Northern Illinois

Saint Mary's Makes History: Monday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:52:35 -0800

VCU jumped out to a big lead in the first half, holding on to beat Drexel for the CAA title.

1. Saint Mary's rebounds from a Gonzaga rally to force overtime, beating the Zags to win the WCC crown.
Both late title games featured wild comebacks to force overtime, but ultimately the team that could have been too crushed to rebound ended up winning. Elias Harris scored the final five points of regulation for Gonzaga, including a three-pointer in the final seconds to send the WCC title game into overtime, but his efforts wouldn't be enough as Saint Mary's won 78-74. Randy Bennett's team made history with the win, as it marks the first time in school history that the Gaels have won the regular season title outright and won the conference tournament in the same season.

Matthew Dellavedova scored 22 points and dished out four assists to lead the Gaels and Rob Jones added 18 and nine boards, but Jorden Page was just as important. Page scored 16 points on a night that saw Gonzaga's guards, most notably Kevin Pangos (3-for-18 FG), struggle while their big men played well. Harris finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, and both Robert Sacre' (17 points) and Sam Dower (14 points) reached double figures. Saint Mary's out-rebounded the Bulldogs by four and outscored them by five at the foul line, but ultimately it was Gonzaga's three-point shooting (5-for-22) that caught up with them. Both teams will dance, and Saint Mary's likely improved their seeding with the result as they can now claim two wins over the Bulldogs this season.

2. Davidson finds away to survive Western Carolina despite some poor late-game execution.
Saint Mary's issues late in regulation had nothing on Davidson's, as the Wildcats looked nothing like the team that ran through the SoCon during the regular season. There were turnovers as well as silly fouls of jump shooters, but thanks to the efforts of De'Mon Brooks, Jake Cohen and JP Kulhman the Wildcats survived 93-91 in double overtime. Brooks and Kuhlman scored 19 points apiece while Cohen and Nik Cochran added 17 and 16 respectively, and Clint Mann added ten points off the bench. WCU, who entered the game having won seven straight games, had three players score 20 points or more but it wouldn't be enough to get them into the NCAA tournament.

Keaton Cole led the Catamounts with 21 points, and Tawaski King (ten rebounds) and Harouna Mutombo (seven rebounds, four assists and three steals) scored 20 apiece. Davidson shot 52.9% from the field but got themselves in trouble with the turnovers (15 total) and 5-for-21 night from beyond the arc. But it would be wise to not write off the Wildcats due to this performance, as Bob McKillop's team plays under control in most instances. Just so happened that they ran into a team that could speed up their thought process and force things to happen, and it very nearly got Davidson beat.

3. Loyola (MD) completes a long journey, going from 1-27 to an NCAA tournament berth.
In Scott Hicks' final season in charge the Loyola Greyhounds went an embarrassing 1-27, a clear indication that change is needed. Jimmy Patsos was hired and from there he began to rebuild the program, and the goal of getting to the NCAA tournament was final achieved on Monday night. Loyola ramped things up defensively in the second half, pressuring full-court on made basket, which negated the Stags' advantage inside. The Greyhounds went on to win 48-44 due to both their defense and the versatility of tournament MVP Erik Etherly, who finished with ten points, seven rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals.

Ryan Olander and Rakim Sanders both reached double figures but they combined to shoot just 6-for-25 from the field, and point guard Desmond Wade wasn't a whole lot better as he shot 1-for-5. Loyola limited the Stags to just 28.8% shooting for the game and 14 second-half points. While Patsos tends to be the center of attention from a media standpoint when the Greyhounds are playing, it's also important to recognize that there's a good team at Patsos' disposal as well. If Loyola can get the right matchup with a 14 or 15-seed, they've got the ability to throw a scare into someone.

Quick Hitters

1. The top four seeds in the Sun Belt are all gone before the final, with three-seed Denver being the last to go. Western Kentucky knocked off the Pioneers 67-63 in the second semifinal in Hot Springs, setting up a date with North Texas for the title. The Mean Green beat Arkansas State in the first semifinal.

