Central Michigan

College Football: #17 Ball State @ Central Michigan Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:36:40 -0500

Before getting into a preview of the games on tap for Tuesday and Wednesday, there may be an important development in the BCS. Not who plays in it but which network televises the games. ESPN, according to may sources, is on the verge of acquiring the rights to the BCS from 2011-2014 with Fox unlikely to match their offer. If you're like me, you scratched your head the past few years and wondered why a network that devotes little time to college football during the regular season gets to show the season's biggest games. And you were probably celebrating when you heard the news, even though that means all BCS games other than the Rose Bowl (with a TV deal separate from the rest of the BCS) will be shown on cable. Now on to the two games on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday: Northern Illinois @ Kent State 7 PM (no TV)

A college basketball marathon takes precedence over this game between teams looking to end their seasons on a positive note. NIU still needs a win to become bowl eligible, but given the strength of the teams ahead of them in the MAC West Jerry Kill's squad has quite the hill to climb to receive an invitation. Kent State is essentially playing out the string even though they beat Temple last week. The Huskies have the best defense in the MAC, and should do enough to slow down RB Eugene Jarvis and get the victory on the road.

Wednesday: #17 Ball State @ Central Michigan 7 PM on ESPN2

This is the game of the year in the Mid-American Conference, with the Cardinals chasing an undefeated season and conference title. But they're on the road in this one, which is fitting since the road to the MAC crown should go through Mount Pleasant. Butch Jones' Chippewas are the defending champions, and they've got Dan LeFevour back at quarterback after he missed time due to injury. But in Nate Davis, the Cardinals have one of the nation's most prolific passers and the odd-on favorite to unseat LeFevour as conference Player of the Year. This is the first game of a tough two-game swing to end the year for the Cardinals, who host Western Michigan on the 25th. As powerful as Ball State has been on offense this season, this is the game where they get tripped up. Central Michigan wins this one and moves one step closer to defending their MAC title.

Houston named FWAA/Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week.

That tends to happen when you hang seventy on a ranked opponent. Thanks to their 70-30 win over then-#23 Tulsa, the Cougars were named National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America and Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Also nominated were Florida (56-6 win over South Carolina), Northwestern (21-14 win over Michigan) and Vanderbilt (31-24 win at Kentucky; bowl-eligible for the first time since 1982).

Two more coaches were fired on Monday, and one unexpectedly resigned.

The unlucky two are Greg Robinson (Syracuse) and Brent Guy (Utah State). Neither was a surprise, given their records and the coals being stirred under their seats when the season began. That's the complete opposite of Rocky Long, who decided to resign as the head coach at New Mexico after eleven seasons in Albuquerque. Long leaves UNM with a record of 65-69, but that record doesn't tell the full story of what he did at his alma mater. The Lobos were traditionally a tough out under Long, with this season's 4-8 record being the exception rather than the rule.

College Football: #14 Ball State @ Miami (Ohio) Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:35:49 -0500

Another week another set of midweek games from the MAC, with the first featuring an undefeated Ball State team looking to work its way into the BCS. But with games remaining against Central Michigan and Western Michigan the Cardinals will have a hard enough time winning the MAC West let alone going undefeated. But tonight brings a trip to Oxford to take on the Redhawks of Miami (OH), who find themselves in the middle of a heated battle for the MAC East. Every team in the division has at least two conference losses, which could make for a serious mismatch (on paper) when the two divisional champs meet on December 5th. The game matching two of the preseason favorites can be seen at 7 PM EST on ESPN2, and look for QB Nate Davis to lead Ball State to a routine road victory.

Wednesday's Games

-Temple @ Kent State 8 PM EST on ESPN360

The Owls find themselves one game out of first place in the MAC East despite having the conference's worst offense. Kent State hasn't been much better, but with four league losses the Golden Flashes still can entertain thoughts of winning the division. Unless Akron, Buffalo or Bowling Green wins the division, there's a strong chance that the East representative could be either playing for bowl eligibility or looking to win the conference even though they wouldn't be bowl eligible. As for this game, look for the Golden Flashes to win at home and further muddle the divisional race.

- Central Michigan @ Northern Illinois 8 PM EST on ESPN2

A showdown in the west that is essentially an elimination game for Jerry Kill's Huskies. Thanks to their loss to Ball State NIU would need a lot of help to win the division, but given the status of the East they could very well be playing for a bowl game in this one. Central Michigan, on the other hand, hasn't missed a beat with Brian Brunner playing quarterback for the injured Dan LeFevour. LeFevour could be back for this one, but there shouldn't be much concern if he isn't. Northern Illinois has the best defense in the MAC, but this two-game stretch (Ball State and then CMU) can kill those numbers in a hurry. NIU will be competitive, but look for the Chippewas to take care of business and set up a showdown next week with Ball State.

