MAC 2023-2024

OhioBobcatFan06

OhioBobcatFan06

Well-known member
As usual Akron, Kent, Ohio and Toledo all look good this year.

-Akron gets Ali Ali back from Butler although he isn't eligible (yet) not sure what the timeline is there. Very senior team.
-Kent and Toledo also return very experienced squads this year.
-Ohio is young but with the most talented backcourt in the league. Expect a true small ball look this year.

MAC has agreed to a conference vs conference challenge this year with the Sun Belt. This is good for the conference. Ohio opened it up with a win last night against Troy. Most of the games are this weekend. Hopefully the MAC comes out ahead across the board.
 
 
OhioBobcatFan06 said:
As usual Akron, Kent, Ohio and Toledo all look good this year.
Toledo also return very experienced squads this year.
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It's almost a complete new line-up and guard heavy, again. Five of their top seven minutes from last year have gone elsewhere. Moss and Maddox all that remain. That's it for players with significant time last year. I think they played 7 freshmen against Mercy. Most likely redshirt a few after 4 games.
 
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Hard to know with some of these teams. I don't see a single Sr on Chicago St's roster. They have 6'9" twins then nothing above 6'7". Ark St, Bellarmine, Lipscomb,... I can't keep track, which ones are meant to be a challenge. Similar for Toledo's sched. I do recognize a few on theirs.

As for Toledo, Detroit was.... not good. Toledo won by a lot, but no one on the board was overly impressed with how they looked. "Try too hard" was a common refrain. Maybe a problem caused by too many guards on roster? They maybe are auditioning for game time instead of running the offense. I can't speak for sure what's in their head. They were taking quick shots, shots not square, shots while falling, shots from Cleveland.
 
2023-24 MAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll (First Place Votes)
1. Akron (11) – 121
2. Kent State – 104
3. Ohio (1) – 102
4. Toledo – 93
5. Northern Illinois – 82
T6. Bowling Green – 64
T6. Miami – 64
8. Ball State – 55
9. Buffalo – 38
10. Western Michigan – 33
11. Eastern Michigan – 22
12. Central Michigan – 14

2023-24 MAC Men’s Basketball Preseason All-MAC Teams
First Team
Ali Ali, Guard, Akron, Sr.
Enrique Freeman, Forward, Akron, Sr.
Chris Payton, Forward, Kent State, Grad.
Jaylin Hunter, Guard, Ohio, Sr.
Dante Maddox Jr., Guard, Toledo, Jr.

Second Team
Tyson Acuff, Guard, Eastern Michigan, Jr.
Jalen Sullinger, Guard, Kent State, Jr.
Anderson Mirambeaux, Center, Miami, Sr.
David Coit, Guard, Northern Illinois, Jr.
AJ Brown, Guard, Ohio, So.
 
Akron has looked solid so far with wins over a good South Dakota State and an okay Southern Miss. The Zips built up a big lead on Southern Miss then Southern Miss pulled back to a point down with 4 minutes left. The Zips then ran off 17 consecutive points to end the game and win by 18. They're still waiting on Ali's hardship appeal with the NCAA, which I think is likely to be denied. Even if so he can graduate in December and then I think he play as a grad transfer.

Kent lost to James Madison after being up 5 with under 4 seconds left. It went to OT and James Madison blew a late 5 point lead. Madison then won in double OT.
 
3-0 Toledo's upcoming OOC
1-1 New Mex Loss to a #25
2-1 UC Irvine Beat #16, handedly
2-1 Indiana St Loss to #24
2-0 George Mason
1-2 Oakland, close losses to Ohio St, 11pt loss to #25
1-1 N Iowa Loss in OT to N Texas
1-1 Marshal
2-0 Vermont
2-1 W. Virginia

Some traditional G Powers there.
 
Akron is at a tournament in the Caymans this weekend and early next week. Other other teams are FIU, Drake, Loyola Maryount, Oakland, Stephen F. Austin, Southern Utah and Marshall. They then head to UNLV and Bradley.
 
BG's new coach built Southern Utah. I've a feeling they're going to be a top level team by end of year. Smurf would know.
 
eastisbest said:
BG's new coach built Southern Utah. I've a feeling they're going to be a top level team by end of year. Smurf would know.
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They haven't jumped out of the gate quite as quickly I'd figured. They've an experienced roster with solid metrics.

Toledo has done about as expected. They're replacing three players that went pro; two in Europe and one at Baylor. :D RayJ doing some impressive things at his new gig Baylor. So is Sears if anyone remembers him. Scored 35 for Ala, against Purdue.

