I’m still waiting to make a judgment on Akron. Not sure if they are good or OSU just needed warm up game. Net ranking is more the measure than kenpom and none of the computer rankings have enough data yet to be accurate. Going by the eye test and results MAC is up. Avoiding key injuries to better teams is crucial. Toledo and Ohio already missing their starting centers and hoping they return in February. BG down a couple key guys

(11-16-2021 11:33 AM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  

(11-16-2021 11:20 AM)Miggy Wrote:  

(11-16-2021 10:32 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(11-15-2021 11:06 PM)kreed5120 Wrote:  

(11-15-2021 10:04 PM)Macfan123 Wrote:  Buffalo with a very good road win @ north Texas them and Ohio are clearly the top 2 teams in the MAC right now

This very well might end up being true, but it feels premature to say. Akron was within 3 seconds of knocking off a ranked OSU team in Columbus. It could have been a fluke or maybe not.

We should get a better idea of the pecking order of the MAC once we make it to early-mid December.

I agree here. Ohio looks very solid, Buffalo concerns me because they are inconsistent (which plagued them last year), and Akron has looked very good.

Really any of the three of them could be the "best" it just depends on which team plays their best ball, most consistently. In the mean time lets just root for all three (and maybe one more) to sneak into the top 75 RPI / NET at the end of non conference play.

Both Buffalo and Ohio should have far better stats if they are to be at the top of the MAC leader board.

As Buffalo hitting three’s at only 28 percent, and only takes 15 foul shots per game.

Ohio shooting 2’s at only 50 percent and taking but 12 foul shots per game.

lighten up! we've played a total of three games and Buffalo has played only two!

Low-scoring is a red-flag that a team is not dominating. If, so race to be a top MAC team is wide open. Stats that show players can’t get to the foul-line is also not good. Teams have had two months to get their 3-point shooting up to speed.

Depends on who you play and where you play them. Buffalo has played 2 good defensive teams, both on the road where they weren't getting many calls. I bet their numbers improve after the next game against Rider at home.

Shooting percentages need volume to be accurate. I remember UT signed a guy out of Ann Arbor named Keith Wade right when college added the 3 point shot. When the starting sg got hurt before the opener Wade moved into the starting lineup and drained 3 after 3 including a bunch in a 20 point win over Minnesota. Everyone thought he'd be a legendary shooter, but gradually his numbers came down and he ended his career without any notable 3 pt stats (did evolve into a good passing pg though).

Lots of action over the next week and a half and we should be able to debate an actual MAC rankings before the end of the month

(11-16-2021 10:31 PM)Miggy Wrote:  

(11-16-2021 11:33 AM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  

(11-16-2021 11:20 AM)Miggy Wrote:  

(11-16-2021 10:32 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(11-15-2021 11:06 PM)kreed5120 Wrote:  This very well might end up being true, but it feels premature to say. Akron was within 3 seconds of knocking off a ranked OSU team in Columbus. It could have been a fluke or maybe not.

We should get a better idea of the pecking order of the MAC once we make it to early-mid December.

I agree here. Ohio looks very solid, Buffalo concerns me because they are inconsistent (which plagued them last year), and Akron has looked very good.

Really any of the three of them could be the "best" it just depends on which team plays their best ball, most consistently. In the mean time lets just root for all three (and maybe one more) to sneak into the top 75 RPI / NET at the end of non conference play.

Both Buffalo and Ohio should have far better stats if they are to be at the top of the MAC leader board.

As Buffalo hitting three’s at only 28 percent, and only takes 15 foul shots per game.

Ohio shooting 2’s at only 50 percent and taking but 12 foul shots per game.

lighten up! we've played a total of three games and Buffalo has played only two!

Low-scoring is a red-flag that a team is not dominating. If, so race to be a top MAC team is wide open. Stats that show players can’t get to the foul-line is also not good. Teams have had two months to get their 3-point shooting up to speed.

