Eastern Michigan

MAC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:33:31 -0500

Akron is the favorite after winning 23 games last year, but just about everyone in the dominant East Division has a chance to make some noise.

Conference Rank: 17th

10 year average: 13th

MAC Conference Page

All-MAC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Rodney Pierce	Buffalo	Sr
G	Darion Anderson	Northern Illinois	Jr
G/F	David Kool	Western Mich.	Jr
F	Brandon Bowdry	Eastern Mich.	Jr
F	Jarrod Jones	Ball State	So

Player of the Year - Rodney Pierce
CHN Award Winners		Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Darion Anderson Rodney Pierce		Best Scorer: David Kool Best Rebounder: Brandon Bowdry Best Passer: Joe Jakubowski

MAC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

68	Akron	MAC	1	NCAA
82	Buffalo	MAC	2	NIT
104	Kent State	MAC	3	CBI/CIT
128	Bowling Green	MAC	4
184	Ohio	MAC	5
199	Miami (OH)	MAC	6
232	Central Michigan	MAC	7
266	Ball State	MAC	8
289	Northern Illinois	MAC	9
311	Eastern Michigan	MAC	10
318	Western Michigan	MAC	11
341	Toledo	MAC	12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the MAC?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

MAC Preseason Poll & Awards

Press Release — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:54:12 -0400

CLEVELAND - Akron was predicted to finish first in the Mid-American Conference East Division in a poll of the league's media, the conference office announced on Oct 28.

Central Michigan was predicted to win the West Division, amassing 113 points and 10 first-place votes. Northern Illinois was picked to finish second with 102 points, while Eastern Michigan was forecast to finish third with 94 points. Ball State, Western Michigan and Toledo were picked to finish fourth, fifth and sixth in the West Division, respectively.

Five schools earned votes to win the MAC Tournament with Akron being the favorite with 19 votes. Buffalo received two votes, while Northern Illinois, Kent State and Bowling Green each received one.

MAC East Division Preseason Media Poll

1.       Akron – 190 points (19)

2.       Kent State – 108 points (3)

3.       Buffalo – 97 points (1)

4.       Miami – 78 points

5.       Bowling Green – 54 points (1)

6.       Ohio – 32 points

MAC West Division Preseason Media Poll

1.       Central Michigan – 113 points (10)

2.       Northern Illinois – 102 points (4)

3.       Eastern Michigan – 94 points (3)

4.       Ball State – 87 points (3)

5.       Western Michigan – 79 points (4)

6.       Toledo – 29 points

(1st place votes in parentheses)

Tournament Winner: Akron (19), Buffalo (2), Northern Illinois (1), Kent State (1), Bowling Green (1)

East Division All-MAC Preseason Team

Kenny Hayes, G, Miami

Brett McKnight, F, Akron

Rodney Pierce, G, Buffalo

Chris Singletary, G, Kent State

Anthony “Humpty” Hitches, G, Akron

West Division All-MAC Preseason Team

David Kool, G, Western Michigan

Jarrod Jones, F/C, Ball State

Brandon Bowdry, F, Eastern Michigan

Darion “Jake” Anderson, G, Northern Illinois

Carlos Medlock, G, Eastern Michigan

The Ultimate Schedule: MAC West

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:08:38 -0400

MAC Scheduling “Rules”:

- Four non-conference games

- Eight conference games (five within the division)

- Marathon MAC Football Championship Game (December 4^th in Detroit)

Week 1: Western Michigan @ Michigan (September 5^th)

The Wolverines have made news in advance of the season opener due to head coach Rich Rodriguez’s proclamation that three quarterbacks will see time. If that’s for game plan reasons or the fact that none of the three (Tate Forcier, Nick Sheridan and Denard Robinson) has separated from the others then OK. But if it’s a case of overconfidence, thinking that the visit from the Broncos is nothing more than a formality they’d better talk to their conference brethren in Champaign. Bill Cubit’s team should not be overlooked, especially with QB Tim Hiller throwing and RB Brandon West throwing the football. If the Broncos can find ample replacements for the eight departed starters on defense look out.

