For the first time in a long time, college basketball has moved back into a phase of having only five "major" conferences. Those five leagues account for 79 schools.
That means there are another 285 schools (a voluminous 78%) filling up 26 more conferences that comprise Division I.
As we do every year, this is the place and space where we want to make our first formal introduction to some of the characters you're likely to be familiarized with over the next five-ish months. Because, as we see every year, dozens (minimally) of players, coaches and schools from those ranks will emerge as fun stories. A few of them will inevitably become legendary in their home regions for what transpires in March.
Terming this "Best of the Rest" is succinct and has a nice ring to it, but obviously there's so much more to learn and discover from teams that aren't receiving the most preseason attention. The good news: That's why we're committed to spotlighting those teams and moments on CBSSports.com as the season moves along. For now, this is your need-to-know dossier on the most notable teams, coaches and players from the mid-major ranks — and even the teams above that designation, such as Gonzaga, the Mountain West and upper-echelon Atlantic 10 squads.
All-American candidates, future high-major coaches and 2025 Final Four contenders all apply and will emerge from this group. At the bottom, I've tossed out a prediction for the champion of every conference outside the high majors. But let's start with the hoopers.
Ten players to know
These aren't for sure the 10 best players outside of the Power Five leagues, but they are 10 quality hoopers who should play vital roles on teams well-positioned to make the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
1. Robbie Avila, Saint Louis
The most recognizable player outside the power-conference structure. Avila followed Josh Schertz from Indiana State down to SLU, where he's expected to be the offensive focal point of a Billiken revitalization. Avila averaged 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 39.4% from 3-point range on his way to becoming a cult hero-type figure in college sports last season. The rec spec-wearing maestro is an irresistible watch and I can't wait for the encore in the Atlantic 10.
2. Graham Ike, Gonzaga
We gave Ryan Nembhard some shine in this spot a year ago, so while he is indeed back in Spokane, let's dollop some praise on his powerful teammate. Ike rankings among the most overlooked bigs in the country, but perhaps for not much longer. The Colorado native contributed 16.5 points and 7.4 rebounds in 34 starts last season. Now, with Anton Watson gone, Ike's role is likely to become even more prominent (though Ben Gregg's emergence will complement this development). Look for Ike to tally at least 20 double-doubles this season and for Gonzaga to — well, you can read below on my extended thoughts on the Zags.
3. Tyson Degenhart, Boise State
A 6-foot-8 senior wing with quality all-around game. Degenhart put up 16.7 ppg and 6.2 rpg on last season's BSU squad that made the First Four. His 126.8 ORtg at KenPom.com ranked among the best in the country for guys who logged at least 80% of their possible minutes. After shooting 41.7% from beyond the arc as a freshman, Degenhart's struggled (32%) from deep the past two seasons. He should bump that average back up in his senior year.
4. Tyon Grant-Foster, Grand Canyon
We'll soon be releasing our annual Top 100 And 1 Players list. Rest assured, Grant-Foster will make it with ease. The 6-7 Antelope was responsible for 20.1 points and 6.1 rebounds on a 30-win team that upset Saint Mary's 75-66 as a 12-seed in the first round of the NCAAs. Grant-Foster began his career at Kansas, then transferred to DePaul, then suffered a potentially career-ending cardiac episode and now is in a spot where he can potentially lead the nation in scoring. One hell of a story and a must-see player.
5. Donovan Dent, New Mexico
Pardon the obvious pun here, but it's true: Dent will make a mark. Expect a huge year for the junior. He averaged 14.1 points, 5.4 assists and 2.5 rebounds as a 6-2 lead guard. He has composure in transition, is a nifty passer and improving shooter. New Mexico says goodbye to Jaelen House, JT Toppin and Jamal Mashburn Jr. The Lobos will need Dent's drink-stirring playmaking to ensure they remain in the mix in the Mountain West.
6. Tyrese Hunter, Memphis
After tours at Iowa State and Texas, Hunter remains a high-major talent who is yet again at a high-major program, albeit one that's now occupied in a mid-major-plus league. He provided 11. points, 4.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds for Texas last season. Now he'll run the show for Penny Hardaway's Tigers. Hunter's defensive potential is what makes him stand out. The jump shot has been the biggest inconsistency, but everything else is really good.