While I don’t disagree it’s too early to know who the best team is… I’d say point differential is a better indicator than simply points scored. Ohio has won by an average of 12 points a game, with 2 wins against teams picked at the top of their conferences. They showed than can win scoring high (92 against Belmont in regulation) and when the score low like against Cleveland State. You say low scoring is a red flag and Ohio “only” scored 67 against Cleveland State. We’ll BYU “only” scored 69 against the same Vikings team and proceeded to win at #12 Oregon last night. Guess what I’m saying is the sample size is too small to say stats should be “better” for the top teams.

Kent beat up on Oberlin 84-38 last night. Miami and Toledo are both favored in the conferences only 2 games tonight.

(11-17-2021 09:02 AM)Eagle66 Wrote:  Kent beat up on Oberlin 84-38 last night. Miami and Toledo are both favored in the conferences only 2 games tonight.

Toledo @ Oakland could end up being a good match up. Oakland is 1-1 with a 7 point loss to WVU and a win over Oklahoma State.

(11-16-2021 07:03 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  

(11-16-2021 02:38 PM)GRBRONCO Wrote:  When they started giving any P5 program with a .500 record a bid to the dance, the MACs days of 2 bids were over. That's why we haven't had an at-large in over 20 years. The system is rigged for the mid-majors and will only get worse.

Conferences don't get bids, schools do. It's certainly easier for a meh power conference team to get an at-large bid, but it's far from impossible for mid-majors to make it. The bottom teams in the WCC are usually worse than our bottom teams, but programs like Gonzaga have built themselves up to not depend on an auto-bid. UB was in that position a few years ago (but won in Cleveland IIRC, we would've probably gotten two if not).

Of course we're working up against the fact that we have to support FBS football programs and two DI hockey programs. It's not some grand conspiracy, our top three teams just don't win enough against good opponents.

THREE D1 hockey programs.

(11-17-2021 09:25 AM)kreed5120 Wrote:  

(11-17-2021 09:02 AM)Eagle66 Wrote:  Kent beat up on Oberlin 84-38 last night. Miami and Toledo are both favored in the conferences only 2 games tonight.

Toledo @ Oakland could end up being a good match up. Oakland is 1-1 with a 7 point loss to WVU and a win over Oklahoma State.

Agreed. I’m recovering from some minor surgery so I’ll probably split screen them both

Toledos 1.2.2. press could get nullified by a good pg tonight. Size shouldnt be an issue as both teams are guard heavy. Toledo hasnt shot 3s well besides our "center" Shumate. Need Rollins, Moss and Dennis to chip in there.

I will be going to a Charleston Classic Basketball tournament game tomorrow. It's an eight-team ESPN college basketball tournament held at TD Arena, home of the College of Charleston.

Buffalo participated in the 2019 tournament and Ball State in the 2018. But no MAC participants this year.

Oakland beat Toledo tonight 80-59.

Miami of Ohio beat Stetson 80-65.

(11-17-2021 10:02 AM)bg816 Wrote:  

(11-16-2021 07:03 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  

(11-16-2021 02:38 PM)GRBRONCO Wrote:  When they started giving any P5 program with a .500 record a bid to the dance, the MACs days of 2 bids were over. That's why we haven't had an at-large in over 20 years. The system is rigged for the mid-majors and will only get worse.

Conferences don't get bids, schools do. It's certainly easier for a meh power conference team to get an at-large bid, but it's far from impossible for mid-majors to make it. The bottom teams in the WCC are usually worse than our bottom teams, but programs like Gonzaga have built themselves up to not depend on an auto-bid. UB was in that position a few years ago (but won in Cleveland IIRC, we would've probably gotten two if not).

Of course we're working up against the fact that we have to support FBS football programs and two DI hockey programs. It's not some grand conspiracy, our top three teams just don't win enough against good opponents.

THREE D1 hockey programs.

D'oh! Although Miami has been pretty crappy the last few years so we hardly count.

(11-17-2021 08:57 AM)Eagle66 Wrote:  

(11-16-2021 10:31 PM)Miggy Wrote:  

(11-16-2021 11:33 AM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  

(11-16-2021 11:20 AM)Miggy Wrote:  

(11-16-2021 10:32 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  I agree here. Ohio looks very solid, Buffalo concerns me because they are inconsistent (which plagued them last year), and Akron has looked very good.

