JoePa's MAC Hoops Preview

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2009-2010 MAC Basketball Preview - MAC West


1. Central Michigan
2. Northern Illinois
3. Eastern Michigan
4. Ball State
5. Western Michigan
6. Toledo


Central Michigan Chippewas
Last year: 12-19 (7-9 MAC)

The Chippewas were dealt a"huge" blow last year when they lost big men Chris Kellerman and Marko Spica to injury. Now the bigs are back and looking to fortify a Central frontcourt that lost leading scorer, Marcus Van. Central Michigan claimed a share of the West Division title last season and welcomes back four letterwinners, including three starters to a team that finished the season with a 12-19 overall record (7-9 MAC).

Central’s real strong suit is its junior guards Jordan Bitzer (12.1 ppg.) and Robbie Harman (11.4 ppg.) who are probably “the most underrated” in the MAC. However, the key for the Chippewas is improving on the defensive end, where they struggled mightily and were ranked last in defensive field goal percentage.

With four starters returning, Central has the advantage of players who are accustomed to being on the court together. The bigs must fill the void of Van who was the MAC’s leading rebounder. Central will be a contender in the West but does not have the defensive prowess to overtake the East’s beasts.


Northern Illinois Huskies
Last Year: 10-20 (5-11 MAC)

Northern Illinois will put points on the scoreboard; you can be pretty sure of that. The Huskies return two double-digit scorers (Darion Anderson and Mike DiNunno) and the conference’s best shooter Sean Kowal - 55.1%.

Coming to DeKalb from the Big 12 is 6-5 guard Xavier Silas. In his freshman year with Colorado, Silas averaged 12 PPG. His experience against strong competition can only help the already strong Husky trio. Silas along with Anderson, DiNunno and Kowal make up an imposing offense, especially with the skill of the 6-11 Kowal, who has the size and scoring prowess that not many MAC teams have at the center spot.

However, these proficient scorers will be nullified if the Huskies cannot improve last season’s putrid defense. They were last in scoring defense, last in 3-point field goal defense and second to last in defensive field goal percentage.

Although Northern Illinois was the third best three point shooting team, it is tough to overcome poor defense. The group also finished last in free throw shooting, hitting under 60 percent. NIU will have to improved their defense in order to maximize their offensive firepower.


Eastern Michigan Eagles
Last year: 8-24 (6-10) MAC

The Eagles return four starters but the biggest return of all is Carlos Medlock. The team’s leading scorer in his sophomore and junior years, Medlock was out all last season due to injury. Now, Medlock and his penchant for scoring are back. This should definitely help out a squad that struggled mightily in out-of-conference play.

Along with Medlock, Eastern boasts a formidable interior duo in Brandon Bowdry and Justin Dobbins. Bowdry led last year’s squad in scoring and rebounding, while Dobbins shot over 50% from the field.

The presence of Medlock should open up more options for them inside and help an offense that finished near the bottom of the MAC in most categories. These three will need the help of role players such as Antonio Green to lead EMU to a place they’ve never finished…the top of the MAC West. And in the ever unpredictable West, watch for the Eagles to fly a little higher in ’09-’10.


Ball State Cardinals
Last year: 14-17 (7-9 MAC)

Youth is the key word for the Cardinals. Twelve of their 15 players are freshmen or sophomores. The inexperience of the team will be a challenge. With youth and inexperience, comes a learning curve.

Jarrod Jones, last year’s MAC Freshman of the Year, has garnered a spot on the preseason All-MAC team. The 6-9 sophomore will need to elevate his game even more from his 11.2 PPG and 7.3 RPG last season. Coach Billy Taylor's team has more depth than in previous years but it is youthful depth. The few upperclassmen, such as Malik Perry, will have to step up. However, Ball State will struggle in the backcourt, having to recoup the loss of four senior guards.

While Jones should only improve on his freshman campaign, the load he will have to carry on his back will just be too much.


Western Michigan Broncos
Last year: 10-21 (7-9 MAC)

For the Broncos, it’s all about David Kool. Last season, he was the MAC’s leading scorer. This season he is poised to make a run for conference player of the year. Outside of Kool, the Broncos feature a cast of players who have not been thrust into major contributing roles.

With the departure of Shawntes Gary, someone will have to become a second option to Kool. Western Michigan struggled on offense last season and it could be a struggle again if players such as Donald Lawson or Flenard Whitfield don’t take some of the pressure off Kool.

They'll have to jell early so opponents won't begin and end their scouting reports with Kool, otherwise it’s gonna be a long year. Kool is the key cog in the Broncos attack but if MAC defenses can shut him down, it will be on the role players to win games. The Broncos will ride Kool as far as he’ll take them but will ultimately be done in by their youth and lack of offensive playmakers.


