A (mid) major day

Wednesday brought some exciting game results, plenty of upsets, overtime action and broadcasts going awry (what was the end of Davidson-Wright State?) But we'll add a wrinkle to today's Field of 68 Daily: Given only a handful of power conference teams played, we're focusing on the mid-major programs and results today.

Yep, it's perfect for a guy like me who hosts a weekly mid-major show. Let's get to it.

1. Extra dose of thrilling hoops

Wright State and Davidson both danced in March, but look different entering the 2022-23. Wright State's top two players, Grant Basile and Tanner Holden, are gone, while Matt McKillop replaces his father, Bob, who coached Davidson for the past 32 seasons. Monday was McKillop's coaching debut — but this trip marked the more impressive start.

A 102-97 Davidson win in double-overtime saw terrific individual performances and capped a 20-point comeback. A quick recap:

Neither team could muster a good offensive possession to end regulation, but both had a chance to win in the final five seconds. Davidson led by seven in the first OT, only to go scoreless in the final two and a half minutes. Wright State's Trey Calvin hit a jumper with four seconds left to tie it up. However, Davidson's Foster Loyer turned into a human pop-a-shot in the second overtime, starting with two triples and one more in the final 18 seconds, which proved too much for the Raiders.

Loyer finished with 38 points (on 11-22 shots) and 10 rebounds. Davidson looks like it's still adjusting to life without Hyunjung Lee and Luka Brajkovic, who ensured defenses couldn't focus on Loyer.

Let’s not forget to give Calvin his flowers, though. The Wright State guard went for 37 points in the loss.

2. Mid-Major upset special(s)

Another night of mid-majors taking down high-major foes. (We can endlessly debate whether or not the Mountain West should be considered a high-major, but I say it qualifies).

South Dakota State shook off a tough opening loss to Akron by winning at Boise State, 68-66. The Jackrabbits led for nearly the entire game before the Broncos recaptured the lead late. Then, South Dakota State's Matt Dentlinger capitalized off the missed front end of a one-and-one.

But that wasn't the only upset.

Turning to Louisville, KY, I’m not sure anyone thought the Cardinals would have a fun night, despite being 8.5-point favorites. Their opponent Bellarmine plays such an intricate offense that relies on ball movement and draining the shot clock. The 67-66 loss exposed Louisville's main concern: The lack of guards on the roster is detrimental and should’ve been addressed in the portal. On the other hand, Bellarmine looks good again. They lost Ethan Claycomb and Dylan Penn, but Scott Davenport can coach. That’s the most important ingredient.

And by the way: If you're a basketball fan, it's impossible to ignore the awesome final decision by Bellarmine's Juston Betz to toss the ball behind his head instead of relying on free throws to ice the game. Free throws would've expanded the lead to three at most, which Louisville could've matched on one possession.

3. Stars of the night

We saw some pretty impressive performances on Wednesday night. A snapshot:

• Foster Loyer (Davidson) and Trey Calvin (Wright State) (mentioned above)

• Patrick Gardner (Marist forward): 19 points, six rebounds, four assists against American

• Kam Farris (Marist guard): 20 points, 5-5 from 3 against American

• Kelton Talford (Winthrop forward): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 9-11 shooting against Piedmont

• Terrence Edwards (James Madison forward): 21 points, 11 rebounds, 8-10 shooting, 2-3 from 3 against Hampton

• Takal Molson (James Madison guard): 20 points, nine rebounds, 7-10 shooting, against Hampton

• Dwayne Cohill (Youngstown State guard): 19 points, three rebounds, five assists, 7-10 shooting against UT-Martin

• Tucker DeVries (Drake guard): 22 points, eight rebounds against IUPUI

• Shemarri Allen (Kansas City guard): 19 points, six rebounds, four assists against LSU

• AJ Plitzuweit (South Dakota guard): 33 points, five assists, 9-11 shooting, 5-6 from 3

• Garrett Tipton (Bellarmine guard): 21 points, win at Louisville

• Seikou Sisoho Jawara (San Diego guard): 22 points, five assists against FGCU

• Eric Williams Jr. (San Diego forward): 19 points, 12 rebounds against FGCU

• Chase Johnston (FGCU guard): 23 points, 5-10 from 3 against San Diego

• Kristian Sjolund (Portland forward): 20 points, six rebounds against Florida A&M

• Myles Foster (Monmouth forward): 18 points, 15 rebounds against Seton Hall

• Matt Dentlinger (South Dakota State forward): 19 points, 7-11 shooting, game-winner in an upset win over Boise State.

• Max Rice (Boise State guard): 21 points, 4-8 from 3 against South Dakota State

• Trenton Massner (Western Illinois guard): 19 points, four rebounds nine assists against Rockford

4. National Signing Day notes

What should you know about signing day for mid-major teams? It's important, but it doesn't always come in the form of 5-stars. Landing a 3-star player can be just as important for these programs, such as those in the CAA or Conference USA. Another thing: Mid-major coaches can recruit high-school players to re-recruit them later if they enter the portal.

A perfect example is Emoni Bates, who many thought would be in the NBA right now. Instead, Stan Heath and his staff built a relationship with Bates, and that strong bond helped Eastern Michigan land the most prized recruit in program history. those types of engagements matter down the road.

Here's notable signees from Wednesday:

• Pat Kelsey made MOVES in the 2023 class. Charleston inked three recruits, including Isaiah Coleman, a 4-star prospect out of the DMV. Kelsey and staff took a recruit away from schools like UConn, Auburn, DePaul and Mississippi State — incredible for a true mid-major school. They also added 3-stars Mayar Wol and James Scott.

