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: Harvard Crimson
Sorted by date

1. The Power of Belief by John Ezekowitz

S9 March 23, 2013 The hallmark of Tommy Amaker's teams at Harvard has been repetition. From the high pick and roll offense of Jeremy Lin to the 4 out, 1 in motion offense of the recent teams, Amaker has picked one basic offensive philosophy and stuck with it, no matter what. The Crimson have essentially run five off... [more]

2. No Regrets by Raymond Curren

S9 March 3, 2013 "Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest ones are, 'It might have been'." - Kurt VonnegutPRINCETON, N.J. - About a month ago, I mentioned one of my regrets for the season was not seeing a game in Jadwin Gym.Screw that.It took four hours to get there on a Friday afternoon, but with Princeto... [more]

3. Ivy Leaguers Can Talk Trash by Raymond Curren

S9 February 25, 2013 "Don't live up to your stereotypes." - Sherman AlexieNEW HAVEN, Conn. - In general, stereotyping is easy. And most people love to do things the easy way. It takes time to break down a group of people or things and understand that -even in groups you think might not be very diverse - there is... [more]

4. Just Another Ivy Saturday Night by John Ezekowitz

S9 February 16, 2013 It is often difficult for college basketball fans who do not follow the Ivy League to understand the profound swings that race their way up and down the Eastern seaboard on cold winter Fridays and Saturdays. For every other college basketball league, the regular season is important, but there is al... [more]

5. A Two Minute Miracle by John Ezekowitz

S9 January 29, 2013 For 38 minutes on Saturday, the Dartmouth Big Green thoroughly and comprehensively outplayed Harvard on the road at Lavietes Pavilion. To put that accomplishment in context, you need to know a bit about Dartmouth basketball.To say the Big Green have struggled recently would be an understatement. Da... [more]

6. Shattered Dreams by Raymond Curren

S9 January 27, 2013 "I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going and hook up with them later." - Mitch HedbergCAMBRIDGE, Mass. - If you take it on its face, there was no good rhyme or reason why Dartmouth was in the position it was Saturday afternoon against Harvard at Lavietes Pavi... [more]

7. A Changing of The Guard by John Ezekowitz

S9 November 19, 2012 Game #9-050: Manhattan Jaspers at Harvard CrimsonNovember 16, 2012 7:30 pmLavietes PavilionBBState Stats/Recap In the middle of the second half on Friday night, Harvard's freshman point guard Siyani Chambers did something he had not done for the last 76 minutes of the Crimson's game time: he sat dow... [more]

8. Taking a Field Trip by Raymond Curren

S9 November 13, 2012 Game #9-024: Harvard Crimson at Massachusetts MinutemenNovember 13, 2012 10:00 amMullins CenterBBState Stats/Recap AMHERST, Mass. - I don't deal well with traffic, which is to say that I don't deal with it at all, so most days I'm posthumously pleased that my job starts as early as it does (and ther... [more]

9. Show an Affirming Flame by John Ezekowitz

S8 March 30, 2012 Game #8-800: Pennsylvania Quakers at Harvard CrimsonFebruary 25, 2012 7:00 pmLavietes PavilionBBState Stats/Recap "May I, composed like themOf Eros and of dust,Beleaguered by the sameNegation and despairShow an affirming flame." -September 1st, 1939, W.H. AudenI don't know Zack Rosen, the man. I ... [more]

10. The Impossible Triad (Harvard vs. Brown) by John Ezekowitz

S8 March 29, 2012 Game #8-479: Harvard Crimson at Brown BearsJanuary 28, 2012 6:00 pmPizzitola Sports CenterBBState Stats/RecapThe Pizzitola Sports Center is a bizarre place to watch a college basketball game. It is a low-slung, wide building from the outside, connected to Brown's hockey rink next door. Inside, the s... [more]

11. The Drought by John Ezekowitz

S8 March 27, 2012 Game #8-791: Brown Bears at Harvard CrimsonFebruary 17, 2012 7:00 pmLavietes PavilionBBState Stats/RecapAs Harvard and Brown lined up for the National Anthem on a mild February Friday night at Lavietes Pavillion, you could easily spot the disparity that became the story of the Bears' season. Harvard... [more]

12. Basketball Succeeds Where Hockey Has Not by John Ezekowitz

S8 March 26, 2012 Game #8-787: Harvard Crimson at Boston University TerriersDecember 10, 2011 4:00 pmCase GymBBState Stats/RecapBoston University is a hockey school. That much is immediately clear after walking into BU's sparkling Agganis Arena. Agganis, and the dorms beside it, opened in the heart of BU's campus in ... [more]

13. Getting There by Ryan Magee

S8 March 18, 2012 Game #8-767: Harvard Crimson vs. Vanderbilt CommodoresMarch 15, 2012 5:40 pmAlbuquerque, NMBBState Stats/RecapWhen preparing to head to Albuquerque to watch Round of 64 action (a personal aside – it’s not the second round, PIG is still PIG even if there are four of them now!), I made sure ... [more]

