The Mid-Majority : Season 9: We Are, Together.

Having recently completed its 9th season, The Mid-Majority is a community chronicle of the smaller Division I college basketball conferences. Last year, the theme was Team. Six groups of five (plus a fantasy mid-major player) were engaged in friendly Amazing Race-style competition, criss-crossing Hoops Nation to provide awesome college basketball content. Season X (2013-14) will be our final one.

Recent Game Recaps

Epilogue, The Ninth: Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Memories

So We Meet Again

Rte. 139 - End of the Line

Hanging On

A Championship in Pictures

This Time of Year

Dotson Leads Ducks to the Sweet Sixteen

Grizzlies Overwhelmed by Orangemen

Empire

Challenge 11: Final Four Memories

By George, UConn is Dead

Butler and Us

Donning the Black and Gold

Challenge 10: Tourney Memories

The Madness of the Horizon League

The Rare Ivy League Conference Tournament

MAC Madness

Anything Can Happen in the MAAC

Challenge 9: Shock The Neighborhood

A Youthful Surprise

From Worst to First

Peers and Seers

Tag: Detroit Titans
Sorted by date

1. Reigning In The Titans by James Squire

S9 March 10, 2013 Wright State is the most deliberate, disciplined team in the Horizon League. Detroit is the most athletic, fast-paced team in the Horizon League. Doug Anderson's dunks have been all over Sports Center for 2 seasons now. These two styles go together like oil and water. Something had to give. Would D... [more]

2. The Villains Win Again by Raymond Curren

S9 February 18, 2013 "The more successful the villain, the more successful the picture." - Alfred HitchcockVALPARAISO, Ind. - Back in the glorious 1980s, 10-year-old me despised the Iron Sheik. When the Sheik would come to the ring and demand everyone stand and be quiet for Nikolai Volkoff's rendition of the Sovie... [more]

3. Area Code Rivalry by James Squire

S9 February 17, 2013 Last March, after the Horizon League championship game, this happened:Yesterday, during ESPN's Rivalry Week, the team celebrated brashly by denizens of the 313 area code returned to the scene of the crime and were greeted with this:Detroit-Valpo has developed into something that lends itself to eas... [more]

4. Deja Vu at VU by Craig Hanford

S9 February 17, 2013 I'm here to make a shameful confession as a Butler fan. I miss the Horizon League.While I do enjoy building potential rivalries with new teams in the Atlantic 10, the current sixteen team league allows for a home-and-home series with only one conference opponent. In some respects, it feels like p... [more]

5. It Ends With Frayed Edges and Hurt Feelings by James Squire

S8 March 11, 2012 Game #8-746: Detroit Titans at Valparaiso CrusadersMarch 6, 2012 9:00 pmValparaiso, INBBState Stats/RecapOn the one hand, a championship will be won tonight -- something worth celebrating. Nets will be cut down. Trophies will be handed out. There are even story-lines to be exploited by the World-Wid... [more]

6. A Case For The Double Bye by James Squire

S8 March 5, 2012 Game #8-694: Detroit Titans vs. Cleveland State VikingsMarch 3, 2012 6:00 pmValparaiso, INBBState Stats/RecapThe Horizon League first semifinal contest marks the end of neutral court basketball this weekend. The most-talented team (#3 Detroit) takes on the most physical team (#2 Cleveland State). Th... [more]

7. Being All That You Can Be? by Craig Hanford

S8 March 4, 2012 Game #8-694: Detroit Titans vs. Cleveland State VikingsMarch 3, 2012 6:00 pmValparaiso, INBBState Stats/Recap The first of Saturday’s semi-final games featured two teams seemingly moving in opposite directions. The Detroit Titans entered with wins in eight of its last nine games, while the Clevelan... [more]

8. March of the Penguins? Not this Year. by Craig Hanford

S8 March 3, 2012 Game #8-670: Youngstown State Penguins vs. Detroit TitansMarch 2, 2012 6:00 pmValparaiso, INBBState Stats/Recap The Horizon League tournament entered the quarterfinal round on Friday night, with the first game featuring Detroit against Youngstown State. One of the more controversial aspects of the H... [more]

9. Clash of the Dangerous on a Neutral Court by James Squire

S8 March 2, 2012 Game #8-670: Youngstown State Penguins vs. Detroit TitansMarch 2, 2012 6:00 pmValparaiso, INBBState Stats/RecapWith apologies to my team, who secured the 1 seed by a 2 game margin and earned the right to host the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the Horizon League tournament in my home town of Valparaiso at th... [more]

10. Almost gave another one away! by Matthew Baron

S8 February 14, 2012 Game #8-567: Green Bay Phoenix at Detroit TitansFebruary 12, 2012 1:00 pmCalihan HallBBState Stats/RecapFor some odd reason, this game between the Titans of Detroit Mercy and the Phoenix of Green Bay had a weird vibe to it. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe it was the fact that UDM has won... [more]

11. Hoops in the Shadow of XLVI by Mike Miller

S8 February 11, 2012 Game #8-545: Detroit Titans at Butler BulldogsFebruary 4, 2012 12:00 pmHinkle FieldhouseBBState Stats/RecapThere was a big sporting event going on in Indianapolis last weekend, and it wasn’t at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Indeed, the city’s attention was transfixed on downtown and Sports Bubble Stadium for t... [more]

