MAC 2025-26 SZN

[csims0917]

Exactly my goal 

[NWAkron]

https://open.substack.com/pub/akronzippedup/p/akron-zips-mens-basketball-weekly-7a3?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

 

Excellent write up from ZippedUp.  "Pesky MAC West squads". 😀

[RoyalBlu]

Here's the deal ... considering Akron and Miami are the top 2 seeds and in opposite brackets, on a neutral court, I think Bowling Green, Buffalo and Kent are the most dangerous opponents regardless of where they are seeded.

 

The good thing is those three teams  - using Buffalo as an example - would likely have to play BG then Kent/Miami, then Akron in three straight days to get to the MAC Tournament title game, much less win it. That's brutal.

 

While I doubt it will be an issue, that 1-2 seed will be imperative to avoid a potential first-round upset knockout, considering how deep/strong the MAC is this season.

 

 

[Zips1991]

4 hours ago, RoyalBlu said:

Here's the deal ... considering Akron and Miami are the top 2 seeds and in opposite brackets, on a neutral court, I think Bowling Green, Buffalo and Kent are the most dangerous opponents regardless of where they are seeded.

 

The good thing is those three teams  - using Buffalo as an example - would likely have to play BG then Kent/Miami, then Akron in three straight days to get to the MAC Tournament title game, much less win it. That's brutal.

 

While I doubt it will be an issue, that 1-2 seed will be imperative to avoid a potential first-round upset knockout, considering how deep/strong the MAC is this season.

 

 

I miss the days of the number 1 seed getting a bye into the semi final. It might have been the 1 and 2 seed actually but I remember the 1 seed used to get a bye to the semi finals. And that was when it was a 12 team (4 round) tournament so it was even more of an advantage than it would be now. 

[RoyalBlu]

If you're going to have a tournament, be fair. I'd rather all 12 (13) teams get in, but I understand Top 8. Scheduling by seeds is enough advantage, IMO.

 

Yes, it sucks as a 1-bid league. But playing a No. 8 and a quality time slot is advantage enough on a neutral court. If tournament was at home sites, I might think again.

 

I think most years there are at least 3 teams in Cleveland that could represent the league well in the NCAA Tournament. In the early 2000s, and this year, I would say there are 5 or 6 NCAA Tournament worthy MAC teams.

 

MAC should not be pissed at this point if any one of Akron, BG, Buff, Kent, Miami or even Toledo were to win in Cleveland. Too many times the quirk of the schedule or an injury impacts where a team finishes and is ultimately seeded. If one of the Mahaffey brothers, Imani or Tavari missed 3 games at the wrong time Akron could possibly drop a game or two, ending with a 2-3-4 seed.

 

I think Wally's senior year at Miami he missed 3-4 games with an injury and they finished 2nd or 3rd instead of winning it all, but came back in the MAC Tournament and won instead.

 

Would not surprise me, come March, if one of Akron or Miami are nationally ranked. Taking the court on TV in prime time in Cleveland would be amazing, with a capital 'A'.

   

[MDZip]

Anyone remember David Coit from NIU? Hasnt lost his scoring touch. Just put up 43 for Maryland tonight. 

[zipsrule]

Miami climbs into the top 25 in the AP poll.

 

Edited 23 hours ago by zipsrule

[Let'sGoZips94]

Screw NIU for making the MAC schedule lopsided so we don't get 2 cracks at Miami. Their inevitable downfall is going to be sweet to witness. 

[ZippyRulz]

And look who's #1 😐

 

[1981 grad]

I hope they go undefeated and we get to play them in the MAC finals.  That would be fun and add some national interest in the game.

[Reslife4Life]

1 hour ago, 1981 grad said:

I hope they go undefeated and we get to play them in the MAC finals.  That would be fun and add some national interest in the game.

As much logical sense this makes. I also hope Miami loses, I just hate seeing them being americas darling when we are just as good

[kreed5120]

12 minutes ago, Reslife4Life said:

As much logical sense this makes. I also hope Miami loses, I just hate seeing them being americas darling when we are just as good

 

I still don't see them running the table. They're good and deserve the recognition they're getting, but there have been much better teams in the MAC over the last ~70 years. If those teams couldn't do it, it would almost be a shame to see this team do it.

 

That last Oates UB team was special. Had they achieved it I wouldn't be as disappointed.

[NWAkron]

5 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

Screw NIU for making the MAC schedule lopsided so we don't get 2 cracks at Miami. Their inevitable downfall is going to be sweet to witness. 

Akron played Miami once last year and in the prior year.  Akron also play Ohio once this year, and they are more of a basketball rival than Miami.  Has nothing to do with NIU.  

[kreed5120]

42 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

Akron played Miami once last year and in the prior year.  Akron also play Ohio once this year, and they are more of a basketball rival than Miami.  Has nothing to do with NIU.  

 

Exactly, without NIU the MAC would have 12 teams. That means if you played each of the other 11 teams 2 times you would have to play 22 conference games. The MAC only plays 18 conference games.

