Mid-Major Top 25, Final Edition: Murray State Wraps Up Season as Clear No. 1

The season has ended for mid-majors with the only remaining college basketball contest being the national championship game between Kentucky and Kansas. It has been a good year for mid-majors, and, although there were no ridiculous runs to the Final Four, there were still a few huge upsets and Cinderella stories to keep mid-majors fans happy.

Here are the top 25 mid-majors in the nation based on my evaluation. This will be the last edition of this season.

Please note that I consider a mid-major team to be any team that is not from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Pac-12, Mountain West, Atlantic 10 or Conference USA.

*Follow Jesse Kramer on Twitter @Jesse_Kramer for more college basketball news and information.

25. Mercer Bears

Record: 27-11, 13-5 A-Sun

Mercer fell short of an Atlantic Sun tournament championship, but the Bears took advantage of a bid to the CIT. In the lower-level postseason tournament, Mercer defeated Tennessee State, Georgia State, Old Dominion, Fairfield and Utah State to take home the CIT championship.

Notable Wins: Old Dominion (road), Fairfield (road)

Notable Losses: Jacksonville (road), Florida Gulf Coast (home)

24. Detroit Titans

Record: 22-14, 11-7 Horizon

Detroit made it back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1999, but the Titans fell short of a colossal upset over Kansas, losing 65-50. Although they lose a number of seniors, they will return backcourt members Ray McCallum and Jason Calliste.

Notable Wins: Cleveland State (neutral), Valparaiso (road)

Notable Losses: Bowling Green, UIC (road)

23. LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds

Record: 25-9, 16-2 NEC

LIU-Brooklyn won the NEC championship and went to the NCAA tournament for the second straight season, but the Blackbirds once again fell short of their first ever NCAA tournament victory. They put up a good fight against No. 1 seed Michigan State, trailing by only five points at halftime, but they ultimately fell by more than 20 points.

Look for LIU to once again be a premier mid-major in 2012-13—the Blackbirds return their four leading scorers.

Notable Wins: Wagner (home, road)

Notable Losses: Hofstra (road), Monmouth (road)

22. Akron Zips

Record: 22-12, 13-3 MAC

Akron won the regular season MAC title, but the Zips wound up falling to Ohio in the conference championship game, 64-63. In the NIT, the Zips gave Northwestern a good fight on the road, but they ended up losing by two.

Notable Wins: Mississippi State (road), Detroit (home), Marshall (road), Ohio (home), Kent State (road)

Notable Losses: Duquesne (neutral), Buffalo (home)

21. South Dakota State Jackrabbits

Record: 27-8, 15-3 Summit

South Dakota State went to the NCAA tournament as a No. 14 seed and took on the Baylor Bears, but Baylor's size proved to be too much as the Jackrabbits lost, 68-60. The Jackrabbits lose senior Griffan Callahan for next season, but everyone else is returning to Brookings.

Notable Wins: Mercer (road), Washington (road), Oral Roberts (home)

Notable Losses: North Dakota (road), South Dakota (road)

20. Weber State Wildcats

Record: 25-7, 14-2 Big Sky

Weber State fell victim to Montana two times in three games a few weeks ago in a pair of conference championship games—one for the regular season title and the other for the tournament title and NCAA tournament berth.

The Wildcats still received a berth to the CIT, but after beating Utah Valley they fell to Loyola Marymount in overtime in the second round.

Notable Wins: Montana (home)

Notable Losses: Idaho State (road)

19. Belmont Bruins

Record: 27-8, 16-2 A-Sun

Belmont won 14 games in a row from January 23 to March 3, but the momentum did not carry over to the NCAA tournament. The Bruins were a No. 14 seed in the Big Dance, but they fell to Georgetown in the second round, 74-59.

Notable Wins: Middle Tennessee (road), Marshall (home), Mercer (road)

Notable Losses: Miami-Ohio (road), Lipscomb (home)

18. Davidson Wildcats

Record: 25-8, 16-2 SoCon

Davidson outlasted Western Carolina in an all-time classic conference championship game to earn a bid to the NCAA tournament. After the Catamounts made a furious comeback to force an extra period, the Wildcats managed to outlast the underdog in double-overtime by two points.

In the NCAA tournament, Davidson could not keep the winning streak going, falling to Louisville, 69-62, in the second round of the tournament.

