he took over the program in 2008, the team won just 2 games. Arizona St. is looking to capitalize on one of the most talked-about head coaching hires of the offseason. Bobby Hurley is coming over to the Sun Devils after a successful run with Buffalo. Can he duplicate that success at Arizona St.? It will be interesting to see how these teams react to each other.

8:00pm - North Florida vs. Illinois

North Florida is probably the favorite to win the A-Sun. If they're going to be a bracket buster come March, though, this is a game they need to be competitive in.

8:00pm - Wofford vs. Missouri

Chattanooga is the favorite to win the Southern Conference, but Wofford will have something to say about that. Their first game of the season will be a good test for them and a nice measuring stick.

9:00pm - Belmont vs. Marquette

Belmont has established themselves as a perennial contender for an NCAA Tournament bid. Will they give Wojo fits in the opener? Don't be surprised to see a close game here.

9:00pm - Green Bay vs. Stanford

Green Bay had a really good non-conference win last year against Miami (FL). Can they repeat that feat this year by beating Stanford?

9:00pm - Boise St. vs. Montana

This is a huge matchup of two potential March bracket busters. Both of these teams could make life difficult for a higher seed in the tourney. It's nice to see them challenging themselves in the non-conference by playing a quality opponent.

9:30pm - Stephen F. Austin vs. Baylor

Give Baylor credit for scheduling this one. Stephen F. Austin has been one of the best mid-majors in the country for several years now. That will be true again this season. Are they good enough to be a solid Baylor team? We'll find out. 

Saturday

12:00pm - Colorado St. vs. Northern Iowa

We can't wait for this one. Northern Iowa was one of the best teams in the country last year, mid-major or not. Colorado St. is no slouch either. This will be a great game and will give us some clarity about how these teams will fare moving forward.

7:00pm - Harvard vs. Providence

Tommy Amaker has built a powerhouse program at Harvard. Providence has had a nice run under head coach Ed Cooley. This will be a competitive game that will have ramifications moving forward.

8:00pm - NJIT vs. Kentucky

NJIT won't win this game. It might not even be competitive. But the Highlanders pulled off a huge upset last year by beating Michigan in Ann Arbor and went to the CIT to play post-season basketball for the first time in school history. Expectations are high for NJIT and this will be a good measure of how they deal with harsh conditions.

9:00pm - Cleveland St. vs. Akron

Akron is going to be one of the best mid-majors in the country this season, and Cleveland St. is always competitive in Horizon League play.

Sunday

1:00pm - Wake Forest vs. Bucknell

They might be the mid-major playing against a P5 team, but this is a winnable game for Bucknell.

2:30pm - Iona vs. Valparaiso

This might just turn out to be the game of the weekend. Iona disappointed last year by not making the NCAA Tournament despite being the clear favorite in their conference. Valpo, on the other hand, has had great success under Bryce Drew making NCAA Tournaments in 2 of the last 3 years.

Coaching Carousel, Part 4

Liberty

Last Season Finished: 8-24 (2-16)

What happened to the last coach?

Dale Layer was fired after the 2015 season. He went 82-113 in 6 seasons at Liberty, taking them to 1 NCAA Tournament in 2013.

Who is the new coach?

Ritchie McKay
Head Coaching Experience: Portland St., Colorado St., Oregon St., New Mexico, Liberty
Record as a Head Coach: 204-186

Apparently the Flames missed Ritchie McKay. Good thing the feeling was mutual. McKay will return as the head coach of Liberty after spending the last 6 seasons as an assistant coach under Tony Bennett at Virginia. He was previously the head coach at Liberty for 2 seasons from 2007-2009. In that time, the Flames went 39-28 and played in the postseason once when they made the quarterfinals of the CIT. McKay left voluntarily to take the assistant coaching job under his friend Bennett, but apparently the lure of being a head coach was too much for him this time. He will look to turn around a Liberty team who hasn't finished above .500 since 2011, including the season when they went to the NCAA Tournament.

Alcorn State

Last Season Finished: 6-26 (4-14)

What happened to the last coach?

Alcorn St. decided not to extend the contract of Luther Riley at the end of the season. Riley took a personal leave of absence mid-season last year, although his time off seems to have had no affect on this decision. It was more performance based. He went just 38-91 in his 4 seasons with the team.

Who is the new coach?

Montez Robinson
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

Robinson was an assistant coach at Bethune-Cookman before being hired as the head man at Alcorn St. It will be his first foray into the world of head coaching.