Other Games Considered: Central Michigan @ Arizona (9/5), Toledo @ Purdue (9/5)

Week 2: Central Michigan @ Michigan State (September 12^th)

Another matchup between Michigan schools, with the task being far tougher for the Chippewas. Michigan State is picked by many to finish third in the Big Ten despite the loss of RB Javon Ringer. The Spartans have one of the better defenses in the conference with LB Greg Jones leading the way, and Mark Dantonio’s team doesn’t shy away from physical football. How well Butch Jones’ team deals with the hard-nosed style of play will dictate the flow of the game. If the Chippewas can keep the ball in the hands of Dan LeFevour and control the tempo they can win. If they allow the Spartans to slug away at will, it will be a long day in East Lansing.

Other Game Considered: Western Michigan @ Indiana (9/12)

Week 3: Northern Illinois @ Purdue (September 19^th)

Another Big Ten matchup, and just like Western’s opener at Michigan the visiting team has more than a puncher’s chance to leave with the victory. The Boilermakers, in their first season under Danny Hope, lost quite a bit on both sides of the football and were picked to finish tenth in the Big Ten this season. Jerry Kill’s Huskies have more than enough defense to compete for the division crown; whether or not they’re truly a part of the race with CMU and WMU will depend largely upon the improvements made on offense. Can NIU keep up with a team that likes to put the ball in the air like Purdue? It’s a pretty good test considering what they’ll go up against in conference play.

Other Games Considered: Ball State @ Army (9/19), Toledo vs. Ohio State (9/19 in Cleveland), Miami @ Western Michigan (9/19)

Week 4: Ball State @ Auburn (September 26^th)

The final Saturday in September sends Stan Parrish’s Cardinals to The Plains to take on an Auburn program in transition. Gene Chizik replaced the resigned Tommy Tuberville, and it too a little while for some natives to accept the fact that Auburn hired a man who was 5-19 in two years at Iowa State. Better athletes and a better recruiting base should help his cause in getting the Tigers back to competing for SEC championships. As for Parrish, who was the offensive coordinator last season, he’ll have to break in a new quarterback in Kelly Page but RB MiQuale Lewis does return. It’ll be too much to ask of the Cardinals to win at Auburn, but they could hang around for a bit.

Other Games Considered: Akron @ Central Michigan (9/26), Toledo @ FIU (9/26)

Week 5: Western Michigan @ Northern Illinois (October 3^rd)

If the Huskies want to entertain any thoughts of winning the division they’ll need to defend their home turf when the Broncos roll into DeKalb. WMU won last year’s meeting by just three points despite the fact that the Huskies were breaking in a new quarterback and getting used to a new head coach. Now Jerry Kill can look at QB Chandler Harnish and know that he’s got enough experience to take the next step in his development. The Broncos have won the last three meetings, but each game has been tight and they were outgained by NIU in the last meeting. The winner takes a big step towards competing for a MAC title while the loser falls behind the 8-ball early.

Other Games Considered: Central Michigan @ Buffalo (10/3), Toledo @ Ball State (10/3)

Week 6: Ball State @ Temple (October 10^th)

This is a crossover game that has the chance to be a pretty good one. The two have never met, with Temple just joining the conference in 2007. Ball State has been the best road team in the conference over the past couple of seasons, winning nine straight MAC road contests. If the Owls are to win they’ll have to get more from an offense that ranked dead last in the MAC in total offense in 2008 while Ball State will hope for good play from a defense that returns seven starters. While Temple has hopes of possibly winning the East the Cardinals will hope to reach bowl eligibility.

Other Games Considered: Western Michigan @ Toledo (10/10), Eastern Michigan @ Central Michigan (10/10)

Week 7: Central Michigan @ Western Michigan (October 17^th)

As soon as the media picks for the conference were released this game became the “Game of the Year” within the West Division. The Chippewas won last year’s meeting by ten (38-28) despite Tim Hiller throwing for nearly 500 yards. Western really has no problem putting the ball in the air, but if they can’t get anything out of Brandon West and the running game they become a little too one-dimensional (49 yards rushing against CMU in 2008). If the Broncos can get some balance they’ve got a chance to end their three-game skid in the series. If not, look for the Chippewas to cement themselves as the favorite in the division.