14. Harvard`s Final Exam by John Ezekowitz

S8 March 17, 2012 Game #8-767: Harvard Crimson vs. Vanderbilt CommodoresMarch 15, 2012 5:40 pmAlbuquerque, NMBBState Stats/Recap “I am not afraid. I’m actually rather curious. Usually in life, you know how things are going to happen. You can imagine even in great detail what the dentist is going to do to you, what yo... [more]

15. On the Brink of Purity by Darcy Ireland

S8 February 28, 2012 Game #8-620: Princeton Tigers at Harvard CrimsonFebruary 24, 2012 7:00 pmLavietes PavilionBBState Stats/Recap“When arrogance appears, disgrace follows,But wisdom is with those who are unassuming.” - Proverbs 11.2; from KethuvimOne rainy Friday evening, in a cozy gymnasium in Cambridge, Massachusetts... [more]

16. The Last Stand of the Tigers by John Ezekowitz

S8 February 25, 2012 Game #8-620: Princeton Tigers at Harvard CrimsonFebruary 24, 2012 7:00 pmLavietes PavilionBBState Stats/RecapWatching the Princeton-Harvard game last night, I couldn't help but be reminded of one of my favorite movies, Die Hard. At the end of Die Hard, after our hero John McClane has against all odd... [more]

17. When Nobody Cares Who Gets the Credit by John Ezekowitz

S8 February 24, 2012 Game #8-613: Yale Bulldogs at Harvard CrimsonFebruary 18, 2012 7:00 pmLavietes PavilionBBState Stats/RecapSometimes, it takes an outsider to provide a new perspective on this game we love. I've seen, either in person or from afar, every game Harvard has played this season. I've seen the Crimson triu... [more]

18. The Power of Narratives by John Ezekowitz

S8 February 12, 2012 Game #8-554: Harvard Crimson at Princeton TigersFebruary 11, 2012 7:00 pmJadwin GymnasiumBBState Stats/RecapPrinceton basketball. The name instantly conjures up visions of backdoor cuts, low-scoring games and teams that won with ruthless execution rather than talent. Our consumption of sports is bui... [more]

19. A Throwback Revival at the Cathedral by John Ezekowitz

S8 February 11, 2012 Game #8-547: Harvard Crimson at Pennsylvania QuakersFebruary 10, 2012 7:00 pmThe PalestraBBState Stats/RecapImagine a drill sergeant yelling at you in your face. Then imagine that you are in a tiny room, and the noise reverberates and crashes. Then multiply that by 8,000.That was what the Palestra w... [more]

20. A Song for Every One of Us by Ty Clark

S8 February 11, 2012 Game #8-547: Harvard Crimson at Pennsylvania QuakersFebruary 10, 2012 7:00 pmThe PalestraBBState Stats/RecapI live nine miles from Philadelphia, in South Jersey, but I don't go there much anymore. For eighteen years, my parents and I crossed the bridge weekly as we attended a large Presbyterian chur... [more]

21. Home Court Advantage by John Ezekowitz

S8 February 5, 2012 Game #8-505: Columbia Lions at Harvard CrimsonFebruary 4, 2012 7:00 pmLavietes PavilionBBState Stats/RecapAs I walked into Lavietes Pavilion with 1:30 left to go in the first half of Harvard's clash with Columbia, I thought to myself that, all things considered, things had gone very well. I had plan... [more]

22. Brown`s Missed Opportunity by Matt Cayuela

S8 January 29, 2012 Game #8-479: Harvard Crimson at Brown BearsJanuary 28, 2012 6:00 pmPizzitola Sports CenterBBState Stats/RecapMy third game of the day could have been considered the main event of the evening. Harvard’s success has become well known throughout the year and it is easily the most recognizable... [more]

23. The Benefits of Youth by John Ezekowitz

S8 January 28, 2012 Game #8-474: Harvard Crimson at Yale BulldogsJanuary 27, 2012 7:00 pmJohn J. Lee AmphitheaterBBState Stats/RecapFor any fan of Harvard basketball, it only took stepping one foot inside the John J. Lee Amphitheater in New Haven, Connecticut for the memories to come flooding back. Harvard’s twin last ... [more]

24. Harvard at Yale 1/27/2012 by John Ezekowitz

S8 January 28, 2012 Game #8-469: Harvard Crimson at Yale BulldogsJanuary 27, 2012 7:00 pmJohn J. Lee AmphitheaterBBState Stats/RecapFor any fan of Harvard basketball, it only took stepping one foot inside the John J. Lee Amphitheater in New Haven, Connecticut for the memories to come flooding back. Harvard’s twin last ... [more]