Mississippi State

Last Season Finished: 13-19 (6-12)

What happened to the last coach?

Rick Ray was fired as soon as the season ended last year. In 3 seasons as the head coach at Miss St. he went 37-60. The team showed little improvement under Ray, but this move could just as easily been about the potential to land a proven coach as a replacement. Something Miss St. was able to do.

Who is the new coach?

Ben Howland
Head Coaching Experience: Northern Arizona, Pittsburgh, UCLA
Record as a Head Coach: 399-208

Howland worked his way up the coaching ranks pretty quickly. He was with Northern Arizona for 5 seasons, Pitt for 4, and then moved to UCLA. He was tremendously successful with the Bruins early on. He took them to 3 straight Final Fours, in fact. In his last 5 years there, though, the team only made the NCAA Tournament 3 times and never made it out of the Round of 32. UCLA has high standards and that just wasn't good enough. He was let go. He took 2 years off before being named the head man at Miss St. The expectations won't be as high as they were at UCLA, but people will expect him to win games with the Bulldogs. He has proven before that he can do that.

Southeast Missouri State

Last Season Finished: 13-17 (7-9)

What happened to the last coach?

Dickey Nutt was fired after 6 seasons and a record of 80-107. He was unable to get the Redhawks to the NCAA Tournament which just wasn't enough to keep him around.

Who is the new coach?

Rick Ray
Head Coaching Experience: Mississippi St.
Record as a Head Coach: 37-60

See above. Ray did not have a particularly successful turn as the head coach at Miss St. Still, he paid his dues as an assistant coach and landed a head coaching job at a P5 conference school. It's a solid hire for Southeast Missouri St. who hasn't been dancing since 2000.

Hawaii

Last Season Finished: 22-13 (8-8)

What happened to the last coach?

Benny Taylor was the interim head coach for entire season last year. Former head coach Gib Arnold was fired following an NCAA investigation. Gib was not retained as permanent head coach.

Who is the new coach?

Eran Ganot
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

Ganot is inheriting a bit of a mess here. Hawaii self imposed sanctions and fired their former head coach. They have been under investigation for more than a year. Ganot was hired because he's familiar with the school (he was an assistant coach from 2006-2010) and because of his dedication to NCAA compliance which he had to have stressed to the brass as Hawaii. Winning will be important, of course, but getting the program back on the good side of the NCAA will be just as important initially.

Iowa State

Last Season Finished: 25-9 (12-6)

What happened to the last coach?

Fred Holberg was hired by the Chicago Bulls. Hard to turn down that offer. In 5 seasons he turned Iowa St. in a powerhouse contender. They made 4 straight NCAA Tournaments and won at least 23 games in each of those seasons. The Cyclones needed to make a great hire to maintain that success.

Who is the new coach?

Steve Prohm
Head Coaching Experience: Murray St. 
Record as a Head Coach:104-29

If the goal was to knock it out of the park with their new hire, they succeeded. Prohm amassed a .782 winning percentage in his 4 years at Murray St. The Racers only made the NCAA Tournament once in his 4 seasons, but they also won the CIT Championship and made the quarterfinals of the NIT as well. In four years they lost only 10 conference games. In short, it was a successful partnership. Iowa St. is hoping he can duplicate that kind of success with the Cyclones. It's not a rebuilding job. All he has to do is maintain.

Murray State

Last Season Finished: 29-6 (16-0)

What happened to the last coach?

See above. Steve Prohm parted ways with the Racers after a hugely successful stint with Murray St.

Who is the new coach?

Matt McMahon
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

McMahon was an assistant coach at Murray St. for 4 years before leaving to become an assistant at Louisiana Tech. When the head coaching job opened up at Murray St., he and the Racers both decided it was right to bring him back. He will take over a team who just went 16-0 in conference, so it will be on him to simply maintain success. One area of improvement, though, will be for the team to make NCAA Tournaments. That was an area of struggle under Steve Prohm.

Kennesaw State

Last Season Finished: 10-22 (4-10)

What happened to the last coach?

This was a strange transition. The Owls named Jimmy Lallathin the interim head coach after Lewis Preston took a leave of absence during the 2013-14 season. When the decision was made to let go of Preston, they hired Lallathin as the permanent coach. One year later, he was fired.

Who is the new coach?