7. Max Shulga, VCU
The super senior from Kyiv, Ukraine, has had quite a college journey, folllowing Ryan Odom every step of the way. He barely played as a freshman with Odom at Utah State. Now, in his second and final season with VCU, Shulga figures to be one of the best players in the A-10. He chipped in 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and hit 41.5% of his triples per game for the Rams last season. Shulga's aiming to become VCU's first player to earn back-to-back Atlantic 10 First Team honors since Treveon Graham in 2014 and 2015.
8. Xzayvier Brown, Saint Joseph's
Teammate Erik Reynolds II is receiving more acclaim; he's put up 17-plus points per game the past two seasons. But I'm going to give Brown some respect here. His game is dynamite. He's SJU's best pro prospect and a major reason the Hawks have their first chance at an NCAA bid since 2016. Brown is coming off a freshman campaign of 12.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 40.4% 3-point shooting. One A-10 coach told me he's the most dangerous player in the conference.
9. Xaivian Lee, Princeton
The best talent in the Ivy League could have tested his NBA chances, but Lee's back for revenge after the flameout in the Ivy semis against Brown. He put up 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists in 29 games for the Tigers. Lee is a counterbalance to teammate Caden Pierce, who is one of the better mid-major players in the country as well. But if Princeton's going to a second NCAA Tournament in three years, Lee needs to be the compass.
10. Cedric Coward, Washington State
Diamond-in-the-rough talent here. Coming off a very good pre-draft process after starring at Eastern Washington where, as a sophomore wing, he averaged 15.4 points and 6.7 rebounds. His true shooting percentage of 66.2% ranked 14th in the country — and was fifth-best of any player 6-6 or shorter. He followed his coach, David Riley, from EWU to Washington State. With Wazzu moving into the WCC (for the next two seasons), Coward has an excellent chance to be one of the best players in that conference in 2024-25.
Mid-major coaches on the climb
In an effort to continue to shine some light on lesser-known coaches, I'm sidestepping including any current mid-major coach that has made this list the past three seasons. That means Casey Alexander (Belmont), Joe Golding (UTEP), Robert Jones (Norfolk State), Matt Langel (Colgate), Ritchie McKay (Liberty), Russell Turner (UC Irvine), Amir Abdur-Rahim (USF), Mitch Henderson (Princeton), Mike Morrell (UNC Asheville) and Bob Richey (Furman), having received recognition since 2021, don't apply. Meantime, Pat Kelsey, Darian DeVries and Dusty May have all been promoted to the high-major ranks after previously being featured in this space.
In alphabetical order, here are six coaches with rising reputations in one-bid leagues, all of whom strolled the sidelines in the 2024 NCAA tourney.
Kenny Blakeney, Howard
This is Year 6 for the 52-year-old, though it's really a fifth season because Howard only played five games in 2020-21. Blakeney has taken the Bison to two straight NCAA Tournaments and is making headway after paying his dues as an assistant from 1995 (the year he graduated from Duke) until 2011, when he left coaching to work at Under Armour. The program has only four NCAA appearances to its name and Blakeney is responsible for half of them. A three-peat in the MEAC is on the table in 2025.
Eric Henderson, South Dakota State
The 46-year-old Henderson has a 109-48 record in five seasons with the Jackrabbits. He guided SDSU to March Madness in 2022 and last season. The Jacks are picked second in the Summit League this season, behind Kansas City, but doubt Henderson at your own peril. He has a good team again, now potentially in the hands of sophomore guard Kalen Garry. Scott Nagy turned South Dakota State into a Division I program in the 2000s. T.J. Otzelberger was terrific in maintaining the team's place atop the Summit League toward the end of the 2010s. And now Henderson has proved more than capable of continuing the legacy.
