2022 Preseason Conference Preview: Mid-American Conference

[Ezaco]

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE

 

After a surprise domination of the college football season, the MAC tries to replicate it on the basketball court but is likely to fall short. To help us they even put their description in the name: Mid.

 

AKRON ZIPS

Akron has some serious talent, especially in the junior center Bruce Hajjar who's a contender for this year's Wooden Award. As a team the Zips are a pretty good shooting team from both the mid-range and beyond the arc, though they struggle slightly below the rim. Despite that struggle they are a very good rebounding team with a solid defense as well. The Zips are no slouch and will do well in the conference, which is good for a team with some really promising young talent on the roster.

 

Season prediction: NCAA Tournament - Round of 64

 

BALL STATE CARDINALS

The Cardinals pretty much sum up the entirely of the MAC when I say the MAC is mid. Douglas Woerner and Gregory Foster are great players who are surrounded by a cadre of players who are simply... okay. Ball State struggles mightily beyond the arc, and their mid-range and close-to-the-basket scoring are simply 'okay'. While they're a good rebounding teams, the Cardinals continue to run right in the middle when it comes to defense. There's nothing glaringly wrong with the Cardinals, but there's not a lot of greatness either.

 

Season prediction: Misses NCAA Tournament

 

BOWLING GREEN FALCONS

The Falcons are awash with talent and are poised to make a lot of noise. The junior trio of William Edgemon, John Roby, and Jason Harvey is a set any team would kill for. This is further backed up by another trio of freshmen poised to take the reigns from them in two years - if not next year. More than most teams the Falcons are already set with a rotation of talent through the years, and the talent here and now today is ready to compete. Under the basket, mid-range, and defensively the Falcons are a really good team. Though they struggle rebounding and with the 3-point shot, it's an area they do have some talent in that can do well enough.

 

Season prediction: NCAA Tournament - Round of 32

 

BUFFALO BULLS

Buffalo, on the other hand, if very unfortunate. There are no standout players, and their best players are poised to graduate at the end of this season. Defensively the Bulls are pretty bad, and they don't make up for it with good shooting from any range, and their rebounding ability is simply average. It's not the worst team in the country, but I wouldn't wanna be on it this season... or next.

 

Season prediction: Misses NCAA Tournament

 

CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS

It's much the same for Central Michigan, as well. The Chippewa defense is not very good, and the rebounding is very average. The lone standout on the roster is Dennis Massman, who's an elite rebounder with a ferocious put-back and post game, but not much else. From any range the shooting leaves much to be desired, and there's not a ton of promise in the pipeline right now.

 

Season prediction: Misses NCAA Tournament

 

:easternmichigan: EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES

This is all going to sound really familiar. Look it's not that the MAC teams are cookie-cutter of each other... but there's really not a lot different or separating them. The Eagles are another poor defensive team who are just average at rebounding, and from anywhere on the court they shoot you're not supremely confident of a success. The Eagles might be a little better in the paint, however, than their competition and it might be enough to separate them from the pack.

 

Season prediction: Bubble Team

 

:kentstate: KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES

Kent State gives me slightly more confidence. They remain average on rebounding and defense, but this is a team that is very good at getting close to the basket and scoring the ball. They still remain average outside of the paint, but there's a slight degree of separation for them that should be enough to put them over the top of their peers.

 

Season prediction: NCAA Tournament - Round of 64

 

:miamiu: MIAMI REDHAWKS

Man the Redhawks are tough. There is a huge gap in talent for their top players to everyone else. It just puts them, as a team, all over the map. If they can lean on Steven Cox, Roger Kimbro, Frank Villegas, and Brian Hilf for.... well, everything, the Redhawks might have a chance at the tournament. But putting everything on just four players is tough in college, and I don't think it's going to be enough. When you use these four, Miami is an average team... without them they are a bad team. The rest of the roster will, unfortunately, bring these guys down to a level that can't complete reliably.

 

Season prediction: Misses NCAA Tournament

 

:northerillinois:NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES

The Huskies are fortunate to be in the MAC this season, because their below-averageness becomes simply average in this conference. Defensively they're really not a great team, and rebounding-wise they're simply average. They do standout in paint scoring, though, but that standout-ness is off-balanced by below average shooting beyond it. There's no bonafied stars or standouts for the Huskies either which could drag them to the next level. They simply... exist.

 

Season prediction: Misses NCAA Tournament

 

OHIO BOBCATS

Copy. Paste. Average defense, average rebounding aver shooting from every level. There's not even anything that makes the Bobcats different from every other team in their conference except how average they are. They're the definition of average and boring.

 

Season prediction: Misses NCAA Tournament

 

:lookbackatitjackrabbit: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE JACKRABBITS

South Dakota State is a borrow-on team. As one of the lone ones to play in 2020, they're returning but playing in the MAC for 2022... and it might be fortunate that they are. There's honestly not a lot on this roster that impresses me except the ability for the Jackrabbits to rebound - in that they are a step above most. They are also a decent below-basket shooting team and do well enough beyond the paint.. as long as they stay within the arc. The Jackrabbits are okay, they're nice, they're solid. I'm just not going to expect miracles.

 

Season prediction: NCAA Tournament - Round of 64

 

:toledo: TOLEDO ROCKETS

Ooh different! Just kidding. The same. There's really nothing different about the Rockets than any other team in this conference... though I do like their ability below the basket. Aside from that it's really all the same.

 

Season prediction: Bubble Team

 

WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS

The Broncos are trying to be different, which is saying something at least. Joseph Romeo is a special player who's benefitted from his redshirt season and has some promise at the NBA level if he can continue to develop. Michael Howard is entering his sophomore season already on some NBA boards and could be poised to explode. As a whole, though, the Broncos might not be enough. I'm not quite impressed with their defense - and even less with their effort on the boards. Their ball movement is pretty, to be sure, and I actually quite like their stroke from the midrange. Paint ability is respectable, but nothing special, and beyond the arc is simply... average. So it's a bit of the same... with some spice.

 

Season prediction: NCAA Tournament - Round of 64

[Ezaco]

Pick to win conference: Bowling Green