2. There was also an upset in the Summit League semis as top-seed Oral Roberts lost to Western Illinois 54-53. Dominique Morrison led the Golden Eagles with 23 points, but his teammates shot just 11-for-36 from the field. Terell Parks led the Leathernecks with 14 points and eight rebounds, and Ceola Clark III added 11 points. WIU will take on two-seed South Dakota State in Tuesday's title game, as the Jackrabbits beat Southern Utah 63-47.

3. Two of the four road teams in the first round of the MAC tournament found a way to win, with Northern Illinois knocking off Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan upsetting Bowling Green. The first half between NIU and EMU featured just 29 points (18-11 NIU) and 17 combined turnovers. As for CMU, a Derek Jackson three with 1:40 remaining put the Chippewas up for good and Austin McBroom scored a team-high 20 points.

4. It was a busy day on the coaching carousel as Winthrop decided not the bring back Randy Peele, and Miami (OH) head coach Charlie Coles retired following the Redhawks' 60-53 loss at Toledo in a MAC tournament first round game. One name that has already been mentioned in regards to the Miami (OH) job is Arizona associate head coach James Whitford, as he spent 11 years on Coles' staff with eight of those being as the top assistant.

5. Two other coaching moves that didn't surprise many were Brown deciding not to renew Jesse Agel's contract, and UNCG removed Wes Miller's interim tag. Miller's the youngest head coach in college basketball, but his promotion sparked the Spartans run to the North Division title in the SoCon.

MAC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:33:55 -0800

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 09:54:36 -0700

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 01:09:02 -0700

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 00:50:19 -0700

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 17:28:05 -0700

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

College Football: December 26th-28th Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:18:16 -0800

Now that the presents have been unwrapped and many of you are rushing to stores for post-Christmas deals, it's time for college football to blitz into the new year with a glut of games. You can argue all day about the merits of thirty-four bowl games (personally, I think it's too many), but at the least some of these games offer momentary diversions from college basketball, which in many cases is still a week or so away from conference play. The early winners before Christmas: Boise State/TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl in regards to the best game, and Notre Dame when it comes to the team with the best performance. I'm glad to see that my face painting paid off. Now it's time to take a look at the five bowls that'll be played this weekend, beginning with the Motor City Bowl between Florida Atlantic and Central Michigan tonight. Happy Holidays!

Friday December 26th

Motor City Bowl (Detroit): Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan 7:30 PM on ESPN

Everywhere you turn leading up to this game, it's bee promoted as a matchup between two of the nation's more underrated signal callers. And that's an accurate description for this game, featuring a pair of juniors in Rusty Smith (FAU) and Dan LeFevour (CMU) who have either missed so press due to their team's struggles (FAU) or the fact that QB from a rival school put up outstanding numbers (CMU with Ball State's Nate Davis being the culprit).Expect a lot of points in this game, for neither defense has been much to write home about this season.

Last year the Chippewas combined with Purdue to produce the second-highest scoring game (51-48 Purdue win) in bowl history, and the Owls come into this game four weeks after winning a 57-50 marathon over rival Florida International to pick up their sixth win. In their final regular season appearance CMU gave up 516 yards and 5 touchdown passes to Eastern Michigan's Andy Schmitt in a 56-52 loss. I'll take Central Michigan to win this shootout by a touchdown because they've been a bit more consistent throughout the year.

Saturday December 27th

Meineke Car Care Bowl (Charlotte): West Virginia vs. North Carolina 1 PM on ESPN

The legendary career of West Virginia QB Pat White comes to an end on Saturday, and awaiting them in Charlotte is a young team looking to begin building on an ACC title run in 2009 with a win here. I don't know if you'd call Charlotte a home away from home for the Tar Heels since they rarely play football games in the Queen City. But Mecklenburg County does have the second-highest number of Carolina grads in the state, and many made sure to buy tickets to this game. But given how well the Mountaineers travel themselves, their fans will also be heard from in a sold-out stadium.

The key for Butch Davis' team will be some consistency from QB T.J. Yates, who has returned from injury that forced him to sit out a few games earlier in the season. If you haven't seen WVU's 3-3-5 defense then it can be confusing to decipher. But if backs Shaun Draughn and Greg Little can run the ball effectively the Heels will have a shot. As for the Mountaineers it's quite simple: if they don't turn the ball over then in most cases they win. Look for West Virginia to send out White and his classmates in style, but it won't be an easy task.

