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MAC Basketball 2022-23


Let'sGoZips94

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1 hour ago, kreed5120 said:

I don't think Kent is a Buffalo of a few years ago, but they do look the best in the MAC given the ~17 game sample size we've seen. I think they will go 15-3 in the MAC with the second place team (whoever that is) going 13-5 or 12-6.

Toledo went 17-3 last year..

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As an Ohio fan, I can tell you our team has been wildly inconsistent. We are prone to scoring droughts, like the one last night that landed us in a 14 point 1st half hole to Ball St. One game we're blown out by Detroit then take Michigan to OT in the Crisler Center (a game we should have won) the next time out. Players transferred out that are key contributors to ACC and SEC teams and guys that transferred in have been inconsistent or just straight bad. As people say on our board, we can beat anybody in the MAC and we can lose to anybody in the MAC. Friday night will be a good measuring stick with Kent coming in.  

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The road warrior Zips are back at it this week with a pair in Michigan. Any MAC win is a big win, and not many will be easy. I wouldn't expect these two to be easy at all.

 

After two weeks, I would rank the MAC as follows:

 

1. Kent (4-0)--Not much to be said. They've shown a lot more vulnerability in MAC play than I was expecting, but they get the job done when it counts.

2. Ball State (3-1)--Their first MAC loss comes on the road against OU. Always admirable. They then crushed Miami at home to maintain their perfect home record. They are for real, I don't know exactly how real, but they will no longer be a doormat.

3. Akron (3-1)--If if if if. We can all agree that this team should be 4-0, but that doesn't matter. The difference that X makes is enormous. I don't consider that an indictment on the rest of the team, either. Ball State is a top MAC team and the short-handed Zips had a good chance at them in the dying minutes, even without making a single shot the final quarter of the game. Plug in #13, and the team looked entirely different just a few days later, against another tough opponent. Keep it rolling.

4. Toledo (2-2)--After a couple years of dominating the regular season, the Rockets are beginning to look human. They went 17-3 in MAC play last year, and are 0-3 against Kent since last year. They lost to Ball State at home last week. Things don't get much easier as they host OU and go to Buffalo this week.

5. WMU (2-2)--They opened MAC play with a valiant effort at Kent, followed by a blowout at Toledo. This week, there's much more confidence after wins against EMU and BG. They were down big early to BG but wound up putting 69 points on the board in the 2nd half. This is a dangerous team, and the Zips will have their hands full on Saturday.

6. CMU (2-2)--Their two losses came on the road to the worst teams in the league, but they were short-handed so I will give them the benefit of the doubt. They willed their way to the win over Buffalo on Saturday. They've got some talented guards, and will present a tough matchup for Akron tomorrow. Tony Barbee is a solid coach.

7. Buffalo (2-2)--After opening league play with a pair of home wins, the Bulls go on the road and drop both this week, to Miami and CMU. That's an awfully tough week on the schedule. The Bulls are pretty athletic and have some skill, but they lack a big bruiser big/rebounder. They are still winless on the road this season amid a rebuild.

8. Ohio (1-3)--Tough decision here between them and BG, but I simply trust OU more. They've lost 3 MAC games by fewer than 10 points, and are Ball State's only MAC loss. This team is no slouch, and could very easily claw back into the top 4. Their achilles heel, like many other MAC teams, is going on the road. Just 2-6 this year. They also showed some great will against Kent, taking big punches and still keeping themselves alive. 

9. BGSU (2-2)--The beauty of power rankings is that the records don't necessarily matter. Week 2 looked like a regression to the mean for BG. They were arguably the better team on Tuesday for about 30 minutes, but Akron locked in when necessary and stole one in the Stroh. Then the Falcons put up an abysmal effort at WMU (still scored 92 though). BG fans really beginning to question Huger once again, rightfully so.

10. Miami (1-3)--They're still pretty bad, but have put up a few good fights in MAC play. They beat Buffalo fairly handily this week, before becoming Ball State's next victim. As mentioned last week, they had Kent on the ropes pretty late. They will beat some teams, but have a huge uphill battle ahead to make the top 8.

11. NIU (1-3)--Just one week ago, I would have bet that NIU would never escape the bottom spot of my definitive rankings, but here we are. They did their job and beat a short-handed CMU team before getting smacked by Toledo. They're on the road to Miami and EMU this week.

12. EMU (1-3)--I wish there were 40 teams in the MAC so I could put them at 40. They are a disgrace to the game of basketball. The Bates situation has completely ruined this once promising team from a year ago. They don't play hard, they're selfish, they lack skill just about everywhere. Just atrocious. Kent could name the score against them tomorrow. As  I say this, I will be incredibly worried they will beat Akron when the Zips play the return game.

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WMU was scary in that 2nd half but maybe it was the BG defense?  CMU lucked into Cleveland last year and came within a point of knocking out Toledo.  They have a good coach.  He's no Stan Heath.  This will be a brutal week for the Zips.  Buffalo is a shadow of its former self.  They still offensive rebound like crazy but didn't see much else going for them.

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