The Decade's Top Mid-Major Programs

It's the end of a decade, so it's time for lists. Other sites are focusing on upsets, great players, etc., but we immediately got excited about touting the seldom-celebrated. So we're starting our list season with the top Mid-Major programs of the decade. That means strength throughout the ten-year period, not just a nice recent run.

Many of the programs included here will bristle at their inclusion, and some have even been exiled from the Mid-Majority site by Kyle. But we're going to be doctrinaire about it: These programs represent a pinnacle most sub-red line teams dream of achieving, and they're doing it outside the Big Six power structure.

Criteria: Ten year W/L record, Conference championships, NCAA bids, NCAA W/L. The first is self-explanatory. The second stat refers to regular-season championships, because auto-bids are tallied in the third stat category. Then, post-season success, the most visible arbiter of a program's ability to compete nationally, and the reason you'll go "Oh, yeah! I remember them!" while reading this article.

Here's our top ten:

1. Memphis: 268-85, 4, 6 (4 auto, 2 at large), 14-6 | The gold standard for the past ten years, with numbers that are the envy of most power-conference teams. Two #1 seeds and an appearance in a national title game the Tigers almost won. John Calipari revived this storied program, and we suspect Josh Pastner will be more than happy to accept some NCAA sanctions to go with the superior recruiting advantage he enjoys as a result.

2. Gonzaga: 264-66, 8, 10 (8 auto, 2 at large), 11-10 | The team from Spokane went from being the prototypical Cinderella to a dominant national player throughout the decade. Mark Few keeps his troops tightened up by scheduling tough in the non-conference season. In recent years, St. Mary's and San Diego have made the WCC tougher, too. The Bulldogs are the only team on this list with an unbroken string of tourney appearances throughout the decade, so Memphis' 37-win '07-'08 season is all that's keeping the Zags from the #1 spot.

3. Butler: 234-87, 6, 6 (3 auto, 3 at large), 6-6 | Butler has had the distinction of maintaining a pocket dynasty throughout several coaching changes, which distinguishes them from the top two teams here. Barry Collier, Thad Matta, Todd Lickliter, and Brad Stevens have all been to the dance with the Bulldogs of Hinkle. Butler began the decade as the classic David knocking off Goliath, but haven't had a double-digit seed since 2003. Upset Wake, Louisville, Maryland, and Mississippi State in tourney play during the Aughts.

4. Southern Illinois: 222-105, 5, 6 (1 auto, 5 at large), 5-6 | It's been two years since the Salukis were the denotation of junkyard dogs, and I still miss them. To show you what a sicko I am, the 2007 game between SIU and my alma mater, Kansas, is still one of my favorite games. The Salukis muscled, gouged, tripped, and totally frustrated the Jayhawks before finally succumbing by a narrow 61-58 margin. It was such a glorious display of defense, I've never forgotten it.

5. Xavier: 219 Wins (sorry, BBstate is down, I'll fill this in as I can) | I used to have Winthrop at the bottom of the list, but then someone dialed up my email and said "Hold up, you forgot about Xavier!" And so I did. I must have heard their pleas to be disincluded from the mid-major fold. Anyway, the list of coaches and tourney appearances is long, and sustained throughout coaching defections from Skip Prosser to Sean Miller. But still the juggernaut in Cincinnati rolls on. Mea Culpa.

6. George Mason: 201-113, 1, 3 (2 auto, 1 at large), 4-3 | Yes, the Final Four run merits this ranking. As do Doc Nix and the GMU Pep Band. Mason has been steady and solid under Jim Larranaga, and will continue to be, as the StF fave turned down his alma mater - Providence - when the Big East job was open a while back. Don't be the least bit surprised to see Mason back in the Dance, making trouble in the... I don't know what you call a decade that runs from 10 to 19. Anyway, they rock. I've even started to like the vomity yellow and green color scheme.

7. Creighton: 233-92, 1, 6 (5 auto, 1 at large), 1-6 | Note that Creighton's history of bids in the mid '00s is the exact inverse of So Ill's. There's a reason for that. Just like Magic and Bird pushed each other, these two teams played for the championship of each other quite often (Did I just mix that metaphor? Fuck it.). The difference is that Dana Altman spurned his chance to go to Arkansas (good move) and stayed in Omaha, so this run might just continue.

8. Western Kentucky: 223-95, 5, 5 (5 auto), 3-5 | The money's always greener in the Big Six, but the grass usually isn't for a mid-major coach. Dennis Felton found that out after taking the Hilltoppers to three tourney berths in the early part of the decade, and parlaying that into a disappointing tenure at Georgia. Seriously, it took a tornado to get his Dawgs into the Big Dance. Darrin Horn presided over the Sweet 16 run in 2008, and decamped for... the SEC. Hm. Anyway, some great players passed through the program, a legendary shot was made, and Big Red is still awesome. That's a great program, right there.

9. Davidson: 214-101, 5, 4 (4 auto) 3-4 | Yes, Davidson made the tourney before Stephen Curry. Don't be a wiseass. They played Ohio State close in both '02 and '06, but garnered more attention for the 12-point loss to Maryland in '07 that introduced a certain baby-faced superhero to the world. Making it to the Elite Eight and nearly derailing Kansas' championship run was their greatest moment. White Lobster is coming out of Curry's shadow, so let's hope there are more big days on the horizon.

10. Nevada: 202-117, 4, 4, 4-4 | A 9-20 start to the decade nearly sunk them, but the Mark Fox era was seriously bonus, with tourney upsets of Michigan State and Texas, and a Sweet 16 appearance. Now that Fox is off to the big time at Georgia, it will be interesting to see how this season plays out.

Just Missed the Cut:

10a: Winthrop: 207-106, 5, 7 (7 auto), 1-7 | Only the one big upset - of #6 seed Notre Dame in '07 - but a remarkable model of consistency in the Big South under Gregg Marshall. Double-G took his mojo to the MVC as head man of Wichita State, but there's little doubt that he imprinted the Eagles logo on the minds of even some casual hoops fans during the last decade.

St. Mary's - Has worked hard to catch up to Gonzaga, but unable to surpass the class of the WCC.

VCU - 4 regular season championships and one great upset not quite enough.

Siena - Strong seasons bookend a disastrous middle of the decade.

Dayton - Some great years mixed with some mediocre ones.

Kent State - 20 win seasons for miles, but not consistent in postseason

Oral Roberts - A Summit League Power, not a national one.

Penn/Princeton - Had they not split the vote in the pre-Cornell years, we might have had something here.