Champs Sports Bowl (Orlando): Wisconsin vs. Florida State 4:30 PM on ESPN

While the Badgers are the team coming into this game with a win, you have to ask yourself whether or not that's given them any kind of positive momentum. See, they nearly lost to an FCS opponent in Cal Poly (their head coach, Rich Ellerson, was just hired by Army to revive their program) but thanks to a missed extra point the Badgers survived. Meanwhile Florida State fell to rival Florida, but there wasn't much to be surprised about there. Unlike last year's bowl prep, Bobby Bowden and his staff haven't had to deal with any serious off-field issues so they should be focused and ready for what could be a home game in regards to the attendance. Add to this a powerful defense that can suffocate one-dimensional offenses and you've got a Seminole victory.

Emerald Bowl (San Francisco): Miami (FL) vs. California 8 PM on ESPN

This is essentially a home game for the Golden Bears, and the Hurricanes made the trip without five players due to their violating team rules (including QB Robert Marve). Freshman Jacory Harris will be the man throughout for the Canes under center, and it'll be up to him to avoid the uneven play that has plagued the position for the past couple of years. Luckily for him (and offensive coordinator Patrick Nix) running backs Javarris James and Graig Cooper are available and will look to score points on a solid Cal defense. As for Jeff Tedford, the start goes to senior Nate Longshore and he's also got a pair of backs to lean on; Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen. But it's the experience across the board that will get the job done for the Golden Bears in this one. Miami is on its way back towards the top of the ACC, and this game (win or lose) will give those youngsters valuable experience for the future.

Sunday December 28th

Independence Bowl (Shreveport, LA): Northern Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech 8:15 on ESPN

This game matches a pair of programs looking to take that next step: from playing for bowl eligibility to playing for conference championships. Jerry Kill took Northern Illinois from two wins to a bowl game in his first season in DeKalb, while Derek Dooley is well on his way to building a potential challenger to Boise State in just his second year at Louisiana Tech. The interesting development for the Bulldogs this season has been the quarterback position, where Ross Jenkins took over when many expected Georgia Tech transfer Taylor Bennett to be the guy.

The numbers haven't been great by any stretch of the imagination, but when you've got a pair of backs as good as Daniel Porter (1,086 yards and 8 TDs) and Patrick Jackson (644 yards and 8 TDs) that's fine. NIU has the MAC's best defense, and despite what you may be thinking about the quality of defense in that conference keep in mind that the Huskies rank 20th nationally in total defense. But while they're only 60st against the run, Louisiana Tech is 25th in rushing offense. Look for the Bulldogs to win a close, low-scoring affair.

SIU Finally Wins a Road Game, Beats NIU

Press Release — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:11:31 -0800

DEKALB, Ill. - Southern Illinois picked up its first road win of the season, handily beating Northern In danger of falling three games below .500 for the first time in 10 years, Southern Illinois mustered its best performance of the season Wednesday, coasting to a 73-58 win at Northern Illinois.

"I don't know if I could have taken another loss," said Saluki guard Bryan Mullins, who matched teammate Carlton Fay's game-high 14 points. "I'm not sleeping too much."

The outcome was not in doubt, however, as the Salukis (4-5) never trailed and led the Huskies (4-7) by as many as 21 points.

SIU flashed glimpses of the qualities that have made it one of the best programs in the nation the last seven years -- tenacious defense, patient offense and clutch shooting.

Northern Illinois entered the game averaging more than 70 points per contest, but found good looks at the basket hard to come by.

"They are arguably one of the better defensive teams I've seen in a long time," said Huskies coach Ricardo Patton. "If you get by one defender, another defender is waiting behind him. If you get by him, he's got back up."

The Salukis jumped out to an 11-2 lead, as NIU began the game with four missed shots and a turnover.

"I personally think that they hand-check, and they hold," said Patton, who is in his second year of a rebuilding program at NIU. "Each player does, so it's very difficult for it to be called the entire night. It's a great way to play defense."

Northern trailed, 38-28, at halftime and shot 41 percent from field for the game.

"The way we play is frustrating for people," Mullins said. "People don't like to play us because of how physical we are."

