Ohio

Ohio 2010 NCAA Tournament Capsule

Joel Welser — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:06:58 -0400

Ohio Bobcats

Mid-American Conference (21-14,
7-9)

Big Wins: 12/16 Illinois State
(75-57), 2/20 Wright State (64-59), 3/11 vs Kent State (81-64)

Bad Losses: 1/20 at Bowling
Green (57-65), 1/31 Ball State (66-67), 2/6 at Eastern Michigan (61-70)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2005,
First Round loss to Florida

Coach: John Groce (First NCAA
appearance)

Why They Can Surprise:

Ohio’s offense runs through a couple
talented perimeter players. Armon Bassett leads the team with 16.3 points per
game and is a fine passer as well. His ability to score from everywhere on the
floor makes him very dangerous and nobody in the Mid-American Conference had an
easy time stopping the 6-2 junior. Yet, it is freshman D.J. Cooper that has
surprised many and really turned the group on the perimeter into something
special. Cooper is a 5-11 point guard who not only dishes out a team high 5.9
assists per game, but also scores 13.2 points and grabs an incredible 5.5
rebounds. And to add to his impressive resume, Cooper leads the team with 2.5
steals.

Bassett and Cooper are fine outside
shooters, but small forward Tommy Freeman is the pure shooter on the team.
Despite his 6-5 frame, Freeman is really a shooting guard in a small forwards
body. Most of his shots come from beyond the arc, but that works out just fine
since he connects on 46.7 percent of his attempts from long range.

Why They Can Disappoint:

However, Freeman is not a good
rebounder because he spends so much time out on the perimeter and lacks the
strength to battle on the boards. That leaves fellow starters Reggie Keely and
Kenneth van Kempen to handle a majority of the work on the glass. Keely is a big
bodied freshman at 6-8 and 263 pounds and does do a decent job on the glass when
he is in the game. The problem is his offense has yet to develop and Coach John
Groce only plays him about 17 minutes per game. That leaves van Kempen as the
main rebounder on this team. And the 6-10, 249 pound senior does a pretty good
job. The problem is he does not get much help from the rest of the team. And
considering that the rest of the team pretty much consists of forwards, that is
not a good sign.

Who To Watch:

The Bobcats have Ivo Baltic, Asown
Sayles and DeVaughn Washington all available to come in off the bench and help
supplement the frontcourt. Baltic is very raw, but he is at least good enough to
come in for ten minutes or so a game and eat up some fouls and grab a couple
boards. Since the group on the perimeter has no depth at all, Sayles spends most
of his time spelling Bassett at the shooting guard spot. Washington is the most
dynamic of the forwards. The part-time starter is the team’s best interior
scorer and can provide a healthy spark to the Ohio team off the bench.

Probable Starters:

D.J. Cooper, Freshman, Guard, 13.2
ppg, 5.9 apg, 5.5 rpg

Armon Bassett, Junior, Guard, 16.3
ppg, 3.6 apg

Tommy Freeman, Junior, Forward, 10.6
ppg, 2.0 rpg

Reggie Keely, Freshman, Forward, 5.8
ppg, 4.5 rpg

Kenneth van Kempen, Senior, Center,
6.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Ivo Baltic, Freshman, Forward, 3.2
ppg, 2.7 rpg

Asown Sayles, Junior, Forward, 2.6
ppg, 3.0 rpg

DeVaughn Washington, Junior, Forward,
11.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 74.4 (63rd
in nation, 1st in conference)

Scoring Defense: 69.4 (199, 10)

Field-Goal Percentage: 42.5 (217, 7)

Field-Goal Defense: 41.7 (99, 3)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.4
(56, 2)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage:
35.8 (93, 2)

Free-Throw Percentage: 71.7 (79, 3)

Rebound Margin: -0.3 (203, 10)

Assists Per Game: 14.3 (79, 2)

Turnovers Per Game: 12.9 (98, 3)

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MAC Title Game Recap: Ohio Wins in OT

Brendan Bowers — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:02:47 -0500

hese championship weeks of college basketball teach us yearly that anything is possible, but more than that, they illustrate the fact that those things that do happen can happen fast. In the five second blur that was OU point guard DJ Cooper racing down the court like Tyus Edney to beat the halftime buzzer, is as quickly as his ninth seeded Bobcat team would go to the locker room leading 36-34. And as rapidly as it later looked the regulation clock would tick away on Akron’s chances at their second MAC title in as many years, is as fast as big shot maker Steve McNees would then tie things up at 68 to send it to overtime.