Al Skinner
Head Coaching Experience: Rhode Island, Boston College
Record as a Head Coach: 385-291

This is quite a get for Kennesaw St. Skinner has been coaching for a very long time but not as a head coach since he was fired from Boston College in 2010. There is still some controversy surrounding that firing, but this is a chance to Skinner to move on. Kennesaw St. is as irrelevant as it gets in college basketball right now, but they now have a coach with NCAA Tournament experience who can guide this program there. He surely has a chip on his shoulder and is ready to prove that he can still win. If he does, it will be great for all involved.

Nevada

Last Season Finished: 9-22 (5-13)

What happened to the last coach?

The firing of David Carter could not have been a surprise to him. The Wolf Pack never made the NCAA Tournament in 6 seasons under Carter and his overall record was just 98-97. In his last 3 seasons, though, he won just 36 games.

Who is the new coach?

Eric Musselman
Head Coaching Experience: Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings
Record as a Head Coach: 108-138

This is a great hire for Nevada. Musselman did not have a lot of success in his NBA coaching career, but he has a ton of experience coaching at all different levels. He was most recently an assistant coach at LSU and Arizona St., but he has also coached in the NBA's D-League and as an assistant on several NBA teams. This is his first chance at a head coaching job in college hoops, but it's a challenge he won't be intimidated by.

Utah Valley

Last Season Finished: 11-19 (5-9)

What happened to the last coach?

Dick Hunksaker stepped down at the end of the season so he could spend more time with his family. He had been at Utah Valley since they were a junior college and he oversaw their ascension to D-I in 2009 as well.

Who is the new coach?

Mark Pope
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

Pope has been an assistant in college basketball since 2009, but he is probably most well known for his playing days. He played for the Kentucky national championship team of 1996 and then played for several years in the NBA as well. This will be his first attempt at being a head coach.

Coaching Carousel, Part 3

Northern Kentucky

Last Season Finished: 13-17 (7-7)

What happened to the last coach?

Northern Kentucky fired Dave Bezold after their season ended last year. Bezold was the coach as the Norse made the transition from D-II to D-I, but Northern Kentucky did not have much success under him at the D-I level going just 33-54 in 3 seasons.

Who is the new coach?

John Brannen
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

John Brannen will take over the reigns as the Norse makes another transition. This time they are going from the Atlantic Sun conference to the Horizon league. It's an improve, for sure, but will come with another jump in competition. Can the Norse keep up? Brannen will have a lot to do with answering that question.

Fordham

Last Season Finished: 10-21 (4-14)

What happened to the last coach?

Tom Pecora just never found his footing at Fordham. The Rams never won more than 10 games in his 5 seasons at the helm and finished no better than 12th place in the A-10 standings.

Who is the new coach?

Jeff Neubauer
Head Coaching Experience: Eastern Kentucky
Record as a Head Coach: 188-134

Neaubauer really started hitting his stride with Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels have made 3 straight postseason appearances and won at least 20 games each of the last 3 seasons as well. In his 10 seasons at Eastern Kentucky they made 2 NCAA Tournaments and 2 CITs. He will be tasked with turning around a Fordham program that has not had much success. They haven't made the NCAA Tournament since 1992.

Eastern Kentucky

Last Season Finished: 21-12 (11-5)

What happened to the last coach?

See above. Jeff Neubauer took his talents to New York City. He will try his hand in the A-10 and see if he can turn around the Fordham Rams.

Who is the new coach?

Dan McHale
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

Dan McHale inherits a pretty good situation from Jeff Neubauer. Eastern Kentucky has finished 2nd, 2nd, and 1st in the East Division of the OVC each of the last 3 seasons. That stretch includes 2 CIT appearances and 1 NCAA Tournament. McHale will be tasked with maintaining that success and building on it.

Tennessee

Last Season Finished: 16-16 (7-11)

What happened to the last coach?

The Volunteers fired Donnie Tyndall after just one season after discovering he lied to them about the severity of possible NCAA violations at his last job as head coach of Southern Miss. Tennessee back tracked swiftly when they discovered the lies and the extent of the possible violations.

Who is the new coach?

Rick Barnes
Head Coaching Experience: George Mason, Providence, Clemson, Texas

Record as a Head Coach: 604-314

See below. Barnes will come into Tennessee expecting to raise the level of the program. If he has the same amount of success there as he did at Texas, the Tennessee faithful will be happy. For a time. Elevating the level of Tennessee basketball will be his mission at first. Meeting and exceeding expectations will determine how long he is able to stay.

Texas

Last Season Finished: 20-14 (8-10)

What happened to the last coach?