FWAA Awards for this week:

- Iowa was named FWAA/Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week thanks to their 24-23 home win over then-#3 Penn State. Other nominees were #2 Texas Tech (56-20 win over Oklahoma State) and #8 Utah (13-10 win over TCU).

- Alabama safety Rashad Johnson was named FWAA/Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Week due to his performance at LSU on Saturday. Johnson had three interceptions (one for a TD) along with four tackles and one-half sack in the Crimson Tide's 27-21 overtime win in Baton Rouge.

MAC Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:17:57 -0500

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Conference Rank: 13th

10 year average: 13th

MAC Conference Page

All-MAC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Al Fisher	Kent State	Sr
G	Michael Bramos	Miami	Sr
G/F	David Kool	Western Mich.	Jr
F	Anthony Newell	Ball State	Sr
F	Jerome Tillman	Ohio	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Michael Bramos Al Fisher		Points: Anthony Newell (Ball) 16.9 Tyrone Kent (Toledo) 16.9 Rebounds: Anthony Newell 8.0 Assists: Michael Allen (Ohio) 4.0

MAC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

41	Kent State	MAC	1	NCAA
73	Miami (OH)	MAC	2	NIT
97	Western Michigan	MAC	3
122	Central Michigan	MAC	4
129	Ohio	MAC	5
173	Akron	MAC	6
178	Toledo	MAC	7
196	Bowling Green	MAC	8
238	Eastern Michigan	MAC	9
256	Ball State	MAC	10
291	Buffalo	MAC	11
298	Northern Illinois	MAC	12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the MAC?

Other MAC Content

Head Coach Q&A's

Charlie Coles: Miami

Conference Media Poll

Other

Rise & Fall: MAC

State of 08: Ohio

State of '08: Michigan

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:07:42 -0400

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Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

MICHIGAN

MICHIGAN STATE - Since Tom Izzo took over in 1995, Michigan State has never finished below .500 in Big East play, and has made the postseason for thirteen straight seasons. This year's squad has the look of Izzo's seventh team that advances to the Sweet Sixteen or beyond.

MICHIGAN - Its amazing how little success Michigan has had in the last decade under Brian Ellerbe and Tommy Amaker. One of the country's top programs from the 80's into the 90's hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament in 10 years, a streak which will certainly continue in 2009. John Beilein's rebuilding project will take some time.

WESTERN MICHIGAN - The best of Michigan's directional MAC programs, WMU has finished above .500 in conference play for the last seven seasons. This seven-year run includes four 20-win seasons, three postseason trips, and wins over quality programs such as Davidson & SIU last year, and Virginia Tech and San Diego State the previous season. We project the Broncos to make another run at the postseason in 08-09.

OAKLAND - Longtime coach Greg Kampe continues to do a great job at Oakland. He oversaw the move up from DII to D1 a decade ago, a transition that was surprisingly smooth. The Grizzlies made their first NCAA Tourney in 2005.. and were just a few baskets away from a return trip in 2007. OU will once again be a serious Summit League contender in 2009.

DETROIT - For much of the 90's, and up to as recently as 2005, Detroit was a consistent Horizon League power under long-time coach Perry Watson. But in part due to health problems, Watson has now been replaced by Ray McCallum, who hopes to return the Titans to that high level of play. It will take some time though as Detroit is coming off one of the worst season's in the programs history (just 6-23 against D1 opponents).

6. CENTRAL MICHIGAN - Outside of an amazing 2003 season, CMU hasn't had much to cheer about over the last twenty seasons. But third year coach Ernie Ziegler has brought an air of respectability to the program, as the past two seasons have seen improved play. 2009 could be the Chippewas best season since 2003's freak 2nd round NCAA Tourney run.

7. EASTERN MICHIGAN - The Eagles were one of the MAC's better teams in the 90's, but the last decade has been dismal. EMU hasn't finished above 200th in the RPI since 2000, and CHN projects another such season in 08-09.

Last: Maryland - Next: Mississippi

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)

Central Michigan Adds Wisconsin Recruit

Press Release — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 02:59:08 -0400

Tyler Brown, a 6’7” 225lb 4 man from Eau Claire, WI has given his verbal commitment to Central Michigan University. Coach Ernie Zeigler and assistants Darren Kohne and Keith Noftz lured the senior from Eau Claire North HS and the Wisconsin Blizzard AAU away from the competition. The tag team efforts enabled them to beat out 8 other scholarship offers that Brown had from the likes of: Boston University, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Air Force, North Dakota State, Yale, Lehigh, and North Dakota. Brown along with Wisconsin commit Evan Anderson should lead Coach Pat Hammond’s Eau Claire North HS to a fantastic season this upcoming year!

