This ranking will be at no. 100 tomorrow and three MAC schools remain. I'm guessing they have had plenty of time to readjust Buffalo for losing Bearden.

It'll be interesting to see the order of the final three. My guess
75. Akron
90. Ohio
95. Buffalo

(08-02-2016 02:02 PM)Wadszip Wrote:  This ranking will be at no. 100 tomorrow and three MAC schools remain. I'm guessing they have had plenty of time to readjust Buffalo for losing Bearden.

It'll be interesting to see the order of the final three. My guess
75. Akron
90. Ohio
95. Buffalo

EMU?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/26534...-17/page/3

(08-02-2016 03:55 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(08-02-2016 02:02 PM)Wadszip Wrote:  This ranking will be at no. 100 tomorrow and three MAC schools remain. I'm guessing they have had plenty of time to readjust Buffalo for losing Bearden.

It'll be interesting to see the order of the final three. My guess
75. Akron
90. Ohio
95. Buffalo

EMU?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/26534...-17/page/3

Maybe EMU is a surprise, but which team is left out? Akron returns four starters off the MAC regular season championship (and MAC title game) team, Buffalo still has three starters back (after Bearden's departure) off the MAC tournament championship team; and Ohio has just about everybody back off the team that finished second in the regular season.

Maybe Buffalo is left out, but this ranking started before Bearden was booted, so I think they will remain (and actually still think they are a top 100 caliber team, anyway). I don't see Akron or Ohio not being ranked, considering Kent State came in at 126 and nobody would predict the Flashes being ranked higher than either Akron or Ohio, on paper.

I would say that EMU has a gripe about not being among the top 144, but I don't see them being on this list.

By the way Buffalo signed their replacement for Bearden today:

http://www.ubbulls.com/sports/mbkb/2016-...0802q5ltde

Kid played at one of the top high schools in the country

(07-06-2016 07:12 PM)cleveland Wrote:  

(07-06-2016 06:31 PM)Wadszip Wrote:  Still no new MAC team's since the last update. Down to Stephen F. Austin at 128. If there is indeed four more MAC teams, pretty impressive.

Granted, this is just one ranking (as is the Orlando Sentinel countdown), but if you factor in how the MAC teams are doing out of a percentage of total teams in each sport, it's pretty similar.

The Sentinel Countdown is at 51 (out of 128), so the teams left are now at the 60th percentile or higher.

Toledo, coming in at 142 (out of 351) in this ranking is also right at that 60th percentile.

In the Sentinel football rankings, there are still four more schools who are left in that 60-plus percentile.

In this ranking, there are still four more schools who are left also in that 60-plus percentile.

It'll be interesting to see (on a percentile basis) which sport comes out better from here out. I'm guessing basketball will. I figure one (or maybe both) of Akron/Buffalo is in the top 70 (80th percentile). For football, the top schools would have to finish in the top 30 to match that when compared to the total number of teams.

JUST A GUESS ...

EMU -- 120

OU --- 95

Akron -- 80

Buffalo -- 60

plus-minus three spots for each team ...

any other guesses

While I whiffed on EMU ... sticking with OU 95, Akron 80, Buffalo 60.

(08-02-2016 07:16 PM)BullBoy Wrote:  By the way Buffalo signed their replacement for Bearden today:

http://www.ubbulls.com/sports/mbkb/2016-...0802q5ltde

Kid played at one of the top high schools in the country

Curious why he was out there sitting in July?

(08-03-2016 06:48 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(08-02-2016 07:16 PM)BullBoy Wrote:  By the way Buffalo signed their replacement for Bearden today:

http://www.ubbulls.com/sports/mbkb/2016-...0802q5ltde

Kid played at one of the top high schools in the country

Curious why he was out there sitting in July?

Two guesses..

1. He needed to get some academics in order
2. I think his numbers his senior year weren't great, but it was a byproduct of the team he played on. They had three McDonalds All Americans so I am guessing he didn't get the opportunity to score much.

Hopefully it all works out!

I think with Charleston at 100 that leaves only two mid major conferences with 3 teams left, MVC and MAC.

Ranking from where I last left off...

#99 Ohio
#100 Charleston
#101 Weber State
#102 South Dakota State
#103 Nebraska
#104 Siena

This hopefully puts an end to the foolish claim that EMU would be in the top 100

EMU has no business ahead of Akron, Buffalo and Ohio. It's comical to think they would be ahead of any of those three schools.

(08-04-2016 11:29 AM)Terrell Owens Wrote:  EMU has no business ahead of Akron, Buffalo and Ohio. It's comical to think they would be ahead of any of those three schools.

