Trying to make predictions for MAC Freshmen of the year is pretty hard - there's some good freshmen that will sit behind experienced players, and there's some openings on teams with no highly-recuited freshmen to take the position. Then you always have transfers coming in that might take the open positions. Kent State just has 4 returning players - so there has to be a position to be filled - but 5 transfers that will probably block the playing time of the 4 freshmen on the roster
About the only data available at this time is the recruiting rankings (not very accurate), exhibition games (not a good predictor for the real games), and the roster openings.
So my wild guesses to make the MAC Freshmen of the Year team:
Davonta Jordan, G Buffalo
Michael Weathers, F, Miami
Tahjai Teague, F, Ball State
Brandon Johnson, F, WMU
David DiLeo, F, Central Michigan
Teague is a high recruit that redshirted last year; Jordan another high recruit for Buffalo with Skeete and Bearden gone. Miami had a lot graduate, and not many returning players and Michael Weathers looks like the best of their freshmen. Western Michigan only has 6 returning players so some freshmen will get time - I don't like going by exhibition games but Johnson started and looked good so he made the list. Joevair Kennedy for WMU might have also been there. I think DiLeo is probably Central Michigan's best freshmen, but he might be stuck behind Hibbits and Cecil Williams.
Guys that nearly made the list - Kennedy for WMU; Brock Bertram is a highly rated Center for Buffalo but he didn't play in their exhibition so I'm afraid he might redshirt. Kent State only has 3 experienced forwards so Danny Pippen might get in the rotation. Luke Knapke at Toledo might push Zach Garber for playing time and make some noise
Feel free to suggest any others.
Man, I sure HOPE that Knapke develops quickly enough to warrant getting decent playing time & making some noise while doing it...other than that, nobody else in the Rocket freshmen class this season who will grab anyone's attention in the MAC. Our best newcomers are transfers/JUUCOs...
There are too many well established returning players at Akron for me to believe any newcomer will garner enough minutes to have any chance at the award.
DiLeo could be decent. I don't think Williams will eat any of his minutes and Hibbits is recovering from a knee injury.
I'll put my money on newcomer of the year being Keane though!
For Ohio, I'd expect Jason Carter (6'8" F, 15 points 4 rebounds in 16 minutes vs Rio Grande) and Rodney Culver (6'5" G, 7 points 4 rebounds in 17 minutes) to get some decent minutes as freshman.
For 'Newcomer of the Year' for Kent State, there's a lot of candidates -
Jerelle DeBerry (JUCO) at shooting guard
Kevin Zabo (former San Diego State & JUCO) at point guard
Leo Edwards (former Louisiana Tech & JUCO) at forward
Adonis De La Rosa (redshirted at St. Johns, then JUCO) at center
De La Rosa is a 7-foot center; he was 320 pounds at St John's, but says he's down to 259 now. DeBerry should throw in a ton of 3s. Desmond Ridenour should also get time at point guard, he spent last year redshirting here after transferring from Duquense. Edwards played high school under Nate Oats at Romulus
We have 4 freshmen on the roster - G/F Rosel Hurley and F Alonzo Walker redshirted last year, and G Mitch Peterson and F Danny Pippen are new. I normally don't expect freshmen to play at Kent State, but since we only have 3 upperclassmen forwards/centers now, Pippen and Alonzo should get in the rotation
A key part of making the all freshman team or being chosen MAC FOY is the opportunity to start and play lots of minutes and to be given the opportunity to be a big part of the offense. This often does not happen on the better teams. Miami is going to be weak, Michael Weathers will likely start and play most of every game and have the ball in his hands more than any other Miami player. That will likely give him more opportunity to run up stats and to improve with playing time than other MAC freshmen.
I'd like your thread better if it said newcomer of the year given that many teams take in transfers and JUCOs (like EMU for example). In terms of impact I would go with Madray and Steele two big men for EMU. They should allow Thompson to be more productive on both offense and defense.
The basketball roster for WMU contains one senior, two juniors, three sophomores and nine freshmen (7 true freshmen and 2 redshirt freshmen). WMU has decent odds just based on the number of freshmen and the fact that some will have to play, but good luck picking which one at this point.
Don't sleep on NIU's Eugene German who averaged 30+ ppg his junior and senior years of HS in Indiana. He was all state and was named MVP of the Indiana/Kentucky All Star game which featured over 20 division I basketball players.
