For the past 13 weeks, parity has crept into the world of college football like never before. Appalachian State goes to Ann Arbor and beats Michigan, Navy breaks a 43-game losing streak to Notre Dame at the Irish’s home field, and 41-point underdog Stanford knocked off Pete Carroll’s USC team with a freshman quarterback making his first-ever start in the L.A. Colisseum snapping the Trojans’ 35-game home winning streak.
While those are implausible outcomes, when the college basketball season begins in earnest Friday night, the so-called “Mid-Majors” will be laying in the weeds hoping to pounce on one of the unsuspecting squads from the power conferences (ACC, Big East, SEC, Pac 10, Big Ten, etc.). While upsets have become the norm in NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament play, during the regular season and in made-for-television tournaments and pre-conference games almost always played in the Big-Boy’s home arenas, pulling an upset isn’t easy for the mid-major teams venturing to places like Syracuse, Tuscaloosa, Memphis, Gainesville or Morgantown.
However, there are some excellent Southeast-based mid-major teams who return a number of holdovers from last year’s squads that could make life difficult for teams from the power conferences during the 2007-08 season. We’ve compiled a list of games where upsets — why not likely — could happen if the major conference teams aren’t focused from the opening tip-off.
Those games listed in "red" below, comprise our list of possible upsets. Remember, you saw them here first.
Austin Peay State University Governors
Coach: Dave Loos
Players you should know: Fernandez Lockett and Drake Reid
Nov. 27, 2007
Austin Peay at Memphis
Belmont University Bruins
Coach: Rick Byrd
Players you should know: Justin Hare and Matthew Dotson
Nov. 9, 2007
Belmont 86 vs. Cincinnati 75 (Fifth Third Arena) Cincinnati, OH
Nov. 19, 2007
Belmont 85 at Alabama 83
Davidson College Wildcats
Coach: Bob McKillop
Players you should know: Stephen Curry and Jason Richards
Nov. 14, 2007
Davidson vs. North Carolina (Bobcats Arena) Charlotte, N.C.
Dec. 1, 2007
Davidson vs. Duke (Bobcats Arena) Charlotte, N.C.
Dec. 8, 2007
Davidson vs. UCLA (The Honda Center) Anaheim, Calif.
Dec. 21, 2007
Davidson at North Carolina State
Eastern Kentucky University Colonels
Coach: Jeff Neubauer
Players you should know: Mike Rose and Adam Leonard
Nov. 25, 2007
Eastern Kentucky at Duke
East Tennessee State University Buccaneers
Coach: Murray Bartow
Players to Watch: Courtney Pigram and Andrew Reed
Dec. 8, 2007
East Tennessee State at Oklahoma State
Dec. 15, 2007
East Tennessee State at Syracuse
Dec. 20, 2007
East Tennessee State vs. Georgia at Rainbow Classic
George Mason University Patriots
Coach: Jim Larranaga
Players you should know: Will Thomas and Jordan Carter
Nov. 22, 2007
George Mason vs. Kansas State (Old Spice Classic) Orlando, FL
Nov. 23, 2007
George Mason vs. N.C. State, Penn State, Rider, South Carolina or Villanova (Old Spice Classic) Orlando, FL
High Point University Panthers
Coach: Bart Lundy
Players you should know: Arizona Reid and Mike Jefferson
Jan. 2, 2008
High Point at Florida
Old Dominion University Monarchs
Coach: Blaine Taylor
Players you should know: Brian Henderson and Brandon Johnson
Nov. 23, 2007
Old Dominion vs. North Carolina (Orleans Hotel Arena) Las Vegas
Nov. 24, 2007
Old Dominion vs. Louisville/Brigham Young (Orleans Hotel Arena) Las Vegas
Nov. 28, 2007
Old Dominion vs. Georgetown (Constant Center) Norfolk, VA
Dec. 16, 2007
Old Dominion vs. Virginia Tech (Constant Center) Norfolk, VA
Virginia Commonwealth University Rams
Coach: Anthony Grant
Players you should know: Eric Maynor and Jamal Shuler
Dec. 2, 2007
VCU vs. Maryland (Verizon Center) Washington, D.C.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Coach: Darrin Horn
Players you should know: Courtney Lee and Tyrone Brazelton
Nov. 22, 2007
Western Kentucky vs. Gonzaga (Great Alaska Shoot-Out) Anchorage, Alaska
Dec. 15, 2007
Western Kentucky vs. Tennessee Nashville, Tenn.
Winthrop University Eagles
Coach: Randy Peele
Players you should know: Michael Jenkins and Chris Gaynor
Nov. 17, 2007
Winthrop 79 vs. Georgia Tech 73 or UNC-Charlotte St. Thomas, USVI
Dec. 1. 2007
Winthrop at West Virginia
Dec. 13, 2007
Winthrop at Mississippi Jackson, MS
Dec. 29, 2007
Winthrop at Miami
Here are some of the most notable Mid-Major victories through Nov. 19
Belmont 85, Alabama 83
Monmouth 58, Charlotte 56
Winthrop 79, Georgia Tech 73
New Orleans 65, N.C. State 63
Cleveland St. 69, Florida State 66
North Texas 82, Oklahoma State 73
Sam Houston State 56, Texas Tech 54
Mercer 96, Southern Cal 81
UNC-Greensboro 83, Georgia Tech 74
Gardner Webb 84, Kentucky 68
Memphis Tigers Schedule
University of Memphis head coach John Calipari won’t be accused of ducking opponents with his No. 3-ranked Tigers this season. It’s not that Memphis didn’t play quality non-conference opposition last season, it was just the fact that C-USA opponents couldn’t compare to Calipari’s veteran squad as the Tigers ripped through the conference schedule and C-USA tournament undefeated in 2006-07.
That’s unlikely to change this year as the Tigers have reloaded their roster with standout freshman Derrick Rose of Chicago (17 points, six rebounds and five assists in his debut against Tennessee-Martin) and Iowa State transfer Shawn Taggart (15 rebounds in his first game).
The Tigers home schedule includes games against experienced mid-major programs Austin Peay and Gonzaga but also features match-ups against Georgetown, Arizona and Tennessee. Memphis faces USC at Madison Square Garden Dec. 4 and plays at Cincinnati Dec. 19.
December 22, 2007
Memphis vs. Georgetown FedExForum
December 29, 2007
Memphis vs. Arizona FedExForum
January 26, 2008
Memphis vs. Gonzaga FedExForum
February 23, 2008
Memphis vs. Tennessee FedExForum