Other Games Considered: Northern Illinois @ Toledo (10/17), Bowling Green @ Ball State (10/17)

Week 8: Buffalo @ Western Michigan (October 24^th)

Depending on what happens in their respective big divisional games (Buffalo at Temple, WMU at Central Michigan) this could be a preview of the Marathon MAC Football Championship Game in December. Of the four teams that received votes to win the MAC only the Bulls play all three (Temple, Central Michigan and Western Michigan), and by this point in the season Turner Gill’s team will have seen them all. The Broncos won last season’s meeting in overtime thanks to 345 yards through the air and a defense that limited Buffalo to just 164 yards through the air. WMU will look to control things through the air; if Buffalo can limit that they’ll have a chance to win at Waldo Stadium.

Week 9: Bye Week (October 31^st)

While there are a few intriguing games on the schedule for this weekend it’s a good time to take a week off to prepare for the stretch run. The best conference games look to be Western Michigan visiting Kent State and Ball State hosting Ohio, while Central Michigan gets an upset opportunity at Boston College.

Week 10: Eastern Michigan @ Northern Illinois (November 5^th)

The Eagles are the one team we haven’t seen to this point in the season so it’s a good opportunity to check out Ron English’s program on a Thursday night in DeKalb. EMU was embarrassed at home in last season’s meeting, losing 37-0 while allowing the Huskies to rush for 235 yards. Of the three teams picked in the top half of the division the Huskies may be the team that the Eagles can hang with longer than anticipated. When the Huskies win in this series they tend to blow out EMU; the Eagles won 21-19 in 2007 and with seventeen starters back they could very well make things interesting.

Other Game Considered: Western Michigan @ Michigan State (11/7)

Week 11: Toledo @ Central Michigan (November 11^th)

The Chippewas escaped Toledo last season with a 24-23 win, a departure from the 2007 meeting that saw the Rockets get their doors blown off in the fourth quarter. Rover Barry Church, who seems to have been around for about ten years, will lead a defense for new head coach Tim Beckman that returns seven starters. In regards to the series the Chips have won four straight after losing ten straight to the Rockets, a streak that coincided with the year (2005) in which Brian Kelly got things headed in the right direction in Mount Pleasant. Hopefully for CMU Dan LeFevour will be healthy; last year’s meeting came in between games the senior missed due to injury. The Rockets have a senior quarterback of their own in Aaron Opelt, and while he isn’t considered to be the caliber of LeFevour, he is a capable decision-maker.

Other Games Considered: Ball State @ Northern Illinois (12/12), Western Michigan @ Eastern Michigan (12/14)

Week 12: Northern Illinois @ Ohio (November 21^st)

We’ve got one more attractive crossover game…that is if you’re a fan of strong running games and solid defense. The last meeting was actually a high-scoring affair, but it’s hard to expect both teams to light up the scoreboard this time around. Ohio QB Theo Scott missed most of 2008 due to a broken collarbone suffered in the season opener, giving Boo Jackson the keys to the offense. There still hasn’t been a decision on who the starter will be but Frank Solich does have two players with experience from which to choose. NIU QB Chandler Harnish should also perform better with a season under his belt, a development that should increase the production of the Husky offense. Not sure how many points will be scored, but expect nothing to be decided until the fourth quarter.

Other Games Considered: Central Michigan @ Ball State (11/18), Eastern Michigan @ Toledo (11/20)

Week 13: Northern Illinois @ Central Michigan (November 27^th)

Just like the meeting between the Chippewas and Western Michigan in October, the season finale between CMU and the Huskies will go a long way in deciding who makes the voyage to Detroit. Central Michigan won last season’s meeting 33-30 in overtime, spoiling a furious NIU rally to tie the game at 30 with nineteen seconds remaining in regulation. CMU led 30-6 with 5:25 remaining in the third quarter yet needed a field goal from Andrew Aguila to seal the win. Dan LeFevour accounted for more than three hundred yards and four total touchdowns in the win, but it isn’t as if he wasn’t going to be the first line of the NIU scouting report anyway. Expect another entertaining contest, and this time there may be a lot more on the line.

Other Games Considered: Ball State @ Western Michigan (11/24), Toledo @ Bowling Green (11/27)

Week 14: Marathon MAC Football Championship Game (December 4^th in Detroit)

The conference gets the Friday night spotlight to itself on Championship Weekend, and the pick here is for Central Michigan to close out Dan LeFevour’s career with a conference title. Look for the Chippewas to dethrone reigning champion Buffalo at Ford Field.