For all the success Rick Barnes had at Texas, there were an equal number of disappointments. He made a Final Four and 2 Elite Eights. His teams made the NCAA Tournament in 16 of his 17 seasons with Texas. They won 20 games in 15 of 17. The problem with those numbers is that they didn't meet expectations. In a way, he was his own worst enemy. He got recruits. Good ones. He just didn't turn that into the expected successes. Finishing 6th in the Big 12 last season wasn't good enough, and he was fired.

Who is the new coach?

Shaka Smart
Head Coaching Experience: VCU
Record as a Head Coach: 163-56

Texas went after their man hard and got him. The search began and ended with Shaka Smart. It's easy to understand why. He took VCU to the Final Four and has had sustained success in the Colonial Athletic and then A-10 conferences. The irony in this hire is that Barnes was fired for not having enough success in the NCAA Tournament despite making a Final Four. Smart hasn't made it out of the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament since making the Final Four. Still, he's one of the brightest young coaches out there, and Texas made a smart move to go after him.

VCU

Last Season Finished: 26-9 (12-6)

What happened to the last coach?

See above. Shaka Smart turned down job offer after job offer. And then Texas called. He couldn't turn down that offer and left VCU after a tremendous amount of success there.

Who is the new coach?

Will Wade
Head Coaching Experience: Chattanooga
Record as a Head Coach: 40-25

Given enough time in the role, Wade would have taken Chattanooga to new heights. In his 2 seasons there, he brought the Mocs their first 20 win season in 10 years, won the 2014 Southern Conference coach of the year, and took the team to the postseason once. He will now get a shot to take over a VCU team that is well-known and already established. His job there will be to maintain the success of Shaka Smart and not build a program. No small feat, to be sure.

Chattanooga

Last Season Finished: 22-10 (15-3)

What happened to the last coach?

See above. Will Wade is one of the hottest up and coming coaches in college basketball. He was an assistant at Harvard and VCU before taking over as the head coach at Chattanooga. He was with the Mocs for just 2 seasons before bolting for VCU.

Who is the new coach?

Matt McCall
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

Chattanooga has done a good job in the past of hiring promising young coaches. They've gone that route again with this hire. McCall was an assistant under Billy Donovan at Florida for 4 years before taking this job and could be a great head coach. This is a great first gig for him because Wade is leaving Chattanooga in a good place. They can compete in the Southern Conference right away.

Arizona State

Last Season Finished: 18-16 (9-9)

What happened to the last coach?

Herb Sendek spent 9 seasons as the head coach at Arizona St. He had some successes as a Sun Devil, but they never quite got over the hump. They only made 2 NCAA Tournaments and missed the postseason altogether in 3 seasons. Arizona St. has higher expectations than that.

Who is the new coach?

Bobby Hurley

Head Coaching Experience: Buffalo

Record as a Head Coach: 42-20

Speaking of those higher expectations. The hiring of Bobby Hurley should have the Sun Devil faithful very optimistic about the future. Hurley only has 2 seasons of head coaching experience, but he took Buffalo to their first ever NCAA Tournament in one of those two seasons. He is also, of course, one of the greatest college players of all time. That doesn't always translate to coaching, but it doesn't hurt. And in this case, it seems to be helping Hurley. He could fail at Arizona St., but it sure looks like this is a great hire.

Buffalo

Last Season Finished: 23-10 (12-6)

What happened to the last coach?

See above. Buffalo has to be lamenting the loss of Bobby Hurley. They only got 2 seasons out of the former Duke star, but he is handing off a better program than he inherited. It's a shame he didn't stay longer, but Buffalo can't dwell on that now.

Who is the new coach?

Nate Oats
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

Oats was an assistant coach under Hurley for the last 2 seasons, so he's familiar with the system and school. Buffalo opted for the familiar choice here, and that could certainly pay off for them. Oats was an amazingly successful high school coach in Detroit. High school coaching is vastly different, of course, but some of the intangible coaching traits will translate.

Arkansas-Little Rock

Last Season Finished: 13-18 (8-12)

What happened to the last coach?

Steve Shields was the winningest coach in the history of the Arkansas-Little Rock program. But after 12 seasons, it was time for a change. Shields was let go at the end of the season.

Who is the new coach?