[Reslife4Life]

If you take out NIU we get one more game against one of the following: Miami, BG, OU, Toledo, Umass, or CMU

its not NIUs fault, but it would’ve been nice if they just got out when it was announced they were leaving 

[Zips1991]

1 hour ago, kreed5120 said:

 

Exactly, without NIU the MAC would have 12 teams. That means if you played each of the other 11 teams 2 times you would have to play 22 conference games. The MAC only plays 18 conference games.

I saw somewhere that there's a good chance that the MAC goes to a 22 game schedule next season. Home and away against the other 11 teams. 

[NWAkron]

11 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

 

Exactly, without NIU the MAC would have 12 teams. That means if you played each of the other 11 teams 2 times you would have to play 22 conference games. The MAC only plays 18 conference games.

See above. 😀

Edited 5 hours ago by NWAkron

[Reslife4Life]

10 hours ago, Zips1991 said:

I saw somewhere that there's a good chance that the MAC goes to a 22 game schedule next season. Home and away against the other 11 teams. 

I was just complaining about not playing some teams twice, but I don't know how to feel about that. If these 4 MAC games replaced our 2 non-d1 games, maybe the MAC/SBC goes to only 1 game in November, and you take out Bucknell I would be all for it. But Seeing 4 more MAC games just makes me think we will lose some of that strong nonconference schedule

[NWAkron]

3 minutes ago, Reslife4Life said:

I was just complaining about not playing some teams twice, but I don't know how to feel about that. If these 4 MAC games replaced our 2 non-d1 games, maybe the MAC/SBC goes to only 1 game in November, and you take out Bucknell I would be all for it. But Seeing 4 more MAC games just makes me think we will lose some of that strong nonconference schedule

I would like the 22 game schedule AND every team going to Cleveland with first round byes for the top 4 teams.  Because the MAC is a one big league this is MAC March Madness.  

[Zips1991]

3 minutes ago, Reslife4Life said:

I was just complaining about not playing some teams twice, but I don't know how to feel about that. If these 4 MAC games replaced our 2 non-d1 games, maybe the MAC/SBC goes to only 1 game in November, and you take out Bucknell I would be all for it. But Seeing 4 more MAC games just makes me think we will lose some of that strong nonconference schedule

I would think it would definitely cut out at least one non-D1 opponent because we usually play one late in December around NYE and there would almost certainly be a conference game around that time now. Not sure how long the agreement with the SBC is but if that might be ending, it would be a good time to expand to 22 games. Maybe we just kick UMass out (act like they were never here) and have 11 teams, play everyone twice for 20 games. 😆

[Reslife4Life]

1 minute ago, NWAkron said:

I would like the 22 game schedule AND every team going to Cleveland with first round byes for the top 4 teams.  Because the MAC is a one big league this is MAC March Madness.  

My purpose isn't about a potential at-large, but rather when we play this strong schedule early it definitely prepares us for down the stretch. The schedule sucks this year, but if for some reason next year our one and dones would be with the michigans and ball state that would be unfortunate that we have to play them twice instead of more quality opponents. Realistically it would be somewhere in the middle, but you never know with this conference

[Reslife4Life]

2 minutes ago, Zips1991 said:

I would think it would definitely cut out at least one non-D1 opponent because we usually play one late in December around NYE and there would almost certainly be a conference game around that time now. Not sure how long the agreement with the SBC is but if that might be ending, it would be a good time to expand to 22 games. Maybe we just kick UMass out (act like they were never here) and have 11 teams, play everyone twice for 20 games. 😆

Have a MAC tribal council and vote to kick EMU off the island

[Zips1991]

Kent opened as 1.5 point favorites against Miami for tonight's game but that has since flipped and Miami is 1.5 point favorites. A Kent win is best for us in terms of a potential regular season title but it also means Kent would beat a top 25 team which you never want to see. 

[UAZipster0305]

3 hours ago, Reslife4Life said:

I was just complaining about not playing some teams twice, but I don't know how to feel about that. If these 4 MAC games replaced our 2 non-d1 games, maybe the MAC/SBC goes to only 1 game in November, and you take out Bucknell I would be all for it. But Seeing 4 more MAC games just makes me think we will lose some of that strong nonconference schedule

We could easily (and should) drop the non-D1 games we seem to play every year. They are a complete waste of time, and it's embarrassing that we count them in our win-loss total when they are not fair competition.

 

I wanted to attend a Zips game when I was in the Akron area for the holidays, but the only game scheduled was against Concord, which is a total waste of time. I didn't even bother to listen on the radio/internet.

Edited 1 hour ago by UAZipster0305

[Zips1991]

3 minutes ago, UAZipster0305 said:

We could easily (and should) drop the non-D1 games we seem to play every year. They are a complete waste of time, and it's embarrassing that we count them in our win-loss total when it is not fair competition.

 

I wanted to attend a Zips game when I was in the Akron area for the holidays, but the only game schedule was against Concord, which is a total waste of time. I didn't even bother to listen on the radio/internet.

I hadn't thought of the potential of getting attendance from those in the area for the holidays. But it's also tough to find teams to schedule during the holidays as there's simply fewer games being played. Most games during that week between Christmas and New Year's seem to be against non-D1 teams.