Notable Wins: Kansas (road), Penn (home), Charleston (home)

Notable Losses: Charlotte (road), Samford (road)

17. Iona Gaels

Record: 25-8, 15-3 MAAC

Iona appeared to be riding high into the second round of the NCAA tournament with a 25-point, first half lead over BYU in the First Four, but the Gaels once again collapsed and ended up losing by six.

Congrats to Iona on the biggest collapse in NCAA tournament history.

Notable Wins: Maryland (neutral), St. Joe's (home), Denver (road), L-MD (home)

Notable Losses: Hofstra (road), Manhattan (home), Siena (road)

16. Montana Grizzlies

Record: 25-7, 15-1 Big Sky

Montana spent most of the season in line for the No. 2 seed in the Big Sky Conference tournament. The Grizzlies lost to Weber State early in the year, and the only way they could get the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage would be to beat the Wildcats in the final game of the season.

They did, and then they beat them again eight days later to earn a trip to the NCAA tournament. In the Big Dance, Montana would fall to No. 4 seed Wisconsin in the second round, 73-49.

Notable Wins: Long Beach State (home), Weber State (home, home)

Notable Losses: North Dakota (road), San Francisco (home)

15. Oral Roberts Golden Eagles

Record: 27-7, 17-1 Summit

Oral Roberts had the looks of a team that could maybe pull off an upset in March this year, but the Golden Eagles never got that chance after falling to Western Illinois in the Summit League semifinals. The Golden Eagles did get a bid to the NIT, but they lost in their first game to Nevada.

Notable Wins: Xavier (road), South Dakota State (home), Akron (home)

Notable Losses: UTSA (neutral), Western Illinois (neutral)

14. Lehigh Mountain Hawks

Record: 27-8, 11-3 Patriot

Lehigh pulled off an upset in the Patriot League championship game by beating Bucknell, 82-77, but the fun did not stop there for the Mountain Hawks. In the NCAA tournament, they took down No. 2 seed Duke, 75-70, becoming the sixth team to accomplish such a feat.

Lehigh put up a good fight in the third round against No. 10 seed Xavier, but the Mountain Hawks blew a first-half lead and lost, 70-58.

Notable Wins: Wagner (road), Bucknell (road, road), Duke (neutral)

Notable Losses: Cornell (road), Holy Cross (road)

13. Nevada Wolf Pack

Record: 28-7, 13-1 WAC

Nevada was shocked by Louisiana Tech in the WAC tournament and did not receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, but the Wolf Pack put together a run to the quarterfinals in the NIT. The Wolf Pack beat Oral Roberts and Bucknell before falling to Stanford.

Notable Wins: Washington (home), Montana (road), New Mexico State (road), Oral Roberts (road)

Notable Losses: Missouri State (home), Idaho (home), Louisiana Tech (neutral)

12. Brigham Young Cougars

Record: 26-9, 12-4 WCC

While Iona had the biggest collapse in NCAA tournament history, Brigham Young completed the biggest comeback. The Cougars advanced to a second-round matchup with No. 3 seed Marquette, but they fell to the Golden Eagles in a 88-68 blowout.

Notable Wins: Nevada (neutral), Oregon (neutral), Weber State (home), Gonzaga (home)

Notable Losses: Utah State (road), LMU (home)

11. Harvard Crimson

Record: 26-5, 12-2 Ivy

Thanks to Princeton's win over Penn in the final game of the regular season, Harvard did not have to play a tiebreaker game with the Quakers for an NCAA tournament berth. The Crimson received the Ivy League's automatic bid but then fell to No. 5 seed Vanderbilt in the second round.

Notable Wins: Florida State (neutral), UCF (neutral), St. Joe's (home), Penn (road)

Notable Losses: Fordham (road), Penn (home), Princeton (road)

10. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

Record: 27-7, 14-2 Sun Belt

Middle Tennessee was another in a slew of conference regular season champions to wind up in the NIT. The Blue Raiders took advantage of their second chance and beat Marshall and Tennessee to advance to the NIT quarterfinals, but they then lost at home to eventual runner-up Minnesota.