12. The Ray McCallum Jr. Show by Matthew Baron

S8 January 28, 2012 Game #8-467: Loyola (Ill.) Ramblers at Detroit TitansJanuary 25, 2012 7:00 pmCalihan HallBBState Stats/RecapWhen you start coming to games at the same arena, with the same team, the result is not that much different that the last. This is my 5th time covering the University of Detroit... [more]

13. Styles Make Fights by Matthew Baron

S8 January 22, 2012 Game #8-431: Wright State Raiders at Detroit TitansJanuary 21, 2012 12:00 pmCalihan HallBBState Stats/RecapJust another conference game in the Horizon League like any other. Two .500 teams with closely matched conference records fighting in an up-and-down league where anything can happen. Unless you... [more]

14. Clash WITH The Titans by Matthew Baron

S8 January 9, 2012 Game #8-369: Butler Bulldogs at Detroit TitansJanuary 8, 2012 4:00 pmCalihan HallBBState Stats/RecapNormally when we do these write ups, themes and bi-lines in the game have a tendency to appear on their own. These themes are what make for good writing and what make out game recaps so fun to write. ... [more]

15. You Might Be At A Between-Semesters College Basketball Game! by Matthew Baron

S8 December 23, 2011 Game #8-283: Alabama State Hornets at Detroit TitansDecember 22, 2011 7:00 pmCalihan HallBBState Stats/RecapWhen you have more middle school students playing at halftime at your game than college students in your cheering section...you might be at a between-semesters college basketball game! Univ... [more]

16. Surprise, Surprise by Matthew Baron

S8 December 9, 2011 Game #8-207: Western Michigan Broncos at Detroit TitansDecember 8, 2011 7:30 pmCalihan HallBBState Stats/RecapCollege basketball has its fair share of surprises. Usually they don’t happen until the buzzer-beaters and Cinderella stories of March. But occasionally, something will happen during a game,... [more]

17. A Study of Point Guards by Kyle Rossi

S8 November 27, 2011 Game #8-133: Detroit Titans at Akron ZipsNovember 26, 2011 7:00 pmJames A. Rhodes ArenaBBState Stats/RecapThe James A. Rhodes Arena is a great place to watch a basketball game. This is not a consensus, or even a majority, opinion. Many Akron Zips supporters curse the 5,500-seat gym commonly known a... [more]

18. Falcons Beat Depleted Titans by William Fischer

S8 November 23, 2011 Game #8-096: Detroit Titans at Bowling Green FalconsNovember 22, 2011 7:30 pmAnderson ArenaBBState Stats/RecapThe men's basketball team at BG picked up its 3rd win of the season last night in the Stroh....where in fact, the Falcons are now unbeaten in three attempts. BG's 3rd D-1 win didn't come unt... [more]

19. Game 7-104: NCAA National Semifinal by Kyle Whelliston

S7 April 2, 2011 Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs. Butler BulldogsApril 2, 2011 6:09 pmHouston, TXBBState Stats/Recap VCU from the Colonial, Butler from the Horizon League. Bulldogs and Rams. Black and gold against @ButlerBlue2. It was nothing less than the unprecedented, unbelievable Mid-Major National Championship.... [more]

20. The Mid-Majority Interview: Ron5Robot by Kyle Whelliston

S7 April 1, 2011 At some point around the #ALLCAPSGAME, a big shiny Robot began appearing at Butler's Horizon League contests games. A Ron5Robot! Ron5Robot is a tribute to Ronald Nored, the Bulldogs' exceedingly unselfish Secretary of Defense, whose battered legs contain surgically implanted metal rods, making No. 5... [more]

21. Redrawing the Red Line by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 21, 2011 CHICAGO -- It may be a week from now, and it may be two weeks from now, but this is certin: no matter what, the Epilogue is coming. Judging from the outlines and drafts, this season's final post will be the longest yet. There's a lot of complicated information about the future to package as a downlo... [more]

22. Champions Of Hoops Nation 2011 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 13, 2011 If college basketball has taught us anything, it's that there's nothing that becomes irrelevant more suddenly than Championship Fortnight. Once the NCAA Tournament bracket is released, the previous two weeks slip into history... very quickly. But one thing that has to be remembered: the teams that w... [more]

23. Game 7-081/082/083/084: Mid-American Quarterfinals by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 11, 2011 Bowling Green Falcons vs. Western Michigan BroncosMarch 10, 2011 12:00 pmBBState Stats/Recap Akron Zips vs. Miami (Oh.) RedhawksMarch 10, 2011 2:30 pmBBState Stats/Recap Buffalo Bulls vs. Kent State Golden FlashesMarch 10, 2011 7:00 pmBBState Stats/Recap Ohio Bobcats vs. Ball State CardinalsMarch 10... [more]

24. Tourney Central 3/5/2011 (Day 5) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 5, 2011 h2 {margin-bottom:10px;font-size:13px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:17px;} #droid {font-size:11px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:13px;margin-bottom:8px;} #droid a:link, #droid a:visited {font-size:11px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:13px;}Bullet PointsNow it's mad, ... [more]

25. Game 7-069/070: Metro Atlantic First Round by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 5, 2011 Marist Red Foxes vs. Niagara Purple EaglesMarch 4, 2011 7:30 pmBridgeport, CTBBState Stats/RecapManhattan Jaspers vs. Siena SaintsMarch 4, 2011 9:30 pmBridgeport, CTBBState Stats/Recap The time-honored tradition of the MAAC's #PFF, the two games that bring a 10-team league into a more manageable, ... [more]