MAC Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:49:55 -0400

Can the Bulls repeat as champions?

By Raphielle Johnson

2008 saw the completion to one of the biggest turnarounds in recent college football history, with Turner Gill leading the Buffalo Bulls from the dregs of college football to the top of the Mid-American Conference. The Bulls knocked off Ball State in the conference championship game, earning a trip to the International Bowl. They may have lost that game and starting quarterback Drew Willy (graduation), but most importantly they did not lose Coach Gill.

Despite a few interview opportunities he’ll be right back on the sidelines, hoping that players such as WR Naaman Roosevelt and RB Brandon Thermilus (James Starks will likely miss the entire season due to a torn labrum in his shoulder) can lead the Bulls to another title. Zack Maynard takes over for Willy under center, and while he’s got many options to go to with the football he’ll also have to deal with three new starters on the offensive line. Defensively, look for the Bulls to be one of the conference’s stronger units with nine starters returning. The key for Buffalo: avoiding a “hangover” following a season of success the likes of which hadn’t been seen at UB for a very long time.

Their biggest challenger in the East could very well be Temple, another program looking to drag itself up from the bottom of college football. Al Golden’s team went 5-7 in his first year in Philadelphia, but they did win four league games. Adam DiMichele has graduated, but the Owls do have quarterbacks with starting experience in Vaughn Charlton and Chester Stewart. Outside of quarterback the Owls are a solid football team featuring a number of young yet talented options on both sided of the football. Far more competitive than people expected them to be last season, Temple has the talent to challenge the Bulls and possibly win the conference.

Ohio, Akron and Bowling Green could slot in behind those two in any given order, but good luck figuring out which of the three would have the best chance to shove their way into the top two. Ohio will always run the ball and play sound football under Frank Solich, but the growth of the passing game will determine whether or not the Bobcats can win the division. JD Brookhart’s Akron Zips return nine starters on offense with QB Chris Jacquemain leading the way. But in order for Akron to put together their first winning season since 2005 a defense that finished tenth in the MAC in total defense must improve.

Bowling Green welcomes a new head coach in Dave Clawson, who was extremely successful at Richmond before taking over as offensive coordinator at Tennessee in 2008. He will have some dependable options on offense in QB Tyler Sheehan and WR Freddie Barnes to work with, but there will be some work to do defensively. A unit that ranked second in the conference in total defense returns just three starters and have to replace all-conference DE Diyral Briggs.

Kent State is another team to keep an eye on, with the Golden Flashes returning fifteen starters, led by the diminutive yet productive RB Eugene Jarvis. Jarvis rushed for just over eight hundred yards in 2008, missing three games due to injury. His health becomes even more important due to the graduation of QB Julian Edelman. Four starters are back on the offensive line, and the defense returns starters at all three levels. The wildcard in regards to their contention for a division crown will be the play of sophomore QB Giorgio Morgan; if he can play mistake-free football the Golden Flashes have a chance to earn their first winning season since 2001.

Miami of Ohio also has a new head coach in Mike Haywood, and he’ll have quite the rebuilding job to do in Oxford. The Redhawks have a proud football history but they’ve finished 2-10 in two of the last three seasons. Senior Daniel Raudabaugh returns to lead the offense, and that unit ranked ahead of only Temple in total offense. The Redhawks weren’t much better defensively, ranking ninth in the conference in total defense. Just five starters return to that unit, led by three returnees in the secondary.

In the West, it’ll most likely be a two-horse race between Central Michigan and Western Michigan. The Chippewas return the conference’s best quarterback in Dan LeFevour, and head coach Butch Jones also has receivers Kito Poblah, Bryan Anderson and Antonio Brown back in the fold. But the Chips have just one starter back on the offensive line, and the fact that they have ten starters back on defense is undermined by the fact that CMU was dead last in the conference in total defense last season. If the defense can round into shape they’ve got a chance to get through a tough early-season schedule and get back to the top of the MAC.

As for the Broncos, they’ve got some holes to fill defensively but the offense is in good hands thanks to the return of all five starters on the offensive line and QB Tim Hiller. Hiller threw for 286.5 yards per game in 2008, tops in the conference by thirty yards per game. Brandon West will be back for one more run as well, hoping to improve upon numbers that ranked him sixth in the conference in rushing yards a season ago. The Broncos were fourth in the MAC in total offense but just eighth in total defense. That number has to improve if they’re to win the conference this season.

