Mid-Major Storylines to follow in the NCAA Tournament

The NCAA Tournament bracket is here. Before you pick a No. 14 seed to upset a No. 3, KSR takes a closer look at some of the best players and storylines from mid-major programs that could create madness this March.

A Fired Head Coach in the NCAA Tournament

Dan Monson proved that it’s never over until the Fat Lady sings. Last week he was informed that this season would be his last at Long Beach State. After 17 years, he’s not ready to hang it up just yet.

Just a few days after the school announced they mutually agreed to part ways with Monson, Long Beach State won three straight games to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament, just their second appearance during Monson’s tenure. The Big West Conference Tournament run came on the heels of a five-game losing streak. Wild things happen in March. Things may get even wilder when they take on Arizona.

High-Scoring Coaches’ Son

Drake played spoiler in the Missouri Valley, keeping Robbie Avila and Indiana State out of the NCAA Tournament. Even though we will not get the goggled big man in the Big Dance, Drake has a pretty awesome player on its roster too.

Tucker DeVries is the son of head coach Darain DeVries and he is one of the best bucket-getters in the NCAA Tournament. He is the sixth-highest scorer in college basketball, averaging 21.8 points per game. Not only is he Drake’s leading scorer, the 6-foot-7 swingman tallies 6.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

Saint Peter’s can do the funniest thing

Gloating at your rivals’ demise is a tricky thing to do in March. Kentucky fans experienced the double-edged sword last weekend when they were ousted from the SEC Tournament just a few hours after Tennessee was upset in Nashville.

Something similar happened a few years ago. Tennessee could not miss a shot in the first round win over Longwood in Indianapolis. Volunteer fans stuck around to rejoice as Saint Peter’s knocked out Kentucky in the first round, only for Tennessee to go cold and suffer a loss to No. 11 seed Michigan in the Round of 32.

Saint Peter’s has a chance to provide some poetic justice. The only problem is that beating mid-majors is the one thing Rick Barnes is good at in the NCAA Tournament. Tennessee is 4-0 in first round games under Barnes against mid-major foes.

A Tall Task for the Son of a Kentucky Basketball Great

Stetson is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time, all thanks to the heroics of Jalen Blackmon. He is the son of James Blackmon Sr., a shooting guard on Kentucky’s 1984 Final Four team. The younger Blackmon can fill it up for the Hatters.

Jalen Blackmon averages 21.5 points per game, ranked No. 10 in all of college basketball, while shooting 38.9% from three-point land. In the ASUN Title Game he scored 41 to punch Stetson’s ticket to the NCAA Tournament. The only problem: Stetson is a No. 16 seed playing the defending National Champs.

Bucky Ball vs. a Reeling Kansas Team

Bucky McMillan is only 40 years old, but he already has a tagline for his team’s style of play, “Bucky Ball.” That style has paved the way for a former high school coach to three straight 20-win seasons just four years into his collegiate coaching career.

What exactly is that style? It’s not so different than what Rick Pitino brought to Kentucky in the early 90s, relying on a fast-paced, full-court press to create chaos that capitalizes with high-volume three-point shooting. Kyle Tucker detailed it thoroughly, and it could create the perfect storm to knock off injury-depleted Kansas in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Longest-Tenured Coach in the NCAA Tournament

Thursday’s first round game in Pittsburgh will feature two coaches who have combined to win 1,511 college basketball games. Kentucky will face Greg Kampe, who has coached Oakland to 698 victories since he took over the program in 1984. Forty years ago, Oakland was a D-II program. He oversaw their transition to the D-I ranks and will now coach in his fourth NCAA Tournament.

Kampe, the longest-tenured coach in D-I college basketball, is still looking for his first NCAA Tournament win. Back in the Big Dance for the first time since 2011, Kampe will rely on Trey Townsend to carry a heavy load against Kentucky. The son of a player Kampe coached at Oakland, Townsend had 38 points and 11 rebounds in the Horizon League title.