Toledo Rockets
Last year: 7-25 (5-11 MAC)

The Rockets never really got off the ground last season. And they may be stalled on the launching pad again this season. Toledo will no longer have the luxury of its stars Tyrone Kent and Jonathan Amos. Now, they are in the midst of totally rebuilding the program. Justin Anyijong, who had a breakout season, will be the go-to guy but underclassmen will be asked to take on responsibility.

Youth and inexperience will be UT's biggest obstacle since they lost 65% of their scoring and 42% of their rebounding.

Their head coach is just in his second season and it's hard to rely on rookies since heralded recruit Hayden Humes tore his ACL and is out for the season. Freshmen such as Malcolm Griffin, recruited as a wing but now moved to point guard, will have to grow up quickly.

Toledo did not win a road game last season. It’s going to be tough for the Rockets both away and at Savage Arena this season.

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2009-2010 MAC Basketball Preview - MAC East

1. Akron
2. Kent State
3. Miami
4. Buffalo
5. Ohio
6. Bowling Green


Akron Zips
Last year: 23-13 (10-6 MAC)

It was just March when the Zips shared a short dance with "The Zags" in the NCAA Tourney. They won their first MAC Tournament title in March and now the Zips come into a new season as the favorite. Now, the target is on their back.

Most of the key components of that tournament winning team will remain intact. Someone will have to fill Nate Linhart’s void but there are plenty of possibilities. The McKnight brothers Chris (11ppg) and Bret (9ppg) produce on both sides of the ball. Humpty Hitchens improved his ball control as last season went on and should be a top MAC point guard. Daryl Roberts, Nikola Cvetinovic and Steve McNees are all back too. Not to mention 7-0 freshman center Zeke Marshall, a highly touted top-10 ranked center prospect.

An area of concern for the Zips is rebounding. Linhart was their leading guy on the boards and Dambrot is hoping Jimmy Conyers can pick up some of his slack. But overall, Akron is stacked and has potential to pull ahead of the pack in a league that is usually filled with parody. I think Akron will dominate and their roster looks pretty deep and talented, which will make them tough to beat.

Last season they ranked 2nd in MAC scoring (66.8), 2nd in FG% (41%), 2nd in FG% defense (40%), and 1st in TO margin (+4) and alot of those "reasons" for being so successful return for the Zips this year.


Kent State Golden Flashes
Last year: 19-15 (10-6 MAC)

A season that did not reach 20 wins…not a familiar sight for the Kent State program. Whether it was a tougher schedule or lesser talent, the Golden Flashes did not win 20 for the first time since the 1997-98 season. It was a remarkable run of consistency for this team in a conference that often features yearly upheaval.

This Kent State bunch has all the potential to get back to 20. Guards Chris Singletary (An All-MAC performer) and Tyree Evans (their leading 3 pt. shooter and lockdown defender) will lead the way. Both are capable of lighting up the scoreboard but must be consistent night in and night out without the support of Al Fisher lost to graduation. Rodriguez Sherman will be able to help them on defense and by moving to point guard after sitting out last season with an ACL tear. Senior Mike McKee is also an excellent 3pt. shooter and was 4-7 from behind the arc against UW-Green Bay. Heralded freshman Randal Holt is a great ball handler and good perimeter shooter and has already seen big minutes.

While the guards provide lots of experienced talent, the men inside must get better.
Bench players who have already contributed valuable minutes this year are Frank Henry-Ala and Ian Pinckney.

A year ago, Kent ranked at the bottom of the league in post presence with a negative rebound margin. The production was extremely inconsistent. It will be on the group including 6'10" 240 pound senior Brandon Parks, and 6'8" sophomore Justin Greene and 6'8" senior Anthony Simpson to change those figures. Simpson showed flashes of productivity inside last year as a defender and deft outside shooter. Parks lacked agility to keep up with smaller but quicker big guys but slimmed down over the summer. A sleeper could be Greene who is an excellent defender with a soft touch around the rim and has the potential to be the best of the bigs. He scored a career high 20 pts. against UW-Green Bay in the Flashes second game of the season.

Kent State will be led by the guards but needs some interior production to challenge Akron and Buffalo. They will be in the mix and could challenge if their inside presence is better than last season where they were last in rebounding defense but 3rd in rebounding offense. KSU was 2nd in TO margin (+3.5), 1st in scoring (68.9), 1st in FG % (44%), and 3rd in FG % defense (41%) which is why they've had success.


Miami RedHawks
Last year: 17-13 (10-6 MAC)

MU-OH Head Coach Charlie Coles has remarked that he doesn’t want to have a year like Florida State's Bobby Bowden is having. To prevent that, Kenny Hayes will have to have a great senior season along with Nick Winbush.

