(Mid) Major Exictement

It seems like a mid-major college basketball team sneaks up on one of the "giants" during each and every season, making a name for themselves in the world of college basketball.

There's Valparaiso, who rejoiced the success of their Sweet 16 appearance under the Coach-Son duo of Homer and Bryce Drew.

Everyone knows about Gonzaga, who nearly put Spokane, Washington into a frenzy three years ago when they were minutes away from knocking off eventual National Champion Connecticut in the Elite Eight.

Then, there are the one-hit wonders. Teams that get their 15 minutes of fame during the NCAA Tournament and then fall back into obscurity: Tennessee-Chattanooga, Miami of Ohio and the Jaspers of Manhattan College.

Few folks follow the mid-major conferences before they are thrust into the spotlight of ESPN's Championship Week. Many of these mid-major teams exist in anonymity, and like a struggling actress on Broadway, long to stand in the national spotlight.

For the first time since I transferred out of the University of Delaware, a wonderful mid-major program, I attended a collegiate basketball outside of the University of Kansas' historic Allen Field House.

The game was between UMKC and IUPUI, two members of the Mid-Continent Conference dominated by Valparaiso, with its tradition of towering European players in the frontcourt.

Once I got over the fact that there weren't 16,300 fervent fans, the cheerleaders, pep band, some local Kansas City talent and a mini-blimp made me feel like I was in the right place for a college basketball game.

I even chatted with a couple of NBA scouts who arrived in Kansas City, hoping that this one game may yield a key pick in an upcoming NBA Draft.

Both of these schools are fairly new to the Division I scene. They are eager to break Valpo's hold on the conference and let the rest of the college basketball world know that there are more teams in the Mid-Con.

UMKC entered the game with a 9-5 record, defeating in-state rival Southwest Missouri State in an overtime thriller and Northern Iowa, a team that knocked off Iowa. The Kangaroos also played well in losses against top 10 teams Kansas and Oklahoma State.

The Jaguars, from Indianapolis, boasted of a 98-92 victory over Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

Both teams know that winning the conference tournament is the only way to get them on the big stage.

That brings out the best and the worst of mid-major Division I basketball.

The conference tournament means everything to the Jaguars and the Kangaroos. The success of each team's entire season will depend on what they do during one to three days in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Jaguars 64-63 overtime victory in Kansas City will have little meaning once conference tournament play begins.

Of course, the seeding will be decided by the regular season meetings but the tournament will be held at a neutral site. Even the strongest team in the conference could be vulnerable for a loss there.

In the ACC or Big East, you can sleepwalk into the conference tournament, lose by 25 and not lose any sleep over a NCAA bid. Teams with losing records in the conference are often among the seven or eight teams that get invited to the Big Dance, while the rest appear in the NIT.

Short of a near-perfect season, the NIT is a pipe dream for mid-major programs who fail to qualify for the NCAA tourney.

That's the good part of a mid-major tournament. The mid-major regular season, however meaningless it may be, is still a good chance for college basketball fans to take in a game without giving up an arm and a leg.

Most hoops fans in Cedar City, Utah and Tulsa, Oklahoma can't drop everything they are doing and drive all-night to Fort Wayne, Indiana for a three game college basketball extravaganza.

The mid-major games are packed with excitement and they are living proof that college basketball, in its purest form, still exists.

Rosters full of seniors are abundant on most squads since almost every mid-major player decides to stay in school.

Another heartwarming scene at Saturday's game was the IUPUI women's team sitting among the corner of Jaguar faithful and cheering on their male counterparts. This reminded me of something not seen at the big-time college level. The teams travel together and play the same opponents during conference road trips.

There are always new mid-major teams making names for themselves and creating joy among their universities.

Who knows? The next Valpo or Gonzaga could be coming to an arena near you.