In overtime, with an eternity to play, you couldn’t help but remember how far it seemed the Ohio University Bobcats were from a championship caliber team a week ago. Not only was their regular season win total not worthy of a first round bye, as the nine-seed, they were forced to play their opening round of the tournament at Ball State. They won their first game in OT, man-handled the league champs (Kent) in their next one, beat their arch-rivals (Miami) in the third, and then the defending tourney champs in overtime tonight. And in four short games, what was once maybe a year away for this young club with only one senior, was now only a week. They’re going to the Big Dance right now, simply because they didn’t want to wait any longer for an invitation.

OU Coach John Groce on the win:

I’m really proud of our guys, and especially proud of the way we finished. When they hit that shot to send it to overtime, I told our guys just don’t blink, stay poised, and they did that. It’s a heckofa win for our guys, and a great win for our University.”

It was a heckofa game to be seated courtside for as well. As a basketball fan, there’s no more than could’ve been asked of a conference championship game on any level. This one went back and forth all night long, and you’re not going to find a group of kids tougher than the ones that battled this one out tonight. The storylines are endless, but we’ll start with OU’s freshman point guard from Chicago.

DJ Cooper was the MAC’s Freshman of the Year coming into this tournament, but in the two games leading up to the Conference Finals he scored less than 10 points. He had averaged 13.5 per game during the regular season, and the reports were that he was banged up. It showed. But it didn’t show tonight. While the talk coming into the Finals was the emergence of DeVaughn Washington, DJ Cooper would be the Bobcat to show up tonight alongside teammate Armon Bassett, and he picked the right time to do so. He finished with 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, and while those numbers certainly dwarfed his production prior to tonight, his play came as no surprise to his teammate - and tournament MVP - Armon Bassett:

“He’s [Cooper] a special player, and other than John Wall there’s no other freshman point guard in the country putting up the numbers that he’s putting up. He’s been banged up, but I knew he’d show up tonight, and he did, right on time.”

Bassett himself showed up again tonight as he added a 25-point performance to the total of 91 points he’d already scored coming into the game which was good enough to break Earl Boykins’ previous tournament scoring total of 89. The new record Bassett set – 116 total points – is going to stand for a long time. But not nearly as long as it seems it might take for him to put down the MAC Championship Trophy he took the podium with after the game. When asked when he thinks he’ll set the hardware down, he indicated it might be a while.

MAC Finals Preview & Semis Recap

Brendan Bowers — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:12:02 -0500

An Akron – Ohio Final…should be a good one

A week ago, any team in the Mid American Conference would have been well within their rights to stroll down the glass slipper aisle at their local Foot Locker just to see if 2010 edition possibly came in their size. As of tonight though, only two teams find themselves in a position to be fitted. And while similar in their opportunities to represent their conference in the field of 65, those two teams couldn’t be more different.

Akron came into the season pegged as the preseason favorite to repeat as champions of the Mid American Conference, and while it wasn’t easy over these last two days, they have done enough to put themselves in a prime position to do so tomorrow night. Ohio University on the other hand (a 9-seed), comes into the MAC championship game possibly a year ahead of schedule in the eyes of many observers. With only one senior on the roster, this is a team that just might be pegged as the preseason favorite next year, but these Bobcats aren’t interested in talking about next year.