26. Tourney Central 3/4/2011 (Day 4) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 4, 2011 h2 {margin-bottom:10px;font-size:13px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:17px;} #droid {font-size:11px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:13px;margin-bottom:8px;} #droid a:link, #droid a:visited {font-size:11px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:13px;}Bullet PointsOn the third d... [more]

27. Tourney Central 3/2/2011 (Day 2) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 2, 2011 h2 {margin-bottom:10px;font-size:13px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:17px;} #droid {font-size:11px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:13px;margin-bottom:8px;} #droid a:link, #droid a:visited {font-size:11px;font-family:Droid Sans, arial;line-height:13px;}Bullet PointsThe Big South ... [more]

28. Tourney Central 3/1/2011 (Day 1) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 1, 2011 Bullet Points The calendar says March 1. Repeat: March 1. Elimination games begin this evening on the first day of Championship Fortnight. For the fourth straight year, we will be providing daily updates to the tourney brackets, an avalanche of Basketball State information, and links to resources fr... [more]

29. Stardate 108-20110223: Shootaround Deluxe by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 23, 2011 CHICAGO -- Every single one of the conference games going on tonight, and tomorrow, and Friday and Saturday too, were scheduled months in advance by a league office (or, in some cases, years ago). Some were circled rivalry games worth driving a day for, others were just-anothers. In early March, t... [more]

30. Stardate 101-20110216: Dream Seasons by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 16, 2011 HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- March really is here before we know it, because there's half a week missing out of February. This month wasn't designed that way -- and nothing was adjusted for our benefit or anything -- but it's still disorienting and disruptive to look at a calendar and realize that in two ... [more]

31. Stardate 100-20110215: Hell For Hundred by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 15, 2011 RICHMOND, Va. -- For most of recorded history, things that weren't paid for didn't happen. Take the Old West, for instance. You think saloons allowed tabs? As long as there were four-legged vehicles tied to the post out front, every customer represented a potential flight risk. Plus, there was alw... [more]

32. Stardate 93-20110208: What Good Are Notebooks? by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 8, 2011 ??????, ?.?. -- The game of Last Man continues into its second full day in the secret bunker. Follow along with as I slowly descend into madness. No, David, I have not heard about Pittsburgh, P. A., and don't tell me! Conference ShootaroundConference USA: Fact: the ex-Metro won 68 percent of its... [more]

33. Game 7-048: Harvard at Pennsylvania by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 7, 2011 Harvard Crimson at Pennsylvania QuakersFebruary 5, 2011 7:00 pmThe PalestraBBState Stats/Recap The last real Palestra soft pretzel, and double overtime. @midmajority Game Tweets18:12 RT @gashaheen: Be a NCAA Bkb Comm member - Step 1: make YOUR list of no-brainer teams "in" + a list of those whic... [more]

34. Stardate 88-20110203: Power to the Pixels by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 3, 2011 Today is National Pixelvision Day, and the festivities will last from 7 pm ET to after midnight. If you'd like to get involved, shuttle down. PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- An old hippie once proclaimed that information wants to be free. He was a publisher whose bound publication eventually folded. Me, I thi... [more]

35. Stardate 86-20110201: Pixelvision Killed the Video Star by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 1, 2011 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- So much has changed in a single calendar year. On February 1, 2010, the iPad had just been announced, and no mere civilian had touched one yet. Now, they're on press row at college basketball games. The Robot has grown a soul, exhibited feelings, taken a name. (It's "Doctor Thun... [more]

36. BracketBusters Matchups 2011 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 31, 2011 As is annual tradition here at TMM, we've put together a full rundown of all the announced BracketBusters matchups, and this will likely be the most clicked-on page of the season once again. It's incredibly difficult to find a complete list of all the non-TV games, which are quietly announced by the... [more]

37. 800 Game Project: Practice Run #2 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 21, 2011 If you're just joining us, or re-joining us, 2011-12 at The Mid-Majority (a/k/a Season 8) will feature an experiment in college basketball crowdsourcing. We're calling it the 800 Game Project, and we're going to try to put together the biggest cross-referenced national spectator game report database... [more]

38. Stardate 74-20110120: Echo Chamber by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 20, 2011 CHICAGO -- It can't be said enough: most of what we do as college basketball fans is try to figure out exactly what it is we're looking at. Keeping proper perspective during the season is difficult, impossible sometimes. Up there, north of the Red Line, it's easier because ranked and regarded team... [more]

39. Stardate 72-20110118: What If/What Now by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 18, 2011 CHICAGO -- What if the shot went in? BUTLER 62, DUKE 6104/05/2010DUKE 34-5 (13-3) -- K. Singler 7-13 2-2 19; N. Smith 5-15 2-5 13; J. Scheyer 5-12 4-5 15; L. Thomas 3-5 0-0 6; B. Zoubek 3-4 2-4 8; M. Plumlee 0-2 0-0 0; A. Dawkins 0-1 0-0 0; M. Plumlee 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-52 10-16 61.BUTLER 34-4... [more]

40. Stardate 64-20110110: Family Business by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 10, 2011 VALPARAISO, Ind. -- Now that January has reached double-digits, the slow transition is, in full essence, complete. It's conference season, and even the teams in the Ivy League are starting to play each other. This is definitely the second part of the beautiful season, the third best of the four. N... [more]