How are other teams shaping up?
 
The NCAA finally allowed Ali Ali to play and they went down and beat Northern Kentucky by going full court with under 10 seconds left and Freeman dunking it with 3 seconds left. They are having trouble with getting consistent guard play.

 
Rough night coming off of break for the Rockets against the Catamounts. I now know that a catamount is a cougar. The Zips came off of the break with a game against Miami- Hamilton which was a lot more like a scrimmage against a bad freshman team. I'm not sure I see any value in that but that seems to be what they do every year coming out of exam week. They get Gardner-Webb tonight then head to Cleveland to face St. Bonaventure next week before opening the MAC season against Northern Illinois.
 
Akron won the MAC tournament. Their players must be better educated. Kent State up by one late in the game and a Kent State player commits a foul thinking they are down by one. Good thing they were playing in Cleveland. That player probably had to walk back to Kent.
 
clarkgriswold said:
2023-24 MAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll (First Place Votes)
1. Akron (11) – 121
2. Kent State – 104
3. Ohio (1) – 102
4. Toledo – 93
5. Northern Illinois – 82
T6. Bowling Green – 64
T6. Miami – 64
8. Ball State – 55
9. Buffalo – 38
10. Western Michigan – 33
11. Eastern Michigan – 22
12. Central Michigan – 14

2023-24 MAC Men’s Basketball Preseason All-MAC Teams
First Team
Ali Ali, Guard, Akron, Sr.
Enrique Freeman, Forward, Akron, Sr.
Chris Payton, Forward, Kent State, Grad.
Jaylin Hunter, Guard, Ohio, Sr.
Dante Maddox Jr., Guard, Toledo, Jr.

Second Team
Tyson Acuff, Guard, Eastern Michigan, Jr.
Jalen Sullinger, Guard, Kent State, Jr.
Anderson Mirambeaux, Center, Miami, Sr.
David Coit, Guard, Northern Illinois, Jr.
AJ Brown, Guard, Ohio, So.
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2023-24 MAC Men’s Basketball All-MAC Teams & Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: Tony Barbee, Central Michigan
Player of the Year: Enrique Freeman, Senior, Forward, Akron*
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Pritchard, Junior, Guard, Central Michigan
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Tyler Cochran, Junior, Guard, Toledo
Freshman of the Year: Javan Simmons, Forward, Toledo*
Sixth Man of the Year: JaVaughn Hannah, Sophomore, Guard, Western Michigan
* - unanimous selection by 11 opposing head coaches

All-MAC First Team
Ali Ali, Senior, Guard, Akron
Enrique Freeman, Senior, Forward, Akron
Marcus Hill, Junior, Guard, Bowling Green
Anthony Pritchard, Junior, Guard, Central Michigan
Ra’Heim Moss, Junior, Guard, Toledo

All-MAC Second Team
Basheer Jihad, Junior, Forward, Ball State
Rashaun Agee, Senior, Forward, Bowling Green
Jaylin Hunter, Senior, Guard, Ohio
Dante Maddox Jr., Junior, Guard, Toledo
Tyler Cochran, Junior, Guard, Toledo

All-MAC Third Team
Brian Taylor, Graduate Student, Guard, Central Michigan
Tyson Acuff, Junior, Guard, Eastern Michigan
Jalen Sullinger, Junior, Guard, Kent State
David Coit, Junior, Guard, Northern Illinois
AJ Clayton, Junior, Forward, Ohio

All-MAC Honorable Mention
Greg Tribble, Senior, Guard, Akron
VonCameron Davis, R-Junior, Forward, Kent State
Anderson Mirambeaux, Senior, Center, Miami
Darweshi Hunter, Graduate Student, Guard, Miami
B. Artis White, R-Junior, Guard, Western Michigan

MAC All-Freshman Team
Arne Osojnik, Guard, Eastern Michigan
Eian Elmer, Wing, Miami
Will Lovings-Watts, Guard, Northern Illinois
Javan Simmons, Forward, Toledo
Sonny Wilson, Guard, Toledo

MAC All-Defensive Team
Greg Tribble, Senior, Guard, Akron
Enrique Freeman, Senior, Forward, Akron
Anthony Pritchard, Junior, Guard, Central Michigan
Tyler Cochran, Junior, Guard, Toledo
Ra’Heim Moss, Junior, Guard, Toledo


Congrats to Ra'Heim Moss from Springfield.
 
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