College Basketball Predictions: Power Ranking the Top 20 Mid-Major Players

Some of the best college basketball isn't played in one of the power conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12 and the SEC).

Many of the best players may never be seen this season on any of the major TV networks.

The label "mid-major" doesn't mean that the players are not very talented and aren't worthy of national recognition.

The following is a list of the top 20 mid-major players in the country

Because there is no definitive list of what conferences and schools should be placed in this category, I had to make judgement calls about what conference, teams and players would qualify.

20. Ken Horton: Central Connecticut State

2011-12: Senior

6'6" 195 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 19.5 PPG 8.9 RPG 1.6 BPG

Ken Horton looks to have a monster senior season.

As a junior, Horton led the conference in scoring and blocks, and was second in rebounding.

19. Kyle O'Quinn: Norfolk State

2011-12: Senior

6'10" 240 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 16.4 PPG 11.1 RPG 3.4 BPG

Kyle O'Quinn had a breakout year in 2010-11.

The 6'10" post player ended the season ranked fourth in the nation in blocked shots (3.4), fifth in rebounding (11.1) and eighth in double-doubles (19).

O'Quinn was the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2010-11.

18. Augustine Rubit: South Alabama

2011-12: Sophomore

6'6" 222 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 13.1 PPG 11 RPG 1.1 BPG

Undersized for a center, Augustine Rubit is still one of the most dominating players in the conference.

Rubit led the conference in rebounding, and averaged a double-double in his first season for the Jaguars. 

17. Alex Young: IUPUI

2011-12: Senior

6'6" 200 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 19.7 PPG 6.4 RPG 2.4 APG

Alex Young led the conference in scoring and tied for third in steals with 45.

Young was the only player in the Summit League to rank among the top 15 in scoring, rebounding and assists in 2010-11.

Young has been selected two straight years as an All-Summit League selection.

16. Eli Holman: Detroit

2011-12: Senior

6'10" 255 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 11.8 PPG 9.6 RPG 0.8 APG

The Titans are looking for big things from their big man, Eli Holman.

After starting his career at Indiana, Holman has found a home in the Detroit lineup

As a junior, Holman led the league in rebounding and rang up 13 double-doubles.

15. Robert Sacre: Gonzaga

2011-12: Senior

7'0" 260 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 12.5 PPG 6.2 RPG 1.9 BPG

Robert Sacre was named to the 2011 All-West Coast Conference first team.

For a big, Sacre possesses a nice shooting touch. He led Gonzaga last year in free-throw shooting at 82.3 percent (163-for-198).

14. C.J McCollum: Lehigh

2011-12: Junior

6'3" 165 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 21.8 PPG 7.8 RPG 2.1 APG

As a freshman, C.J. McCollum became the first player in Patriot League history to be named the league's Player and Rookie of the Year.

As a sophomore, he elevated his game, increasing his scoring and rebounding even further.

13. Andrew Nicholson: St.Bonaventure

2011-12: Senior

6'9" 225 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 20.8 PPG 7.4 RPG 1.5 BPG

Andrew Nicholson has had a great first three years at St. Bonaventure.

He was named the 2009 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and the Freshman All-American team by CollegeHoopsNet.com

This past season Nicholson was named to the A-10 All-Conference first team.

12. Keith Wright: Harvard

2011-12: Senior

6'8" 240 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 14.8 PPG 8.3 RPG

Keith Wright was a unanimous selection to the All-Ivy first team and was named Ivy League Player of the Year as a junior.

Wright was also named to the 2011 Lou Henson (mid-major) All-American team.

11. Kevin Foster: Santa Clara

2011-12: Junior

6'2" 220 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 20.2 PPG 2.7 RPG 3.7 APG

Kevin Foster led the WCC in scoring.

Foster hit for at least double figures in all but two of the Broncos' 2010-11 games.

Foster helped Santa Clara defeat Iona for the CollegeInsider.com tourney final, the Broncos' first-ever postseason, non-conference tournament championship.