While Akron is arguably the best overall team - with respect to balance and depth - OU will put arguably the best two talents on the court tomorrow night. Not to take anything away from the team that OU is, but in Armon Bassett – a guy that started his career at Indiana, then transferred to UAB before ending up a junior at OU – the Bobcats have a guy that is a high major talent. He’s played like a high major talent as well throughout this tournament, and with one game still to go, he’s already scored 91 total points breaking the tournament scoring record previously held by another high-major talent, Earl Boykins (89 total pts). And while he’s playing certainly his best basketball of the season right now, his play is not necessarily the surprise that the production of teammate DeVaughn Washinghton’s been this week. Washington is probably the best overall athlete in this tournament, and as of late, he’s also playing like one of the best overall players. Miami Coach Charlie Coles – a guy who’s seen a lot of athlete’s in his time - agreed in the press conference after the Miami –OU game with that point about Washington’s athleticism, and if he can continue to be the presence he’s been playing off Bassett, Akron’s going to have their hands full tomorrow - whether or not the banged up Freshman of the Year, DJ Cooper, has an impactful night or not.

But all that’s not to say that the Zips won’t be ready, and don’t have some athletes and playmakers in their own right, because they do. In the McKnight brothers, Steve McNees, Jimmy Conyers, Humpty Hitchens, and the emerging 7-footer Zeke Marshall, the Zips will be a stern test for the youthful Bobcats. A test they’ve yet to pass this season in two tries. Akron Head Coach Keith Dambrot said in his presser that while he’s “not sure any of his five starters would have started for his Dru Joyce, Romeo Travis teams,” he also added in regards to his group that “the whole is better than the sum of its parts.” And while this tournament has seen guys like David Kool, Carlos Medlock, and Armon Bassett put their teams on their backs towards victory with monster game point totals of 42, 39, and 38 respectively, Akron has seen different guys step up at different moments. McNees hit the huge three one on Thursday, scored 18 against Eastern, and scored only 5 on Friday against Western. Chris McKnight, after scoring 8 on Thursday, stepped up and scored 18 tonight which included his finding the game winner off the glass for the go ahead two to win it Friday. Any of the other guys that take the floor for the Zips come Saturday are capable of having those kinds of nights as well, even if they haven’t yet.

It should be a fun one tomorrow night, and if you’re around Cleveland, there’s no reason you shouldn’t stop by to join the 10,000+ expected to attend. It’s not like you have anything better to do, and it’s not like there couldn’t be a better match-up to see…winner goes dancing, loser goes homes…no pressure.

Recapping the Semi Finals…

Akron 66 – Western Michigan 64

While I don’t know for sure, I imagine David Kool was seated on the bus ride from the hotel to the arena for the game tonight. What I do know for sure is that once it started, he never sat down again. He played all 40 minutes, and averaged just under a point per minute played. He scored 39 points and he looked like an NBA Jam player with fire streaking from the basketball as he shot it all night long. He was unbelievable. Western Michigan connected on 21 field goals as a team and Kool accounted for 12 of those. He scored 61% of his team’s points, and just about singlehandedly won a game that felt like Akron was in firm control of all night long. The Zips led by as many as 14 with 7:46 to go in the first half, and led by as many as 11 with 16 minutes to go in the second, but Kool just kept coming. He eventually tied it up at 54 on a jumper with 8:28 to go, and would help his team to a 3-point lead with 1:34 to play (64-61), before Akron’s Chris McKnight hit a mammoth three-pointer with 1:10 left to tie it back up. After an Akron timeout, with the score tied at 64 and 30 seconds to go, the Zips ran the clock down to about 10 seconds before Steve McNees drove the middle of the key and attempted what looked to be his second game winner in as many nights. The ball went all the way down, popped up, and seemed to go down again before sputtering off the rim. Chris McKnight had it the whole way though, and with 6 seconds left, he followed up the miss with a put-back that would prove to be the difference. As the clock expired, Kool heaved a desperation three that everybody in the arena thought would inevitably fall…only it didn’t, and it would be the Broncos that would fall to the Zips, as Akron narrowly escaped with a 66-64 victory.

Kool added 6 rebounds to go with his 39 points on 12 of 21 from the field, and there would be no other Bronco in double figures. Martelle McLemore had 9 points and 5 rebounds, and Flenard Whitfield added 6 and 4. Chris McKnight’s 18 points and 8 rebounds paced Akron in both categories, and Anthony “Humpty” Hitchens added 14. MAC Defensive POY Jimmy Conyers chased Kool all night long, and added 8 points of his own on the other end.