25. Harvard at Connecticut 12/8/2011 by Alex Norris

S8 December 12, 2011 Game #8-210: Harvard Crimson at Connecticut HuskiesDecember 8, 2011 7:00 pmHartford Civic CenterBBState Stats/RecapSTORRS, Conn. -- Lots of story lines coming into this one. Harvard was in the Top 25 in both major polls for the first time in school history, and were the first Ivy League squad to be ... [more]

26. That Defining Moment by John Ezekowitz

S8 December 9, 2011 Game #8-210: Harvard Crimson at Connecticut HuskiesDecember 8, 2011 7:00 pmHartford Civic CenterBBState Stats/RecapIt happened right in front of me. The famous Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges once wrote that there is “a single moment—the moment when a man knows forever more who he is.” While sma... [more]

27. The Power of Success by John Ezekowitz

S8 December 4, 2011 Game #8-183: Seattle Redhawks at Harvard CrimsonDecember 4, 2011 2:00 pmLavietes PavilionBBState Stats/RecapTwo years ago, as a freshman, I made the trek across a frozen Charles River to Lavietes Pavillion for my first Harvard basketball game. On that blustery December night, the Crimson beat Rice b... [more]

28. Crimson As Advertised by Afi Ahmadi

S8 December 2, 2011 Game #8-163: Harvard Crimson at Vermont CatamountsDecember 1, 2011 7:00 pmRoy L. Patrick GymnasiumBBState Stats/RecapAs I settled into my usual reserved bleacher “seat” at the Roy L. Patrick Gymnasium on the campus at the University of Vermont, it occurred to me that the Catamount coaching staff(s) ... [more]

29. Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes - Harvard at Holy Cross 11/15/2011 by Bob Canedo

S8 November 17, 2011 Game #8-048: Harvard Crimson at Holy Cross CrusadersNovember 15, 2011 7:00 pmHart Recreation CenterBBState Stats/RecapCollege basketball fans expect change each season. Players arrive. Players leave. The competition experiences the same. The cast of heroes and villains will turnover completely every... [more]

30. Epilogue, The Seventh: The Complete Circle by Kyle Whelliston

S7 April 5, 2011 I. I Believe That We Will Win HOUSTON, April 5 -- When Adam Walsh was in his twenties, he climbed up the coaching ladder through the juco and small-college ranks as an assistant. All throughout, he had the following bullet point at the top of his résumé, under Career Goals: To be a Division I head c... [more]

31. Game 7-095: NCAA Round of 64, East Region 1/16 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 19, 2011 [16] Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners vs. [1] Ohio State BuckeyesMarch 18, 2011 4:40 pmCleveland, OHBBState Stats/Recap While the teams in this Tournament dream of replicating the feat that the Harvard women's team once pulled off, we're not getting any closer to seeing one of the 60th through 68th t... [more]

32. As-You-Go Bracket, As-You-Go! (clap, clap) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 14, 2011 DAYTON -- So let's get the so-called expertise out of the way first. Utah State and Belmont are way underseeded, as in "duh." Saint Mary's and Harvard would have been given at-large bids if the selection committee was made up of poets. But that's not the way it works. The reasons for all of the ab... [more]

33. 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]

34. Tourney Central 3/13/2011 (Day 13) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 13, 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 penult... [more]

35. Game 7-087/088: Atlantic 14 Semifinals by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 12, 2011 [12] Saint Joseph's Hawks vs. [9] Dayton FlyersMarch 12, 2011 1:00 pmBBState Stats/Recap [3] Richmond Spiders vs. [2] Temple OwlsMarch 12, 2011 3:30 pmBBState Stats/Recap AP The Atlantic Four become an Atlantic Two, without any Philadelphia representation for the first time since 2007. It does alw... [more]

36. Tourney Central 3/12/2011 (Day 12) by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 12, 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 PointsA hearty 'Ray'... [more]

37. Game 7-079: Princeton at Penn by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 9, 2011 Princeton Tigers at Pennsylvania QuakersMarch 8, 2011 7:00 pmThe PalestraBBState Stats/Recap The final conference regular season game in the country, one of the most ancient and storied rivalries in Hoops Nation. A lot on the line, too. Princeton wins to force an Ivy playoff against Harvard at Yal... [more]

38. Stardate 120-20110307: Don't Be a Stranger by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 7, 2011 BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Last week, I went to a late regular-season matchup between Rhode Island and George Washington. These days when I go to games, I sit in the front row wearing a suit and sneakers at a desk, with a touchscreen computer for dispatching short bursts of information to the internet. ... [more]

39. Game 7-071/072/073/074: America East Quarterfinals by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 6, 2011 [5] Stony Brook Seawolves vs. [4] Albany Great DanesMarch 5, 2011 12:05 pmBBState Stats/Recap [9] Binghamton Bearcats vs. [1] Vermont CatamountsMarch 5, 2011 2:15 pmBBState Stats/Recap [7] New Hampshire Wildcats vs. [2] Boston University TerriersMarch 5, 2011 6:05 pmBBState Stats/Recap [6] Hartford... [more]