James Jones, Yale
It is to Yale's benefit that this is the case, but I remain dumbfounded how Jones hasn't been hired to a bigger job in the past half-decade at least. The 60-year-old is in his 26th season with the Bulldogs, making him the fourth-longest tenured coach in Division I. (Oakland's Greg Kampe, Michigan State's Tom Izzo and Gonzaga's Mark Few are the others.) Jones has taken Yale to the NCAAs four times, and very well could have been there in 2020 as well. He's 396-311, which is the second-most wins in Ivy history to Princeton's Pete Carril. A genuinely terrific coach who took the scenic route to his most successful seasons.
Bucky McMillan, Samford
At 41, McMillan is a rising star. Our David Cobb profiled him last season here at CBS Sports. The Bulldogs are coming off their third NCAA appearance in school history. McMillan's team went 29-6 and very nearly stole an upset against Kansas in the first round. In five seasons, McMillan has gone 77-41 and brought Samford to the top of the SoCon. He'll have a good team again this year, even in spite of losing some talent in the transfer portal. If Samford wins 20-plus games again, expect McMillan's name to be a candidate for any SEC job that opens.
Preston Spradlin, James Madison
A rising coach that just got a really nice promotion — but is still by definition in the mid-major ranks. Spradlin spent eight years at Morehead State and twice got the Eagles into the NCAAs as a No. 14 seed. The 37-year-old was plucked with haste by James Madison after JMU lost its coach, Mark Byington, to Vanderbilt. Spradlin went 140-109 with five top-three OVC finishes. Now he inherits one of the best mid-major jobs on the come-up that exists in the sport. It will be no shock of Spradlin has the Dukes dancing again within three years.
Will Wade, McNeese
Not an unknown name, that's for sure! Wade wasted precisely zero seconds making McNeese basketball relevant. The Cowboys went 30-4 in Wade's first season, which included an NCAA appearance as a 12-seed against Gonzaga. The former VCU and LSU coach, who was run out of high-major ball (with cause, mind you) for accusations of Level I violations has nonetheless found his footing in the Southland Conference. Another season of 25-plus wins and Wade will certainly have suitors looking to swoop him back into land of the big boys. McNeese comfortably projects as one the best mid-major teams for 2024-25. And speaking of that, let's take a look at my list.
Sixteen sweet non-Big Five teams for '24-25
| 1 | |
| Mark Few's Bulldogs are poised to be relevant and potentially of top-10 quality yet again. With Ryan Nembhard and Graham Ike returning, the Zags will have one of the better point guards and low-post bigs in the country. They also have one of the most slept-on transfers in Michael Ajayi, who was a 17-point-per-game guy at Pepperdine last season. Nolan Hickman is still involved; perhaps this is the season he emerges as a more dominant option in the backcourt. Hey, it's Gonzaga: This team will have one of the best offenses in the country and should remain well-oiled. I'd be shocked if it didn't get a top-four seed come Selection Sunday. | |
| 2 | |
| My pick to win the Mountain West. The Boise State Broncos have Degenhart, as detailed above, but the reason Leon Rice is so excited about this team is the guy who will be setting up Degenhart: San Jose State transfer Alvaro Cardenas. Perhaps the best pure point guard to play in Boise in a decade and a half. O'Mar Stanley will occupy the middle for a squad that has a top-25 ceiling defensively. The Broncos have made three straight NCAA tourneys and will make it a program-record fourth in 2025. | |
| 3 | |
| The Tigers, despite offseason dysfunction and a cloud that won't drift away over the program, still have what should always be the case: the most talented team in the American Athletic Conference. I detailed Texas transfer Tyrese Hunter above, but that's just the start of it. Hunter will have Tulsa transfer PJ Haggerty to play off of, which should make for mismatches nightly in the league. Haggerty was one of the best-scoring sophomores in the sport last season (21.2 points at Tulsa). Penny Hardaway also has Moussa Cisse boomeranging back after stops at Oklahoma State and Ole Miss, plus lovable hoss Dain Dainja (Illinois) to occupy the low block. Memphis also should have the league's best freshman, guard Jared Harris. Not making the NCAAs would be catastrophic. | |