Chris Beard
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

Chris Beard will get his first taste of D-I coaching when he takes the court for the first time as the head man of the Trojans. He has a lot of coaching experience at lower levels, although he doesn't stick around at anyplace for very long. He spent no more than 2 seasons with any of the teams he previously coached. Arkansas-Little Rock is hoping for more than that out of Beard at their program.

Coaching Carousel, Part 2

Bradley

Last Season Finished: 9-24 (3-15)

What happened to the last coach?

Geno Ford was let go at the end of the season. He had great success as the head coach at Kent St., but that did not translate to his term at Bradley. He went just 46-86 with the Braves and only had one winning season.

Who is the new coach?

Brian Wardle
Head Coaching Experience: Green Bay
Record as a Head Coach: 95-64

The argument could be made that Wardle made a lateral move. Green Bay has built a solid program and are certainly in better shape right now than Bradley. This move, then, has to be about the conference. The Missouri Valley has become one of the best college basketball conferences period - mid-major or otherwise. If Wardle is able to turn around the Braves' program, it will add yet another team to an impressive roster of contenders in the Valley already.

Green Bay

Last Season Finished: 24-9 (12-4)

What happened to the last coach?

See above. Brian Wardle coached Green Bay for 5 seasons making the postseason in 3 of them. The last 2 seasons were both 20-win affairs for the Phoenix. He departed for Bradley during the offseason.

Who is the new coach?

Linc Darner
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

Linc Darner is making the jump from D-II to take over as the head coach for the Phoenix. He has a very impressive record of 292-118 in D-II including a national championship last year. This is a whole new ballgame, though. He will be taking over a Green Bay team that has high expectations and will be expecting him to continue and improve upon the successes of Wardle. He can clearly coach. Can he also recruit and handle the pressures of D-I basketball? Time will tell.

Penn

Last Season Finished: 9-19 (4-10)

What happened to the last coach?

Head coach Jerome Allen resigned at the end of the season. A Penn grad, Allen had limited coaching experience coming in and was not particularly successful in his first gig as a head man in college basketball. He went just 65-104 in 6 years with the team.

Who is the new coach?

Steve Donahue
Head Coaching Experience: Cornell, Boston College
Record as a Head Coach: 200-214
Accolades: Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award (2009-10)

For our money, we like this hire. Donahue struggled with Boston College, no doubt. He was just 54-76 in 4 seasons at BC. But he was extremely successful at Cornell. He turned around the Ivy Leaguers in his 10 seasons there. They consistently got better, going from just 7-20 in his first season there to 29-5 in his last. That last season also included a run to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Donahue was an assistant for Penn before leaving for Cornell, so he's familiar with the school and culture. He has previously been successful in the Ivy League too. If Donahue can get Penn back to the glory days, the Ivy League could become a conference to be reckoned with. Tommy Amaker has created a dynasty at Harvard. Yale has been a worthy challenger. Columbia is poised to make a run at an Ivy League title. Adding Penn to that mix could create a league that will garner respect around the world of college basketball.

Alabama

Last Season Finished: 19-15 (8-10)

What happened to the last coach?

Anthony Grant came to Alabama and was expected to do great things. He was coming off a 3 year run as the head coach at VCU where he led the Rams to 28, 24, and 24 wins respectively. It looked good early on with the Crimson Tide. They won 20+ games in 3 of his first 4 seasons there. The last 2 years have been more of a struggle, however. The Tide haven't finished higher than 8th in the SEC, and they haven't made an NCAA Tournament since 2012. It just wasn't good enough.

Who is the new coach?

Avery Johnson
Head Coaching Experience: Dallas Mavericks (NBA), Brooklyn Nets (NBA)
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

If a former NBA Coach of the Year says he wants to come coach for your program, you better listen. Alabama was able to convince Johnson to put the commentating mic down and come back to coaching. It will be another test of a former NBA coach testing his skills at the college level. As with Grant, the expectations will be high. Can Johnson live up to those lofty standards? That remains to be seen. What is a sure thing, though, is that excitement around Crimson Tide basketball is up.

Bucknell

Last Season Finished: 19-15 (13-5)

What happened to the last coach?

The Bison have to be sorry to see Dave Paulsen go. In 7 years at Bucknell he took them to 2 NCAA Tournaments and 2 NITs. His first year at the helm the team went 7-23. Now, they are perennial contenders in the Patriot League and a threat to go dancing each and every year. They have finished in 1st place in the regular season in 4 of the the last 5 years. Paulsen is off to George Mason and Bucknell is left crossing their fingers hoping the next person can sustain those successes.

Who is the new coach?