My question is how good will UB be this year?

(08-04-2016 12:36 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(08-04-2016 11:29 AM)Terrell Owens Wrote:  EMU has no business ahead of Akron, Buffalo and Ohio. It's comical to think they would be ahead of any of those three schools.

My question is how good will UB be this year?

That's where I think this poll is off, I don't think UB minus Bearden will be as good as Ohio. Either Buffalo should be lower or Ohio should be higher.

(08-04-2016 12:36 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(08-04-2016 11:29 AM)Terrell Owens Wrote:  EMU has no business ahead of Akron, Buffalo and Ohio. It's comical to think they would be ahead of any of those three schools.

My question is how good will UB be this year?

I think you are going to be surprised. I know UB is doing one of those foreign trips at the end of the month so i think we will kind of get a feel for the newcomers and the team without Bearden.. My guess is the Bulls will be just fine. Bearden is good, but we were not a one man team last year.

Remember two years ago we lost MAC Player of the Year and a second-team selection in Evans.. Bearden was only third-team anyway.

(08-04-2016 01:19 PM)BullBoy Wrote:  

(08-04-2016 12:36 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(08-04-2016 11:29 AM)Terrell Owens Wrote:  EMU has no business ahead of Akron, Buffalo and Ohio. It's comical to think they would be ahead of any of those three schools.

feel for the newcomers and the team without Bearden.. My guess is the Bulls will be just fine. Bearden is good, but we were not a one man team last year.

Remember two years ago we lost MAC Player of the Year and a second-team selection in Evans.. Bearden was only third-team
My question is how good will UB be this year?

I think you are going to be surprised. I know UB is doing one of those foreign trips at the end of the month so i think we will kind of get a anyway.

On other side of that coin, Buffalo did get hot when it counted last year. They probably did outperform their mean in that run.

(08-04-2016 01:33 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(08-04-2016 01:19 PM)BullBoy Wrote:  

(08-04-2016 12:36 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(08-04-2016 11:29 AM)Terrell Owens Wrote:  EMU has no business ahead of Akron, Buffalo and Ohio. It's comical to think they would be ahead of any of those three schools.

feel for the newcomers and the team without Bearden.. My guess is the Bulls will be just fine. Bearden is good, but we were not a one man team last year.

Remember two years ago we lost MAC Player of the Year and a second-team selection in Evans.. Bearden was only third-team
My question is how good will UB be this year?

I think you are going to be surprised. I know UB is doing one of those foreign trips at the end of the month so i think we will kind of get a anyway.

On other side of that coin, Buffalo did get hot when it counted last year. They probably did outperform their mean in that run.

First ... UB's overall athleticism is what gets them over the hump, particularly in a MAC Tournament setting. A team like that you have to beat them early because you will not beat them late. Relying on 3-point shooting for three games on a neutral court (Akron/OU/CMU???) is playing with fools gold, particularly when that team (Buffalo) has such good depth and the other (OU/CMU in particular) play marginal defense at best.

This UB team may not win the MAC regular season title, but would be the favoritie in the neutral court MAC Tournament until some team knocks them out.

Second ... As most on this thread agree, EMU is being undervalued because few outside of the MAC really know how much talent they truly have ... Had the Eagles been picked No. 126, instead of Kent, nobody here would have blinked.

EMU is still the clear favorite in the MAC West, and pending what the crossover road games look like, maybe the favorite overall.

Third ... Take away two MAC Tournament/NCAA runs and what have the Bobcats done? ... Probably underachieved ... particulary during the Gross regime when the Bobcats - based on MAC Tournament/NCAA success -clearly turned it on and turned it off and were rarely a factor in the regular season race.

All credit for winning the MAC Tournament/NCAA success, the MAC really needed it ... but where were those teams the first 25 games of the season. Being picked 99th is about right until they become a true MAC BB power down in Athens and not just a name.

Fourth -- Akron falls prey to operating in a one-bid league. For all their team troubles (Abreu/Treadwell/Diggs) and late-season injuries (Robotham/Forsythe) the Zips have still been one-game from the NCAA Tournament more often than not for the last decade.

Just as well, considering their post-season record.

Still, until further notice, Akron is far and away No. 1 in the MAC and probably gets picked the highest in this pool ... although, personally, I would take Buffalo.