| 4 | |
| The Flyers will try to remain on top in the A-10 after having what was easily the best offense in the conference last season. DaRon Holmes II is gone to the NBA. Koby Brea took a great NIL deal to hoist many a 3-pointer at Kentucky. Kobe Brea's time is done at UD as well. The cupboard's hardly bare, though. Preseason All-A-10 First Teamer Nate Santos is back, plus another well-known name who hit the portal and is finishing up his career with the Flyers: Posh Alexander. The defensive stalwart was named A-10 Second Team in the preseason. Still around: Enoch Cheeks, Javon Bennett and the return of Malachi Smith (meniscus injury). Anthony Grant has the dudes, folks. Hard to see this team not vying for first or second in the conference. | |
| 5 | |
| Get ready for your closeup, Augustus Marciulionis. Gaels fans know quite well how good the Lithuania-born senior point guard is. But with Aidan Mahaney having transferred to UConn, now's the time for Gus to break out and guide the Gaels. He could top 15 points and 7 assists per game this season. And I love SMC's chances to make a fourth straight NCAA Tournament (extending a school record) due to Mitchell Saxen extending his career for one final season in Moraga. There are a lot of guys in new roles, but this is a true program. The Gaels won't be dropping off a cliff from the past three seasons, when they ranked top-20 in multiple metrics each year. | |
| 6 | |
| Brian Dutcher seems to have some folks selling on his team this season. I'd advise against that. SDSU has run the spectrum of at least 21 and as many as 32 wins in all seven seasons under Dutch. I expect to see the 'Tecs back in March Madness, which would mark the seventh time in eight years that Dutcher's commanded an NCAA-worthy team. Reese Waters and Miles Byrd will need to do what's been done before them: become go-to players who exceed expectations. FAU transfer Nick Boyd arrives and brings no shortage of confidence and camaraderie with him. Another 20-win season awaits. | |
| 7 | |
| The Lobos lost a lost but could wind up having the POY in the Mountain West, Donovan Dent. If the combo guard can up his game from last season, that's the first piece in making sure UNM finishes in the top four in the Mountain West. In total, Richard Pitino has four guys back who averaged at least 17 minutes last season. I'm a big buyer in New Mexico holding firm as a top-15 team outside the high-major category due to its frenetic tempo and ascending track record in Pitino's first three seasons. | |
| 8 | |
| Don't go selling your USF Bulls stock, even if the team took some expected hits in the portal. With Amir Abdur-Rahim back for a second season, his track record suggests USF should again be in the thick of the conversation near the top of the American Athletic Conference standings. This team won the American last season with a 16-2 record, but fell in the semis to UAB. Still: 25 wins and one of the best seasons in school history. Point guard Jayden Reid will be the focal point for the Bulls, but keep an eye out on former Florida State power forward De'Ante Green and former Cincinnati big Jamille Reynolds. | |
| 9 | |
| Few things bring me more joy as a college basketball enthusiast than watching a diminutive point guard on a mid-major team just shred his opponents, size be damned. Bradley's got a guy that fits the part: 5-8 Duke Deen, a senior floor general who averaged 14 points and four assists for a Braves group that was third in the Valley and slightly outclassed by the likes of Indiana State and Drake. With those two programs undergoing coaching changes, and Bradley now in its 10th season under Brian Wardle, everything is aligned for BU to break through. | |
| 10 | |
| The preseason pick to win the Atlantic 10. Ryan Odom is in his second season in Richmond and he has the good fortune of getting Max Shulga for one more season; Shulga actually briefly announced his intentions to go to Villanova in the spring, only to turn back to the Rams. Shulga is a fifth-year player, as are VCU guards Zeb Jackson and Joe Bamisile. That amount of experience in the A-10 is going to be huge and should lead to the Rams being a bubble team at the absolute worst come late February. | |
| 11 | |