Nathan Davis
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

You don't often see coaches making the jump from D-II to head coach at the D-I level. It's even more rare to see someone make the jump from D-III. That's exactly what Nathan Davis will be doing when he takes over at Bucknell. He has had tremendous success at the D-III level, but that is, of course, a very different thing. Bucknell expects to play for championships, so he won't be given much slack. He will need to come in and win right away if he's going to have a successful tenure at the D-I level.

George Mason

Last Season Finished: 9-22, (4-14)

What happened to the last coach?

It's safe to say George Mason and Paul Hewitt were not a good fit. The partnership was fairly disastrous for both parties. George Mason's win total diminished in each of Hewitt's 4 seasons at the helm. They made the postseason only once and never made the NCAA Tournament. George Mason made the jump to the A-10, so it was a bad time for a collapse like this.

Who is the new coach?

Dave Paulsen
Head Coaching Experience: Bucknell
Record as a Head Coach: 134-94

See above. George Mason knocked it out of the park with this hire. Paulsen built quite a program at Bucknell, and George Mason has to be hoping he can do the same with them after Hewitt struggled to find his footing. The Patriots have fallen pretty far since their run to the Final Four, but that history should help Paulsen and his staff on the recruiting trail.

Utah State

Last Season Finished: 18-13 (11-7)

What happened to the last coach?

Stew Morrill retired at the end of the season last year. He will almost certainly be remember as one of the best coaches in Utah St. history. He took the Aggies to 8 NCAA Tournaments and they won 30 games in a season on 2 different occasions under him. They finished in at least a tie for first in their conference 7 times while he was in charge. It was an impressive run and one that will be hard to duplicate for his successor.

Who is the new coach?

Tim Duryea
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

Duryea was a longtime assistant at Utah St., so the Aggies opted for continuity with this hire. Not a bad strategy considering how much success they've had recently. Duryea was the head coach at a community college previously, but has no other head coaching experience, so it will be an interesting test to see how he handles calling the shots. The 'Coach in Waiting' strategy has been tried before at other schools to varying degrees of success.

San Diego

Last Season Finished: 15-16 (8-10)

What happened to the last coach?

San Diego let Bill Grier go after another mediocre season. Grier only had one bad year out of 8 at San Diego, but he never really had any good ones. They only finished above .500 twice in his tenure and only made the NCAA Tournament once.

Who is the new coach?

Lamont Smith
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

Smith is coming back to San Diego after being a player there in the mid-90s. He has been an assistant coach at several places since then including Saint Mary's, Arizona St., and Washington. His mission at San Diego will be to bring the Toreros back to the big dance - somewhere they haven't been since 2008.

Illinois-Chicago

Last Season Finished: 10-24 (4-12)

What happened to the last coach?

This could not have been a surprise for anyone involved. Howard Moore was fired at the end of the season after going 49-111 in 5 seasons with the Flames. UIC only won more than 10 games once during his tenure. It was not a successful pairing.

Who is the new coach?

Steve McClain
Head Coaching Experience: Wyoming
Record as a Head Coach: 157-115

McClain was the head coach at Wyoming for 9 seasons from 1998-2007. He was most recently an assistant at Indiana University, but he will get another shot at a head coaching gig with the Flames. He had a fairly successful run at Wyoming and will take over now with more experience under his belt than before.

SIU Edwardsville

Last Season Finished: 12-16 (8-8)

What happened to the last coach?

This was a tough one. Lennox Forrester was fired at the end of the season. Forrester was the head coach when the team made the jump from D-II to D-I. He guided the team as they played as an independent and searched for a conference. Still, he had not had much success in terms of wins and losses. The team finished under .500 in every season since 2007, their last in D-II.

Who is the new coach?

Jon Harris
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

Harris has paid his dues. He has been an assistant coach at 5 different schools for 13 years. He will take over an SIUE program that has never been dancing in program history. The bar is set fairly low, but they want to see growth and improvement. He will need to show that the program is heading in the right direction in order to be successful.

Coaching Carousel, Part 1

On the coaching carousel there are the coaches who are fired for poor performance and there are the coaches who leave their schools because they get a better offer. There are also coaches who leave because of scandals and coaches who leave because of reasons out of their control. Part I of the coaching carousel has a little bit of all of that.

DePaul

Last Season Finished: 12-20 (6-12)

What happened to the last coach?

Oliver Purnell resigned after going just 54-105 in his 5 seasons as head coach.