(08-04-2016 08:04 PM)cleveland Wrote:  

(08-04-2016 01:33 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(08-04-2016 01:19 PM)BullBoy Wrote:  

(08-04-2016 12:36 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(08-04-2016 11:29 AM)Terrell Owens Wrote:  EMU has no business ahead of Akron, Buffalo and Ohio. It's comical to think they would be ahead of any of those three schools.

feel for the newcomers and the team without Bearden.. My guess is the Bulls will be just fine. Bearden is good, but we were not a one man team last year.

Remember two years ago we lost MAC Player of the Year and a second-team selection in Evans.. Bearden was only third-team
My question is how good will UB be this year?

I think you are going to be surprised. I know UB is doing one of those foreign trips at the end of the month so i think we will kind of get a anyway.

On other side of that coin, Buffalo did get hot when it counted last year. They probably did outperform their mean in that run.

First ... UB's overall athleticism is what gets them over the hump, particularly in a MAC Tournament setting. A team like that you have to beat them early because you will not beat them late. Relying on 3-point shooting for three games on a neutral court (Akron/OU/CMU???) is playing with fools gold, particularly when that team (Buffalo) has such good depth and the other (OU/CMU in particular) play marginal defense at best.

This UB team may not win the MAC regular season title, but would be the favoritie in the neutral court MAC Tournament until some team knocks them out.

Second ... As most on this thread agree, EMU is being undervalued because few outside of the MAC really know how much talent they truly have ... Had the Eagles been picked No. 126, instead of Kent, nobody here would have blinked.

EMU is still the clear favorite in the MAC West, and pending what the crossover road games look like, maybe the favorite overall.

Third ... Take away two MAC Tournament/NCAA runs and what have the Bobcats done? ... Probably underachieved ... particulary during the Gross regime when the Bobcats - based on MAC Tournament/NCAA success -clearly turned it on and turned it off and were rarely a factor in the regular season race.

All credit for winning the MAC Tournament/NCAA success, the MAC really needed it ... but where were those teams the first 25 games of the season. Being picked 99th is about right until they become a true MAC BB power down in Athens and not just a name.

Fourth -- Akron falls prey to operating in a one-bid league. For all their team troubles (Abreu/Treadwell/Diggs) and late-season injuries (Robotham/Forsythe) the Zips have still been one-game from the NCAA Tournament more often than not for the last decade.

Just as well, considering their post-season record.

Still, until further notice, Akron is far and away No. 1 in the MAC and probably gets picked the highest in this pool ... although, personally, I would take Buffalo.

A clear favorite in the MAC West, no such thing exists. There are 4 teams with about an equal chance to win the West. Toledo, WMU, NIU, and EMU. Honestly there are about 6 or 7 teams that could win the conference this year. This is a very very very deep conference, but probably no team that is going to stand out above the other. I personally think this depth is extremely healthy for the conference. Granted it wont give multiple bids, because you have to be top heavy and have a brutal bottom 2/3rds of the conference for that, but I do think MAC will follow up its #2 mid major ranking with a 2nd or 3rd finish this year also

We talk about the depth of the MAC, but I feel the MAC needs to step up its OOC performance. For the most part they did a good job of winning the games that they were supposed to win, which is a great first step. Now they need to focus on finding ways of stealing wins from quality teams. RPI isn't the greatest measuring stick, but if I remember right the conference combined for 1 RPI top 50 win. That needs to change.

(08-04-2016 08:50 PM)kreed5120 Wrote:  We talk about the depth of the MAC, but I feel the MAC needs to step up its OOC performance. For the most part they did a good job of winning the games that they were supposed to win, which is a great first step. Now they need to focus on finding ways of stealing wins from quality teams. RPI isn't the greatest measuring stick, but if I remember right the conference combined for 1 RPI top 50 win. That needs to change.

Scheduling is tough. I don't completely blame the MAC for that

(08-04-2016 08:04 PM)cleveland Wrote:  ....
Third ... Take away two MAC Tournament/NCAA runs and what have the Bobcats done? ... Probably underachieved ... particulary during the Gross regime when the Bobcats - based on MAC Tournament/NCAA success -clearly turned it on and turned it off and were rarely a factor in the regular season race.

All credit for winning the MAC Tournament/NCAA success, the MAC really needed it ... but where were those teams the first 25 games of the season. Being picked 99th is about right until they become a true MAC BB power down in Athens and not just a name.
...

Over the past 10 seasons Ohio has had the 3rd highest overall winning % in the MAC, finished the regular season as a 5 seed or better 7 times, and did it with 4 different head coaches. Not sure I'd summarize that as underachieving.

I think we are lacking objective analysis in this thread, everyone is clinging to their own teams. There are many many good teams in this conference right now, its something to be celebrated, not threatened by.