After the game Akron’s Chris McKnight spoke on his last second put-back:

“It was moving a little fast [at the time] but I was just shocked that the ball came back out. It went in, dropped back out, then went back in again, and then trimmed out of there, and all the sudden I was just in the right place at the right time. I just boxed out, and put it back in. It was good for me to do that too because earlier in the season I had missed one at Ball State just like that, same situation, same amount of time, but I missed it, and we wound up going to overtime.”

Ohio 54 – Miami 42

If you were like me, and you sat through the superbly exciting semi-final game that was Akron – WMU, and then watched this one, you were battling the urge to be bored for the majority of the OU – Miami night-cap. And if you’re not sure what I mean by that, allow me to expand. Miami scored 12 total points at half-time. 12. And they only trailed by 9. The 21 -12 halftime total (33 points) was six points less than the 39 that David Kool scored by himself in the game prior. But instead of calling this game boring, I’ll change my reference of it to that of a defensive slugfest instead for the remainder of my recap. What else would you call a game – besides a defensive slugfest – that featured a team up by 9 at the break who was shooting 27% from the field…which is the clip OU shot it at for the first half. For the game, they’d end up shooting it 38% from the field, and win going away – by 12 – and never lead by less than 7 points in the second half. Their lead was as many as 20 (46-26) with 5:26 to play in the game, and at that point it was a realistic possibility that Armon Basset could end the night scoring more than the Redhawks team would combined. He wouldn’t end up doing so, however, but he did score 28 to lead all scorers. Teammate DeVaughn Washington had 18 points and 8 rebounds, and his night also included a couple dunk attempts that would have roused a 10 score had Spud Webb been sitting courtside in judgment. One was right down the middle of the defense where he dunked and was fouled, and the second was a reverse dunk that he took off on in traffic. If you were bored at those points by a defensive game, you were momentarily awoken.

What’s interesting though, was that only two other Bobcats scored a single point, and neither had more than 6. Lone Senior Kenneth Van Kempen scored 6 points along with 7 rebounds, and Freshman DJ Cooper – a 13.5 ppg scorer – had 2. Cooper was limping though, for the majority of the night, and his health will be something to watch for tomorrow. OU has won two big games going away without Cooper making much of an impact, and if he’s healthy tomorrow, it could be interesting to say the least. Miami’s Kenny Hayes was held in check (12 points) by a Bobcat defense that tilted his way all night running double teams towards him the majority of the evening, and he didn’t get much help. Antonio Ballard had 8, and Kramer Soderberg had 8 as well, but 6 of those were after the Bobcats had gotten up by 20. The Redhawks ended their season 10-8 in the conference, and 14-18 overall.

OU’s DeVaughn Washington spoke after on his approach to the game:

“I’m just trying to go out there every night and keep the energy up for our team. I’m basically just trying to play hard, and just do my job. I’m trying to go out there and make energy plays, and do whatever it takes to help my team to win.”

MAC Quaterfinals Recap: Favorites Fall & Double-OT

Brendan Bowers — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:14:55 -0500

Brendan Bowers will be in Cleveland all week covering the MAC Tournament for CollegeHoops.net.

Upset of the Day: Ohio Bobcats beat Kent State 81 – 64

In my preview I predicted that regular season champion Kent State would ‘have no trouble with this Bobcat group’ in their opening round match-up. No sooner did I post that then did a friend of mine - an OU grad - text me the following: ‘Bowers, the odds of Kent beating OU by more than 5 are slim. Honestly, the Bobcats are very dangerous and I think they will win.’ Turns out, Kent did have a lot of trouble with this Bobcat group, and OU did win. The results of which were my feasting on crow throughout his numerous text messages during the latter stages of the game. And by a lot of trouble, I mean Kent got steam-rolled.