41. Game 7-034: Detroit at Illinois-Chicago by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 8, 2011 Detroit Titans at Illinois-Chicago FlamesJanuary 8, 2011 2:00 pmUIC PavillionBBState Stats/Recap The five-game, four-day, three-city Horizon League tour continued with a Chicagoland doubleheader. First up, it was a trip to the Near West to see Detroit go up against UIC. At UIC Pavilion, you ca... [more]

42. Game 7-032: Detroit at Loyola (Ill.) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 7, 2011 Detroit Titans at Loyola (Ill.) RamblersJanuary 6, 2011 8:00 pmJoseph Gentile CenterBBState Stats/Recap So good to be back to work. @midmajority Game Tweets 20:05 Game 7-032: Detroit at Loyola (Ill). Oh-oh, back on the chain gang. http://img.ly/2LlN20:09 RT @HorizonLeague: Detroit @ Loyola Men's... [more]

43. Heartbreak City by Kyle Whelliston

S7 November 22, 2010 INDIANAPOLIS -- Nearly every location on earth is just a geocode. Memories serve to transform places into something more, and the accumulation of experiences constantly shift and change them into important places. Cutting through the middle of the city on a Sunday morning on Interstate 70, I notic... [more]

44. The Document by Kyle Whelliston

S6 March 30, 2010 Downtown Vancouver, February 2010 MINNEAPOLIS -- I've been thinking a lot about the Kent State team from 2002, the one that went to the Elite Eight, during these last couple of days. No specific reason, really, because I've been too busy straining to remember the particulars. This all happened eig... [more]

45. Butler: Continuum by Kyle Whelliston

S6 March 24, 2010 It always ends in a loss; that is cold fact. Back in 2008, on a warm Sunday afternoon in Birmingham, Alabama, Butler's season came to a close in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 32. That squad's terminal drop came in overtime, to a Tennessee team it was superior to, on borderline calls and bad break... [more]

46. Tourney Central 3/6/2010 (Day 5) by Kyle Whelliston

S6 March 6, 2010 Bullet Points Two more finals are set. All four of the top seeds are out at the Atlantic Sun, leaving No. 5 East Tennessee State and No. 6 Mercer to fight for the title. In the OVC, top two seeds Murray State and Morehead State will stage a showdown in Nashville tonight. In the 22 games on Friday, ... [more]

47. Tourney Central 3/3/2010 (Day 2) by Kyle Whelliston

S6 March 3, 2010 Bullet Points Ten of 12 higher seeds won on the first evening of Championship Fortnight. The Big South semifinals will feature the four top teams in that league, and seeds Nos. 3 through 5 are through to the Horizon League second round. In the OVC quarterfinals, No. 6 Tennessee Tech upset No. 3 Aus... [more]

48. Our School: Oakland by Danny Malendowski and Corey Schmidt

S6 February 18, 2010 Entering the circle drive that filters into the campus of Oakland University during the winter semester, an observer will notice a slew of banners hanging on light posts, a familiar sight on any campus. "Coming Home," they read; a reminder of the month's Homecoming festivities. For a school without ... [more]

49. My School: Western Michigan by John Lee

S6 February 17, 2010 It was February 28, 1998. I was a sophomore at Western Michigan University, driving home to my parents' house in Metro Detroit for Spring Break. Four hours previous, Miami RedHawks head coach Charlie Coles had a heart attack on the University Arena court. There was 11:23 left in the first half wh... [more]

50. The Hoops National: February 11, 2010 by The Robot

S6 February 11, 2010 Big Games Atlantic 14: Richmond 69, at Rhode Island 67 RICH - 19-6 (8-2) [RPI: 31, State: 39] URI - 19-4 (7-3) [RPI: 14, State: 25] Star of the Game: David Gonzalvez 19 Pts (7-12 FG, 2-3 FT), 2 Stl Surging Spiders Grind Out Road Win At Rhody, Move Into A-14 First-Place Tie - KINSTON, R.I. - Dav... [more]

51. The Hoops National: February 8, 2010 by The Robot

S6 February 8, 2010 Big Games Atlantic 14: at Richmond 71, Temple 54 RICH - 18-6 (7-2) [RPI: 31, State: 41] TU - 19-5 (7-2) [RPI: 17, State: 35] Star of the Game: Kevin Anderson 29 Pts (11-17 FG, 5-5 FT) Richmond Topples Temple, 71-54 (via Richmond) Atlantic 14: at Dayton 90, Xavier 65 UD - 16-6 (5-3) [RPI: 33, S... [more]

52. Look Out, They're Back by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 17, 2009 DAYTON, Oh. -- Back during a time when the years had smaller numbers than they do now, I went to Drexel University, a fine, upstanding and expensive mid-major school. In my studies there, there always seemed to be fellow students who skipped out on the first eight weeks of class, then showed up for ... [more]

53. Tourney Central 3/16/2009 (Final Brackets) by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 16, 2009 Bullet Points Stephen F. Austin punched Hoops Nation's final NCAA Tournament ticket Sunday afternoon, its first appearance ever. Championship Fortnight is over, and the national postseason is just ahead. Completed brackets and scores for all 23 TMM leagues are included below. Southland Texas... [more]

54. Tourney Central 3/4/2009 (Day 2) by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 4, 2009 Bullet Points Championship Fortnight is under way, as the top seeds won in the Big South and Ohio Valley. The first minor upset occurred in the Horizon League, where No. 7 Illinois-Chicago outhooped No. 6 Youngstown State. Both finished the conference slate at 7-11 and were separated by tiebre... [more]