• Rice currently holds the 49th-ranked recruiting class for 2023, signing 4-star forward Keanu Dawes from Texas. The other signee is a 6-6 guard from Dream City Christian, Gabe Warren.

• Toledo secured three players: Guard Sam Lewis (Simeon HS in Chicago), Xavier Thomas (Brother Rice HS in Michigan) and Sonny Wilson (Detroit Jesuit).

• UAB coach Andy Kennedy adds transfers like squirrels accumulate acorns, but he dipped into the recruiting waters, signing Chris Coleman from South Plains JUCO — one of the top junior college programs in NJCAA basketball — and high school recruit KJ Satterfield from Columbus, Ohio.

5. Mid-Major believe it or not

It's early in the season, so there may be things that are too good to be true in mid-major hoops. Trust me.

Believe it or not: Kent State is the best MAC squad.

Sean’s take: Believe it

I already thought Kent State was superior to Toledo entering the season, but Monday’s shellacking of Northern Kentucky confirms it. The Golden Flashes thrived in a tough environment. With Sincere Carry and Malique Jacobs back, Kent State has an advantage in virtually every game thanks to Carry’s ability to facilitate offense and Jacobs' ability to take away opposing teams' best perimeter players.

Believe it or not: The ASUN's early success means Liberty will struggle.

Sean’s take: Don't believe it

Liberty has two things other ASUN teams don’t: Darius McGhee and Ritchie McKay. The latter seems to have a hex on the conference where Liberty flips another gear in league play and other teams fall under his spell. ASUN fans should be encouraged by Florida Gulf Coast blowing out USC and Stetson stunning Florida State, but it’s the Flames' league until when they bounce for Conference USA. While FGCU & Stetson had great games, I don’t see those two sustaining this level of success, especially Stetson. Luke Brown scored 25 points when he averaged less than five last season.

Believe it or not: Coppin State can dethrone Norfolk State as MEAC champs.

Sean’s take: Believe it

Coppin State took Georgetown to overtime on Tuesday before the Hoyas took control in the extra period. Still, outplaying a Big East program for 40 minutes is a positive. The MEAC belongs to Robert Jones’s Spartans until further notice, but the trio of Sam Sessoms, Nendah Tarke and Kam’Ron Blue (formerly Cunningham) can take the crown away from NSU. Sessoms can go off for 30 points any night, Tarke is a high-level defender and Blue has above-average wing size at 6-7 and can shoot. Count me in on Juan Dixon’s Eagles. Size and rim protection against Norfolk’s standout forward Kris Bankston is worrisome, but there’s no reason to worry about it until we see their first meeting on Jan. 21st.

Believe it or not: South Dakota could win the Summit with a healthy AJ Plitzuweit.

Sean’s take: Believe it

Plitzuweit is everything for the Coyotes. He looked rusty in his first action in 18 months against Wisconsin but caught fire against Lipscomb — the kind of fire that's especially needed during a cold winter night. That was Plitzuweit on Wednesday, as he scored 33 points on 9-11 shooting and 5-6 from 3. He could perform like this regularly, which makes South Dakota dangerous every game. Plitzuweit, Kruz Perrott-Hunt and Mason Archambault form a ridiculous guard-scoring trio. The three have each averaged at least 14 points in one college season, but what it comes down to is how they play as a unit. If they can figure out ways to make each other better, good luck stopping South Dakota.

Believe it or not: UT-Martin’s shooting issues are very real.

Sean’s take: Don’t believe it

It’s only been two games but UT-Martin looks terrible on both ends. Tabbed as the Ohio Valley preseason favorites, the Skyhawks should’ve at least competed against Pittsburgh and Youngstown State instead of getting trounced in both games. A big reason for UT-Martin’s struggles is the ugly 8-39 shooting from deep. Shooting was an issue last season, but coach Ryan Ridder brought in Parker Stewart, Desmond Williams and Jordan Sears to solve the problems. It hasn’t worked yet. Still, I see the Skyhawks turning the shooting woes around as time passes.

Gael warning for the Catamounts

Saint Mary's found a shining star in Aidan Mahaney in its opener, but it will have another grueling test against the always-consistent Vermont Catamounts. The Gaels are eight-point favorites, but don't sleep on Vermont. Starting shooting guard Aaron Deloney scored 32 points on 11-14 shooting in its opener and Bellarmine transfer Dylan Penn returned from injury earlier than expected, which will be huge.

Other games to watch (all time ET)

• Towson (1-0), at UMass (1-0), 7 pm (ESPN+)

• Southern Illinois (1-0) at Oklahoma State (1-0), 8 pm (B12 Network/ESPN+)

• UC Riverside (0-1) at Loyola Marymount, 10 pm (WCC website)

Ideas for a better opening day

This topic's made the rounds all week, but it's worth re-surfacing here because of the various options Rob Dauster, John Fanta and Terrence Oglesby discuss on the latest DT podcast. Two words: Champions League.

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Links as make plans for Wakanda Forever.

• Colorado landed 5-star guard Cody Williams, the younger brother of ex-Santa Clara star guard Jalen Williams.

• UConn is still awaiting word on if Jordan Hawkins will be cleared to play after landing in concussion protocols.

• Wright State agreed to a contract extension with coach Scott Nagy through 2024-25.

• Saint Joseph's freshman Christ Essandoko won't play this season due to NCAA eligibility requirements.

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