RoyalBlu

Probably right in both cases ... but no matter what wouldn't want a shootout with Toledo. Keep it in the low 70s ... BTW... who ever beats Buffalo in MAC Tournament probably loses the next night. Especially if its a team with a short bench.

This is starting to be a back-ally mugging on the boards. If Toledo can't make 3s ... they struggle against power. ... Problem is, w/exception of Buffalo and maybe Ohio (when they eat their cheerios) nobody else in the league is really that physical Toledo should win, but UB is not a team they want to see in the semis..

Here's the problem: The days of having a 'beat writer' and a columnist are long gone. Newspapers (and TV) want more opinion than news to get just what we have here, friction. Sports stories in particular are more often than not a one-way spin. (The Browns didn't lose, the Chiefs got lucky). And while 'fans' can criticize, they want their newspapers to 'support.' .... This article by GT (short of mentioning tiebreakers) points out that Akron is struggling a bit (correct) but does not point out Toledo is struggling a bit as well, and Kent is hobbled by injuries and led by a guy with two gate creaking knees. (And no mention of Ohio lurking in the weeds via winning percentage). In reality, if Akron doesn't wind up with the No. 1 seed, the Zips will have none to blame but themselves. Of course, GT did not write that, because it's overall probably a bit harsh (and rightfully so) but at this point it is still a hard fact (with tiebreakers) the Zips control their own fate ... and should be responsible for the end result.

Here is what I don't understand: By current head-to-head and overall MAC measures to date, Akron and Toledo are clearly the top two teams. Perhaps not significant, but clear. Yet all the top metrics have Toledo as a clear No. 1 team in the league and Akron trailing teams they have beaten. Kenpom NET RPI 64 Toledo 71 Toledo 60 Toledo 85 Buffalo 84 Kent 72 Kent 91 Kent 85 Buffalo 97 Akron 99 Akron 90 Akron 120 Ohio 104 Ohio 109 Ohio 138 Bowling Green (169 Buffalo) Looking at this, the MAC Tournament belongs to Toledo with all others as solid underdogs. I suspect the Zips (and all the rest) would take those odds just the same.

I think, for any MAC team, the farther a team advances in the tournament the more you have to look at the bench to see where teams can get a big hit (10 pts or more) to pull an upset. Toledo w/Sanders certainly fits that profile. Diggs at Bowling Green, Brewer at Buffalo and Sears at Ohio all come to mind. Might be others I'm missing. An experienced player w/live legs who can score on the third of three games/three days in a row is a bonus to keep an eye on.

I'm guessing he's probably talking about 1997 when I believe Sczerbiak got hurt early in the MAC season, missed a couple of weeks, then came back vs. BG, then went on to win the MAC Tournament. Miami was pretty dominant in 1999 in the MAC if I'm not mistaken, and had a pretty good national rep. Sczerbiak got dinged a bit in the MAC Tournament and lost to Kent in the title game by a point or two as Sczerbiak had an off game by his standards. ... At least, that's what I recall, so we're matching my memory vs. Dakich, so take that for what it's worth.

True ... that's why I've always said tiebreakers should work backwards in the standings. Teams should pay more for losing to bad teams than losing to good teams. (I know, this year that would hurt the Zips, but most seasons it would not).

This game epitomizes what makes MAC basketball so unlike most other leagues. Many of these mid-major conferences most of the good teams all play a similar style. In the MAC it's a box of chocolates up and down the ranks. A good matchup for one team is a bad matchup for another. Witness Akron-Miami (and it has been this way for a few years now). Miami is good enough to beat a good team on a given night. Akron 'could' lose to a team it should beat on any given night. MAC basketball.

We're talking about two different things --- First, among over 350 schools, being Top 60 is far from mediocre. If that's where the Zips wind up it is a major accomplishment in my eyes. Second, - and this is the universal problem - 60 is the bottom for any inkling of at-large possibility into a 68-team tournament. It would likely require a late-season return of a quality starter from injury, along with some early non-con success before said player was injured. A longshot but it has happened. And the MAC has had several teams over the years in the 30s-40s not get an at-large. Does it suck for the NCAAs, yes. But it does not diminish the fact Akron, with a Net 60-something, would have to be considered one of the top teams in the country.

Calling a NET ranking in the 60s 'mediocre' out of over 350 means someone needs a math class. If Akron or any MAC team ranks in the 60s you are in the conversation for a bubble team 'with the right credentials.' In the 40s/50s almost definitely on the board, and in the 30s should be in. If you want to say 60s is the outside edge I would agree. But it is far from 'mediocre.'

The problem for Akron and Toledo, shy of losing to each other in the MAC Tournament, any loss either team suffers in the MAC Tournament will be a major upset and doom whatever minimal chances the MAC might have had at an at-large. Had Kent not lost Nuga and Hamilton? and kept climbing in the various rankings (even w/losses to UT and Akron) that would have propped up both the Zips and Rockets, as both teams swept Kent. But Portage County don't look like the same team now. Injury wise, same could be said for Ohio, when they lost Preston for several games. The Bobcats national profile (not to mention rankings) dropped like a rock. Even if they win out, doubt if they can make up much ground in the rankings. Long story short (if your are a MAC fan as well as a Zips fan) injuries even to the opposition ultimately impact everybody in the league. Puts a lot of pressure o UT and Akron to win out, which really isn't fair, as Zips fans know from past experience.

