If you don’t have time to read full previews of each mid-major league and you don’t want to be flying blind, you’ve come to the right place. Here is one sentence for every conference in mid-major basketball curated by most of the staff here at MMM:
Vermont is the class of the America East, while New Hampshire and NJIT are in the basement, but the rest of the league is a crapshoot. – TM
Memphis is the perennial favorite in the American, but this league is deep with Bryan Hodgson’s South Florida bringing in a mix of mid-major transfers who are ready to take the leap and dethrone a weaker-looking Tiger squad. – RF and IB
Returning big men Robbie Avila (Saint Louis), Rafael Castro (George Washington), Miles Rubin (Loyola) and Amael L’Etang (Dayton) will all contend for A-10 titles and conference honors. – SF
Can a restructured Eastern Kentucky finally triumph at the ASUN Championship, or will the returning talent of Queens, North Alabama or Austin Peay prevail come March? – RF
Preseason favorite Montana aims to make it five straight years for a team from the Treasure State representing the Big Sky in the Big Dance, while perennial bottom-feeder Sacramento State has received some uncommon attention with head coach Mike Bibby, “general manager” Shaquille O’Neal, and big-name transfer Mikey Williams joining the ranks. – GL
Despite a coaching change, High Point is stacked with talent and is the likely favorite in the Big South, but watch out for Radford and Winthrop, which will be hot on the Panthers’ heels. – TM
UC Santa Barbara won the Big West offseason with additions of Miro Little and Aidan Mahaney, but UC Irvine is the incumbent program of the decade, and won’t be unseated kindly. – SF
It’s the usual suspects at the top of the CAA in Towson, UNC Wilmington and Charleston, but the rest of this league is packed with parity that makes every night like a 12–round bout. – RF
I doubt Conference USA will be very competitive this season with Liberty at the top, but Kennesaw State will be tough night in and night out, while New Mexico State brought in a portal haul. – TM
Robert Morris won its first Horizon League title last year but then lost all five of its starters; watch out for Milwaukee, and one can never count out Greg Kampe and Oakland. — IS
You can Sharpie Yale into first place in the preseason Ivy League rankings, but it’s a whole lot of pencil and eraser after that. – SF
Unlike most recent years, the MAAC actually has a strong core of returning talent serving to boost teams like Manhattan, Siena and Sacred Heart into the tier to challenge with Quinnipiac for the crown. – SF
Peter Suder (Miami–OH), Delrecco Gillespie (Kent State) and Jackson Paveletzke (Ohio) are all desperate to prevent a three-peat and put an end to Akron’s oppressive reign in the MAC. – RF
Norfolk State has a good chance to defend its MEAC regular season and tournament crowns, but Howard tries to make it three NCAA Tournaments in four years, and SC State – which came up just short in the 2025 MEAC Final – has the preseason POY in Jayden Johnson. – GL
The Missouri Valley will be unbelievably fun and competitive this year, with Bradley, Northern Iowa, Illinois State, Belmont and Drake battling for the top spot, but watch out for Murray State, as the Racers are a clear dark horse under new head coach Ryan Miller. – TM
The Mountain West Conference is going to be A LOT different this time next year (thanks, realignment!), so between San Diego State, Utah State, and Boise State all being in the mix, let’s enjoy the ride and watch the league stroll into the sunset. – LH
LIU brings back more key players than most of the rest of the NEC combined, headlined by Malachi Davis. – SF
Little Rock is the clear favorite with improved depth and returning talent, but look out for SEMO and Lindenwood with solid returning talent and Tennessee State with a sneakily good transfer class in the OVC. – IB
After the graduation of a big Patriot League senior class, Colgate, Boston, and Navy are expected to be the three contenders. – SF
If our resident SoCon sicko SoCon John is right, consider this league to be as fun as ever and expect a helluva race between Furman and Chattanooga. – LH
Will Will Wade’s wade out of Lake Charles allow other teams like Nicholls, Lamar, and Incarnate Word (!) to finally get over the hump, or will first-time head coach Bill Armstrong lead the retooled Cowboys to a third straight Southland Conference crown in a league rocked by high personnel turnover? – GL
The SWAC looks to be a two-horse race with Bethune-Cookman bringing in talent from all over, and Southern returning key pieces to make this conference stronger than it’s been in the past at the top. – IB
The Summit is filled with fun, shot-heavy, high-efficiency, motion-based offenses, none better than Johnny Tauer’s, but South Dakota State and defending champs Omaha aren’t far behind (although depth is noticeably lacking this year). – TM
The Sun Belt had a four-way tie atop the standings last season in one of the most competitive conference title races, and it should be tight once again as James Madison guns for a fourth straight 20-win season, Troy looks to defend it title, and Old Dominion aims to break through with preseason player of the year Robert Davis Jr. – IS
The end of an era is upon us in the West Coast Conference, as longtime league powerhouse Gonzaga goes for one last conference crown before it leaves for the Pac-12 next year, along with temporary members Washington State and Oregon State; expected at-large contenders Saint Mary’s and San Francisco try to give the Bulldogs a rude send-off. – GL
It’s a tough time to be a WAC fan (they still exist, right?), as the seven-team league is as shallow as ever (thanks again, realignment!); expect Utah Valley to retain the throne. – TM