Tyler becomes the first committed for CMU’s class of 2009.

2008-09 Central Michigan Basketball Preview: #122

Joel Welser — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:23:52 -0400

Central Michigan Chippewas

Overall Rank: #122

Conference Rank: #4 MAC

2007-08: 14-17, 8-8, 2^nd West

2007-08 postseason: none

Central Michigan is still transitioning into the Coach Ernie Zeigler era. Year one went alright, but year two should be better as the staff continues to bring in talented players. Yet, there are key players gone and this team could end being labeled as another transition group instead of a team that can compete for a Mid-American Conference title.

Who’s Out:

The biggest loss is Giordan Watson. The senior point guard led the team with 16.4 points, 4.5 assists and 1.9 steals. Nobody else on the team even averaged more than ten points per game or more than 1.5 assists per contest. Nate Minnoy, who was second on the team in scoring last year with 8.8 points per game, has left he program. Justin Blevens, Tyrone Jordan, Chase Simon, Eddie Spencer and Reynold Walters are not quite as big of losses as Watson and Minnoy, but each started at least one game last season.

Who’s In:

With the large group of departures, many of them unexpected, the newcomers will have to step in and immediately provide some depth off the bench. Junior college transfers Jacolby Hardiman and Antonio Weary have the experience to contribute right away. Hardiman, a 6-4 wing, is noted for his defensive ability, a much needed attribute for the Chippewas. Weary is a great athlete who will push the tempo in transition. Once his jump shot becomes more consistent, Weary, who has three years of eligibility, will be a dynamic scorer from the wing. Redshirt freshman William Eddie III and incoming freshman Adrian Hunter will be thrown into the mix at point guard. Eddie’s defense and year in the program could earn him the backup role. Hunter can also play the two guard spot and is expected to play an important role right away. As long the 5-11 freshman can bring his scoring to the collegiate level, he will be a dynamic part of the offense. Lawrence Bridges will add his name to the list of small forwards. Bridges, at 6-5 and 220 pounds, could see some action at the four spot in certain situations. The freshman has a ton of potential and could make a big impact right away. So could 6-8 forward Zach Saylor. Central Michigan needs Saylor and Bridges, if he can effectively play power forward, to provide some depth off the bench this year.

Who to Watch:

Despite all the nice recruits coming to Mt. Pleasant, it is a walk-on who could have the biggest impact on the success or failures of this year’s team. Robbie Harman was backing up Watson for a couple years, but his heart, hustle, intelligence and quickness were hard not to notice. What this team needs is a steady, smart floor leader and they have one in Harman. With Jordan Bitzer and Jeremy Allen on the wings, not to mention the newcomers, Harman will not have to score, but he still can and will, especially from beyond the arc. Bitzer is the other long range shooting threat in the backcourt, but he struggled with his shot at times last year. Allen is the slasher. At 6-2, he appears slightly undersized to man the three spot, but he plays bigger than he looks. However, he could stand to play a little bigger and help the team out on the glass.

Final Projection:

The problems about the lack of depth in the frontcourt stem from the suspension of Marcus Van. Van started a dozen games last year and averaged 5.8 points and a team high 5.3 rebounds. The Chippewas can live without his scoring, but losing their best rebounder would hurt. Chris Kellerman and Marco Spica both have starting experience as well and will be the likely starters come November. Kellerman can stretch out the defense with his outside shooting and Spica is a solid scorer in the paint. Once Spica can hit the glass more effectively, he will be a dominating big man.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Robbie Harman, Junior, Guard, 5.4 points per game

Adrian Hunter, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season

Jeremy Allen, Sophomore, Guard, 7.2 points per game

Chris Kellerman, Senior, Forward, 7.2 points per game

Marko Spica, Junior, Center, 6.5 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2008-09 Preview & Awards | Coach Interviews | Discuss the Preview

MAC Tournament: Day One

Bill Kintner — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:44:52 -0400

Game 1

The No. 7 seed Eastern Michigan beat No. 10 Ball State 59-55 to put the Cardinals out of their misery and moved into the semifinals against No. 2 Western Michigan at noon. Justin Dobbins led the Eagles with 21 points, including a put-back that gave them a 45-44 lead and led to an 8-0 run to pull away from Ball State.

