There is no official statistic that indicates a break out team. For our purposes here, basketball analyst Cain Currie and myself have defined it as a program that reached an unprecedented height in 2017-2018. Teams that were great before and showed signs of returning to the big time this year don't fit into the "break out" concept, which is about freshness.
Division I break out teams of the season:
Nebraska - Under second-year coach Amy Williams, the Huskers were 21-10 overall and 11-5 in conference for third in the Big Ten - an improvement over last year's 7-22 campaign. They play with high energy and are fun to watch. Nebraska lost to Maryland in the conference tournament semifinals.
South Dakota - The team that Williams left for Nebraska is doing quite well. They were a perfect 14-0 in conference this year, 26-6 overall, and lost a heart breaker in the tournament title game to South Dakota State. The future is bright for this team, as is the newly-equalized rivalry with the Jackrabbits.
Northern Colorado - The Bears won the Big Sky Tournament and are on their way to the Big Dance for the first time in program history under coach Kamie Ethridge. They were 26-6 this season, which included early preconference wins over DePaul and LSU.
Mercer - First time Southern Conference Tournament champions? Check. First time going to the NCAA tourney? Check. A 30-2 overall and 14-0 conference record? Check. Their last loss was the day after Thanksgiving. Check them out.
Nicholls State - The Colonels started truly hitting their stride in late January, and they peaked at exactly the right time. In the Southland Tournament championship game, they shook off a slow start and rallied to take down big dogs Stephen F. Austin for their first auto-bid. Right now, momentum is in their favor.
Grambling State - The Tigers are the perennial "never give up" team, as they started poorly this year and continued to work, finished 13-5 in SWAC play. Their unlikely conference tournament title game win this weekend put them in the field of 64.
UAB - The Blazers rocked opponent's socks all season long, and finished 26-6 overall and 13-3 in Conference-USA play with cohesion and fast-paced play. They fell in the title game of the tournament, but their future is blazingly bright.
Jacksonville - Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, now in her fifth year, has the Dolphins rocking. They finished second in Atlantic-Sun play and lost the tournament championship game to FGCU, but they are growing game by game and are now contenders.
Maine - The Black Bears have had a rough few seasons, and interim coach Amy Vachon was only formally given the title of permanent head coach two weeks ago. But they are back in the NCAA Tournament after a 14-year absence after winning the America East Tournament last week. They seem re-energized.
Drake - The Missouri Valley Conference Tournament winners and NCAA tourney ticket-punchers went 18-0 in league this season with some dominant performances. They appear confident and ready to take on any opponent.
Oregon should be added to this list. Yes, they ended the season in the elite 8, but before that, they were a 10 seed in the tournament, didn't get to the Pac-12 tournament finals, and didn't win the conference championship. This is their best season ever, and they have become a real powerhouse.
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