ESPN Mid-Major Top Ten

[Guest abovetherim]

1. Butler

2. Dayton

3. Xavier

4. BYU

5. Saint Mary's

6. Houston

7. Creighton

8. Oral Roberts

9. Sam Houston State

10. Drake

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/notebook?page=notebook/weeklywatch07

[Guest abovetherim]

5 Final Four appearances and UH is still considered a Mid-Major?  ???

[UNLV]

Why is Houston a mid-major and Memphis not? Both are in the same conference.

Gonzaga?

[KFDM COOP]

???

[RonBurgundy68]

How about them Bearkats!!!  ;D

[KFDM COOP]

8) Looking good!!

[KFDM COOP]

4 Final Four appearances and UH is still considered a Mid-Major?  ???

[1989NDN]

The University of Houston has 5 Final Four appearances:  1967, 1968, 1982, 1983, and 1984.  The first 2 were during the era of the Big E --- Elvin Hayes; and, the other 3 were during the Phi Slamma Jamma days with Clyde Drexler, Akeem (n/k/a Hakeem) Olajuwon, Michael Young, Benny Anders, Larry Micheaux, Rob Williams, Reid Gettys, David Rose (now the BYU HC), Alvin Franklin, etc.  With 5 Final Four appearances, 2 games competing for the National Championship, The Game of the Centruy v. UCLA and Lew Alcindor in 1968, and a program with 3 of the NBA's greatest all-time players + several other greats (i.e., Ken Spain, Don Chaney, Otis Birdsong, Sweet Lou Dunbar, Dwight Jones, Bo Outlaw), it is hard to believe that the Basketball Hall of Fame has overlooked the legendary Guy V. Lewis.  Let's honor Lou Carnesseca, John Chaney, and Euro coaches, but overlook Guy V.  Yeah, right.

Back on topic --- I guess the term mid-major applies to any program that hasn't done much lately in the world of college basketball.  Tom Penders has awakened the tradition-rich program at UH.  The Cougars are pretty good this season and we should make a decent run.  We've got Arky-Pine Bluff this Saturday, then we're on the road for a tough game at UMass before we come home to play Arizona.  If we can go 3-0 during this next stretch, we'll be a Top 20 team and the mid-major poll will no longer apply.  We'll see.

Go Coogs.  Peace.

[CraigS]

The University of Houston has 5 Final Four appearances:  1967, 1968, 1982, 1983, and 1984.  The first 2 were during the era of the Big E --- Elvin Hayes; and, the other 3 were during the Phi Slamma Jamma days with Clyde Drexler, Akeem (n/k/a Hakeem) Olajuwon, Michael Young, Benny Anders, Larry Micheaux, Rob Williams, Reid Gettys, David Rose (now the BYU HC), Alvin Franklin, etc.  With 5 Final Four appearances, 2 games competing for the National Championship, The Game of the Centruy v. UCLA and Lew Alcindor in 1968, and a program with 3 of the NBA's greatest all-time players + several other greats (i.e., Ken Spain, Don Chaney, Otis Birdsong, Sweet Lou Dunbar, Dwight Jones, Bo Outlaw), it is hard to believe that the Basketball Hall of Fame has overlooked the legendary Guy V. Lewis.  Let's honor Lou Carnesseca, John Chaney, and Euro coaches, but overlook Guy V.  Yeah, right.

Back on topic --- I guess the term mid-major applies to any program that hasn't done much lately in the world of college basketball.  Tom Penders has awakened the tradition-rich program at UH.  The Cougars are pretty good this season and we should make a decent run.  We've got Arky-Pine Bluff this Saturday, then we're on the road for a tough game at UMass before we come home to play Arizona.  If we can go 3-0 during this next stretch, we'll be a Top 20 team and the mid-major poll will no longer apply.  We'll see.

Go Coogs.  Peace.

I believe the term "mid-major" has to do with enrollment of the school.....a school (lets say Lamar) could win the NC 5 straight years, if their enrollment doesn't go up, they would still be a mid-major university! On the other hand, (let's say Duke Univ.) were to drop from the ranks of college basketball powerhouse, and not win a single game for the next 5 seasons......unless their numbers drop, they would NOT be considered a mid-major!

As far as Houston being on this list??? who knows, check their enrollement numbers, what they were in the 80's may not be the same as today, remember, they did go from a Southwest Conf school to a Conf USA school!

For the most part, schools that participate in the BCS conf (as far as football goes) are all Major universities! Conf known as mid-amjors would be Conf USA - WAC - MAC - SLC - Sun Belt - etc!

[1989NDN]

Enrollment at Duke (private institution) is what?  5,000-8,000 undergraduates and perhaps 3,000-5,000 graduate students?  Whereas, enrollment at UH is 40,000+.  I don't think student enrollment is part of the criteria used in determining whether the media labels a program "mid-major".  It's all about conference affiliation.  If a university is in a BCS football conference, then regardless of the size of the institution, it will not be a mid-major in any sport.  On the other hand, if a university is not in a BCS football conference, then the media labels it a "mid-major".  The exceptions to the general rule appear to be Memphis, Gonzaga, and perhaps Virginia Commonwealth due to their recent successes in March Madness.  Plus, Calipari's talented Memphis Tigers could probably beat the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies 1 out of 10 times, so you can't call Memphis a mid-major when they're a threat to win the NC.  In college basketball, it's all about conference affiliation and "what have you done lately in the world of college basketball?"

Peace.

[Guest mffl]

Yeah i believe enrollment has nothing to do with being a mid major.

TSU-SM has over 20,000 students and yet they are still a low-major school. Enrollment has nothing to do there are plenty of schools that are majors with less than 15-12k.

[KFDM COOP]

Your right.