Armon Bassett dominated the game by way of a stat line that read 38 points and 5 rebounds as he led his OU squad to the improbable upset over the top-seeded team in the tournament – their first win in three tries against Kent this season. He had help too. Teammate DeVaughn Washington came off the bench to capitalize on the space being created by the attention paid to Bassett on the offensive end, and he went 8 for 8 from the field on his way to 19 points and 8 rebounds. With 5:26 left in the first half he caught a pass from Bassett and dunked it home to give OU a commanding 32-15 lead. From there - despite a 22-9 run by the Flashes to open the second half that cut the lead to 3 (49-46) – the Bobcats would play Kent even, and win the game by that same 17-point margin (81-64).

Kent State’s Chris Singletary led the Golden Flashes with 19 points, but struggled from the free throw line, and ended up fouling out with 2:52 left in regulation as his team trailed 70-60. Anthony Simpson scored 12 points and grabbed 8 rebounds for Kent as well, but it wasn’t enough as their dreams of an NCAA berth ended two days before the conference title game. Kent fell to 23-9 on the season, and will be forced to settle with a berth in the NIT. The Bobcats moved to 19-14 with the win, and will face Miami tomorrow in the semis.

OU’s Armon Bassett on his production offensively: “They [Kent State] really like to get up in you and pressure you defensively and that plays into my game. I like penetrating, and I was able to get by them and really get going tonight.”

Game of the Day: Akron beats Eastern Michigan in Double OT 97-89

With 6:41 left in regulation Akron’s Chris McKnight hit a three to put Akron up by 10 (61-51) over Eastern Michigan. Five and a half minutes later, EMU’s Carlos Medlock connected on a three of his own which capped a run by the Eagles that brought them all the way back and gave them a lead of 71-69. From there, madness ensued, as if it wasn’t crazy enough already. Chris’ brother, Brett McKnight, converted a lay-up for Akron with 31 seconds left in the second half to tie it at 71, and the Zips would get one last stop as regulation expired to force OT. But it wouldn’t stop there.

The first OT looked like it would end by way of an upset after EMU’s Jay Higgins converted a triple try with 8 seconds left to give his team a lead by as many points. With one tick remaining however, Akron’s Steve McNees would express his own desire to play one more session. With no timeouts, and his team trailing by three, he pulled up on an off-balanced three with two defenders on him while drifting to his left…and he nailed it. You can call it the shot of his life, and they played another overtime.

This time, in the second OT, the Eagles just ran out of gas. Akron would get up by as many as 10 before eventually hanging on to an 8 point win. The loss should do nothing to diminish the effort by Eastern Michigan’s Carlos Medlock however, who was flat-out amazing. If a player ever has a chance to win the MVP of the tournament despite his team losing in the quarterfinals its Medlock. He played all but two minutes of the entire game – 48 total minutes – and he scored 41 points while grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing out 3 assists in his final game as senior. He defined the often used cliché of leaving it all on the floor, and his epic effort was not lost on those in attendance. Teammate Brandon Bowdery kicked in 21 points and 14 rebounds as EMU closed out their season with a record of 17-15. Akron moved to 23-9 with the 97-89 victory, and was paced by McNees’ 18. Anthony “Humpty” Hitchens also scored 16 for the Zips, as they now appear the clear-cut favorite to win it with Kent State out of the way. They’ll face Western Michigan tomorrow.

Akron’s Steve McNees on his thoughts leading up to his OT three: “The first thing I thought was I was pretty disappointed he [ Higgins ] made his. I knew I had to get it [my shot] up quick, we had no timeouts. I like shooting it going to my left, so I just tried to go that way and get it up.”