55. Tourney Central 3/3/2009 (Day 1) by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 3, 2009 Bullet Points Here we go again: it's Championship Fortnight. Three leagues kick off with campus-site first rounds: the Horizon League, Ohio Valley, and Big South. There are 12 games on tap this evening. On Tap Tonight Big South Radford will begin its quest for its first championship since 19... [more]

56. Good Morning Hoops Nation: March 2 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 March 2, 2009 INDIANAPOLIS -- Every day we get just a little more physically vulnerable, every day another step closer to the inevitable finish line of life. The positive trade-off is that whether we've cheated the reaper by strengthening our bodies or not, our minds are always increasing in power. Every day, we ... [more]

57. Good Morning Hoops Nation: February 25 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 25, 2009 HARRISONBURG, Va. -- Still trying to figure out what all this means. So you're saying that if I had just auctioned off a crate full of Ballys last month, we wouldn't have had to do that whole bailout thing? But seriously, it's amazing to see that we've touched off the hottest plushie trend since Pea... [more]

58. BracketBusters Saturday 2009 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 21, 2009 So here we are again, it's late February and it's time for Mid-Major Christmas... BracketBusters VII, brought to you locally by Flying J Travel Plazas and Ballito's Powdered Horchata. Here's a handy clip-n'-save list of all Saturday's televised games, with links to handy print-n'-collect Basketball ... [more]

59. Good Morning Hoops Nation: February 12 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 12, 2009 INDIANAPOLIS -- Well, here we are. Today is Mock Selection III, and I still have no idea what I did to deserve an invitation -- or why I've been listed as representing Basketball State all along. It's a real thrill, even though we've had to detour from our regularly scheduled travel and will be goin... [more]

60. Good Morning Hoops Nation: February 9 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 9, 2009 BATON ROUGE -- When the ax started falling in the SEC last month with midseason firings, the thought around here was that it was kinda cute. Four such severances in four years seemed like another indication that the pressures of BCS basketball were getting to be more in line with those of the pros, ... [more]

61. The State of the Other 22, Week 10 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 6, 2009 The State of College Basketball is a gracefully-aging ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 344 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three o... [more]

62. BracketBusters Matchups 2009 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 3, 2009 As is annual tradition here at TMM, we've put together a full rundown of all 51 announced BracketBusters matchups, and this will likely be the most clicked-on page of the season once again. It's incredibly difficult to find a complete list of all the non-TV games, which are quietly announced by the ... [more]

63. Open Mic: Readers Strike Back by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 27, 2009 I just wrapped up paying for every single one of my remaining rental cars, plane flights and weekly hotels for the rest of the 2008-09 season, which was a great relief and a testament to the wonderful support you've given the site. So the least I could do is turn the floor over to you for a while, a... [more]

64. The State of the Other 22, Week 7 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 15, 2009 The State of College Basketball is a new-esque ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 344 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the F... [more]

65. The State of the Other 22, Week 6 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 7, 2009 The State of College Basketball is a new-ish ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 344 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the Fin... [more]

66. The State of the Other 22: Week 5 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 December 31, 2008 The State of College Basketball is a new ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 344 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the Final F... [more]

67. Book by Kyle Whelliston

S5 November 8, 2008 Eighth in a series of nine daily essays leading up to the 2008-09 college basketball season.Since the invention of the printing press and discovery of binding, it's been the dream of everyone who strings words together to write a book. A longform work of 80 or 100 thousand words that can be touched,... [more]

68. The Big Picture by Kyle Whelliston

S5 November 1, 2008 First in a series of nine daily essays leading up to the 2008-09 college basketball season. It's not supposed to work out for the best, and the system is designed to anticipate failure. On March 21 in Birmingham, the four lower seeds wore their extra digits like anchors, eliminated one after another... [more]

69. Fearlessness and Failure (Epilogue, The Fourth) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 April 1, 2008 Seriously, what's the big deal about fearlessness? It's made out to be this incredible and rare trait that only a select few possess. People forget that it's our natural, default state of being. We enter the world too naive to fear anything; over time, we develop a profile of all that scares us. Som... [more]

70. There's a Basketball Game Today at 5 PM ET by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 30, 2008 We received a lot of messages in response to the query as to whether or not I should wear the "Just Balls" tie to the game today. With a 2-to-1 split in favor of donning autographed neckgear, the votes against stuck out and haunted my sleep. Several people brought up the possibility of a double-reve... [more]

71. Detroit Shock by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 29, 2008 DETROIT -- The alarm clock went off this morning, like it normally does... but we're still trying to figure out when, exactly, we fell asleep. Around 6 p.m. yesterday? That timeframe makes more sense than what we were hallucinating about. Davidson? A No. 10 seed? Slaughtering the Big Ten champs in B... [more]

72. Bally's Massive Midwest Regional All-Accesstravaganza! by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 27, 2008 One of the great things about the day before an NCAA subregional, regional or Final Four is that the public can come and watch the teams practice for free! This is enormous Ford Field in Detroit, which is normally used for American-style football. The stadium will have 72,000 available seats for t... [more]

73. The Travelogue, Chapter 17 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 25, 2008 Birmingham This month has its place in the weather calendar, a rock-solid role. March thaw helps keep April showers warm, and as long as everything happens in the right order, May flowers won't be DOA. March basketball, however, is as unpredictable as global warming. You don't know who's going to... [more]

