Last Sunday, several bids were punched to the Big Dance, and I think that there is real reason to get excited about the chances of the glass slipper fitting for multiple of the squads.
We’ll give a proper introduction to the automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Tournament from the Big South, Atlantic Sun, Missouri Valley conferences and Summit League.
Big South
Automatic Bid: High Point
Projected Seed: 13 or 14
Cinderella Probability: Decent
This High Point squad is the first in program history to make the Big Dance, though unlike fellow debutant SIU-Edwardsville, the Panthers appear to have a fighter’s chance at making waves. Alan Huss’s squad dominated the Big South this season thanks to a potent offense that is No. 27 in the country according to KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency rating, and could give more well-known entities problems.
While the impressive record alone (29-5 overall) could draw some attention, it’s not the sole reason this team should be taken seriously. The Panthers didn’t play the most difficult schedule this season, so to an extent the record is a biproduct of an environment that will be very different in March. However, High Point’s potent offense is accomplished through a relatively tame pace, meaning that this team can replicate those numbers almost regardless of how its opponent wants to play.
At minimum, expect that the Panthers will keep things interesting in its first game, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see them go further.
Atlantic Sun
Automatic Bid: Lipscomb
Projected Seed: 13 or 14
Cinderella Probability: Decent
More than most small/mid-major programs, the Bisons went out and challenged themselves in the non-conference schedule, a reality that should serve them well in the Big Dance. Road contests against Arkansas and Kentucky suggested that its offensive figures in-conference may be a bit inflated, but at the very least Lennie Acuff’s squad will not be intimidated by the size and speed of Power conference competition.
The Bisons are led by forward Jacob Ognacevic, the A-SUN’s leading scorer and most accurate shooter on the squad, making just over 57 percent of his field goal attempts. Given Ognacevic’s preference to play near the basket as a relatively undersized big, his effectiveness in the NCAA Tournament may come down to matchup quality. If Lipscomb faces an opponent without much size itself, Ognacevic could cook.
Around The Corn’s tip: study the matchup after the bracket is released and see if Ognacevic has a decent chance to make a name for himself. If he does, the Bisons aren’t a bad upset special.
Missouri Valley
Automatic Bid: Drake
Projected Seed: 10 or 11
Cinderella Probability: Good
Less than a year ago, head coach Ben McCollum was coaching at Division II Northwest Missouri State. Taking over for the departed Darian DeVries, who had just led the Bulldogs to a 27-3 record, NCAA Tournament berth and was responsible for the mass exodus that decimated the roster, McCollum grabbed the reins of a program with an uncertain future, to put things lightly. What he has done since then is nothing short of amazing.
This year’s Drake team one-upped the previous squad, setting a school record with 30-regular season wins. How they did it is arguably more impressive. Three of its top four scorers, including leading scorer Bennett Stirtz (19.1 PPG), came over from Northwest Missouri State along with McCollum. The other leading scorer, guard Tavion Banks, is a true freshman.
This Bulldogs team shoots the ball well, plays excellent defense and operates at a pace that would make former Virginia head man Tony Bennett blush. Just how much people want to consider Drake a true “Cinderalla” will depend on its seeding (Around The Corn doesn’t consider anything higher than a 10 seed), but this team is very much in consideration for the glass slipper.
Summit
Automatic Bid: Omaha
Projected Seed: 14 or 15
Cinderella Probability: Unlikely
The first time bid punchers came pouring in last weekend, with Omaha becoming the third program to do it in 2025. The Mavericks took advantage of what was a somewhat down year in the Summit League as a whole, with the usual suspects from the Dakotas not having the best year collectively. That said, Chris Crutchfield’s team was not a Cinderella before the Dance, capitalizing on its shared regular season title with the Summit tournament crown as well.
The Mavericks can put points on the board, but don’t do so in a particularly efficient way and do have trouble defensively. If in a hole early, Omaha doesn’t have the sharpshooting prowess to expect to trade twos for threes to claw its way back. Therefore, it will be important for this team to try its best to dictate a pace it is comfortable with and play sound, fundamental basketball. There isn’t really enough here to get too excited about, so barring some unusual matchup advantage, this probably isn’t the team to ride or die with next week.