Since the Cavs are playing with (limited) people in the stands, would guess the MAC Tournament will have at least family and administrators in the stands. For argument sake, the seedings will be interesting, but in the grand scheme of things not that big of a deal. Just guessing, Miami and Ball State are tracking to be the last two teams. Akron and Toledo are at the top of the totem pole. Good (easy/winnable) games for both (discount BSU Saturday upset). Good thing for Akron, in terms of wildcard (semifinal) opponents who could pull upsets, they will likely play both Ohio and Buffalo twice. Toledo only plays them each once. Toledo's best MAC wins are Kent twice (at full strength) and Akron. Same for Akron. 2 UB and OU games for Akron are a plus in my mind. There has to be a ??? for Toledo about playing both of those teams in the tournament, especially OU a team they played and beat very early in the season but seems to be on the rise right now.

I believe Dakich and Senderoff have personal history back to Indiana, for better or worse ... Dakich talking about the old MAC days was his way of saying 'I used to coach here' ... as noted earlier, there was absolutely no mention of Freeman and the fact he limited Pippen's impact in BOTH games. Calling out Pippen w/o mentioning Freeman was a disservice to both players. Freeman's walk-on story to starter for a MAC title contender is a great one. Pippen's return from 3 knee surgeries in 3 years is another. Dakich didn't tell those story lines. There's a way to lift both players as opposed to calling out one. Not talking about Freeman made his rips on the other guy look insightful, but he was not telling the full story. In one breath Dakich wants to see a 'team' player, in the other he expects one player to carry the whole load. -- Just think if the game was reversed how he might have talked about LCJ? (BTW, didn't Pippen lead them in scoring, rebounding and assists, even with the stellar game from Freeman)? I know it's Covid, but this was going on even before the Pandemic. Announcers calling the game from their basements are no different than fans doing the same. Let's get some professionals back.

Good win ... on a night Zips should have won. Still think there's something missing in the overall scheme of things, but the 3-pointers cover up a lot of warts. Depending on how the rest of their season goes, not sure Zips want to see Kent again until the end. Even with their two guys out (Nuga-Hamilton combined 28 pts, 12 rebs) they still got some pieces if they can regroup. On a personal note, considering the state of our union these days, would think using derogatory terms to describe opposing players should be discontinued. Rivalries are great, but it seems sometimes those terms are used against the opposition more freely than they should be. (Off soapbox). Back to Akron, like many, thought Dailey would find his level in the MAC but that just has not been the case. Freeman has been a blessing in a league shy of quality bigs. Perhaps Groce should try to get a tad more offense out of him. On to the next one.

Here is the play... you make the call. Do I see a crossover? Yes. Does he cover a lot of territory from behind the 3-point line to the rim? Yes. Again, does he travel ....

Looking for a post player ... Jayden Sayles is having a Jimmy Conyers-type senior season at Stony Brook. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4279310/jaden-sayles

Listen ... most nights Akron's defense is more than good enough to keep the Zips in the game, if not winning, while LCJ tries to figure out if he has help or has to do it all alone. Unlike the rest of the MAC, Toledo has too much firepower in its starting five to shut them all down. Other than Akron, the only team to come close to beating them is Kent, and now that Nuga (ACL) is done it will be interesting to see if they have enough to stay with with Rockets should they meet (MAC Tournament) again. As for the Zips, the gameplan with LCJ has been good enough last season and this season to be as good or better than every team in the league. It would not be unrealistic to see No. 1 Toledo have to play No. 4 Kent in the semis, then play No.2 Akron for the MAC Tournament title. On a neutral court ... would you bet against the Zips.

Zips at least catch a break as Kent's Nuga - who has been a strong Robin to Pippen's Batman - is apparently out for the season with an injury. That's 18 points a game gone. DNP vs. Miami as Kent had several 4-5 minute stretches without scoring. Don't think any other guard at Kent is averaging more than 8-pts a game.

Interesting matchup to say the least ... usually in the past it has been Akron in the position of holding a lead over the field while others have to pull upsets behind them. As this season wears on it will be interesting to see how UT wears the target on its back. Problem is, with the bottom third of the league so bad - and UT playing all those former MAC West teams twice, (only playing OU-Buff once) it's tough seeing more than one UT stumble other than Akron. So, at most, three losses, but more likely two. Problem is, with the No. 1 seed as it sits right now, Rockets will play no better than Miami/Ohio before the MAC finals while some combination of Akron-BG-Kent-Buff battle it out to get to the title game against them.

Akron has the defense to make this happen, but road games in Canada, Toledo around the corner, and down in Athens make this a high hill to climb. The bigger question is this: quite likely have to play one of these same four in the semis in Cleveland on a neutral floor. Which one is the best/worst semi opponent. OR, which two would you rather play (semis/finals) ...

IIRC ... Carey was slated for either Akron/Kent as a walk-on as both were after him hard late in the spring, then KD came in w/a scholarship to up the ante. Not sure if Akron/Kent actually had one to give at that point, so the choice was Duquesne, where Carey's foster (??) parents also had some connections. Not sure what turned things sour w/KD, but Carey is not the first starting PG with injury issues (Robotham) to take an early exit.

Supposedly girlfriend goes there ...

Not to be a debbie downer, but Toledo looks to be the class of the MAC to this point ... and if Turner/LCJ balance each other out at BG (and neither team has a post presence of note) then it will be interesting to see which team has a true No. 2 and which does not. This season has a long way to go IMO.

LCJ is definitely an elite PG, and would have been an added plus on a number of past Akron teams. However, to date he has not had much consistent backcourt help and playing such huge minutes takes its toll by Feb/March. As for "so much better than ..." I think it's a little early in the season to make that claim. Historically, both of these teams get better as the season wears on. Freeman is a HUGE plus and will only get better. Also agree at least a couple of the power conference transfers have to start playing their part ... agree about Nuga and Pippen.