The Midwest is home to some of the country’s most prestigious basketball programs, and not a season goes by where the region isn’t represented on the national landscape. For the past two years, the Butler Bulldogs have been the pride of the Midwest, reaching consecutive national title games in the past two seasons. But the Bulldogs haven’t been the only team worth watching around the region.
This year Midwestern Gentleman will be keep you up to date with the region’s top contenders by periodically releasing our MWG Top 25, a ranking of the best teams hitting the hardwood across the Midwest. This list may look very different in March, but for now, these are the best basketball teams of the Midwest according to the men at MWG.
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11. Butler Bulldogs – The Bulldogs may not be a national player this year, but they will still win a ton of games. Brad Stevens’ bunch is an unrivaled favorite in the Horizon League.
12. Creighton Blue Jays – The Jays are always near the top of the Missouri Valley, and this year will be no different. Doug McDermott, son of head coach Greg McDermott, is a conference player of the year candidate that is talented enough to keep Creighton in evey game this season.
13. Illinois Fighting Illini – Illinois is very young, but they have two important building blocks for the future in DJ Richardson and Brandon Paul. If these two talented guards develop under the tutelage of head coach Bruce Weber, the Illini could be a factor in March.
14. Kansas State Wildcats – Frank Martin is one of the game’s best young coaches and he continues to recruit well in “The Little Apple”. This year’s team will be led by forward Jamar Samuels, one of Martin’s most consistent players from a year ago.
15. Notre Dame Fighting Irish – The Irish lost a lot from last year’s team, but Tim Abromaitis is a valuable returnee who can score from anywhere on the floor. Scott Martin is also back to provide leadership, defense, and timely shooting.
16. Iowa State Cyclones – The Cyclones are bolstered by two impact transfers from the Big Ten. Chris Allen (formerly of Michigan State) and Royce White (formerly of Minnesota) give the Cyclones an influx of talent, athleticism, and experience that will make them very competitive.
17. Northwestern Wildcats – It is highly publicized that the Wildcats have never made the NCAA Tournament, and this may frankly be their last chance for the foreseeable future. Star forward John Shurna is now a senior, and he has a legit sidekick in silky smooth shooting guard Drew Crawford. It’s now or maybe never for Bill Carmody’s bunch out in Evanston.
18. Minnesota Golden Gophers – Tubby Smith has built quite a team in Minnesota. The Gophers are talented and athletic, which means this team may be ready for a breakout season in the Big Ten.
19. Dayton Flyers – Chris Johnson is the Flyers top returning scorer, but the success of this year’s team may depend on the development of Paul Williams. Williams has the talent to emerge as a star, and the Flyers need him to fulfill that potential in time for the Atlantic 10 schedule.
20. Wichita State Shockers – The Shockers made a shocking run through the NIT last year, winning the title at Madison Square Garden. This year they hope to build on that experience by making a run towards the NCAAs. Their most important games will come early on, as they are slated to play in the Puerto Rico Shootout in mid-November.
21. Saint Louis Billikins - The Billikins get their ranking primarily based on the experience of their coach, Rick Majerus. The man who took Utah to the Final Four in the nineties has carved a career out of his teams overachieving. This year Majerus has a young team that is confident that they can make waves in their conference. It’s always fun to see everyone scrambling to figure out what a Billikin is when SLU makes it into the NCAA bracket.
22. Indiana State Sycamores – The Sycamores were the surprise champions of the Missouri Valley’s Arch Madness tournament last year, but played well in their first round loss in the NCAAs. This year they hope to be a factor in the Valley from start to finish, instead of stealing the spotlight on the final weekend.
23. Kent State Golden Flashes – As usual, the Golden Flashes are expected to be the class of the MAC, and their star player Justin Greene is a big reason why. Still, Kent must avoid a let down in the MAC Tournament against the team ranked just below them in this poll…
24. Akron Zips – The Zips are the primary competition to Kent State and will be looking forward to a possible showdown in the MAC Championship game in Cleveland. The Zips boast a frontcourt that features one of the country’s best centers, Zeke Marshall. Marshall shocked the college basketball landscape when he chose Akron over the many top-notch programs that sought his services coming out of high school. A big season in his final year on campus could justify his decision in a big way.
25. Detroit Titans – Detroit made a savvy coaching hire when they brought in Ray McCallum. The former Indiana assistant brought two star players with him. Former Indiana standout Eli Holman followed his coach to Detroit. Soon the coach’s son, McDonald’s All-American Ray McCallum Jr., followed suit. This turn of events has given the Titans a very talented roster going into this season. Both Holman and McCallum Jr. have proven to be stars for the Titans, while other returners such as Canadian guard Jason Calliste provide solid depth.  Â
Cheers…
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