Who is the new coach?

Dave Leitao
Head Coaching Experience: Northeastern, DePaul, Virginia, Maine Red Claws (NBA D-League)
Record as a Head Coach: 143-129

In one of the more interesting hires this offseason, the Blue Demons took a trip down memory line and hired Dave Leitao. Again. Leitao was DePaul's head coach from 2002-2005. He has quite a coaching history outside of his time at DePaul, though. He was an assistant coach under Jim Calhoun at Northeastern and was his assistant again on two different occasions at Connecticut. He also has extensive head coaching experience. He has been the head coach at Northeastern and Virginia, as well as the aforementioned time he spent at DePaul. He has spent the last 3 seasons as an assistant coach at Missouri and Tulsa respectively. His last go-round at DePaul was successful for both parties. The Blue Demons went 58-34, made two NITs, and one NCAA Tournament in his 3 seasons. DePaul is certainly hoping he can reclaim those winning ways. The Blue Demons haven't made the NCAA Tournament since he took them there in 2004. They haven't even had a winning season since 2006-07.

St. John's

Last Season Finished: 21-11 (10-8)

What happened to the last coach?

Steve Lavin and St. John's decided to mutually part ways at the end of last season. Lavin was 81-53 in his tenure, but the Red Storm never really found their footing in the NCAA Tournament under Lavin never making it out of the round of 64.

Who is the new coach?

Chris Mullin
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

It was a headline-making hire but also a controversial one. St. John's, of course, has a long and storied history as a basketball program (a history that Chris Mullin is a big part of, to be sure) so for them to hire a head coach with literally zero coaching experience was met with some understandable criticism. Mullin is not the first person ever hired without any coaching experience, but the Red Storm want to win and win now. Mullin will be given some time, but he better show results quickly too. Losing in an exhibition game, which St. John's did recently, won't help his cause. The Red Storm better improve, and quickly.

East Tennessee State

Last Season Finished: 16-14 (8-10)

What happened to the last coach?

This was an interesting one. Murry Bartow was let go at the end of the 2015 season despite some pretty good success at East Tennessee State. He spent 12 seasons with the Buccaneers going 224-169.  He took them to 3 NCAA Tournaments, 1 NIT, and 2 CITs. The team hadn't made the tournament since the 2009-10 season, though, and hadn't finished better than 4th in the conference since the 2010-11 season. That was enough for him to be released according to the brass at ETSU.

Who is the new coach?

Steve Forbes
Head Coaching Experience: None (D-I)
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

If the firing of Bartow made some Buccaneers' fans feel nervous, the hiring of Forbes should put the at ease. Forbes has spent the last 2 seasons as an assistant under Greg Marshall at Wichita St. In case you didn't know, Wichita St. has been pretty successful over the last 2 years. That success was enough to propel Forbes into a head coaching job, his first at the D-I level.

Florida

Last Season Finished: 16-17 (8-10)

What happened to the last coach?

Maybe you've heard of him? Their last coach was Billy Donovan. Billy D was one of the most successful coaches in college basketball having won 2 national titles with the Gators and taking the program to heights they had not previous seen. Donovan is off to try his hand at the NBA as the head coach of the OKC Thunder.

Who is the new coach?

Michael White
Head Coaching Experience: Louisiana Tech
Record as a Head Coach: 101-40

White had tremendous success as the head coach of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. In his first season, the Bulldogs went 18-16. In his last 3 seasons with LaTech, they would win at least 27 games and play postseason basketball. They never made the NCAA Tournament, but they did play in 3 straight NITs and finished at least tied for first in their conference. It's a solid hire for Florida, although not a guarantee. White has never been a head coach at a so-called Power 5 school and only has 4 years of head coaching experience overall.

Louisiana Tech

Last Season Finished: 27-9 (15-3)

What happened to the last coach?

See above. Michael White left for Florida after a successful 4 year run at La Tech.

Who is the new coach?

Eric Konkol
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

Konkol comes to the Bulldogs from Miami where he served as an assistant coach. It's not a rebuilding job for Konkol: La Tech has won 3 straight regular season conference titles. But he will need to figure out how to take them to the next level. The Bulldogs haven't made the NCAA Tournament since 1991.

The Citadel

Last Season Finished: 11-19 (6-12)

What happened to the last coach?

The Citadel decided not to renew the contract of Chuck Driesell at the end of the season. Dries ell was just 42-113 in his five seasons as head coach.

Who is the new coach?