(11-10-2016 04:22 PM)RedandBlackAttack Wrote: [ -> ]Don't sleep on NIU's Eugene German who averaged 30+ ppg his junior and senior years of HS in Indiana. He was all state and was named MVP of the Indiana/Kentucky All Star game which featured over 20 division I basketball players.
That is impressive.
Well it's looking like Johnson will be the most likely freshman for WMU. He started, played the most minutes, and finished with a double-double, 12 points and 14 rebounds.
KSU's started two freshmen: Mitch Peterson from Walsh Jesuit had 17 and 6 and Danny Pippen had 13 and 4. Each had a block, too.
The freshmen started off fast this year -
Michael Weathers for Miami had 21 points, 7 rebounds
Mitch Peterson for Kent State had 17 points
For Buffalo, Quate McKinzie had 13 points and 3 blocks and Davonta Jordan had 7 assists
Brandon Johnson for Western Michigan had 12 points and 14 rebounds
Tahjai Teague for Ball State had 8 rebounds and 10 points
Kevin McKay for Central Michiganhad 15 rebounds and 11 points
David DiLeo from Central Michigan had 10 points and 6 rebounds
Tavain Dunn-Martin had 12 points for Akron
Some of that might be because some matchups were against DIII teams
MIchael Weathers may be the early favorite for this honor. In Miami's second game, a 2 point loss at Wright State, Weathers had 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Currently averaging 17.5ppg.
Looking at the Freshmen so far -
Miami's Michael Weathers looks to be the best of the class so far, with 20.6 ppg; he also leads the freshmen in blocks and steals. Marcus Weathers is also up there, with 7.7 ppg. Darius Harper is also getting minutes for Miami
Western Michigan's Brandon Johnson is also producing, with 10.1 pp and 7.7 rebounds per game. Central Michigan's David DiLeo is also playing a bunch of minutes, and scoring 8.9 ppg.
Buffalo's Davonta Jordon has been playing and leads the freshmen in assists, and Quate McKinzie was getting minutes, but hasn't played the last few games
Tahjai Teague has been playing good for Ball State, and started their last game at Bradley. He's getting 6.9 rpg and 7.6 ppg. Kyle Mallers is also in the rotation at Ball State.
C Luke Knapke has started the last 4 games at Toledo, and is at 6.9 ppg and 3.4 rpg.
For Kent State, there's 3 freshmen in the roation, F Alonzo Walker at 6.4 ppg and 4.5 rpg. G Mitch Peterson at 6.6 ppg including shoting 43% for 3s, and F Danny Pippen at 3.3 rpg and 5.1 ppg
I know freshmen are fun to follow (Weathers is putting up big numbers), but aren't our transfers more likely to make a big splash (except Weathers)?
Keene at CMU is scoring over 30 ppg.
A 'sleeper' (transfer) to watch is EMU's Baylee Steele. He is a big man from a D2 JUCO in Iowa but has a lot of raw abilities.
His last three games have been very solid (8 ppg/5 rebs) with a very high shooting percentage (11/13 FGs). However on a team with JT4, Lee, Mangum, etc. he will not be asked to score a lot.
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketb...lee-steele
I've been impressed by both Tavian Dunn-Martin and Michael Hughes. Neither have any chance of winning this award as they don't receive enough run, but a year or 2 down the road they both should be really great MAC players.
Edit: TDM can flat out score and Michael Hughes kind of just does all the small things that don't necessarily get seen on a stat sheet.
(11-07-2016 02:58 PM)eich41 Wrote: [ -> ]DiLeo could be decent. I don't think Williams will eat any of his minutes and Hibbits is recovering from a knee injury.
I'll put my money on newcomer of the year being Keane though!
MAC has no newcomer award ... just Freshman of the Year
After a few games of the MAC games, a couple more guys are in the competition -
Michael Weathers of Miami is definitely the top of the class, leading all the freshmen in minutes, points, assists, steals, and blocks. The rest are just looking to round out the All-freshmen team.
I'd keep PF David DiLeo from Central Michigan in the top 5 with 10.2 ppg, and move SG Marcus Weathers in, playing 23 mpg and getting 9.6 ppg and 5.5 rpg.
Then there's 4 guys closely bunched - Brandon Johnson has started all Western Michigan's games at 7.8ppg and 5.6 rpg, PF Tahjai Teague for Ball State at 7.3ppg and 6.4rpg, Reggie Jones has been starting at SG for Western Michigan at 8.7ppg and 2.2 steals, and PG Dylan Frye for BGSU at 7.4 ppg
Davonta Jordan might fall out of the top 5, he's playing less during conference play.