College Basketball's Newest Mid-Major: Iowa

Butler, Gonzaga, Davidson, Siena and Wisconsin-Green Bay...all mid-majors that are ranked higher than Iowa in the latest RPI. In fact, Iowa is coming off a 135 ranking in 2008 and is currently 85. So there are potentially a number of, so called, mid-majors who might be ranked ahead of us. And I even think our current ranking is a bit high. The bigger issue though is this: Is Iowa, for all intents and purposes, becoming a mid-major in basketball? 

If you look at the way mid-major teams are built in comparison to the manner in which Iowa must (re)build, there seem to be a lot of similarities. Teams that are often defined as “mid-majors” are dependent upon the 3-point shot, limiting turnovers, ball control, and often reliant upon a schedule filled with “good match-ups.” They often DO NOT have lots of great b-ball athletes (i.e., long, tall players who can post, drive or hit threes, all in the same game), or large rambunctious crowds, or very many games broadcast nationally on any station other than ESPNU. 

Moreover, Iowa’s schedule can look very similar to a mid-major schedule. Although, mid-majors do it despite efforts to schedule big games in big venues. We also have mid-major level attendance at games these days (or worse). I watched a bit of the Davidson vs. College of Charleston game over the weekend...actually, we could only hope to have a crowd like that Davidson crowd. They were loud, active, and jacked-up. 

Bottom-line: Are we becoming MORE of a mid-major or LESS?

I can’t tell.