Both Akron (10) and Toledo (23) are ranked, while Ohio and Kent State are receiving votes.

Pre-season coaches polls like this are usually not very accurate. The coaches don't pay enough attention to how other teams did in the off-season to really know what's going on.

Kent State got votes, but Buffalo didn't? I guess your second paragraph is spot on.

The Mid-Major Top 25, for all its good intentions, has always been, well, lousy. The coaches who vote don't seem to pay much attention to who beats whom, or to know much about the teams in the first place. It's not a point of pride to be in it, or an insult to be left out. They probably should just abandon it. It's inconsequential, which is a shame because it could be a useful barometer of the quality of teams in the conferences included. It just isn't. The voters don't take it seriously.

Does any of this really matter? Chances are the MAC is a one bid league yet again this season. Wake me up when we the next Gonzaga is in the MAC and a second bid is within reach.

(10-22-2013 10:40 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  Wake me up when we the next Gonzaga is in the MAC and a second bid is within reach.

If the "next Gonzaga" was in the MAC, they would just beat everyone and win the tournament, and the MAC would only get one bid anyway. You need more than one good team if you want to get multiple bids.

(10-22-2013 10:43 AM)uakronkid Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 10:40 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  Wake me up when we the next Gonzaga is in the MAC and a second bid is within reach.

If the "next Gonzaga" was in the MAC, they would just beat everyone and win the tournament, and the MAC would only get one bid anyway. You need more than one good team if you want to get multiple bids.

We don't even have one power team so I thought it might be a stretch to think we could develop two. Most likely is our best team loses in the conference tournament and we get a second bid. As it stands now, its looking like another one bid season no matter how you slice it. I am not sure how many big games our teams scheduled to replace the bracketbuster but I am assuming we will see a dropoff there as well. Scheduling continues to be a challenge it would seem.

(10-22-2013 10:40 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  Does any of this really matter? Chances are the MAC is a one bid league yet again this season. Wake me up when we the next Gonzaga is in the MAC and a second bid is within reach.

It's not the lack of Gonzaga's (how fun is that to say) holding us back it's the NIU's and other annually sub250 RPI teams killing the Akron's/Ohio's and Kent's..

(10-22-2013 11:04 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 10:40 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  Does any of this really matter? Chances are the MAC is a one bid league yet again this season. Wake me up when we the next Gonzaga is in the MAC and a second bid is within reach.

It's not the lack of Gonzaga's (how fun is that to say) holding us back it's the NIU's and other annually sub250 RPI teams killing the Akron's/Ohio's and Kent's..

That is a weak argument when everyone knows Akron, our supposed powerhouse program, tends to play one of the softest OOC schedules year in, year out. Kent State of years back did just fine with strong OOC showings and a Top 25 ranking. It unfortunate their program has taken a step back. The RPI argument only holds some much weight when almost every team in this league is guilty of playing a soft OOC slate.

(10-22-2013 11:31 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 11:04 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 10:40 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  Does any of this really matter? Chances are the MAC is a one bid league yet again this season. Wake me up when we the next Gonzaga is in the MAC and a second bid is within reach.

It's not the lack of Gonzaga's (how fun is that to say) holding us back it's the NIU's and other annually sub250 RPI teams killing the Akron's/Ohio's and Kent's..

That is a weak argument when everyone knows Akron, our supposed powerhouse program, tends to play one of the softest OOC schedules year in, year out. Kent State of years back did just fine with strong OOC showings and a Top 25 ranking. It unfortunate their program has taken a step back. The RPI argument only holds some much weight when almost every team in this league is guilty of playing a soft OOC slate.

In the defense of that, Akron has been working on that very issue. I promice you that there are teams that will not play them. The RPI is an issue every single year in the East.(Even Temple complained about playing West teams).

In the end you have two options:

Take the MVC route and force your teams to play better OCC, or get kicked out of the conference.

or

Go the route Miami did a few years back and play the gauntlet OCC.

It's been awhile since the MAC had a team you could make a good at-large argument for. The OOC resumes of the better teams have not been all that great, so the obvious suckiness of the rest of the conference has been irrelevant. You can't blame the bottom of the conference for Kent, Ohio, and Akron having disappointing performances in the pre-MAC schedule. Teams have to build resumes on their own, beating good teams and not losing to mediocre teams.

It looks like this year will be more of the same. I hope I'm wrong, but I really don't see a top 30-ish (at-large range) type team in the MAC this season. Maybe four or five #50-110 type teams? Being "good" this year will have only a localized meaning.

It's our best teams that have been weak compared to the other mid-major conferences who have continued to be strong at the top. Our worst teams, like all "worst" teams, are generally irrelevant.

(10-22-2013 11:40 AM)lance99 Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 11:31 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 11:04 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 10:40 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

In the defense of that, Akron has been working on that very issue. I promice you that there are teams that will not play them. The RPI is an issue every single year in the East.(Even Temple complained about playing West teams).

