Mid-Major Stars to Watch in 2014-15 College Basketball Season

For all of you who grow fatigued by the BIG conferences and their subsequent BIG players, feel free to turn your attention to some of the lesser-known basketball properties.

The mid-majors always make some sort of a name for themselves come tournament time. The Gonzagas and the Wichita States of the college basketball landscapes are populated with lots of talent. The problem is we rarely hear of them until February and March. No more!

Read on to see 10 mid-major stars ready to make an impact from now through March.

Fred VanVleet, Wichita State

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VanVleet, a junior, was one of the young stars on a team that lost just one game a year ago. The awards he received last season are too numerable to mention.

He averaged 11.6 points per game with 3.9 rebounds and a team-high 69 steals and 193 assists.

The Wichita Eagle’s Bob Lutz writes, “It’ll be another year in which trying to define the Shockers’ best player is an effort in futility, sure to make you groggy. VanVleet gets extra credit because he’s a point guard. He’s the engine.”

VanVleet has help from returning players Ron Baker and Tekele Cotton, so VanVleet could be poised for a career year this season.

Jacob Parker, Stephen F. Austin

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Senior Jacob Parker carried the load for the Lumberjacks a year ago and now, as a senior, he’ll be expected to do much the same (though he should have the added help and experience of Thomas Walkup).

Parker averaged 14.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, leading his team in scoring in 11 of its 35 games last season. He led his team to its Southland Conference title and fourth-best conference record in the 2013-14 season.

The Lumberjacks pulled off a classic fifth seed-12th seed upset in last year’s NCAA tournament and if they are to get back, Parker will lead them and you, as a result, should watch.

Lawrence Alexander, North Dakota State

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The North Dakota State Bison graduated six players from last year’s team, a team which defeated No. 5 Oklahoma in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The leader of the next wave is Lawrence Alexander, and he’ll have to be the stabilizing force and one of the top stars in the mid-majors.

Alexander, a senior, averaged 11.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while throwing in a team-second 86 assists.

“As a captain, you never want to surrender,” Alexander told Colton Pool of The Spectrum. “You never want to scare the troops. I try to get my team to relax in big games and big moments.”

All eyes, as the saying goes, will be on him. This is his time to surface from the shadow of last year’s seniors.

Ike Nwamu, Mercer

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Mercer’s Ike Nwamu was the prototypical sixth man a year ago. He averaged 8.3 points per game behind a platoon of seniors who did much of the heavy lifting for a team that went 27-6 in the Atlantic Sun.

Nwamu did that as a sophomore, so now expect the guard to play a much more pivotal role this season. And for fans looking for lightning, Nwamu is just that.

Jamari Jordan of The Mars Reel writes, "Without hesitation, the Mercer coaching staff, team, and even Nwamu himself will acknowledge the best part of his game is his unmatched athleticism. Each night, when Nwamu subs in at the scorer’s table, he arguably becomes the purest athlete on the court."

We’ve seen great athletes flounder, especially at the highest level, but on the college level, men can sometimes out-athlete other players, and this may just be that case.

Wesley Saunders, Harvard

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Say what you will about the Harvard Crimson and the subsequent/inherent jokes that come with being an Ivy League baller—this team has stars, including their leading scorer from a year ago in Wesley Saunders.

Saunders has been the centerpiece of a Crimson team that advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament in March.

“Wesley’s instincts and his feel are as big a part of his repertoire as anything,” Harvard coach Tommy Amaker told Julian Benbow of The Boston Globe. “When you have instincts and feel and then you have skill level, now you’ve become a really, really good player.”

Saunders led the team with 14.2 points per game last season.

Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga

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Gonzaga returns its second-leading scorer from last season in Kevin Pangos. The 6’2” guard scored 14.5 points per game, just a tenth behind Sam Dower.

Pangos was nagged by a toe injury last season, and if he comes back healthy, he’ll be the John Stockton-esque guard to keep an eye on. This is a team that graduated David Stockton, John’s son, who led the team in assists (surprise, surprise).

SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell writes:

"

Pangos will team with Gary Bell to give the 'Zags one of the best and most experienced guard tandems in the country. Pangos and Bell might be the best pair of shooters in college basketball. They've combined to make 41.6 percent of their three-pointers across three seasons each with the Bulldogs.

"

Pangos will be on everyone’s radar, especially as the tournament approaches.

Kyle Anderson, Delaware

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He’s a pure shooter (whatever that means), and he’s ready to take on the role as the star of the Delaware Blue Hens. Kyle Anderson is that guy.

He fired off 610 threes while making 215 in his three years at Delaware. With the departure in one form or another of Devon Saddler, Jarvis Threatt and Davon Usher, Anderson may shine brightest in Newark.

“I’m going to play different a way this year, a lot different than people are probably used to seeing me,” Anderson told City of Basketball Love's Josh Verlin. “I’m not just going to be in that spot-up shooting role like I have in the past, I’m going to be more of a focal point, have the ball in my hands.”

Without the three exiting leading scorers, Anderson may not have the open shots on the perimeter he had last season, but expect him to find other ways to score as he leads the Blue Hens.

Craig Bradshaw, Belmont

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Craig Bradshaw has big shoes to fill since J.J. Mann is no longer with the Bruins. Bradshaw was second on the team in scoring last season with 15.7 points per game, and he also dished out 111 dimes.

He helped his team earn a 13-1 record at home, and now the junior gets a chance to be the focal point of the Bruins backcourt. Rick Byrd, Bradshaw’s coach, wants him to just keep doing what he does.

Byrd told Autumn Allison of The Tennessean, "You’ve got a guy that plays so hard possession in, possession out, a guy that has had more than one concussion in his career and yet he still plays totally without fear. And he does it in practice. … There’s no question that has a really positive impact on the rest of his teammates.”

That’s a fun style of play to watch, something people who embrace college basketball tune in to see.

David Brown, Western Michigan

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David Brown has a serious chance to be one of the most talked-about players in the upcoming season. Not because he scored a team-high 19.1 points per game a year ago and not because his assists-to-turnover ratio was just 0.66. No, it’s because he’s been granted a sixth year of eligibility.

Injuries limited him to just 19 games in two years.

Brown’s Instagram post from mid-August said (h/t David Drew of MLive.com):

"

I received news that I am going to be a Bronco for one more year!!! I get a chance to do something great this upcoming year. I am truly blessed to be giving this opportunity, now it's time for me to show the best of me.I am thankful for all the blessings I have been giving, now its time to chance after another RING!!!!! Look out for The Broncos, because we are coming!!!!! #rings # MAC #letsgetit

"

This is great news for fans of WSU, which will contend for a Mid-American crown with Brown’s return.

How much must a guy love playing college ball to even consider sticking around for a sixth year? This is graduate-level basketball. Can't you already hear Jim Nantz interviewing this guy in March?

Julius Brown, Toledo

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Senior Julius Brown brings his game back to Toledo for a final season. He led his team last year in scoring with 14.9 points per game and total assists with 205 (6.0 per game).

With David Brown (presumably no relation) returning for his sixth year at Western Michigan, this could be an interesting tandem to watch in the Mid-American Conference this season.

Joel Wessler of College Sports Madness writes of Julius Brown, “Julius Brown should lead this team to another big year. Brown makes this team tick offensively and this is one of the best scoring offenses in the nation.”

Fans love great offense, and being a leading scorer of an offensive-minded team makes this Brown a certain mid-major star.