Recap: Western Michigan 69 – Central Michigan 60

Central Michigan was the two-seed as the MAC quarterfinals tipped off this afternoon, and for the first half they played like it against the 7^th seeded Chippewas. They held conference POY David Kool to 2 points on 0-4 shooting from the field during the first half, and at halftime, CMU led 31-22. They led by as many as 11 in the first half, and with 13:42 left in the second half they would lead by as many as 14 after Amid Rashid (14 points) hit a jumper to make the score 49-35. From that point on though, Western Michigan’s Kool played the way his name would describe, and when he hit a jumper with 4:44 in the game he’d tie the score at 54 apiece. Kool would then captain a 15-6 charge to close it out, and finish with 26 points on 7 of 15 shooting en-route to a nine point victory. Kool also had 4 rebounds and 3 assists for the game while scoring 24 points in the second half, and teammate Flenard Whitfield had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds as well. CMU was paced by Robbie Harman who scored 20 on 7 of 17 shooting from the field, and Jordan Bitzer kicked in 15 points and 4 rebounds as well in defeat. Western Michigan will play Akron in the semis on Friday.

Recap: Miami 73 – Buffalo 59

Sitting behind a contingent of Buffalo fans I never realized – until midway through the second half – just how catchy the phrase ‘let’s go Buffalo’ really is. Say it a couple times to yourself, its catchy, trust me. Nevertheless, despite the urgings from the Buffalo faithful, the Bulls wouldn’t have enough tonight in the last of four quarterfinal games at the Q. Miami led by 11 at halftime (32-21), and never allowed the Bulls to get anything going. Leading scorer Rodney Pierce was held to 2 of 8 from the field in the first half, and finished with 12. On the flip-side, Charlie Coles’ Redhawks squad was paced by fellow first- team all MAC selection - Kenny Hayes – who scored 27 and did just about anything he wanted to all night. Miami stretched the lead out to 11 (68-57) with two minutes to go, and the game was never as close as I thought it’d be. Julian Mavunga finished with 14, and Cleveland native Nick Winbush finished with 11, as Miami now readies themselves for a match-up with OU in the semis.

Friday’s Semi-Finals Match-Ups:

Akron vs. Western Michigan (Prediction: Akron)

Ohio vs. Miami (Prediction: Ohio)

My prediction record in the tournament thus far is 2-2. I’ll keep you posted going forward. For in-game updates tomorrow during the semis, follow Twitter @StepienRules.

MAC Tournament: Game by Game Preview

Brendan Bowers — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:11:10 -0500

Brendan Bowers will be in Cleveland all week covering the MAC Tournament for CollegeHoops.net.

The quarterfinals of the Mid American Conference tournament are set to tip-off at Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday, and the 8-team field is set. A profile of those participating in the playoff that will inevitably send one team to the largest of all collegiate dances is below. My initial thoughts and predictions on the tournament are included as well, however, as my credentialed coverage of the games get underway this weekend, I do reserve the right to change my predictions in accordance with the actual outcomes.

That said, the teams, conference records, and profiles – in order of match-ups / game times – are below:

#7 Western Michigan (8-8) vs. #2 Central Michigan (9-7) - 12 pm on Thursday

Western Michigan: The Broncos are led by Senior, and Conference POY, David Kool who led the MAC in scoring with 22 ppg. He also had four games of 30 or more, and is currently the leading scorer in school history…so he’s good. Martelle McLemore and Flenard Whitfield also average double figures in scoring at 11.7 and 10.2 per game respectively and Donald Lawson leads the team on the glass (7.2 rpg). Western ended their season winning three of their last four while playing some of their best basketball of the season at just the right time.

Central Michigan: The Chippewas, winners of the MAC West Division, are paced by senior guard Robbie Harman who’s definitely a guy that needs to be paid attention to on the perimeter. Harman has hit an average of 3.5 three-pointers per game this season, totaling 101 on the year. His 17.8 ppg lead CMU, and his backcourt mate Jordan Bitzer comes in averaging 15 points and 5 rebounds per game in conference as well. But while the MAC West title is certainly an accomplishment, it’s worth noting that CMU’s 9-7 mark would have been good enough to tie them for third with two other teams out East.

Prediction: If an 8-8 team beating a 9-7 one isn’t exactly worthy of an upset nod, a seven seed beating a two during the opening round of a tournament would be. So call it a big upset …I guess… as Western Michigan moves on past Central behind a big night from Kool.

