Four mid-majors to watch this college basketball season

Hall averaged 16.4 points per game and shot 43.8% from three-point range. Continuity is important at the mid-major level, and coach Eric Olen has more of it in guards Uriah Tenette and Chris Howell. Tenette is an explosive playmaker who appeared in 36 games last season, while Howell is coming off a season-ending injury and has plenty of potential.

The Lobos already defeated Oklahoma State in an exhibition game, and key nonconference matchups against Wichita State, Utah State and Saint Mary’s give New Mexico the opportunity to build a strong resume and emerge as a threat in March.

Grand Canyon Antelopes

Grand Canyon could just as easily win the Mountain West. The Antelopes proved they belong in the conference last season, tying for third with 20 wins, and return a lethal pair of guards. Jaden Henley was recently granted a fifth year and averaged 17.7 points per game, while Makaih Williams averaged 14.

What makes this team so intriguing is its mix of talent from other schools. Dylan Darling (St. John’s), Jaden Zimmerman (Quinnipiac) and Blake Barkley (East Tennessee State) all played big roles in their teams’ success. The question is whether all this talent will mesh and whether some players are willing to take a back seat.

Oklahoma State, Memphis and No. 1 Florida highlight Grand Canyon’s nonconference schedule, and none of them should overlook the Antelopes.

Murray State Racers

Murray State hasn’t been very competitive since joining the Missouri Valley Conference in 2022, but second-year coach Ryan Miller hopes to change that. Miller is running the program more like a Power Four team by heavily recruiting international talent.

Roman Domon was the conference’s Freshman and Sixth Man of the Year a season ago. The French recruit is 6-foot-9 and can get downhill in a hurry. Freshmen Mark Padjen (Slovenia) and Pavle Nikolic (Serbia) both averaged double figures in their respective leagues, while New Zealand prospect Lachlan Crate is already familiar with Miller’s system after redshirting last season.

Murray State’s size and potential make it a fun squad to monitor. Early tests at the Baha Mar Championship will show how well these pieces fit together.

Wichita State Shockers

Coach Paul Mills has slowly built Wichita State back into a contender in the American. The Shockers have totaled 15, 19 and 24 wins in the past three seasons, but Mills has a roster capable of replicating the 30-win campaigns from the 2010s.

Wichita State returns 59% of its production from a year ago, most notably Kenyon Giles and Will Berg. Giles averaged 19.1 points per game, third-most in the American. Berg was the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year and was a big reason the Shockers finished top 10 in offensive rebounds and top five in second-chance points nationally. Newcomer Jordan Frison is a much-needed offensive addition after averaging 16 points per game with Chattanooga.

With an experienced roster and teams such as No. 23 Kentucky on the schedule, Wichita State could make noise this year.