40. Game 7-067: George Washington at Rhode Island by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 3, 2011 George Washington Colonials at Rhode Island RamsMarch 2, 2011 7:00 pmRyan CenterBBState Stats/Recap There's a bye on the line! Atlantic 14 tiebreakers and scoreboard-watching, another Senior Night (with the student section), A-14 Title R compliance, small amounts on giant checks, Jack Kvancz's ret... [more]

41. Stardate 115-20110302: One More Chance To Try To Save My Soul by Kyle Whelliston

S7 March 2, 2011 KINGSTON, R.I. -- The stars are beginning to flicker and burn out in the elimination games. For others, it's far from over. Here, one final look at the remaining league regular season races as we move towards getting all the rest of the Other 25 conferences in the gate and ready for bracket time. ... [more]

42. Stardate 113-20110228: Like Sonny Liston by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 28, 2011 BOSTON -- There was never any master plan to any of it. The four-stage season and its familiar rhythms were formed by generations of pushes and pulls, and the best concepts became traditions. Putting the non-conference games at the beginning, holding separate league round-robins and eliminators, t... [more]

43. Game 7-065: Cornell at Penn by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 27, 2011 Cornell Big Red at Pennsylvania QuakersFebruary 26, 2011 7:00 pmThe PalestraBBState Stats/Recap Kid Reporter Night at The Palestra! Suit separates, the taste of tweets, Corky Calhoun, Keeping It Klassy with the Sigma Kappa tug-of-war team, and Cornell hijacks the Power of Booba. @midmajority Gam... [more]

44. 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]

45. Stardate 107-20110222: The Stretch Drive by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 22, 2011 CHICAGO -- BracketBusters 2011 can be summed up tidily in one paragraph. Utah State came back from 10 down at Saint Mary's to earn a résumé win. As the Missouri Valley -- the most successful conference in the short and strange history of BracketBusters -- bombed out with a 3-7 showing, three top t... [more]

46. 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]

47. Game 7-050: Yale at Harvard by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 14, 2011 Yale Bulldogs at Harvard CrimsonFebruary 11, 2011 7:00 pmLavietes PavilionBBState Stats/Recap "Ten Thousand Men of Harvard": the original Ivy League smac-rap. @midmajority Game Tweets18:14 #FF @findthelastman. Take *that*, Christmas Creep!18:17 RT @LoyolanSports: @midmajority Happy birthday to the... [more]

48. 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]

49. Stardate 92-20110207: Nowhere To Run, Nowhere To Hide by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 7, 2011 ?????, ?.?. -- Hello from back here on Sunday evening. As for the future present, we are playing our annual game of Last Man, and avoiding The Knowledge as best as possible. But we must always attend to our regular duties, which is sharing the good kind of knowledge with Hoops Nation. What a crazy... [more]

50. 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]

51. Game 7-047: Rhode Island at Temple by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 7, 2011 Rhode Island Rams at Temple OwlsFebruary 5, 2011 2:00 pmThe Liacouras CenterBBState Stats/Recap Hooter's birthday, and fake Zooperstars. @midmajority Game Tweets13:48 Game No. 7-047: Rhode Island at Temple. Temple University welcomes you and your family.13:50 This, friends, is a band. http://img... [more]

52. Game 7-046: Dartmouth at Pennsylvania by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 6, 2011 Dartmouth Big Green at Pennsylvania QuakersFebruary 4, 2011 7:00 pmThe PalestraBBState Stats/Recap On a February Friday night in Philadelphia, there's no other place to be. @midmajority Game Tweets18:58 Game No. 7-046: Dartmouth at Penn. (Corrected.) Helloooo! http://img.ly/2VEk19:03 Penn huddlz... [more]

53. 800 Games Project: Practice Run No. 4 by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 4, 2011 Friday mornings have become extra-enjoyable, because these game reports that are coming in are really great. While there's a lot of Season 7 left, I'm excited about Season 8, and the prospect of having well-written, well-executed student and passionate fan accounts of games across Hoops Nation to re... [more]

54. Game 7-045: Maine at Boston University by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 3, 2011 Maine Black Bears at Boston University TerriersFebruary 1, 2011 7:30 pmAgganis ArenaBBState Stats/Recap Could you survive a full-blown Chicken Riot? Boston is a city that's historically been a place for beans, chowder, Store 24's and Fenway Franks. But as the area exports its Dunkin' Donuts to the... [more]

55. Stardate 87-20110202: Weird Pizza by Kyle Whelliston

S7 February 2, 2011 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Despite the efforts of "Operation In Our Sites," the government's poorly-planned and badly-named offensive to try and shut down the #pixelvision feed aggregation sites (a topic broached on Stardate 15), National Pixelvision Day II is saved. Remember, that's tomorrow evening, so ... [more]