| The two-way talent of Tyon Grant-Foster is nearly good enough to ensure Grand Canyon separates from the rest of the WAC again, but he won't have to. Bryce Drew's team also has reinforcements in the form of senior point guard Ray Harrison, senior shooting guard Collin Moore and senior power forward JaKobe Coles, who comes via TCU, where he averaged 10.0 points and was a 42.2% 3-point shooter. The Lopes were streets ahead of in-league competition last season and figure to be a cut above again. | |
| 12 | |
| The Dons are firmly No. 3 in the WCC not just heading into November, but over the past half-decade in the hierarchy of the league. USF has three starters back from a 23-win team that was top-15 in 2-point percentage and top-40 in defensive efficiency. Guards Marcus Williams and Malik Thomas will join forces with 5-11 sophomore Ryan Beasley, who played 22.3 minutes per game last season and will have that number likely cross the 30-per-night threshold. My top 100 And 1 teams list will be released later this week. This team easily made the cut. | |
| 13 | |
| In semi-surprising news, Andy Kennedy's Blazers are the official preseason pick to win the American Athletic Conference, earning nine first-place votes to Memphis' four. To be fair, UAB is bringing back a lot and did take the league's auto bid after winning the American bracket by an average win margin of 12.7 points. Senior center Yaxel Lendeborg isn't the straw that stirs the drink; he is the drink. Between Lendeborg and Alejandro Vasquez/Butta Johnson in the backcourt, UAB should flirt with top-50 status in the metrics and give the American a shot at being a two-bid league. | |
| 14 | |
| It feels almost automatic that McNeese will be making back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. If/when that happens, it will be the first time the program's done that. I wrote on Wade above; here's what to know about this team. Christian Shumate is one of the best mid-major defenders in the country. Javohon Garcia was a 44% 3-point shooter in his first season with the Cowboys ... and he was outdone by teammate D.J. Richards Jr., who hit 45% of his treys. I'm interested to see how Brandon Murray looks. He began his career with Wade at LSU, then played for Mississippi and Georgetown, only to reunite with the guy who recruited him out of high school. Murray could average 15 points if he wants. | |
| 15 | |
| The Wolf Pack lost by three points in the first round to Dayton -- and that came after a one-and-done showing in the MW tourney -- but Steve Alford's team still managed 26 wins and a top-40 KenPom ranking. This group also figures to be a pretty good one in Reno. Nevada returns five key rotation players (three of them starters) from a season ago, plus brings in six portal guys. The name to know could be big man Nick Davidson, who should jump his 12.2 ppg and 7.3 rpg averages by a notch or two. | |
| 16 | |
| Drew Valentine is eager to head into this season, where he's confident he's got one of the best rosters in the Atlantic 10. I think he'll have one of the four best teams in that league and should be in the orbit of the bubble conversation. LUC boasts senior guard Des Watson, who is one of the toughest guys in the league. Right beside him in the starting line up is 6-10 sophomore Miles Rubin, a defense-first big who is already getting some looks from NBA scouts. I recently caught a Ramblers practice and saw a team that can be 10-deep if it avoids injuries. Expect a competitive group that picks off one or two notable nonconference wins in the first five weeks of the season. | |
Projected regular-season conference champions
| America East | Vermont Catamounts |
| American Athletic | Memphis Tigers |
| Atlantic 10 | Dayton Flyers |
| ASUN | Florida Gulf Coast Eagles |
| Big Sky | Montana State Bobcats |
| Big South | High Point Panthers |
| Big West | UC Irvine Anteaters |
| CAA | Towson Tigers |
| CUSA | UTEP Miners |
| Horizon League | Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons |
| Ivy League | Princeton Tigers |
| MAC | Ohio Bobcats |
| MAAC | Quinnipiac Bobcats |
| MEAC | Howard Bison |
| Missouri Valley | Bradley Braves |
| Mountain West | Boise State Broncos |
| NEC | Wagner Seahawks |
| OVC | Little Rock Trojans |
| Patriot | Colgate Raiders |
| SoCon | Samford Bulldogs |
| Southland | McNeese Cowboys |
| Summit League | South Dakota State Jackrabbits |
| Sun Belt | Arkansas State Red Wolves |
| SWAC | Grambling State Tigers |
| WAC | Grand Canyon Antelopes |
| WCC | Gonzaga Bulldogs |