Mid-major squads continue to excel

INDIANAPOLIS -- When Ball State beat Kansas and Hampton won at North Carolina this season, their victories were called "upsets." It might be time to rethink that term.

Suddenly, more and more mid-major programs are having a big impact on college basketball. Take Butler, for example. Its recent win against Ball State helped put the team in the Top 25 for the first time in 53 years.

"They may have played Kansas and UCLA, but they hadn't played Butler," Bulldogs forward Rylan Hainje said.

Once thought of as second-class competitors, mid-major programs can now be mentioned alongside such traditional powerhouses.

Ball State, for instance, never doubted it could win the Maui Invitational, even though its road to the championship ran through Kansas, UCLA and top-ranked Duke on consecutive nights.

"Our kids really believed in themselves and felt that if they gave their best effort and played together, they had a chance to win any of those games," Ball State coach Tim Buckley said.

The Cardinals won the first two games and played Duke as tough as any team this side of Kentucky before losing 83-71.

But upsets, like those pulled off by Ball State, have become more than just a fluke.

On Nov. 15, Western Kentucky won at Kentucky. Two weeks later, Southern Illinois beat Indiana. Three days after that, Northern Iowa defeated Iowa. Two Mid-American Conference schools, Western Michigan and Bowling Green, both beat Michigan, and a third MAC school, Miami (Ohio), recently knocked Boston College from the unbeaten ranks . Ball State also plays in the MAC.

With so many victories coming from so many unexpected places, theories are developing almost as quickly as the surprise wins.

"They are close to certain teams," Indiana coach Mike Davis said. "They are close to Indiana because of recruiting, and they're close on neutral courts. They're not close to Iowa or Illinois when they play at home. It all depends on where you're playing."

The explanation, however, is not quite that simple.

Many factors involved

Kentucky and North Carolina lost home games to mid-major teams this season, which indicates other factors, such as the experience levels of the teams, might be at play.

Many of the big schools are forced to use younger talent to replace experienced players because of the exodus of underclassmen to the NBA. Mid-majors, however, have the luxury of developing players and reaping the rewards.

When Valparaiso made its run to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament in 1998, it was led by senior Bryce Drew. When 15th-seeded Hampton knocked off second-seeded Iowa State last March, the Pirates relied on three seniors.

This year, Ball State and Butler are led by senior point guards and junior- and senior-dominated lineups.

The result has produced more confidence and success.

"The one thing I do know about our kids is they know how to win," Hampton coach Steve Merfeld said after the North Carolina victory.

Buckley also contends that mid-majors are finding better talent because of the scholarship reduction from 15 to 13.

The rule change, which took effect in 1993, has allowed schools such as Ball State to sign players like Patrick Jackson, the Cardinals' senior point guard who might have been no more than a strong backup at a bigger school.