Notable Wins: Akron (home), Belmont (home), Ole Miss (neutral), Marshall (home), Tennessee (road)

Notable Losses: UAB (road), Western Kentucky (road), Arkansas State (neutral)

9. Drexel Dragons

Record: 29-7, 16-2 CAA

In the eyes of some, Drexel got snubbed from the NCAA tournament after losing to VCU in the CAA championship. The Dragons ended up playing in the NIT, where they beat Central Florida and Northern Iowa before losing to Massachusetts in the quarterfinals.

Notable Wins: VCU (home), George Mason (home), Old Dominion (road), UCF (home)

Notable Losses: Delaware (road), Georgia State (road)

8. Ohio Bobcats

Record: 29-8, 11-5 MAC

Along with Lehigh and Norfolk State, Ohio was the biggest surprise of this year's NCAA tournament. The Bobcats upset No. 4 seed Michigan and then No. 12 South Florida to reach the Sweet 16. But in the regional semifinal, their luck ran out in an overtime loss to No. 1 seed North Carolina.

Notable Wins: Marshall (road), Akron (home, neutral), Michigan (neutral), South Florida (neutral)

Notable Losses: Bowling Green (road), Toledo (road), Eastern Michigan (road)

7. Long Beach State 49ers

Record: 25-9, 15-1 Big West

Long Beach State was a popular upset pick in the Big Dance, but the 49ers ended up falling short against No. 5 seed New Mexico, 75-68. 49er coach Dan Monson was contacted for the vacant Colorado State position, but he reportedly turned down the Rams and will stay in Long Beach.

Notable Wins: Pitt (road), Xavier (road)

Notable Losses: CS Fullerton (road)

6. Virginia Commonwealth Rams

Record: 29-7, 15-3 CAA

It was not a Final Four run, but once again Shaka Smart and Virginia Commonwealth pulled off some March magic, upsetting No. 5 seed Wichita State in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Rams then put up a fight against Indiana in the third round, but they blew a second-half lead and lost, 63-61.

Notable Wins: South Florida (home), Akron (road), ODU (road), Drexel (neutral), Wichita State (neutral)

Notable Losses: Georgia Tech (neutral), Georgia State (home)

5. St. Mary's Gaels

Record: 27-6, 14-2 WCC

St. Mary's went to the NCAA tournament with a four-game winning streak under its belt, but the Gaels ended up falling to No. 10 seed Purdue in a close game. Although they will lose Rob Jones and Clint Steindl, they do return four of their top five scorers for next season.

Notable Wins: Weber State (home), BYU (home, road), Gonzaga (home, neutral)

Notable Losses: Denver (road), LMU (home)

4. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Record: 26-7, 13-3 WCC

Gonzaga lost to St. Mary's in the WCC championship game, but that didn't faze the Zags. The Bulldogs were a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament, and they blew out West Virginia before eventually losing to No. 2 seed Ohio State.

Notable Wins: Oral Roberts (home), Xavier (road), St. Mary's (home), BYU (home, neutral), West Virginia (neutral)

Notable Losses: San Francisco (road)

3. Wichita State Shockers

Record: 27-6, 16-2 MVC

Wichita State lost to Illinois State in the MVC semifinals, but the Shockers still seemed like a good dark horse as an at-large team. However, they ended up being upset in their first game, falling to Virginia Commonwealth by three points.

Notable Wins: Colorado (neutral), UNLV (home), Creighton (road)

Notable Losses: Drake (road), Illinois State (neutral)

2. Creighton Bluejays

Record: 29-6, 14-4 MVC

Creighton was seeded lower than expected as a No. 8 seed, but the Bluejays managed to get through a tough, second-round matchup with Alabama and earn a date with No. 1 seed North Carolina. The top-seeded Tar Heels ended up running over the Jays, defeating them 87-73.

Notable Wins: San Diego State (road), Northwestern (home), Wichita State (road), Long Beach State (home), Alabama (neutral)

Notable Losses: Missouri State (home), Northern Iowa (road), Evansville (road)

1. Murray State Racers

Record: 31-2, 15-1 OVC

Murray State's magical season ended with a third-round loss to No. 3 Marquette in the NCAA tournament. In the second round, the Racers had defeated Colorado State for their first NCAA tournament win since 2010.

Notable Wins: Southern Miss (neutral), Dayton (home), Memphis (road), St. Mary's (home), Colorado State (neutral)

Notable Losses: Tennessee State (home)