10. Dominique Morrison: Oral Roberts University

2011-12: Senior

6'6" 190 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 19.5 PPG 5.0 RPG 2.1 APG

Last season, Dominique Morrison was named first-team All-Summit League for the second consecutive season

Morrison was selected as a member of the 2011 Lou Henson (mid-major) All-American team.

He is on pace to become the seventh ORU player to score 2,000 career points.

9. Cameron Moore: Alabama-Birmingham

2011-12: Senior

6'10" 230 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 14 PPG 9.3 RPG 0.9 APG

Cameron Moore will be one of the top big men in the country next year.

Moore showed everyone that he could be a force to reckon with, putting up 13 double-doubles in 2010-11.  

8. Justin Greene: Kent State

2011-12: Senior

6'8" 230 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 15.6 PPG 8.4 RPG 1.5 BPG

Justin Greene was the MAC Player of the Year for the 2010-11 season. 

He was the only player in the MAC to rank in the top 10 in points, rebounds and blocked shots.

He also posted 11 double-doubles on the season.

7. Bradford Burgess: Virginia Commonwealth

2011-12: Senior

6'6" 225 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 14.3 PPG 6.3 RPG 1.7 APG

While everyone in the college basketball world learned about VCU and Shaka Smart this past March, Bradford Burgess broke onto the national scene as the Rams made their unbelievable run during the 2011 NCAA tournament.

Burgess is an outstanding scorer with a very nice touch from beyond the arc (43 percent).

6. Doug McDermott: Creighton

2011-12: Sophomore

6'7" 210 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 14.2 PPG 7.6 RPG 1.2 APG

Doug McDermott had an exceptional freshman season playing for his dad at Creighton.

McDermott was named the 2010-11 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Freshman of the Year and MVC Newcomer of the Year, as well as being named to the All-MVC first team.

5. Kyle Weems: Missouri State

2011-12: Senior

6'6" 232 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 16 PPG 6.9 RPG 1.4 APG

Kyle Weems was the 2010-11 MVC Player of the Year.

Weems, also an All-MVC first-team selection this year, ranks among the Valley’s top 10 players in 11 of 13 statistical categories, including second in scoring and third in rebounding.

4. D.J. Cooper: Ohio

2011-12: Junior

5'11" 165 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 16.2 PPG 5.1 RPG 7.5 APG

In this upcoming season, the Bobcats are going to really rely on D.J. Cooper, their versatile backcourt leader.

Cooper was one of the nation's assists leaders as a sophomore and was named to the 2011 Lou Henson (mid-major) All-American team.

Cooper can do it all and will have a breakout season as a junior.

3. Ray McCallum: Detroit

2011-12: Sophomore

6'1" 185 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 13.5 PPG 4.7 RPG 4.9 APG

Ray McCallum had an exceptional freshman season playing for his dad at Detroit.

Many people expect him to be one of the best PGs in the nation this coming season.

McCallum spent the summer sharpening his game working out with and playing for Team USA in the World University Games.

2. Orlando Johnson: UC Santa Barbara

2011-12: Senior

6'5" 205 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 21.1 PPG 6.2 RPG 2.9 APG

It was a huge boost to UCSB basketball when Orlando Johnson decided to return to campus for his senior year.

Johnson has been a two-time Big West scoring champion, and the Gauchos have been to the NCAA tournament the last two years.

Johnson shot 40.5 percent from beyond the arc in 2010-11.

He was the Big West Player of the Year in 2010 and was named as a 2011 Lou Henson (mid-major) All-American team. 

Johnson has spent the summer training with and playing for Team USA at the World University Games in China.

1. Tu Holloway: Xavier

2011-12: Senior

6'0" 185 lbs.

2010-11 Stats: 19.7 PPG 5.0 RPG 5.4 APG

Tu Holloway made a lot of people in the Musketeer basketball world happy when he announced that he was returning for his senior year at Xavier.

Holloway, selected as a 2010-11 third-team All-American by the Associated Press (just the third Xavier player to earn AP first-, second- or third-team honors and only the second to do it as an underclassman) and the A-10's Player of the Year, will be one of the top guards in nation.

He is the real deal, an excellent combination of scorer and playmaker who is willing to go to the boards.

Xavier has been 77-25 during Holloway's three years in the program.