The following is the Preseason Men's Bball Poll voted on by the Coaches:

1. Bowling Green (8).......... 132
2. Ohio (1)............................ 117
3. Akron (2).......................... 115
4. Buffalo.............................. 109
5. Ball State......................... 104
6. TOLEDO (1)...................... 93
7. Kent State.......................... 65
8. Eastern Michigan............. 57
9. Miami.................................. 48
10. Northern Illinois.............. 43
11. Central Michigan........... 40
12. Western Michigan......... 13

The following is the Preseason All MAC First Team:

Loren Cristian Jackson, Senior, G, Akron
Justin Turner, Grad, G, Bowling Green
Jayvon Graves, Senior, G, Buffalo
Jason Preston, Junior, G, Ohio
Marreon Jackson, Senior, G, Toledo

I think a lot of the success and lack of success of teams this season will be dictated by how much COVID impacts their individual rosters on a game-to-game basis. This uncertainty should make for a very interesting season!

Middle of the MAC, huh? Yippee.

(11-19-2020 07:50 PM)bcunn3128 Wrote:  Middle of the MAC, huh? Yippee.

it's a poll. means nothing. last year we were picked higher but didn't live up to it. year before picked lower than we finished. play the games, we'll see. i think it's a strong team. good defensive unit. strong pg. depth looks promising.

I could care less if we ever win a preseason poll. Pick us last. I too think this will be a better than average team, how good depends on how the new players develop and mesh.

(11-20-2020 02:17 PM)utrocks84 Wrote:  I could care less if we ever win a preseason poll. Pick us last. I too think this will be a better than average team, how good depends on how the new players develop and mesh.

I think the Top 5 teams all have significant numbers of returning players while the rest to varying degrees are looking to fill holes. To me, that's the big difference. BG stands alone at the top, the next four are pretty close. UT is next likely due to Marreon, then another big drop, again, due to the unknown. UT shouldn't be any worse than 4-5-6, but not sure they can climb to 1-2-3.

That said ... I for one am not that high on BG. I like Turner and Plowden, but a whole lot of ??? after that. But that's just me. If BG is more what I think, than what the pollsters think, then UT can climb to 1-2-3.

The objective this season is to finish in the top 8 as the MAC Tournament will have the top 8 teams advancing automatically to the Quarterfinals in Cleveland. No first round games this season.

(11-20-2020 04:41 PM)cleveland Wrote:  

(11-20-2020 02:17 PM)utrocks84 Wrote:  I could care less if we ever win a preseason poll. Pick us last. I too think this will be a better than average team, how good depends on how the new players develop and mesh.

I think the Top 5 teams all have significant numbers of returning players while the rest to varying degrees are looking to fill holes. To me, that's the big difference. BG stands alone at the top, the next four are pretty close. UT is next likely due to Marreon, then another big drop, again, due to the unknown. UT shouldn't be any worse than 4-5-6, but not sure they can climb to 1-2-3.

That said ... I for one am not that high on BG. I like Turner and Plowden, but a whole lot of ??? after that. But that's just me. If BG is more what I think, than what the pollsters think, then UT can climb to 1-2-3.

I can't wait for the UT/BGSU matchup. Marreon and Turner could put up astronomical numbers in this game and UT on paper matches up well. UT needs to get better each week and really peak in the tourney and be completely healthy. Edu could be a monster to handle in the MAC if healthy, as he looks to have add some good muscle to a long frame.

(11-20-2020 08:40 PM)utrocks84 Wrote:  

(11-20-2020 04:41 PM)cleveland Wrote:  

(11-20-2020 02:17 PM)utrocks84 Wrote:  I could care less if we ever win a preseason poll. Pick us last. I too think this will be a better than average team, how good depends on how the new players develop and mesh.

I think the Top 5 teams all have significant numbers of returning players while the rest to varying degrees are looking to fill holes. To me, that's the big difference. BG stands alone at the top, the next four are pretty close. UT is next likely due to Marreon, then another big drop, again, due to the unknown. UT shouldn't be any worse than 4-5-6, but not sure they can climb to 1-2-3.

That said ... I for one am not that high on BG. I like Turner and Plowden, but a whole lot of ??? after that. But that's just me. If BG is more what I think, than what the pollsters think, then UT can climb to 1-2-3.

I can't wait for the UT/BGSU matchup. Marreon and Turner could put up astronomical numbers in this game and UT on paper matches up well. UT needs to get better each week and really peak in the tourney and be completely healthy. Edu could be a monster to handle in the MAC if healthy, as he looks to have add some good muscle to a long frame.

The sell out crowds for those I-75 games would’ve been so electric this year, just like they all have been in previous years. Hope we can keep that momentum going after COVID and crowds are back full force.

With fans disallowed at the games and probably the tournament, is there any doubt that this is the season we make the NCAA?

(11-21-2020 04:57 PM)RocketJeff Wrote:  With fans disallowed at the games and probably the tournament, is there any doubt that this is the season we make the NCAA?

Don’t care if 11 other MAC teams pull out due to Covid fears, athletic department bankruptcies, starting five eaten by crocodiles. At this point any path to the NCAA works.

i'm hopeful the ncaa will be creative and flexible with march. around then has been the projected timeline (pretty much all along) where covid may start decline if safe and effective vaccine distribution can begin jan/feb. that's why the mac was initially gonna play spring football, remember. let the season play out as scheduled, but then have a few weeks to play more games at a safer time. and look to bring the fans back gradually. perhaps, with a focus on students and the, by then, vaccinated health care workers and seniors. could do some regional tournaments, make-up games, rivalry games, give leagues who didn't play during this current surge a chance to have some non-conf contests. then, seed the tourney and play it in april. play it all in indianapolis and have it very well organized. it will be the same length season yet culminate in a likely safer public health situation.