Fav quote:

“We expected them to play well. They had nothing to lose. They are a much better team than that record indicates.”
- Eastern Michigan coach Charles Ramsey

Game 2

It was a three game sweep as No. 6 Central Michigan whipped No. 11 Northern Illinois 83-71. Senior guard Giordan Watson led the Chippewas with 20 points. Central Michigan led by as much as 22 in the second half before a late comeback to make the score respectable. CMU plays Akron at 2:30 pm.

Fav quote:

“I know we have good shooters. When you have good shooters, they make shots.”
- CMU player Giordan Watson

Game 3

The No. 8 seed Toledo beat arch-rival No. 9 Bowling Green 52-48 to avenge a regular-season loss to the Falcons. The Rockets shot a meager 33.3 percent from the field and 5.9 percent (1-17) from 3-point land. Jonathan Amos led the Rockets with 15 points. Toledo plays Kent State at 7 p.m.

Fav quote:

“We bogged down on offensively. We had open shots , we just couldn’t convert. At one point they had nine offensive rebounds and I was pretty disappointed with that.”
- Toledo coach Stan Joplin

Game 4

No. 5 Miami, took a lead with three minutes thanks to the shooting of Kenny Hayes and the RedHawks made 7-of-8 free throws in the final minute to hold off No. 12 Buffalo 69-68. Michael Bramos led Miami with 23 points. The RedHawks were out-rebounded 38-22 and had just four offensive rebounds. Miami plays Ohio at 9:30 p.m.

Fav quote:

“We were getting frustrated because they were playing a lot harder than us. We had to come in the second half and match their intensity.”
- Tim Politz, Miami player

Daily Poll: Who Will Win the MAC?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:42:35 -0400

2007-08 CMU Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 12:55:56 -0400

Central Michigan Chippewas

Overall Rank: #85

Conference Rank: #2 MAC

2006-07: 13-18, 7-9, 3^rd West

2006-07 postseason: none

Central Michigan has enough talent to win the Mid-American Conference. In fact, no team in the conference can match the talent level at CMU. The only question that remains is whether the group of players can come together to form a cohesive unit. The depth is amazing and the battle for playing time will be fierce. When Coach Ernie Ziegler can find the proper rotations, the Chippewas will be the most dangerous team in the MAC.

Who’s Out:

The big loss is Sefton Barrett. The wing averaged 9.0 points and a team high 5.1 rebounds. Andre Smyth and Aaron Richie are transferring. Smyth started a handful of games and, even with the loss of all the wings, the departures are of little concern to the Chippewa faithful. Little used center John Tiemeyer is also transferring.

Who’s In:

Nate Minnoy started a successful basketball career averaging 10.2 points per game at Purdue as a freshman before suffering a knee injury. After a quick trip to a junior college, Minnoy is ready to make a big impact in Mount Pleasant. At 6-3 and 270 pounds, Minnoy is an unusual looking forward. Even at 6-3, Minnoy can be a dominating power forward in the MAC. He will get on the glass and can do plenty of scoring against taller competition in the paint. Junior college transfer Marcus Van will step in and help out on the glass right away. The 6-7 forward fills a huge need in the rebounding department and his experience at Wabash Valley Community College has him prepared to be more than just a rebounder. The perimeter group needs less immediate help and a trio of incoming freshmen cement Central Michigan as a contender for years to come. The athletic 6-5 Chase Simon can play any position on the perimeter and is a quality recruit for any MAC program. He is a great scorer and sees the floor very well. Talent wise, Simon will be starting as a freshman, but it may take a little time for him to adjust to the level of play. Jeremy Allen, another wing, is a tough competitor and slasher. He has plenty of potential to see playing time as a freshman, but it is Simon who is the future superstar. William Eddie is a true point guard with a knack for defending. Jon Yeazel will return to the team after spending last year at a junior college. As a freshman, the guard averaged 2.3 points per game.

Who to Watch:

Through the tough times, Giordan Watson stuck around CMU and helped build the team from cellar dweller to contender. Watson, who led the team with 18.8 points, 4.2 assists and 1.6 steals, is a terrific outside shooter and will take all the big shots. Sophomore Jordan Bitzer lived up to his hype coming into CMU and averaged 7.4 points per game. With a little more consistency on the outside shot, Bitzer will be a great two guard. Seniors Eddie Spencer and Reynold Walters both have significant starting experience and will battle for playing time on the wings. Robbie Harman is not the most talented player in the backcourt, but will likely play important minutes backing up Watson at the point.

