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Scott Drew, Gordon Hayward, and, most recently, Jack Gohlke. These names have gone down in lore and will be remembered by college basketball fans forever for their heroic March Madness performances. But not every mid-major team has a hero. But a lot of them do have elite players. Players who, for one reason or another, did not go to a high major school.
Some of these players ran into some trouble and were forced to work their way up. Others were severely misevaluated. But one thing they all have in common? They all have a chip on their shoulder.
This chip makes them dangerous this time of year. Whether it be a last stand in college like Gohlke or whether they are looking to impress and move up. They all have their own motivation. Here are five mid-major players with breakout potential in 2025. For detailed March Madness strategy, check out our "How to Win March Madness Brackets Complete Guide." This guide comes with general information, strategy tips, and historical data.
Bennett Stirtz, G, Drake
Drake is one of the slowest teams in the entire nation. The Bulldogs use this pace to frustrate opponents in the Missouri Valley Conference and could do the same in March. At 58.4 points allowed per game, Drake is No. 1 in the nation in team defense. A major component of both the defensive efficiency and the success of Drake is Stirtz.
Drake's leading scorer, Stirtz, averages 19.0 points while also compiling 5.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 1.7 three-pointers per game. These stats led Drake to the Missouri Valley tournament title and Stirtz to the conference Player of the Year award.
Bennett Stirtz throws it down, hits a step back 3 and @DrakeBulldogsMB can smell their automatic bid to the NCAA tournament! pic.twitter.com/sBaNB2aLPy
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 9, 2025
If Drake can stifle Missouri's offense in the first round, stopping Texas Tech might be next up for the Bulldogs. From there, anything can and might happen. Either way, Watch for Stirtz. He is a joy on the court and will frustrate every team the Bulldogs end up playing in March.
Tyler McGhie, G, UC San Diego
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones is the best player on the Tritons. UC San Diego has been one of the best mid-major programs all season. After winning the Big Sky tournament, the Tritons will now be able to show themselves off in March. While Tait-Jones is the best of the Tritons, McGhie might be the most important.
After hitting over three shots behind the ark in 2023-24, McGhie further improved this season, averaging over 3.5 three-point makes. The guy who hits the big shots when needed, McGhie, will be the one with the ball in his hand in crunch time. His ability to hit those tough threes at the end of games might be a reason to take the Tritons to make the Sweet 16.
The Guy. 🪣
Tyler McGhie now holds the Tritons' single season program record with 112 three-pointers!#GoTritons pic.twitter.com/ECKwHYGZ0l
— UC San Diego Men’s Hoops (@UCSDmbb) March 15, 2025
A first-round game against Michigan will be tough. If San Diego can prove victorious, a game against either streaky Texas A&M or a high-scoring Yale will be next on the table. While all games in March are difficult, it could be a far worse path for the Tritons to get through. As another 12 seed against a five, this could be another spot you may want to pick an upset in your bracket.
Ian Martinez, G, Utah State
Utah State was a bit of an underperformer in 2024-25. Ranked for much of the season, the Aggies only managed a top-3 finish in the Mountain West Conference. It was a conference that was challenging for much of the season and deserved another tournament bid in Boise State.
In this conference, Martinez managed to average 16.8 points to lead the Aggies. Martinez was able to hit the three just as well as drive the lane making him a threat from anywhere.
He and backcourt partner Mason Falslev can make a dynamic duo for Utah State to count on. Martinez's ability to both drive or pull up for three helps make the Aggies' offense difficult to defend or even figure out for teams. This is only heightened in March when you only have one day to prepare for them if they can pull off the upset in round one. This could be a realistic proposal, seeing the Aggies take on a UCLA team that had coach Mick Cronin outraged all year.
Mason Falslev, G, Utah State
As mentioned, the Utah State Aggies came into the season with much hype in the Mountain West. Although they failed to live up to this, the Aggies have the same talent as we thought they did. Much of this lies in the backcourt with Rodriguez and Falslev. This is why both players make this list of players to watch.
Congrats to @mason_falslev on being named to the Mountain West All-Defensive Team & Second Team All-Mountain West!
➡️ https://t.co/S9MaHNNLQw#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/SQYua7Faxd
— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) March 11, 2025
The 6-foot-3 sophomore decided to stay in Utah for school. This was a boon for the Aggies, as he has produced 14.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists this season, putting him in the top 100 in the country. Falslev also leads the team in steals on the season with 2.3 a game, which is another reason that the 26-7 Aggies are dangerous.
Nelly Junior Joseph, C, New Mexico
The Lobos are regularly one of the best mid-major teams, but this usually takes place at home in The Pit. Lucky for New Mexico, they get a Marquette team that vastly underperformed in 2024-25 and was lucky to get a seven-seed. With the ability of Marquette to score, pressure will be high on the Lobos to live up to their No. 25 national ranking by scoring more than the 81.2 points they have earned on average this season.
If New Mexico can advance in the tournament, much will be on the shoulders of Joseph. The Junior center is averaging 13.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals a game. With the extreme pace the Lobos play, Joseph has plenty of opportunity to show his ability, and with JT Toppin leaving after the 2023-24 season to head to the money at Texas Tech, he has proven worthy.
NELLY JUNIOR JOSEPH!! WINNER!!!! @eazynelz
📺 @FS1#GoLobos pic.twitter.com/5kSGP4Phi4
— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) January 4, 2025
Joseph has been one of the best centers in the country this season. If New Mexico can get past Marquette, a matchup against Michigan State is likely. The Spartans, who failed to win the Big Ten tournament as the No. 1 seed, will have a battle of their own against No. 15 Bryant. But, if Bryant is somehow able to beat the Spartans, the New Mexico/Bryant game could be the first team to 115 points wins.
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