74. Gotcha, Steve by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 25, 2008 If you've been reading this site with any sort of regularity this year, you know about my Face Off with one Mr. Steve Welmer, the most-travelled official in Division I. And all the e-mails have been really great, people are really getting into it. This is one part Amazing Race, another part Cannonba... [more]

75. Two Through by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 23, 2008 Two brave, fighting groups of men... two long dormant small-college basketball legacies reborn... two tourney champions turned Sweet survivors. The Sun Belt and the SoCon, two leagues the general public can't tell apart from each other, are sending representatives to the NCAA Regionals. Hoo-zah! ... [more]

76. St. Awesome by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 22, 2008 O Saints, you screaming yellow zonkers of a team. We've had our rough spots, y'all and I -- there's ancient history and we did have to report what we saw last month. But we've never hesitated to say nice things about you, we've ranked you, and then we stormed your court. And now we celebrate your fi... [more]

77. Tourney Central (Completed Brackets) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 17, 2008 Bullet Points In the final final in mid-majordom, Texas-Arlington emerged as surprise Southland champs. All hail! We had 78 entries into our "guess-the-play-in-matchup" contest on Saturday, and not a single correct answer. The correct pairing, as we all know now, is Coppin State (MEAC) against Moun... [more]

78. The Boubacar 3/6/2008 (Dromedary Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 6, 2008 NASHVILLE -- There's a little Fighting Camel in all of us -- that piece of our soul that's tragically misunderstood, a little out of place. It's the part of you that's told you'll never make it, never achieve your dreams. Silly camel, you aren't supposed to fight for or win anything... you're suppos... [more]

79. The State Of The Other 22, Week 16 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 5, 2008 The State of College Basketball is a brand-new ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 341 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the F... [more]

80. Tourney Central 3/5/2008 (Day 2) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 5, 2008 Bullet Points The first two upsets of Championship Fortnight occurred yesterday. The OVC's No. 6 Tennessee State won at No. 3 Morehead State, while Horizon No. 8 Loyola (Ill.) shocked No. 5 Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The Big South's four top seeds won to set up Thursday's semifinals. OVC No. 4 Tenness... [more]

81. Tourney Central 3/4/2008 (Day 1) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 4, 2008 Bullet Points Championship Week, which is technically 13 days long, begins tonight. You can call it Championship Fortnight if you prefer. The OVC and Big South will hold campus-site quarterfinals, while the Horizon League will stage four low-seed qualifiers for this weekend's rounds at regular-seas... [more]

82. The Boubacar 2/21/2008 (Marathon Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 21, 2008 JACKSONVILLE -- Lots and lots to get to today with a full slate of red-hot mid-major action, but first I wanted to pimp n' plug tomorrow's Gigantic BracketBusters Marathon Chat on ESPN.com. There are always hundreds of people who don't get their questions attended to during the regular Wednesday dea... [more]

83. The State Of The Other 22, Week 14 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 19, 2008 The State of College Basketball is a brand-new ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 341 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the F... [more]

84. The Mid-Majority Interview: Dolph Pulliam by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 14, 2008 In 1969, Drake achieved the Final Four with a 26-5 record. Adolphus (Dolph) Pulliam was the emotional leader of that team, and his Bulldogs lost in the national semifinals to UCLA and Lew Alcindor by a single point. After his senior season, he was drafted by multiple professional basketball and foot... [more]

85. BracketBusters Matchups 2008 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 6, 2008 As is tradition here at TMM, we've put together a full rundown of all 50 announced BracketBusters matchups. Mostly because we know that it's incredibly difficult to find a complete list of all the non-TV games, which are quietly announced by the schools after ESPN unleashes the televised matchups. T... [more]

86. The Boubacar 1/8/2008 (Bob Mo Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 8, 2008 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- I want to share with you an idea I had this morning. I'll do anything necessary to make this possible, but I think that next November somebody should hold a Multi-Team Event just for relentlessly uptempo teams. The naming rights are open for purchase by any beverage manufacturer, ... [more]

87. Game! Of! The! Night! 1/5/2008: Valparaiso at Butler by Kyle Whelliston

S4 January 4, 2008 Valparaiso at Butler (Horizon League) Hinkle Fieldhouse - Indianapolis, IN 2:00 PM EST January means snow, overwhelming holiday-related credit card bills, the active avoidance of NFL scores and conference basketball. And we have a real March-quality matchup already on the 5th of the month,... [more]

88. The Boubacar 12/24/2007 (Christmas Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 24, 2007 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- As promised, we're going to crown our ARRRGH contest winner today and give out a free stuffed Bally. We were looking for the best mid-major ARRRGH moment, the worst instance of thwarted victory, the most crushing realization that the big guys have won again and that "Hoosiers" mom... [more]

89. The Boubacar 12/19/2007 (Dickie V Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 19, 2007 AKRON, Oh. -- There are so few of us... we who overanalyze everything about college basketball, pore over pages of stats, treat our game like a gigantic 341-piece puzzle that takes five months to solve itself. Our vision is distorted because we spend so much time talking to each other; we forget tha... [more]

90. The State Of The Other 22, Week 4 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 11, 2007 The State of College Basketball is a brand-new ratings system that uses a lot of good basketball sense, per-game team performance ratings and degradation of older results to rank the teams from No. 1 to 341 (here's the long-winded version). In its overall form, it retroactively picked three of the F... [more]