56. Game 7-044: Cornell at Harvard by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 30, 2011 Cornell Big Red at Harvard CrimsonJanuary 29, 2011 6:00 pmLavietes PavilionBBState Stats/Recap I believe. @midmajority Game Tweets17:32 We are so early to this Cornell-Harvard game that we can pay a visit to the World's Classiest Dunkin Donuts. http://img.ly/2Tjx17:33 Airball's Revenge. RT @midm... [more]

57. Game 7-043: Georgia State at Northeastern by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 30, 2011 Georgia State Panthers at Northeastern HuskiesJanuary 29, 2011 1:00 pmMatthews ArenaBBState Stats/Recap Northeastern has always been frustrating. Back at Drexel, the team always helped make the America East hell for the Dragons. It's got to be frustrating to be a sports fan there, too. The school i... [more]

58. Game 7-042: Columbia at Harvard by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 30, 2011 Columbia Lions at Harvard CrimsonJanuary 28, 2011 7:00 pmLavietes PavilionBBState Stats/Recap Thirty years ago, sixteen and one were just a pair of numbers, even to basketball fans. In the early 1980s, "Sixteen" had no real hoops significance outside the state of Kentucky, because the NCAA Tournam... [more]

59. Game 7-041: Wagner at Bryant by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 29, 2011 Wagner Seahawks at Bryant BulldogsJanuary 27, 2011 7:00 pmChace Athletic CenterBBState Stats/Recap Those of us old-time sports fans left who remember television's rabbit-ears era (and know the difference between UHF and VHF), probably appreciate the 21st Century Full Court/#pixelvision reality mor... [more]

60. Stardate 78-20110124: A Brief History of Mid-Major Smac Rap by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 24, 2011 CHICAGO -- American higher learning dates back to before the whole "United States" thing. But until the Civil War was over, no college had a fight song. That idea coincided with the idea of college athletics, and school-specific tunes were written for the purposes of intimidation and inspiration. Ma... [more]

61. Game 7-035: Wright State at Loyola (Ill.) - plus BONUS NAIA field trip! by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 10, 2011 Wright State Raiders at Loyola (Ill.) RamblersJanuary 8, 2011 4:00 pmJoseph Gentile CenterBBState Stats/Recap Without rules, societies collapse, and all that's left is smashed windows and awesome rock music. To avoid this, The Mid-Majority has specific rules about what games count and what games do... [more]

62. Stardate 60-20110106: I.D. by Kyle Whelliston

S7 January 6, 2011 CHICAGO -- Many of the conferences in college athletics were born in hotel ballrooms somewhere, converted from ideas into working cooperatives by men in suits who took turns talking and occasionally sipped glasses of water. The league names and statements of purpose and guiding principles and slog... [more]

63. Stardate 36-20101213: All Hail the Guaco by Kyle Whelliston

S7 December 13, 2010 CHICAGO -- Necessity is the mother of invention, but another thing that Mom does is feeds and cares for you. On Saturday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse, as "Underdawgs" author-slash-Indianapolis Star superwriter David Woods and I competed to see who could close the press room (he won), I experienced a... [more]

64. Stardate 22-20101129: Line and Formula by Kyle Whelliston

S7 November 29, 2010 PHILADELPHIA - The holidays, then. In the distant past, this was a time to gather around fires, which was important enough for physical and psychological survival that people would rearrange birthdays just for the excuse to do so. Over the centuries, this time of year became a giant magnet that pu... [more]

65. Game 7-006: Austin Peay at Lipscomb by Kyle Whelliston

S7 November 19, 2010 Austin Peay Governors at Lipscomb BisonsNovember 18, 2010 8:15 pmAllen ArenaBBState Stats/Recap During the conference season, Fridays are the ones out of the seven with the fewest games. Usually, there are Ivy League games, a couple Patriot tilts, and whatever ESPNU has convinced the Horizon or M... [more]

66. Cornell: Mystery, New York by Kyle Whelliston

S6 March 23, 2010 The passage of time is what usually grants college basketball its mystique and aura; witness memory fades and history takes over. Players become larger than life, coaches change into infallible titans of the mind, and single contests transcend the game itself. The words, and the numbers, never fit... [more]

67. STOP. Don't Fill It Out. by Kyle Whelliston

S6 March 15, 2010 INDIANAPOLIS -- I see you printing out that CBS blank bracket at work, starting to fill it out in pencil. (You like Murray State's chances for the upset, I see.) I noticed that you'd opened a Fantasy account at ESPN,com, getting ready to fill out 10 different contingency entries. (But you're defin... [more]