#6 Eastern Michigan (8-8) vs. #3 Akron (12-4) - 2pm on Thursday

Eastern Michigan: Senior Guard Carlos Medlock was amongst those receiving votes for the conference POY award this season, and his 16 points per game total only one more (500 total points) than the 499 scored by teammate Brandon Bowdry who also averages 16 per. Bowdry also leads the team in rebounds at 10 per game, and those two guys were the main reasons why EMU had a look at the MAC West title down the stretch, as their Eagles narrowly lost out by one game.

Akron: Senior Forward Jimmy Conyers was named the MAC’s Defensive POY and offensively, there’s a lot of different ways these Zips can beat you. Three guys - Chris McNight, Brett McNight, and Jimmy Conyers - average between 10 and 12 points respectively in conference, with Conyers leading the way at 12. All three though, including Anthony Hitchens and Steve McNees, are capable of having a big night for Coach Dambrot’s club at any time. Conyers also leads the way on the glass, averaging 7 per game, and don’t be surprised if the Zips find a way to win this whole thing, and punch their ticket.

Prediction: Some people said that the loser of last week’s Akron – Kent State game would actually put themselves in a better position for this tournament with respect to the quarterfinal and semi-final match-ups, and for the second time this season, Akron did lose to Kent. Not saying seeding’s the reason why, but the Zips certainly don’t find themselves in all that bad of a spot as a result. Look for Akron to take care of Eastern Michigan in this one, and move on to Friday.

#9 Ohio (7-9) vs. #1 Kent State (13-3) - 7pm on Thursday

Ohio: Bobcat Guard DJ Cooper was named Freshman of the Year for the regular season by way of 13.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. It would be through his youthful direction that the Bobcats will look to follow their opening round win with a ‘biggest in school history type upset’ of the Golden Flashes on Thursday. Armon Basset (15.5 ppg) and Steve Coleman (11.3) will be critical as well if the lowest seeded team in the field has a shot to up-stage the highest.

Kent State: Golden Flashes Coach Geno Ford earned COY honors and Chris Singletary (11.7 ppg) was edged out in the POY race by 7 votes. Teammate Justin Greene (13.9 ppg) finished third in that same balloting, and those two make up four of the KSU starters that average between 10 and 14 points per game. Rodriguez Sherman and Tyree Evans round out that group with 10 points apiece per game. Anthony Simpson was the 6^th MOY, and on paper this squad should have been the regular season champs that they were.

Prediction: Kent Coach Geno Ford will match-up against his alma mater in his opening round attempt towards adding a tournament title to the 4^th regular season crown in school history they earned this season. His Flashes should have no trouble with this Bobcat group he once ran the point for, and Kent will cruise here in probably the most lopsided game of the tournament.

#5 Buffalo (9-7) vs. #4 Miami (9-7) - 9pm on Thursday

Buffalo: Senior guard Rodney Pierce leads the charge for Buffalo and his Bulls will go as far as his 18 points per game scoring can take them. He’ll be aided in his efforts by teammate Calvin Betts who’s scoring and rebounding at rates of 11 and 7 per night. This team was 18-11 overall, and their conference mark would have won the division had they been out West. Not a team to sleep on to be sure.

Miami: Despite a losing record overall (13-17), the Redhawks turned in solid conference effort to earn the four seed in this tournament. They’re paced by Kenny Hayes at over 14 points and 3 assists per contest and Julian Mavunga also boast a double digit average with 10. Junior Guard Nick Winbush (9.8 ppg) will return home to Cleveland for this one, where he was a two-time All Ohio Selection during his prep career at Shaker Heights.

Prediction: As much as I’m thinking to say that Charlie Coles’ club edges out Buffalo in a tight one, I’m picking the Bulls to advance. Rodney Pierce will prove to be too much as the Bulls get the win, and a shot at Kent State next time out.

Overall Tournament Predictions:

· Sleeper Team: Western Michigan

· Finals Match-Up: Kent State vs. Akron

· Tournament Champs: Akron

Look for more blogs, sound bites, recaps, and predictions on all MAC tournament action right here as the games get underway on Thursday. For the latest also feel free to follow me on Twitter @StepienRules… I promise I’ll follow you back.

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

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