Duggar Baucom
Head Coaching Experience: VMI
Record as a Head Coach: 151-159

Baucom decided to leave VMI for The Citadel after 10 seasons with the Keydets. It was an interesting move considering The Citadel is in the same conference. It appears to be a lateral move. Still, it was a good hire for The Citadel. VMI went just 11-19 last year, Baucom has grown the program since taking over in 2005 when they won just 7 games. In 2013-14 the Keydets participated in the CIT and won 22 games.

VMI

Last Season Finished: 11-19 (7-11)

What happened to the last coach?

See above. Duggar Baucom moved on to coach for The Citadel.

Who is the new coach?

Dan Earl
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

Earl was an All-Big Ten player for Penn St. in the late 90s and spent time as an assistant coach with the Nittany Lions as well. Prior to joining VMI, though, he was an associate head coach at the Naval Academy. It's his first stint as a head coach, but the expectations won't be unreasonable at VMI. The Keydets played in the postseason only once during the 10 year tenure of former coach Duggar Baucom.

Bowling Green

Last Season Finished: 21-12 (11-7)

What happened to the last coach?

Chris Jans spent just one season with Bowling Green before being fired. He was recorded by someone at a bar being inappropriate towards women. Bowling Green investigated the incident and determined Jans violated a morals clause in his contract.

Who is the new coach?

Michael Huger
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

Huger will be a first-time head coach when the season begins. He was most recently an assistant coach at Miami (Fl) under Jim Larranaga. The two have a long history. Huger played for Larranaga at Bowling Green and then coached under him at George Mason and Miami. He also inherits a team that won more than 20 games last year, so it's not a terrible situation in that regard. He will need to do some damage control, though, given the circumstances under which Jans was fired.

Holy Cross

Last Season Finished: 14-16, 8-10

What happened to the last coach?

Milan Brown was fired at the end of the season last year. He went 56-67 in 5 seasons as the head man at Holy Cross. The Crusaders made the postseason once under Brown.

Who is the new coach?

Bill Carmody
Head Coaching Experience: Princeton, Northwestern
Record as a Head Coach: 284-245

Carmody hasn't coached since he was fired from Northwestern in March of 2013, but he has plenty of experience. In addition to his 13 seasons in charge of the Northwestern basketball program, he was also the head coach at Princeton for 4 seasons. He has been to 2 NCAA Tournaments in his career, and that is no doubt what the Crusaders are looking for in hiring him. Holy Cross hasn't made the NCAA Tournament since 2007. If Carmody can take Holy Cross to the tourney on a consistent basis, he'll be just fine.

Charlotte

Last Season Finished: 14-18, 7-11

What happened to the last coach?

Alan Major stepped down at the end of the season last year. He had been forced to take medical leaves of absence on 2 separate occasions during his tenure at Charlotte, so his health was a factor in his decision to leave the program.

Who is the new coach?

Mark Price
Head Coaching Experience: None
Record as a Head Coach: 0-0

Basketball fans will certainly remember Price from his playing days at Georgia Tech and in the NBA. He also has extensive professional coaching experience. He has been an assistant coach for the Nuggets, Hawks, Warriors, Magic, and Bobcats/Hornets. He spent just 1 season as an assistant coach at Georgia Tech, which is his only collegiate coaching experience. Still, he knows the game and has been a coach before. It's a gamble for Charlotte but one that could pay huge dividends if it works out. Charlotte is hoping to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005.

The Coaching Carousel

Welcome back to the Define Mid-Major blog! We're excited to be back for a full college basketball season. We've had about enough of college football where more than half the teams have zero chance at a national title when the season begins. We say, bring on hoops! When the games tip off on November 13 Drake has as much of a chance at a championship as Duke, Montana St. is on even footing with Michigan St., and Western Kentucky could make a run at a title just like Kentucky could. It's college hoops, baby, and we can't wait!

The coaching carousel in any sport is interesting, but in college hoops it's down right fascinating. Over the next couple days we're going to take a look at each and every new coach in D-I college basketball in the lead up to the 2015-16 season. We'll make the connections from Tennessee to Chattanooga, from Kennesaw St. to Boston College, and from the Chicago Bulls and OKC Thunder to some of the mid-major-iest teams in the nation. College basketball is less than a week away, and we can't wait to get to the games, but let's first talk about the offseason coaching decisions that will make or break programs for years to come.

The Coaching Carousel, Part I will be out tomorrow. Stay tuned!