In the end you have two options:

Take the MVC route and force your teams to play better OCC, or get kicked out of the conference.
or

Go the route Miami did a few years back and play the gauntlet OCC.

Is that really what the MVC does? Are you saying a conference actually holds its members to a certain standard?

(10-22-2013 11:31 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  That is a weak argument when everyone knows Akron, our supposed powerhouse program, tends to play one of the softest OOC schedules year in, year out. Kent State of years back did just fine with strong OOC showings and a Top 25 ranking. It unfortunate their program has taken a step back. The RPI argument only holds some much weight when almost every team in this league is guilty of playing a soft OOC slate.

CBS has a wonderful tool for calling B.S. on your claims. The 8th column sorts teams by their non-conference schedule.

(10-22-2013 11:57 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 11:40 AM)lance99 Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 11:31 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 11:04 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 10:40 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

In the defense of that, Akron has been working on that very issue. I promice you that there are teams that will not play them. The RPI is an issue every single year in the East.(Even Temple complained about playing West teams).

In the end you have two options:

Take the MVC route and force your teams to play better OCC, or get kicked out of the conference.
or

Go the route Miami did a few years back and play the gauntlet OCC.

Is that really what the MVC does? Are you saying a conference actually holds its members to a certain standard?

The MAC started doing that recently. Schedule better, or don't get your share of the NCAA tournament money. NIU had better watch out.

Yep. The rich get richer and the leaches get cut off under the new MAC hoops revenue distribution model. A win for the future of the conference, no doubt.

(10-22-2013 12:58 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 11:57 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 11:40 AM)lance99 Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 11:31 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 11:04 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

In the defense of that, Akron has been working on that very issue. I promice you that there are teams that will not play them. The RPI is an issue every single year in the East.(Even Temple complained about playing West teams).

In the end you have two options:

Take the MVC route and force your teams to play better OCC, or get kicked out of the conference.
or

Go the route Miami did a few years back and play the gauntlet OCC.

Is that really what the MVC does? Are you saying a conference actually holds its members to a certain standard?

The MAC started doing that recently. Schedule better, or don't get your share of the NCAA tournament money. NIU had better watch out.

Is that the one credit generated by the MAC each year? I assume a similar arrangement exists on the football side. If that is the case, then the teams not carrying their weight in either sport should probably "watch out"...

(10-22-2013 01:35 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  Is that the one credit generated by the MAC each year? I assume a similar arrangement exists on the football side. If that is the case, then the teams not carrying their weight in either sport should probably "watch out"...

You assume wrong. This is only for basketball.

well, the mac seems to be without a true stinker teeam this year. niu should be half decent, central is low on talent but has a good coach and a full roster, Miami is making a little progress, the weakest link might be bg.

tough to say if there is a true at large team. depends how they gel and also who they beat. eastern has the talent size and schedule to have the resume but they haven't had a great team since ben braun was coaching.

akron will be good again but has to sort out the pg position, maybe the jc kid will fit, and see how to balance a roster with a great power forward and the next 4 best players are all swingmen.

Toledo is balanced experienced and hungry, finally off ncaa restrictions and w a full roster, but hasn't gone dancing in over 30 yrs.

ohio is capable of being good again but must replace dj cooper and also find interior scoring to replace keely and have balance.

kent is talented but dinged up and been stumbling a bit last couple yrs.

buffalo wasn't that good last yr but has an excellent player and lots of hope.

we'll see, the non-conf games are a bit magnified w the move to the 18 game conf schedule. if a few teams start strong then they carry that rpi into league play.

(10-22-2013 10:43 AM)uakronkid Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 10:40 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  Wake me up when we the next Gonzaga is in the MAC and a second bid is within reach.

If the "next Gonzaga" was in the MAC, they would just beat everyone and win the tournament, and the MAC would only get one bid anyway. You need more than one good team if you want to get multiple bids.

Spot on.

(10-22-2013 11:57 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 11:40 AM)lance99 Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 11:31 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 11:04 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 10:40 AM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

In the defense of that, Akron has been working on that very issue. I promice you that there are teams that will not play them. The RPI is an issue every single year in the East.(Even Temple complained about playing West teams).

In the end you have two options:

Take the MVC route and force your teams to play better OCC, or get kicked out of the conference.
or

Go the route Miami did a few years back and play the gauntlet OCC.

Is that really what the MVC does? Are you saying a conference actually holds its members to a certain standard?

Think you need to talk to your AD. He has some news for you.

(10-22-2013 01:48 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  

(10-22-2013 01:35 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  Is that the one credit generated by the MAC each year? I assume a similar arrangement exists on the football side. If that is the case, then the teams not carrying their weight in either sport should probably "watch out"...

You assume wrong. This is only for basketball.

I thought Kitton was talking one here at one point about about how football has tiered distribution as well based on making bowls etc. Perhaps that was just wishful thinking. I would assume though NIU got a bigger cut of the Orange Bowl money and I don't think anyone else in this league was complaining about the $500K or so additional funds sent their way as a result.