Hayes was injured in the eighth game of last season and missed the rest of the campaign. After taking a redshirt, the senior will now be asked to do a lot for an inexperienced Miami team. Michael Bramos, Tyler Dierkers and Eric Pollitz have all graduated which means Miami will try to utilize its size.

Juniors Antonio Ballard, Nick Winbush and Rodney Haddix will have to pick up some slack. Expect sophomore Julian Mavunga to breakout at the power forward spot. Among the freshmen, expect guards Orlando Williams and Allen Roberts getting the most time. Winbush has already showed his prowess by knocking down 8-9 3pt. field goals in a 2pt. loss in Rupp Arena to Kentucky.

Even with that, Miami does not have the on-court experience or talent of past years. Hayes and Winbush will win a good deal of games for the 'Hawks, but a long season requires a pick-me-up from other team members if their two big talents have a rare off night.


Buffalo Bulls
Last year: 21-13 (11-5 MAC)

Just a few short years ago Reggie Witherspoon's teams were very young but competitive.
Now, those young players are experienced veterans. Senior Rodney Pierce averaged 14.3 PPG last season and will take on the scoring weight once again. He'll get help from Calvin Betts, who averaged 9.1 PPG and 6.3 RPG.

The Bulls will once again be a very good rebounding team. Witherspoon used a very large rotation, which he can do because of the depth of the roster. Ten, yes that's right, 10 or more guys played in most of Buffalo’s games last season. Look for the same this year and for Buffalo to be fresh at the end of the second half. Also watch the point guard position, where John Boyer, Byron Mulkey and freshman Tony Watson will fight for minutes in filling Greg Gamble’s big void.

Don’t forget the Bulls. They earned a share of the conference regular season title last season. Anytime you have two you have two senior guards who can score, you’re in good position. Add in a bunch of big men who get on the boards hard and keep each other fresh and you have a recipe for success. While Akron is the favorite, the Bulls will not be far behind all season long and could finish ahead with a few breaks.


Ohio Bobcats
Last year: 15-17 (7-9 MAC)

The Bobcats were picked to finish last in the MAC East this season at the MAC Media day in August. But this young Bobcat squad is capable of surpassing those expectations and they will be looking to blend their youth with a few tested veterans.

OU brought in a very good recruiting class. DJ Cooper is a talented point guard out of Illinois, who is similar in talent to UA's Humpty Hitchens last year. He will frustrate fans at first with turnovers but can fire passes to teammates and plays with a lot of energy on the defensive end. Ivo Baltic and Reggie Keely are two sleepers to contribute very well. Baltic is a tall athletic forward that can create matchup problems and Keely is a bulkier forward that will get on the boards and play tough D which is what OU will need to fill the voice of Jerome Tillman.

The double-double machine Tillman is gone, which definitely hurts. But sophomore Steven Coleman had flashes of brilliance last season and could have a breakout campaign. Junior Tommy Freeman was the conference’s top three-point shooter.

The wild card that will ultimately decide the Bobcats’ fortunes is transfer Armon Bassett. He has been through a lot and hasn’t played in awhile but Bassett was a top guard out of high school and has NCAA Tournament experience with Indiana. He can shoot the three and penetrate the defense. If he brings his best to Athens, the Bobcats will not be last in the East.

However, Ohio must overcome its struggles on the boards. It was last in rebounding and loses Tillman. Veterans Kenneth Van Kempen or DeVaughn Washington must provide useful minutes inside when they’re on the floor. The Bobcats will go through their growing pains at the start of the season but watch out for them in March when the young players have some more experience under their belt.


Bowling Green Falcons
Last Year: 19-14 (11-5 MAC)

Tough defense has become the mantra of the Falcons under Louis Orr. A bunch of new players will have to adopt that theory and do it quickly.

Just two starters will be back on the floor for Bowling Green. So young guns such as Danny McElroy and A’uston Calhoun will look to mirror the toughness of last year’s Falcons. It will be tough though without the team’s three double-digit scorers, Nate Miller, Daryl Clements and Brian Moten. They accounted for more than half of Bowling Green’s points last season.

Not only do they lose that scoring but also lose, in Miller, a defensive sparkplug. Miller led the conference in steals per game and always seemed to make a big play on the defensive side when the Falcons needed it. He was also a top 5 rebounder in the conference.

The big men, Otis Polk, Erik Marschall and Eric Larson, all have size and should be able to help on the boards. But I’m not sure where the Falcons are going to find the points to make up for the loss of their talented seniors. Point guard Joe Jakubowski is a very good three-point shooter but outside of him, the Falcons will be hindered by their lack of offensive threat.