68. The Hoops National: March 6, 2010 by The Robot

S6 March 6, 2010 NOTE: The Hoops National will only cover regular-season games for the remainder of the week. Big Games Ivy League: Cornell 95, at Brown 76 CORN - 26-4 (12-1) [RPI: 46, State: 50] BRWN - 11-19 (5-8) [RPI: 250, State: 281] Star of the Game: Jon Jaques 20 Pts (7-9 FG), 7 Reb Men's Hoops Claims Thir... [more]

69. My School: William & Mary by Joshua Leggette

S6 February 22, 2010 The College of William & Mary is known for many things across the country. Unfortunately, basketball is not one of them. Founded in 1693, this school located in the old-folks hideaway of Williamsburg, Virginia is the second oldest institution of higher learning in the United States -- second only t... [more]

70. The Hoops National: February 20, 2010 by The Robot

S6 February 20, 2010 Big Games BracketBusters: at Northern Iowa 71, Old Dominion 62 UNI - 24-3 (14-2) [RPI: 21, State: 12] ODU - 21-8 (13-3) [RPI: 41, State: 48] Star of the Game: Ali Farokhmanesh 23 Pts (6-10 FG, 6-6 FT) Farokhmanesh's 23-Point Second Half Pushes #24 UNI Past Old Dominion, 71-62 - CEDAR FALLS, I... [more]

71. The Beautiful Season, Part 2 by Kyle Whelliston

S6 December 29, 2009 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- One more drinker's holiday, and the calendar will flip. Many Americans are spending this week in silent fear of what's on the other side: a return to the bleak routine of five-day workweeks, the gray skies of short days, and January bills from December's illusions of prosperity. O... [more]

72. Good Morning Hoops Nation: February 26 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 26, 2009 ATHENS, Ohio -- As was noted in this kind piece by the newspaper I spent my college career wishing I could work for, next week marks the beginning of what we're really here for, what this is really all about. The conference tourneys mark the third of the four seasons within a season in college baske... [more]

73. Good Morning Hoops Nation: February 3 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 February 3, 2009 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- BracketBusters pairings are out, and we're temporarily reunited with our own bed and desktop computer, so it's a good time for a game reset. Who am I? Why am I here? Seventy-five percent of what The Mid-Majority is about during the regular season is analysis. There are check-ins o... [more]

74. Good Morning Hoops Nation: January 8 by Kyle Whelliston

S5 January 8, 2009 BIRMINGHAM -- Normally in this space, I'll meander on about some philosophical thing or some other non-basketball topic, and then field a pile of back-channel comments about what a horrible job I'm doing and how I should just give up. This is exciting for me, because I get to play out this daily scr... [more]

75. More Than "Just Balls": The Legend of the Ralph Marlin Tie by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 29, 2008 When ESPN.com brought me on in the summer of 2005, my good friend Sarah bought me a Ralph Marlin "Just Balls" tie. It was one of those nice timely things that good friends do -- they buy you things having to do with what you're celebrating just as you're celebrating them. Little did I know that it w... [more]

76. The Boubacar 3/10/2008 (Fifth-To-Last Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 10, 2008 ALBANY, N.Y. -- Yes indeed, the regular season is over. Everybody's into their conference tournaments now, and four are over already. And since The Boubacar is a regular-season thing, we'll be winding down this particular portion of the entertainment this week. But first and foremost, I wanted to l... [more]

77. 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]

78. The Boubacar 3/3/2008 (Big Red Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 March 3, 2008 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- The calendar does not deceive you, it's been March for two-plus days now and we haven't seen one conference tournament game. We'll take care of that tomorrow (the Big South, OVC and Horizon get underway), but this in-between day gives us a chance to catch our collective breath and... [more]

79. The Boubacar 2/18/2008 (Network Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 February 18, 2008 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Plenty of folks have the day off for the holiday today, but we have a patriotic duty to provide you with a Supersized Boubacar that takes into account all the action from the weekend that was. We'll get to that in a second, but I wanted to share with you my most recent fantastic... [more]

80. The Mid-Majority Interview: John Kuchar by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 16, 2007 You usually meet the best people by accident, and often in the strangest places. I made the acquaintance of John Kuchar in a PayPal complaint box -- he had subscribed to Basketball State last month but some stray binaries kept his account from being activated. Once that was ironed out, he told me ab... [more]

81. The Boubacar 12/5/2007 (Purple Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 5, 2007 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- First of all this morning, a big hello-and-thank-you to the 213 members of the Upset Club. We got you one (a result, surely, of all the Northern Illinois love from yesterday) or two last night, but those e-mail boxes should be lighting up soon with lots more Upset Alerts. Maybe ev... [more]

82. The Travelogue: Chapter 5 by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 3, 2007 Philadelphia Lift up your downcast eyes, woman; there is a special place in heaven for you. O truck stop waitress, you sustainer of the long-distance voyageur, Cinderella of the service industry, underfoot guardian and caretaker of the linoleum empire... one day, when you finally fall from your wea... [more]

