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ESPN.com ....Floors and Ceilings of mid-major contenders (Mason not listed in top 15)
CEILING
Total wins: 30
Big South finish: First
Postseason finish: NCAA tournament round of 32
FLOOR
Total wins: 26
Big South finish: Second
Postseason finish: No NCAA tournament appearance
Few mid-majors could retain their rosters after beating Wisconsin and battling Arkansas in the NCAA tournament. You would expect them to lose every key player from those feats to the highest bidders in the transfer portal. Yet High Point's tuition is $70,000-plus, students roll around campus in golf carts and the school also has a five-star steakhouse that's free to students. The Bank of High Point University isn't afraid to write big checks, which helped retain Cam'Ron Fletcher (39 points in two NCAA tournament games), who was granted a seventh year by the NCAA, and add transfers CJ Brown (10.9 PPG at South Florida) and Isaac Garrett (13.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG at Oakland). The Panthers, looking to once again be a threat in March, have sent a message this offseason: they, too, have money to spend.
CEILING
Total wins: 28
Atlantic 10 finish: First
Postseason finish: NCAA tournament round of 32
FLOOR
Total wins: 22
Atlantic 10 finish: Fourth
Postseason finish: No NCAA tournament appearance
Phil Martelli Jr. has taken two different programs to the NCAA tournament (Bryant, vcu) in back-to-back seasons. He has also led the Rams to a share of the Atlantic 10 crown in his first season. What will Year 2 look like? All signs point to continued success. Four players who combined to score 46 of vcu's 82 points in its win over North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA tournament -- Lazar Djokovic, Brandon Jennings, Nyk Lewis and Michael Belle -- have returned. The player who scored 34 points that night (Terrence Hill Jr.) is now at Tennessee, but the Rams remain a promising unit.
CEILING
Total wins: 27
Atlantic 10 finish: First
Postseason finish: NCAA tournament round of 32
FLOOR
Total wins: 22
Atlantic 10 finish: Third
Postseason finish: No NCAA tournament appearance
Saint Louis signed coach Josh Schertz to a long-term extension in March before a high-major program could poach him. The school's reward? Five of the top seven scorers from a 29-win squad that shot 40% from 3 and 60% from inside the arc (both top-11 in the nation) and won a share of the Atlantic 10 championship last season return, too. That includes Trey Green (10.7 PPG, 44% from 3) and Amari McCottry (10.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG). The Billikens are built to compete for the league crown again and win an NCAA tournament game for the second year in a row. Schertz came back because he believes in this group's ceiling.
4. High Point Panthers
2025-26 finish: 31-5, 15-1 Big South, lost in the NCAA tournament round of 32CEILING
Total wins: 30
Big South finish: First
Postseason finish: NCAA tournament round of 32
FLOOR
Total wins: 26
Big South finish: Second
Postseason finish: No NCAA tournament appearance
Few mid-majors could retain their rosters after beating Wisconsin and battling Arkansas in the NCAA tournament. You would expect them to lose every key player from those feats to the highest bidders in the transfer portal. Yet High Point's tuition is $70,000-plus, students roll around campus in golf carts and the school also has a five-star steakhouse that's free to students. The Bank of High Point University isn't afraid to write big checks, which helped retain Cam'Ron Fletcher (39 points in two NCAA tournament games), who was granted a seventh year by the NCAA, and add transfers CJ Brown (10.9 PPG at South Florida) and Isaac Garrett (13.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG at Oakland). The Panthers, looking to once again be a threat in March, have sent a message this offseason: they, too, have money to spend.
7. vcu Rams
2025-26 finish: 28-8, 15-3 Atlantic 10 lost in the NCAA tournament round of 32CEILING
Total wins: 28
Atlantic 10 finish: First
Postseason finish: NCAA tournament round of 32
FLOOR
Total wins: 22
Atlantic 10 finish: Fourth
Postseason finish: No NCAA tournament appearance
Phil Martelli Jr. has taken two different programs to the NCAA tournament (Bryant, vcu) in back-to-back seasons. He has also led the Rams to a share of the Atlantic 10 crown in his first season. What will Year 2 look like? All signs point to continued success. Four players who combined to score 46 of vcu's 82 points in its win over North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA tournament -- Lazar Djokovic, Brandon Jennings, Nyk Lewis and Michael Belle -- have returned. The player who scored 34 points that night (Terrence Hill Jr.) is now at Tennessee, but the Rams remain a promising unit.
8. Saint Louis Billikens
2025-26 finish: 29-6, 15-3 Atlantic 10, lost in the NCAA tournament round of 32CEILING
Total wins: 27
Atlantic 10 finish: First
Postseason finish: NCAA tournament round of 32
FLOOR
Total wins: 22
Atlantic 10 finish: Third
Postseason finish: No NCAA tournament appearance
Saint Louis signed coach Josh Schertz to a long-term extension in March before a high-major program could poach him. The school's reward? Five of the top seven scorers from a 29-win squad that shot 40% from 3 and 60% from inside the arc (both top-11 in the nation) and won a share of the Atlantic 10 championship last season return, too. That includes Trey Green (10.7 PPG, 44% from 3) and Amari McCottry (10.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG). The Billikens are built to compete for the league crown again and win an NCAA tournament game for the second year in a row. Schertz came back because he believes in this group's ceiling.