Northern Illinois was the worst offensive team in the conference yet still reached a bowl game in the first season under Jerry Kill due to a defense that finished tops in the conference by nearly fifty yards per game. Defensive end Larry English is now in the NFL and just four starters return on defense, but things may be looking up for the offense. QB Chandler Harnish started ten games as a freshman and is one of seven starters back on that side of the football. If the NIU offense can make some strides they’ll be in the running for third place in the West.

Toledo, Ball State and Eastern Michigan all welcome new head coaches in 2009, with the Rockets having the best chance of finishing in the top half the of the division. New head coach Tim Beckman takes over a team that returns sixteen starters, including QB Aaron Opelt and running backs Morgan Williams and DaJuane Collins. Growing pains could be more plentiful for Ball State’s Stan Parrish and Eastern Michigan’s Ron English. The Cardinals have just four starters back on an offense that led the MAC in total offense a season ago. The load will become heavier for RB MiQuale Lewis with the loss of QB Nate Davis and four starters on the offensive line.

As for EMU the program has won four games in a season three times this decade. That’s the high-water mark for the perennial MAC doormat, something the former defensive coordinator at Louisville hopes to change. Seventeen starters return to Ypsilanti, including nine to an offense that ranked third in the MAC last season. But no matter how many yards Andy Schmitt threw for the Eagles struggled to win games due to a porous defense. Schmitt did lead the Eagles to an upset win over the Chippewas in the season finale, throwing for 516 yards and five touchdowns in the 56-52 stunner. In the final two games of the season Schmitt attempted 76 (Temple) and 80 (CMU) passes; if he has to do that this year the Eagles will more than likely fail to surpass their three-win total of 2008.

As for who wins the MAC title look for Central Michigan’s defense to show signs of improvement, winning the conference provided LeFevour stay healthy. If not, the door opens for either Buffalo or Western Michigan to grab the title. But rest assured it will be another season of wild games and surprising results in the Mid-American Conference.

Storyline: Offense vs. defense. The Bulls are pretty solid on both sides of the football, but the other major contenders need to make improvements on either the offensive (Temple) or defensive (CMU, WMU) side of the football.

Players of the Year: QB Tim Hiller (Western Michigan) and LB Nick Bellore (Central Michigan)

How they’ll finish

East 1. Buffalo West 1. Central Michigan

2. Temple 2. Western Michigan

3. Ohio 3. Northern Illinois

4. Akron 4. Toledo

5. Kent State 5. Ball State

6. Bowling Green 6. Eastern Michigan

7. Miami (Ohio)

Next: MAC East and West ultimate schedules

MAC Tournament: Pairings & Schedule

Press Release — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 20:27:41 -0400

2009 FirstEnergy MAC Men's Basketball Tournament

Tuesday, March 10 - First Round
No. 7 Central Michigan vs. No. 10 Eastern Michigan, Noon
No. 6 Kent State vs. No. 11 Northern Illinois, 2 p.m.*
No. 8 Western Michigan vs. No. 9 Ohio, 4 p.m.*
No. 5 Akron vs. No. 12 Toledo, 6 p.m.*

Thursday, March 12 - Quarters
No. 2 Ball State vs. No. 7/No. 10 Winner, Noon (FS Ohio)
No. 3 Buffalo vs. No. 6/No.11 Winner, 2:30 p.m.* (FS Ohio)
No. 1 Bowling Green vs. No. 8/No. 9 Winner, 7 p.m. (FS Ohio)
No. 4 Miami vs. No. 5/No. 12 Winner, 9:30 p.m.* (FS Ohio)

Friday, March 13 - Semis
No. 2/7/10 vs. No. 3/6/11 Winner,7:30 p.m. (FS Ohio)
No. 1/8/9 vs. No. 4/5/12 Winner, 9:30 p.m.(FS Ohio)

Saturday, March 14
Championship Game (ESPN2), 8 p.m. EST

*or 30 minutes following previous game

MAC Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:17:34 -0500

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

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the MAC?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:02:33 -0400

State of '08: Michigan

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:07:19 -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)

MAC Tournament: Day One

Bill Kintner — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:44:29 -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

MAC Recap: 11-18

Ryan Molnar — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 10:55:15 -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.