College Basketball: 10 Mid-Majors That Could Reach the Final Four

It seems like every year there is a new mid-major that threatens the big-time programs. What started with George Mason in 2006 has become almost expected.

Butler has appeared in two consecutive title games and last year they were joined by VCU. Soon we will have to retire the mid-major label, as any good team with great coaching can make the March run.

Here are the 10 "mid-majors" with the best shot at making the 2012 NCAA Final Four.

Butler

Butler has some work to do to return to the form that has produced back-to-back national title game performances. As of now, they are 1-1, having dropped a game to Evansville in OT in the season opener. 

That loss looked worse when Evansville followed that win up with a 21-point loss at home to Indiana. The Bulldogs rebounded with a sound win over Chattanooga, but their first big test will be Saturday when they host No. 7 Louisville.

Andrew Smith has taken over nicely as team leader; he's leading the Bulldogs in scoring (18.5 ppg) and rebounding (9.5 rpg). Don't count Butler out. Brad Stevens is one of the best young coaches in the nation; he can right the ship.

Cleveland State

Cleveland State lost Norris Cole to the NBA, but D' Aundray Brown has stepped up big time so far. The Vikings are 2-0. They followed up their upset win over then No. 7 Vanderbilt with a blowout win over Rio Grande.

In those two games, Brown averaged 21 points and over eight rebounds per game. What is even more amazing is that he has had seven steals in each game. He is having a great year, but he and the Vikings have two tough games coming up. On Friday they host St. Bonaventure and on November 22nd they will play at Kent State.

Both games should be a big test. If they are successful, I think they deserve a spot in the Top 25.

Xavier

Many people don't consider No. 14 Xavier a mid-major, but technically, they still are. Senior PG Tu Holloway is among the most underrated players in the nation. He is a beast off the dribble as a scorer (24 ppg) and a creator (six apg).

Xavier is unusually deep for a mid-major with eight upperclassmen. This is the exactly the type of team that could go to the Final Four and possibly beyond.

They play a tough out-of-conference schedule with four currently ranked teams on the docket. Their first big test is November 28th at No. 20 Vanderbilt.

Middle Tennessee State

Their startling three-point barrage at the expense of the UCLA Bruins was no real surprise. They are shooting 46 percent from the arc as a team. Senior center LaRon Dendy has paced the Blue Raiders thus far. He leads the team in scoring (15.3) and rebounding (9.3).

Their previous wins were closer than the 20-point margin against the Bruins, and the competition wasn't as impressive. That said, we will see on December 4th vs. Akron if the game against the Bruins taught us how good the Blue Raiders are or how bad the Bruins are.

Charlotte

The 49ers haven't scored the huge upset yet, and they won't likely get the chance to until late December when they play Miami, Arkansas and No. 10 Memphis in a three-game stretch. As of now, junior Chris Braswell and the 49ers have been monsters on the glass.

Braswell is leading the team in scoring (20.5), but he's sharing the rebound lead (11.0) with senior guard Javarris Barnett. They have dominated the inside in both of their games thus far, and their tenacity on the glass would give any team in the country a problem

Memphis

The Tigers have only played one game so far this year, but they are ranked No. 10 in the nation partly because of sophomore guard Will Barton.

He is a top-notch collegiate scorer and the Tigers' roster is full of versatility and superb athletes. They have a big early-season matchup on Monday when they host No. 17 Michigan.

Barton matched up with another nice college shooting guard, Tim Hardaway Jr., should be a treat. 

Gonzaga

When healthy, Gonzaga has tremendous size. They are currently ranked No. 22 in the nation, much of that is due to the play of senior center Robert Sacre. He is scoring 18.5 points and grabbing 10 rebounds per game.

Mark Few is a great coach and he just seems to consistently guide the guys Gonzaga grabs very well. This is a good group for him and Gonzaga may be able to surprise some folks.

Gonzaga has become a constant in the NCAA tournament, and I certainly don't expect that to change this year.

Akron

LeBron James' adopted college looks really good early on. The best thing for a team to see after pulling a upset is to blowout an inferior team afterward. It makes you feel as though the upset was no fluke.

In Akron's case, the road win over Mississippi State was not. Quincy Diggs is an NBA prospect for 2013; he leads a balanced Zips attack. That balance, along with tough interior defense, is the teams' best quality.

Alex Abreu runs the show at the point guard spot for a very dangerous team come tournament time.

Tulsa

The Golden Hurricane is 3-0 and led by 6'11" senior forward Steven Idlet.  They do not have a tough game on their schedule, but they have tremendous balance and size.

All three of their wins have been by at least 15 points. The first test of the season is a matchup against the Northwestern Wildcats. If Tulsa can win at home against the Wildcats, they'll be close to a Top 25 ranking.

Long Beach State

The 49ers pulled a huge upset at No. 9 Pitt. Casper Wade has been putting on a show. The "Ghost" is a great all-around offensive player. Ware has been averaging 24 points per game, including 28 against the Panthers. He isn't the only one—the 49ers have great athletes and they excel at the up-tempo game. They could certainly give teams a problem with the style they play.

The 49ers are a solid team, and their non-conference will be very tough. They have San Diego St. on Saturday night, but they also play Louisville, Kansas and North Carolina on the road this year.

This team will surely be battle tested.