91. The Boubacar 12/7/2007 (Boubacar Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 7, 2007 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- It's taken a week, but I believe we have all the entries in our Pop Loser contest, most of which took as much time as media mail to arrive because of e-mail clog on this end. And of our 22 entries, I had to eliminate 15 of them. The point was not to point out an instance of refere... [more]

92. The Boubacar 11/20/2007 (Justin Credulous Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 November 20, 2007 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- It's a snowy Tuesday here at the office home, but that won't depress us, not in the least. Here, for the first time ever, a 100% positive Boubacar... Belmont. "They" said it wasn't a "real" upset. Oh, it's just Cincinnati. Never mind that UC has five times more money to spend on... [more]

93. The Boubacar 11/19/2007 (ACC Rhymes With "Ack" Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 November 19, 2007 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Wow, what a weekend. So packed with hot mid-major action that I don't have time to tell any jokes here in the intro paragraph. Here we go! Siena's Super Saints. Number 20's been an unlucky spot in the national popularity contest lately. That's where Kentucky sat when Gardner-Web... [more]

94. Matters of Life and Death (Epilogue, The Third) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 March 28, 2007 PAWTUCKET, R.I., Mar. 28 -- All animate organisms, from the globbiest amoeba to the most intricate human machine, share one thing in common: life. Life is what keeps you going, it's the light before the beginning of the tunnel. The meaning of life is simply this: it means so much that nobody can sur... [more]

95. Tourney Central 2/28/07 by Kyle Whelliston

S3 February 28, 2007 Bullet Points Two defending champions were eliminated: Wisconsin-Milwaukee of the Horizon League and Murray State of the OVC. Two upsets in the Big South: the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, Liberty and Coastal Carolina, fell at home in the quarterfinals. A minor upset in the Ohio Valley quarters, as Samford... [more]

96. Tourney Central 2/27/07 by Kyle Whelliston

S3 February 27, 2007 Bullet Points Today is the first day of Championship Fortnight, with three leagues getting under way with elimination games. The Big South and Ohio Valley kick off with campus-site quarterfinals, and the Horizon League begins with a three-game first round. Brackets The intriguing thing in the Big... [more]

97. The Daily Paragraph 2/16/2007 (BracketBoosters Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 February 16, 2007 INDIANAPOLIS -- It's the eve of mid-majordom's national holiday, and for this fifth edition of the event we're getting the whole family involved. Yo dad, those repairs on the car can wait. There are 14 great televised mid-major matchups to watch! It's the perfect time to bring Junior onto the couc... [more]

98. The Daily Paragraph 2/5/2007 (Football Independence Day Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 February 5, 2007 LOS ANGELES -- There are three important national holidays on the official calendar of Hoops Nation™. First and foremost in importance, of course, is Selection Sunday in March -- the day that the entire college basketball year leads up to. A second is coming up in a couple weeks: that glorious... [more]

99. The Daily Paragraph 2/2/2007 (Layover Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 February 2, 2007 PHOENIX - O, layover... Haven of annoying cell-phone talk, home of heavily made-up airline employees yet unhelpful gate agents (that'll be seventy-five bucks to fly standby, please), opportunity to gorge oneself on 3,000-calorie Cinnabons, chance to catch up with increasingly irrelevant color period... [more]

100. BracketBusters Selection Aftermath (plus contest winners) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 31, 2007 Here, then, are all the pairings for BracketBusters 2007. You can click on a matchup to learn more about the two teams and how they, well, match up. Albany at Boise State (TV) Appalachian State at Wichita State (TV) http://bbstate.com/games/66467>Austin Peay at Akron http://bbstate.com/games/664... [more]

101. Game! Of! The! Night! Mar 07: Butler vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee by Kyle Whelliston

S2 March 7, 2006 You probably don't remember who Ryvon Covile is, and there's a reason for that. He missed two free throws with 38 seconds left in last year's Horizon League title game. If he had hit either, Detroit would have likely gone on to the Tournament -- Hoops Nation would have remembered the Titans, and sti... [more]

102. The Mid-Majority vs. Quality by Kyle Whelliston

S2 November 7, 2005 This is 4 in a series of 10 early-season essays.With five seconds remaining in overtime, the home team was down by a single point. A packed and sweltering arena roared. The wise old coach, a veteran of these tense situations, quickly drew up a play during the final timeout and sent his charges back ... [more]

103. The Difference Between Us And Them by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 29, 2005 Epilogue With the notable exception of our friends in the Ivy League, very few choose to be mid-major people. It usually starts with a stumble: a spate of bad grades during a streak of teenage rebellion, or a bad night of sleep before SAT Saturday (for whatever reason). All of a sudden, there's a ... [more]

104. The Syracuse Bracket by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 16, 2005 Oakland Seed: 16 1st Round Opponent: North Carolina Record: 13-18 (9-9 Mid-Continent) Big Nonconference Wins: December 30 vs. Bowling Green (77-53); it was their only non-league win over a D1 opponent. Key Players: Pierre Dukes (see below) is the folk hero, but senior forwards Rawle Marshall and Co... [more]

105. The Chicago Bracket by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 16, 2005 Fairleigh Dickinson Seed: 16 1st Round Opponent: Illinois Record: 20-12 (16-5 Northeast Conference) Big Nonconference Wins: December 9 at eventual MAAC two-seed Rider (76-74) 100 Games Project Appearances: #65 Key Players: Big Gordon Klaiber and little Tamien Trent are the inside-outside mechanism ... [more]