Final Projection:

As good and deep as the perimeter is, the frontcourt may be the strength of the team. Adding to newcomers Minnoy and Van are Marko Spica, Chris Kellerman and Justin Blevins. After a year in the system, Spica is in position to become a dominating big man. The 6-9 sophomore, who originally signed with UCLA, showed flashes of brilliance as a freshman. He is a versatile scorer and with a little work on the defensive end, Spica will see many more minutes this year. Chris Kellerman is a dynamic scorer as well and was one of the better shooters from long range. At 6-8 he is a matchup nightmare and Kellermann could handle playing at the three if the coaching staff wants to put Minnoy at the four. Justin Blevins, who earned 17 starts last season, will be a quality backup at the four and five spots. There are a ton of options and CMU can go at least 11 deep if necessary. It might take a while for the team to come together, but by March nobody in the MAC will want to go up against the Chippewas.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:

Giordan Watson, Senior, Guard, 18.8 points per game

Jordan Bitzer, Sophomore, Guard, 7.4 points per game

Nate Minnoy, Junior, Forward, DNP last season

Chris Kellermann, Junior, Forward, 8.8 points per game

Marko Spica, Sophomore, Forward, 7.1 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2007-08 Preview | Discuss the Preview

MAC Recap: 11-18

Ryan Molnar — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 10:55:38 -0500

The MAC had four teams in action yesterday and last night with all but one team winning. Kent State picked up a good win at home over Detroit. Marquette handed it to Eastern Michigan. Toledo took care of Middle Tennessee State in overtime, and Buffalo came away with an impressive win over Miami (FL). Kent State had a balanced attack lead them to a 61-48 victory over the University of Detroit Mercy at the MAC Center yesterday afternoon. Kent State held Detroit to just 38 percent shooting and withstood a hot start from behind the 3-point line from the Titans. Detroit hit its first three triples, but then proceeded to only shoot three-of-16 the rest of the game. Freshmen guard Rodriguez Sherman led Kent State with 14 points in his first colleigate start. Due to many suspensions of players he was thrust into the lineup and did not commit one turnover in 31 minutes of play. Senior Armon Gates scored 12 points and brought down a career high 8 rebounds. He is known more for his 3 point shooting ability but in this game he was only able to make two three pointers. Kent State returns to action on Tuesday when they host Temple University. Eastern Michigan fell hard to #17 Marquette University 95-62. The Eagles were led by freshmen Devon Dumes who was the only player on Eastern in double figures as he scored 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field while hitting 4-of-7 from behind the arc. EMU stayed with Marquette for much of the first half but could not withstand Marquette’s hot shooting from the field along with its stingy defense. The Golden Eagles connected on 48% of it’s three point attempts while Eastern hit just 38% of theirs. Marquette had five players in double figures and were led by sophomore guard Dominic James who had 17 points. EMU will take on Detroit on Wednesday, November 29th. Toledo got their first win of the year last night but it wasn’t easy. Playing against Middle Tennessee State in the Virgin Islands as part of the Paradise Jam Tournament, Toledo fell down by as much as 18 points at the half but battled back to win it 75-69 in overtime. Senior guard Justin Ingram came up big for the Rockets scoring a career-high 32 points. He also hit the three that forced overtime. Senior forward Keonta Howell came up with 21 points and 6 rebounds and overcame a 20 point deficit with a 22-2 surge late in the second half. Ingram hit the game-tying three with only 0.9 seconds left on the clock. Middle Tennessee State rode their 72.7 percent shooting to a 18 point halftime lead. Toledo will play VCU on Monday afternoon in their last game at the Paradise Jam Tournament. The Buffalo Bulls win over the Miami Hurricanes was the school’s first win over a school from the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Bulls defeated the Hurricanes 60-57 in the America’s Youth Classic in Evansville, Indiana last night. Yassin Idbihi hit the game-winning jumper with 3.7 seconds remaining to carry the Bulls to their third win of the season. The senior forward led Buffalo with 22 points and a career high 14 rebounds. Buffalo only shot 36.5 percent but played solid defense and came up big on the boards. Buffalo was able to out-rebound Miami 43-35, including 16 offensive boards. Buffalo will take on Evansville in the final game of the tournament today. Today’s games feature Ball State hosting Prairie View A&M, Bowling Green hosting Furman, Akron hosting Tiffin, Ohio hosting Yale, Buffalo on the road at Evansville, and Central Michigan hosting UMKC. Here are my predictions: Ball State, Akron, Ohio, and Central Michigan all win, while Bowling Green and Buffalo both lose. Yesterday: 1-3. Overall: 6-4.