Really any of the three of them could be the "best" it just depends on which team plays their best ball, most consistently. In the mean time lets just root for all three (and maybe one more) to sneak into the top 75 RPI / NET at the end of non conference play.

Both Buffalo and Ohio should have far better stats if they are to be at the top of the MAC leader board.

As Buffalo hitting three’s at only 28 percent, and only takes 15 foul shots per game.

Ohio shooting 2’s at only 50 percent and taking but 12 foul shots per game.

lighten up! we've played a total of three games and Buffalo has played only two!

Low-scoring is a red-flag that a team is not dominating. If, so race to be a top MAC team is wide open. Stats that show players can’t get to the foul-line is also not good. Teams have had two months to get their 3-point shooting up to speed.

While I don’t disagree it’s too early to know who the best team is… I’d say point differential is a better indicator than simply points scored. Ohio has won by an average of 12 points a game, with 2 wins against teams picked at the top of their conferences. They showed than can win scoring high (92 against Belmont in regulation) and when the score low like against Cleveland State. You say low scoring is a red flag and Ohio “only” scored 67 against Cleveland State. We’ll BYU “only” scored 69 against the same Vikings team and proceeded to win at #12 Oregon last night. Guess what I’m saying is the sample size is too small to say stats should be “better” for the top teams.

Agree that scoring margin is a good indicator of future success. That’s why EMU’s second-half outscoring Indiana 43-32 on Indiana’s home court, and outscorinf Illinois State in the second half 47-35, may have significance going forward. There’s good reasons for discarding the results in the first half of those games. EMU also has three of the MAC’s top ten scorers. Buffalo and Akron follow with two.

I was checking out ESPN's site and came across this little blurb that was posted this past Monday. Way to go, Coach Boals!

Coach of the Week: Jeff Boals, Ohio Bobcats
The post-Jason Preston era is off to a flying start. Not too many mid-majors had a better week than Ohio, which took down Ohio Valley favorite and borderline preseason top-25 team Belmont on Tuesday, then backed that up by going on the road and beating defending Horizon League champion Cleveland State by 11.

There were questions entering the season about how Boals might try to replace Preston, given how crucial the latter was to everything the Bobcats did on offense in 2020-21. Mark Sears has provided the answer in a big way. After starting just five games last season, Sears stepped into the starting lineup and averaged 21.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in two games, while making 5 of 6 3-point attempts. He isn't the same type of player as Preston, but with Ben Vander Plas helping to create matchup problems and Jason Carter dominating following his return from Xavier, Boals doesn't need Sears to be Preston.

The Mid-American Conference is crowded at the top, but Ohio has made a clear statement it's going to be a factor in the title race this season.

Added todays lines. Underdogs in all 3 vs D1 opponents

(11-17-2021 06:58 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  I will be going to a Charleston Classic Basketball tournament game tomorrow. It's an eight-team ESPN college basketball tournament held at TD Arena, home of the College of Charleston.

Buffalo participated in the 2019 tournament and Ball State in the 2018. But no MAC participants this year.

I'm at the Marquette vs Ole Miss game. Surprisingly a good amount of Marquette fans here. Maybe 300 or so. Cool little arena.

Western Michigan is currently trailing D2 Saginaw State 62-53 with about 6 minutes remaining...

It got worse. We got run out of our own gym by SVSU.

78-59 with a minute left

EMU falls on the road to NKU 74-73. NKU was projected to finish 2nd in the Horizon. I feel EMU is better than what was expected coming into the season, but see them still finishing 5-7 in the MAC.

(11-18-2021 09:03 PM)kreed5120 Wrote:  EMU falls on the road to NKU 74-73. NKU was projected to finish 2nd in the Horizon. I feel EMU is better than what was expected coming into the season, but see them still finishing 5-7 in the MAC.

We were winning for pretty much the entire game too. Poor defense killed us at the end, along with an untimely turnover on an in-bound pass where we could’ve iced the game at the line. But a lot to like about this team.