106. The Start Of Something Big by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 11, 2005 Game 085: (E4) Fordham 65, (W5) Duquesne 53 Atlantic 10 First Round Wednesday, March 9, 2005 U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH Life is different here on First Round Day. While the quarterfinals and semis match up teams with 20 or 25 wins, the opening games usually feature squads who willed their ... [more]

107. Tourney Central 3/9/2005 by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 9, 2005 Bullet Points Oakland of the Mid-Continent Conference pulled the low-seed surprise of the year, taking down 1 seed Oral Roberts in the league's title game by a 61-60 score. Two other proud conference champions, and two overjoyed satellite campuses: Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Louisiana-Lafayette. The P... [more]

108. Tourney Central 3/8/2005 by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 8, 2005 Bullet Points Four champions are crowned: Creighton (MVC), Niagara (MAAC), Old Dominion (CAA) and UMPFN (WCC). Three more tonight: the Sun Belt, Mid-Continent, and the Horizon league matchup of Detroit and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The run of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies of the Mid-Con continued, they'... [more]

109. Tourney Central 3/6/2005 by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 6, 2005 Bullet Points Four Dance tickets were punched: Winthrop, Eastern Kentucky, Central Florida and Chattanooga. Despite the two-digit numbers that the Selection Committee will hand them one week from today, all are champions. One-seeds fell like mighty trees. Arkansas-Little Rock, the E1 in the Sun Bel... [more]

110. Tourney Central 3/5/2005 by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 5, 2005 Bullet Points Two one-seeds went down: Tennessee Tech lost in the OVC semifinals, and Davidson was eliminated in the Southern Conference semis. Four automatic bids will be handed out today, as the ESPN networks begin a schedule of court-stormings every two hours or so. We have the Big South's matc... [more]

111. Tourney Central 3/3/2005 by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 3, 2005 Mid-American: Miami (Oh.) 70, Kent State 45 (story) - Total domination. The RedHawks (18-8, 12-5 MAC) sent a message to the rest of the league, and to the Selection Committee as well, saying that they'd sure like to be invited to that Dance thingy if there's room on the list. But they didn't ask nic... [more]

112. Dribblings 2/28/2005 (February Fever Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 28, 2005 Mid-American: Bowling Green 57, Miami (Oh.) 56 (story) - Despite the fact that the game's telecast was cancelled after an hour's delay because BGSU's Mawel Soler shattered a backboard during pregame warmups, Falcon senior forward Josh Almanson's jumper with six seconds remaining was a shot heard 'ro... [more]

113. Third Party by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 18, 2005 Game 063: Arkansas-Little Rock 55, at Western Kentucky 53 Thursday, February 17, 2005 E.A. Diddle Arena - Bowling Green, KY With no teams in the major pro leagues and no meaningful college football of any kind, it may be the one state in the union where residents are free to obsess over college bas... [more]

114. Dribblings 2/1/2005 (Keep Bustin' Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 1, 2005 Southern: Davidson 67, Chattanooga 53 (story) - Davidson built a fourteen-point lead going into halftime, and both teams treaded water for the second half. Despite outrebounding their hosts, the Mocs shot themselves in the foot by shooting just 30% from the floor. Davidson (14-7, 10-0 SoCon) tighten... [more]

115. Dribblings 1/27/2005 (Silver Lining Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 27, 2005 Missouri Valley: Southwest Missouri State 92, Southern Illinois 77 (story) - The homestanding Bears took a 14-point lead into halftime, and stepped on the gas out of the break with an 11-4 run. Despite what the two teams' records would indicate, this was a classically-styled "romp" - a 57%-38% field... [more]

116. Dribblings 1/23/2005 (Blizzard Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 23, 2005 Missouri Valley: Wichita State 58, Southern Illinois 56 (story) - The Shockers had the boards (42-32) and the defense (held SIU to 32% shooting in the second half), but the Salukis had enough streaks and runs to keep it close. WSU's Illinois transfer forward (and possible "evil twin" of your humble ... [more]

117. MMBOW #10: Levi Rost, Western Michigan by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 16, 2005 Not very many people outside Kalamazoo were taking the Western Michigan Broncos seriously this year in their quest to defend their Mid-American Conference crown. After all, they lost the reigning MAC Player of The Year, forward Mike Williams - WMU rode his coattails on many occasions last year on th... [more]

118. Dribblings 12/28/2004 (Holiday Hoops Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 December 28, 2004 Iona 77, Rhode Island 62 (story) - URI has made two straight trips to the NIT, but their 1-7 start must be reminding fans of the bleak three seasons that constituted the post-Lamar Odom era. "Murphy's Rams" just can't seem to score points or catch a break this year. In addition to losing 23 points p... [more]

119. Dribblings 12/16/2004 (Campfire Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 December 16, 2004 Lander 67, Charleston Southern 59 (story) - To get beat by a Division II team, you usually have to go to Alaska or Hawaii. But this game marked just the third time this season that a true D2 has beaten a D1 - and the first time it's happened at the big school's house. Charleston Southern has traditi... [more]

120. Dribblings 12/5/2004 (Cavalcade of Recaps Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 December 5, 2004 Virginia Military Institute 72, Virginia Tech 68 (story) - Perennial Big South basement dwellers VMI had been blown out by Old Dominion 86-38 three days previous, so stopping an ACC team they hadn't beaten since 1964 was a bit, umm, unexpected. The Keydets kept the Hokies even on the boards, but sho... [more]

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