83. The Boubacar 12/3/2007 (Hey! Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S4 December 3, 2007 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The "e" in e-mail was supposed to stand for "emproved" and "enstant." It was designed to be better than regular mail, because it would arrive there the second you sent it and you can feel confident enough in the system that every e-mail will be properly received. Sure, you can't ... [more]

84. Game! Of! The! Night! 12/1/2007: Hampton vs. Howard by Kyle Whelliston

S4 November 30, 2007 Hampton vs. Howard (MEAC) Madison Square Garden -- New York, NY (Big Apple Classic) 9:00 PM EST We figure you already know about the big mid-major vs. major games on Saturday's docket (Duke-Davidson in Charlotte, Indiana @ SIU, Michigan @ Harvard, Seton Hall @ Saint Mary's, Texas Tech @ Ce... [more]

85. The Mid-Majority Interview: Mikaelyn Austin by Kyle Whelliston

S4 November 16, 2007 Because no website has ever thought of anything like this before -- to my knowledge, at least -- TMM will be running an interview series at the end of each week throughout the college basketball season. I know, I know, this has been done before, in other places. But we'll be chatting with coaches, p... [more]

86. 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]

87. The Daily Paragraph 2/12/2007 (Magic Mushroom Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 February 12, 2007 BALTIMORE -- OK, OK, OK, OK. I've read your e-mails, I've received your calls and media inquiries. The big question of the weekend is not what happened in the huge mid-major games these past few days, but what are we to do about this? And this? Let's get the easy punchline out of the way first: Ther... [more]

88. The Daily Paragraph 1/30/2007 (BarbaroBusters Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S3 January 30, 2007 PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Before we begin our supersized DP, I just want to share with you something I wrote yesterday. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (fourth edition, 2004, published by Houghton Mifflin) defines the word "champion" as "One that wins first place or first prize in... [more]

89. Epilogue, The Second by Kyle Whelliston

S2 April 9, 2006 INDIANAPOLIS, Apr. 2 -- There are huge signs all over town -- on airport walls, strung over streetlights, over the main gate to the RCA Dome. They all read, "The Road Ends Here." There's also a giant logo on the side of the 45,000-seat venue, a green and gold star with zag-zigging trailers that has... [more]

90. Mid-Majority Scrapbook, Vol. I by Kyle Whelliston

S2 December 5, 2005 Some pictures from the first few weeks of the season. Harvard-Vermont handshake line (Game 101) Creepy close encounter with the Providence Friar (Game 102) Burlington, VT Catamount Country (Game 104) The Wolf Pack (Game 104) Bucknell's Sojka Pavilion (Game 105) Bison chair (Game 105) The Mi... [more]

91. Square 101 by Kyle Whelliston

S2 November 21, 2005 Game 101: at Harvard 65, Vermont 57 Saturday, November 19, 2005 Lavietes Pavilion - Cambridge, MA In one single second of eternity, our planet spins billions of times around its sun, water and earth crash into eachother for territorial control, civilizations rise and fall. Same could be said for on... [more]

92. The 20 Games Project by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 3, 2005 Game 070: at New Hampshire 76, Stony Brook 66 Sunday, February 28, 2005 Lundholm Gymnasium - Durham, NH On a cold and clear Senior Day just off the New Hampshire seacoast, the 100 Games Project entered the seventies. The 100GP tied Mark McGwire's single-season home run record, an aesthetically plea... [more]

93. Missed Connection by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 3, 2005 Game 069: at Harvard 80, Brown 68 Saturday, February 26, 2005 Lavietes Pavilion - Cambridge, MA Last Saturday evening, I was scheduled to meet a fellow blogger and college basketball enthusiast for a game. We've been blog-buddies for several years now, but this would have had been my first in-perso... [more]

94. Where Are We Running? by Kyle Whelliston

S1 March 2, 2005 Game 067: at Harvard 82, Yale 66 Friday, February 26, 2005 Lavietes Pavilion - Cambridge, MA If each basketball team's season is like a single lifetime, then Ivy League hoops must be a lot like life. There are good days and bad days, zero second chances and absolutely no do-overs. And if you were ... [more]

95. Dribblings 2/24/2005 (What Went Wrong? Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 24, 2005 Mid-American: Akron 55, Miami (Oh.) 49 (OT) (story) - Six-four RedHawk guard Chet Mason had the game of his life, with 23 points and 15 rebounds... but as the sportswriters like to say, it was not enough. Despite sending the game to overtime on a last-second three by William Hatcher, Miami (17-1, 11... [more]

96. Never Can Say Goodbye by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 13, 2005 Game 056: at Pennsylvania 73, Columbia 66 Friday, February 11, 2005 The Palestra - Philadelphia, PA Every game counts, but the sad flipside of the Ivy League season is that it is cruel and short: only fourteen games over six weeks. Each team gets three weekends at home, two midweek contests against... [more]