Meanwhile, Southern had its best shooting night of the season, making 59 percent of its shots in the game. It was a team effort, as nine different players made baskets in the first half alone. Freshman guard Kevin Dillard came off the bench to spark the offense with nine of his 12 points coming in the first half.

"I believe the reason they shoot such a high percentage is that they don't take bad shots," Patton said. "Good teams don't do a lot to beat themselves."

Saluki head coach Chris Lowery was especially pleased with the play of his bench, which allowed him to rest his starters for lengthy stretches. No Saluki player clocked in more than 29 minutes.

"If we're going to have a chance to be good, those young guys are going to have to play," he said. "They took advantage of their playing time and came with energy and aggression."

Northern made a couple of runs in the second half, cutting the lead to 40-34 on a 3-pointer by Darion Anderson with 18:02 remaining. SIU responded with six-straight points, featuring layups by Ryan Hare and Tony Boyle.

Later, the Huskies trimmed the deficit to 48-41 with 15:00 to go. During the next five minutes, however, the Salukis blew the contest open with a 14-0 run. Fay had seven of the points, while Dillard, Torres Roundtree and Nick Evans also chipped in buckets.

"If we can limit people to one shot, go down and do some motion and grind-out, and then make some timely baskets like we did tonight, then we have a chance to be successful," Lowery said.

The Salukis held Anderson, who was averaging better than 30 a game in the last three outings, to just 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting.

"We wanted to put pressure on him on every catch, every dribble," Lowery said. "We just tried to limit his shots. Everybody guarded him. We didn't put one guy on him."

The Huskies appeared fatigued as the game wore on, as they made just 3-of-11 foul shots in the second half. At one point, guard Mike Dinunno was fouled on a 3-point shot by Wesley Clemmons, but missed all three free throw attempts.

"We wear people down, and you usually see it on the free throw line," Lowery noted.

Both Lowery and Mullins said the game should be a confidence booster for the team and perhaps a springboard for better times ahead.

"We haven't been that team that we're supposed to be," Mullins said. "This game, we kind of imposed our toughness on them."

Added Lowery, "The most important thing is we needed to get the program to do an about-face."

- Tom Weber - SIU Media Relations

College Football: Western Michigan @ #15 Ball State Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:44:41 -0800

The undefeated Ball State Cardinals still have a bit of business to take care of in their regular season finale. Brady Hoke's team still hasn't clinched a spot in the MAC Championship Game, which would come with a victory over Western Michigan tonight in Muncie (7 PM ESPN2). The winner heads to Detroit on December 5th, while the loser would be at the mercy of the powers that be in regards to team selection for bowl games. QB Nate Davis has been explosive in leading one of the nation's best passing attacks, and the Broncos will most certainly have their hands full on defense. But Bill Cubit has an outstanding quarterback of his own in Tim Hiller, who a few weeks back lit up Illinois in Detroit to knock off the Illini. Both signal-callers will put up solid numbers, but Coach Hoke has the better team and will clinch the championship game berth.

Navy @ Northern Illinois 7 PM on ESPN Classic

While this game amounts to both an opportunity for a seventh win and a tune-up heading into their battle with rival Army next weekend for Navy, the objective for the Huskies is far more simple: a seventh win gives them a shot at a bowl berth. With NIU in a division with Ball State, Central Michigan and Western Michigan it'll be a tough proposition anyway, but with just six wins they'd essentially have no argument at all in regards to a bowl berth. Jerry Kill's team has struggled on offense, but thanks to the top defense in the MAC they still have six wins on the year. And that unit will have to be at its best to slow down the Midshipmen's high-powered rushing attack, led currently by RB Shun White and QB Ricky Dobbs. In last season's 35-24 win in Annapolis Navy ran for 360 yards. Expect more of the same in a close Midshipmen victory.

Coaching Changes

The following schools have relieved head coaches of their duties in the past few days:

Eastern Michigan (Jeff Genyk), San Diego State (Chuck Long), Utah State (Brent Guy) and Wyoming (Joe Glenn). Bill Snyder will return to Kansas State to replace the recently dismissed Ron Prince.

College Football: #17 Ball State @ Central Michigan Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:36:40 -0800

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.