CSNbbs

any thoughts about sleepers in the mac tourney? for me, buffalo is the one. being a flash fan, i'm hoping we can hold onto the #1 seed.. will give us an extra few days of rest & preparation time.. and ensure that we only have to play western or toledo (#2 vs #3 other side of the bracket.) miami is also dangerous.

p.s. re all the postings comparing/contrasting mac & c-usa.. good riddance to marshall & UCF.. UCF made no sense in mac anyway (no loss there).. i will miss marshall.. they were a great fit.. great fans.. i'm confused/perplexed as to why they would opt out of the mac for unstable c-usa.. i think they will regret the move.. marshall going to c-usa is like boston college going to ACC. i don't get it?.. strike that.. i do get it.. $$$$$

Wanna sleeper that nobody is talking about? Try Eastern Michigan.

Bowling Green, Ball State, Buffalo and Ohio could all do well but they wouldn't be coming from quite as far out of nowhere than EMU.

Yep, we'll be sleeping through the tournament...

Buffalo.

My sleeper is Kent State.

GFlash68 Wrote:My sleeper is Kent State.

Can't be a top 3 seed and a sleeper..........


Ohio has won three straight MAC games. Oshea always heats up down the stretch.

I love how everyone is forgetting about Ball State. I can understand based on the record, but all five of our MAC losses, 4 of which were on the road in the most hostile environments, have been by 9 or less points. The road losses have all been by 4 or less points. I know, a loss is a loss, but this young team is learning from these games. It's perhaps pretty unlikely, but this team could sneak its way through the MAC tourney.

I could see BG being a sleeper. There is a decent amount of talent there, and Dakich could get it together. I don't see Miami, Ohio, or Akron being solid enough to win three or four games in a row. Based on what I've seen this year, I would even consider Toledo a long shot to win it. With a good coach Toledo would be very tough to beat with all of that talent.

The team to watch is Western Michigan. They are certainly not a sleeper. The trouble is I don't see a sleeper doing anything much in the tournament. Exactly one MAC team is going to gain invite to the NCAA big dance. My bet is that it will be the Broncos with all do respect to Kent State.

niu85alum on paper, western should beat kent st.. (on paper akron should beat kent st).. kent state, however, has a knack for willing their way to victories..

i see us (ksu) out-hustling & out-scrapping the broncos if we should meet in the mac championship game (its already happened once.)

ksu's intense style of play (which is evident in almost every game they've played) is why they are 10-1 in the mac..

jim christian will have the guys pumped up and ready to rumble come tip-off.. i don't see anyone being able to stand in their way.

GO FLASHES!!

Quote:Exactly one MAC team is going to gain invite to the NCAA big dance.

Why do people here insist on posting this crap when Selection Sunday is still a month away and just about every notable media outlet projection of the tourney field has TWO (2) MAC teams solidly included?

I understand the MAC has been let down by the selection committee in the past, but let's not resign ourselves to that fate (and make the arguments of the mediocre BCS conference teams for them). Demand better. We've earned it.

Even the erstwhile Dr. Jerry Palm of collegerpi.com, who has said all year that it has looked like there would be NO mid-major at-large bids this year, has now included SIU and either WMU/KSU as at-large teams as of now.
It ain't going to be easy, but it's mid-February and it's possible. That in itself is progress.

I think Ball St could be a major sleeper come tourney time. They have the talent to hang with anyone in the MAC on any given night. I also think BG could be a major sleeper.

As for the possible at large bids, no way of telling right now. I think if WMU and Kent both finish the regular season strong and make the MAC finals, they should both be in, but who knows what will happen. I think both need to get to at least 25-26 wins though to be considered for an at large.

Hopville.com has a MAC Update today. They are touting Western's Steve Hawkins as a candidate for national coach of the year honors - -

"As the MAC season begins to hit its stretch run, as many as four MAC teams may qualify for postseason play."

<a href='http://www.hoopville.net/conferences/27.asp?EntryID=7003' target='_blank'>http://www.hoopville.net/conferences/27.as...sp?EntryID=7003</a>

Buffalo still has 2 conference games left with Kent. It will be interesting to see if they still deserve "sleeper" status after those games.

Which of the schizophrenic Bulls will show up the rest of the seaon? :wave:

Stick4489 Wrote:Wanna sleeper that nobody is talking about? Try Eastern Michigan.

exactly what i was thinking..

Markus Austin seems to be taking over this team...

I can't see Hawkins as NATIONAL coach of the year. He inherited a ton of talent. I remember an article not too long ago that talked about one of the best college jobs in America available fell into Hawkins' lap. He is definitely MAC coach of the year, although if you think about it, you could make a strong argument for Christian too.

BG as a sleeper? Absolutely. Why? We are capable of playing well enough to beat the best team in the MAC and, at the same time. playing poorly enough to lose to the worst team in the MAC!

I like EMU as a sleeper big time. Don't count out Ball State cuz they always rise up at tourney time...except last yr!

I will say this....BG has had 3 20+ wins in the last 6 yrs and we didn't get an invite to the big dance. So, let's go 14-14, get hot and win the tourney...and then we'll get there!

Should be a great tourney and my bud that works for the Kent athletic Dept has our all session passes! I go to all 3 days every year and love it...even though Mrs Freak thought everything would be back to normal after football season! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
GO FALCONS!!!

Don't know about sleepers, although rest assured there are at least a couple of teams in a coma. :chair:

Flipper Wrote:Yep, we'll be sleeping through the tournament...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

UB gave the Flashes all they could handle last night. UB WILL upset someone in the MAC Tourney. I just hope that it's not the Flashes!