Charlotte_49

exactly... what kind of crap is this? im not about to spend money on season tickets to get my scarf when i get in for free...Relax I'm sure they will be in the team shop.Keep us updated when the scarf goes on sale?

Google!

In my opinion, at this particular moment in time, the MAC seems to be the perfect fit for UA. I think UA lines up pretty similarly with other MAC schools in terms of performance and other factors. Geographically speaking, it also makes more sense to play an Ohio than a comparable school in Texas. Its more affordable and there's more familiarity with a local school.The future could hold something else though.

The A-10 sends multiple teams to the NCAA tournament consistently every year. They sent 3 teams last year. Four different A10 teams were ranked or received votes last season. Mid-major? I don't think so...but its close...This explains it extremely well.Look at the A-10's budget. They are by no means a "mid-major" conference.Interesting perspective. But I think a better indicator of a conference's power is how many teams it sends consistently to the big dance every year. If you consistently send multiple teams to the big dance, its hard to classify that as mid-major. But again, that's my perspective. There are many ways to look at it. But all in all, I think classifying any school into major and mid-major categories is ridiculous. Its a term invented by the bigger schools to separate themselves from the so-called "mid major" schools. Its an unnecessary distinction.

The A-10 sends multiple teams to the NCAA tournament consistently every year. They sent 3 teams last year. Four different A10 teams were ranked or received votes last season. Mid-major? I don't think so...but its close...

This will be my first Akron basketball game. I can't wait!

LOL

Here's my MAC Top 5....1. Miami2. Buffalo 3. Akron4. Ohio5. Can'tI had Miami ahead of Buffalo last week as well. I don't think Buffalo deserves the #1 spot. Sure, they won 3 in a row, but those wins were a one-point win against #320 Pepperdine, a 2-point win over #248 Colorado, and #162 Colorado state (RPI). I still think Miami is the better team with the tougher schedule and better wins. But its getting closer.Last week I had Akron at #3, tied with Can't. Can't has obviously dropped. But I keep Akron there because losing to Rhode Island on the road--currently a Top 50 team with a decent shot at the NCAA tourney--is a bad loss, but not a horrible loss. Sure, we shouldn't have lost by 29 points, and it was ugly, but I wouldn't expect a single MAC team to beat Rhode Island in their house this year.

Miami kept up with Dayton...even had it tied at the half, but couldn't manage the win. Impressive, but still a loss for Miami.Dayton 45Miami 40

Basketball isn't really big at UNCG. Not at all. Plus, with winter break the students go home.Although former UNCG Spartan Kyle Hines was sick. Absolutely sick. That man could play basketball.

Some more background information for us noobies??

Rhode Island is a little down this year, so I think Akron has a decent shot at winning if they put up a good fight. Still, Rhode Island is a strong team. They lead #5 Duke at the half a few weeks ago. Last year they were ranked for a little bit. Not a bad squad.I hope I'm wrong, but my guess...77-66 URI

Nice story.I liked reading this little paragraph. Any basketball player on here can relate to this... ''When I first came up here, I couldn't make a shot. They were in and out, right or left, long or short,'' Hitchens said. ''I knew I had to put some extra work in. I started doing a lot more reps, working on shooting it the same way, working on the rhythm and the arc. I started getting comfortable. Now I feel every shot I take is going in.''

Wow. That's huge. I had Miami as the top MAC team. The MAC is so up for grabs it isn't even funny.

North Carolina

I like Siena, and they're a good team, but they're not a Top 50 team. Can you name a single "impressive" win in Siena's resume?Losing to Siena was a bad loss for Buffalo in the sense that many have them listed as the top team in the MAC. They should've beaten Siena if they wanted to hold on to that title.

Agreed.That was a bad loss for Buffalo.Bad loss for Can't State, too. This game was key if they wanted to turn their season around. Still, I will say Cleveland State is underrated this year. They upset #11 Syracuse a few days ago, and are probably the best team in their league after Butler. They're digging themselves into a hole, but lucky for them, so is everyone else in the MAC this year.

Oh come on, but its so much fun!!

Welcome to the board, BTW! Hey thanks!

Fair enough. I agree, Buffalo put up a great fight against UConn. In fact, looks like the Bulls even had the lead with 8 minutes to go in the game. That's impressive against the #2 team in the country. I'll be willing to give Buffalo the top spot if they win their next two games (Siena and Pepperdine) before heading into conference play.

Nice analysis. Mind if I chip in?I'm not sure I'd put Buffalo on top. Their win against Temple is an impressive win, but its probably their only impressive win. I'd consider putting Miami on top. Like Buffalo, Miami also beat Temple, and beat them by a larger margin. Moreover, Miami's probably had one of the toughest schedules in the MAC. They've played the likes of UCLA, Temple, Xavier, Pitt, WVU...yet they've still managed to maintain one of the better records in the MAC, and had a nice 4-game win streak until getting blown out by WVU.Can't State is 5-5, but as you said, they've had a tough schedule so their record isn't very indicative of that team. Their schedule gets a little easier from here on out, so I expect them to move up in the next few weeks. But for now, they've had a so-so season. I don't think I'd put them at #2, but I wouldn't put them below Akron.I don't have an in-depth understanding of the MAC as many on this board probably have, but I would submit this top 5...1. Miami OH2. Buffalo3. (tie) Akron3. (tie) Can't State5. Ball State

VCU is one of the most dangerous and underrated teams in the country. Last year, they upset Duke in the NCAA tournament and advanced to the second round. They will likely compete for the CAA crown again this year against strong teams like George Mason, Old Dominion, and Hofstra. Loosing to VCU by 4 is not something to be down about.

Hey guys. I just wanted to come over and show my support for you guys, in light of the bullshit the NCAA handed to the Zips during the tournament. I graduated from Charlotte and am currently enrolled at Akron Law. I've been to all the men's soccer games (and a few women's games) and saw some of the best college soccer in the country at Lee Jackson Field. But what happened leading up to the matchup against Northwestern was absolutely shameful and unacceptable on behalf of the NCAA. Shame on them. But if even a scintilla of karma exists in the world, good things will come our way.I feel your pain. Charlotte is in a similar situation. A growing school of almost 25k students in the heart of ACC country. Ugh. You think the Big 10 is annoying....take a trip down south. It makes me vomit every day.Also, if you haven't heard, Charlotte voted to launch a D-I football program, which we're very excited about. Charlotte fans think Infocision Stadium is very impressive. And indeed, it is a beauty.Good luck guys.