As important as the blue-bloods are to college basketball — Tobacco Road, Big Blue Nation, Rock Chalk, etc. — it’s the little guys, the mid-majors, that so often give the sport its vibrancy and leave lasting impressions in March. In fact, the Other 26 leagues constitute a majority in college hoops, helping create a vast landscape of players and programs that make each season unique and full of seemingly endless possibility (as of right now, any one of 343 teams can win the National Championship). This microsite aims to provide a panoramic of that landscape through thoughtful, timely and engaging analysis over the course of the season. We will shed light on the unknown superstars, the underappreciated performers and the soon-to-be-Cinderellas that make the Other 26 great. And we hope to have some fun doing it, because after all, this is mid-major basketball and, well, just look at Kyle O’Quinn’s face…
Be sure to check out our preview materials over the (less than four!) weeks leading up to opening tip-off, which will touch on every league in the O26 world and keep you updated as the season approaches. Some must-reads include:
- Top of the Class – Regional Previews: in which we examine the best O26 teams, players and coaches in each geographic section of the country.
- Poll Critiques: in which we break down the noteworthy, the intriguing and the downright peculiar among O26 teams in preseason conference rankings.
- O26 Preseason Awards: our O26 All-Americans, Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Team of the Year.
Bookmark us, follow us on Twitter (@other26hoops) and enjoy all that the Other 26 have to offer. Now watch Mercer bust some moves.