97. Dribblings 2/7/2005 (Freedom From Football Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 7, 2005 When the final gun sounded at the Super Bowl yesterday, the city of Philadelphia was again spared the property-damaging bonfire a quarter-century in the making. While the majority of American sports fans will be spending the day mourning and mothballing their screen-printed replica jerseys, a few of... [more]

98. Priorities by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 5, 2005 Game 051: Pennsylvania 70, at Harvard 57 Friday, February 4, 2005 Lavietes Pavilion - Cambridge, MA Two weeks after the Blizzard of 2005, much of the ancient city of Boston was still buried under three feet of frozen white. The temperatures had been too frigid for significant melting to occur, and ... [more]

99. Mighty Little Man by Kyle Whelliston

S1 February 3, 2005 Game 048: at Columbia 57, Harvard 55 Sunday, January 30, 2005 Levien Gymnasium - New York, NY Sunday afternoon was a cold and clear one, but after the bitingly frigid week that was it felt like spring had truly sprung. Folks streamed out onto the streets of upper Manhattan to enjoy the 30 degree te... [more]

100. Dribblings 1/31/2005 (Media Timeout Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 31, 2005 Mid-American: Miami (Oh.) 74, Akron 63 (story) - It was a bonus Shakedown Saturday game that happened to fall on Sunday. The RedHawks of Miami were up by 20 and had the game well in hand going into the final five minutes, but the zippy Zips zipped off an 18-1 run to cut the lead to four. In a rare g... [more]

101. 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]

102. Dribblings 1/26/2005 (Sweeter Sixteen Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 January 26, 2005 Missouri Valley: Illinois State 77, Evansville 58 (story) - The Redbirds have overachieved this season with explosive offense and discipline - they used a 50-point second half and extreme ball control to sink the Aces. Three-point specialist Trey Guidry scored 25 points in just 21 minutes. So what n... [more]

103. Dribblings 12/13/2004 (Late-Nite Cramming Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 December 13, 2004 Florida International 65, Florida State 60 (story) - This is not the site you go to if you want thoughtful analysis of the ACC, but people who run those sites are saying that the conference might get seven Tournament bids this season. Team number eight is FSU, whose only convincing win so far is ove... [more]

104. Dribblings 12/12/2004 (Half-Rack Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 December 12, 2004 UPSETS Southern 67, Southeastern Louisiana 65 (story) - They say "SWAC" stands for "Southern Wins Another Championship," but their hoopsters haven't Danced in 11 years. A squeaker over a SELU team that won 20 games last year will likely stoke the high hopes in Baton Rouge, and help Jaguars fans for... [more]

105. MMBOW #3: Jose Juan Barea, Northeastern by Kyle Whelliston

S1 November 29, 2004 Like a young, wet foal bravely attempting to put his legs under him for the first time, the Mid-Majority Baller Of The Week Award made some happy progress this week towards its very first frolic in the meadow. Yes, this week saw the first vote that originated from the TMM-reading public. It was for ... [more]

106. It Used To Be A Basketball Town by Kyle Whelliston

S1 November 28, 2004 Game 008: at Boston College 79, Clemson 70 Friday, November 26, 2004 Silvio Conte Forum - Boston, MA Back then, you'd come in on the elevated line, chattering and clacking above the streets. Right before North Station, the train would sweep around a wide corner, and there it was - the tan bricks, t... [more]

107. Sons Of Flubber by Kyle Whelliston

S1 November 28, 2004 Game 009: at Harvard 85, Northeastern 75 Saturday, November 27, 2004 Lavietes Pavilion - Cambridge, MA One of the things that makes our game so great is that no amount of athletic skill will guarantee victory. Teamwork, guts and guile can go a long way - sometimes all the way. We have plenty of exa... [more]

108. Go, Fight, Win by Kyle Whelliston

S1 November 26, 2004 Today, we celebrate the one-weekiversary of the brawl that will likely end up plunging the NBA to levels of fan indifference not seen since the 1970's. Pundits are still lining up to decry a disturbing new "culture of violence" in the modern sports world. Who's to blame? The fans, the players, the m... [more]

109. Dribblings 11/22/2004 (Upset City Edition) by Kyle Whelliston

S1 November 22, 2004 OK, so there are the headline upsets of this past weekend, like Santa Clara over North Carolina and Virginia over Arizona. But here are some other first-weekend results that stick out from the thicket. Long Island over Lehigh, 66-56 (story) - Patriot League defending champs give Penn State a game o... [more]

110. 100: The Impossible Dream by Kyle Whelliston

S1 November 9, 2004 One Sunday afternoon in early February, I found myself sitting in a cold, half-empty gymnasium in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. I was watching Rider and Loyola - two of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's perennial doormats - fall all over each other. It was halftime, and the two squads had barely... [more]

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