Top 10 mid-majors in the 2019 NCAA Tournament

It's hard to even describe this team as a mid-major anymore, especially given their perennial dominance, but they do still play in the West Conference. They'll get to play as a No. 1 seed in the West, from where they made a run to the national championship just two years ago.

For the first time in history, the MAC has a No. 6 seed in the tournament field. Buffalo was one of the best teams in the country all season and will now get to showcase that talent on a national stage. Buffalo managed to beat Arizona last season, with almost the same roster they have this season. It would be a disappointment if Buffalo lost their first round game.

Fletcher McGee just sounds like a name that you'd hear in the tournament. He's been one of the best players in the country all year, and Seton Hall has to be worried about planning for him. Wofford didn't lose a single game in their conference, and didn't lose a single game to a bad team. They'll be a tough out in March Madness this year.

When mid-majors have pro prospects like Ja Morant on their teams, they have a chance to win every game. Murray State has a great chance to win their first round game against Marquette, thanks to Morant and a stifling three-point defense that allows opponents to shoot just 28 percent from deep. What team relies on threes for scoring? Marquette. Murray State's first round opponent.

Finally, the mid-major that doesn't win their conference gets some respect. Belmont was one of the last teams to make the field after losing to Ja Morant's Racers in the conference final. Belmont draws Temple in a play-in game and would get to play against a struggling and young Maryland team in the first round if they managed to beat Temple. Belmont, like Murray State, also has a pro ready prospect in Dylan Windler, who can take over games.

The Gaels had a tough year and certainly wouldn't have made the field without a shocking upset of Gonzaga in the West Coast Final. But now, St. Mary's is in the NCAA field as a No. 11 seed, and that should scare opponents. St. Mary's ranked just outside the top 30 in Kenpom efficiency rankings, just five spots below first round opponent Villanova. Their slow but efficient style of pace could result in a win against a Villanova team that has been really inconsistent this season.

The Ivy League has fared well against its bigger and tougher opponents in the NCAA tournament over the past 10 years, going 4-6 in those games. One of those years included a Yale team similar to this one defeating No. 5 seed Baylor. Now, Yale will get a shot at an LSU team that has lost its coach for the tournament. Yale has one of the best and fastest offenses in the country, so don't expect them to be outscored easily by LSU. Expect a tight matchup between these two teams in Jacksonville

Many hoped that Lipscomb, a team that nearly beat Louisville and defeated SMU and TCU on the road, would make it here. Instead, the Liberty Flames were the ones to win the Atlantic Sun Conference. Liberty managed to beat UCLA and played Lipscomb tight every time the two teams met. Liberty isn't Lipscomb, but they're certainly capable of pulling out an upset in the 2019 bracket.

Is this the year that New Mexico State finally gets a win in the NCAA tournament? They'll have to beat a red hot Auburn team that just demolished Tennessee to do it.

One of the two California teams in the field actually gets to play in California against a Kansas State team that will likely be without Dean Wade. That's already a recipe for success, but UC Irvine's 30-win season, in which they beat St. Mary's and Texas A&M on the road, doesn't hurt either. UC Irvine is just a 5.5-point underdog against a Kansas State team that can struggle to score at times. This is an excellent opportunity for the Anteaters to pull off an upset.