3MW’s All Conference Team:
Player of the Year: Eugene German, Sr., Northern Illinois
Coach of the Year: Jon Groce, Akron
Newcomer of the Year: Xeyrius Williams, R Sr., Akron
Freshman of the Year: Jarron Coleman, Ball St.
Season Storylines:
Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah: Despite a few hiccups in late January, there’s no disputing who the class of the MAC was this year. Only those inside the Akron program knew Xeyrius Williams, a former Dayton transfer who sat out last season, was a secret weapon just waiting to be unleashed. Williams turned out to be the missing piece to the puzzle, a 6’9 swingman whose versatility is rivaled only by Ball State’s Tahjai Teague. The fact that Williams wasn’t even the Zips’ MVP – Loren Cristian Jackson deserves that honor for his impeccable play at the point – exemplifies Akron’s stockpile of ammunition.
Put Your Guard Down: Akron’s ‘LCJ’. Bowling Green’s ‘Juice’. Kent State’s ‘Booman’. The MAC is stacked with prolific point guards, perhaps none more lethal than Northern Illinois’ Eugene German, who single-handedly dragged the Huskies to a top-4 seed. Marreon Jackson (Toledo), Michael Flowers (Western Michigan) and Jayvon Graves (Buffalo) are the other three notable veteran floor generals with the chops to carry their team to a deep run.
Tournament Preview
While no one wants to play four games to claim the automatic bid, the MAC is one of the few conferences where missing out on a first round bye isn’t fatal. There’s a two-day gap between the First Round and the Quarterfinals, which gives Monday’s winners ample time to rest and travel to Cleveland.
Tournament Predictions
On January 18th, had you asked me who I thought was the best team in the MAC, I would’ve hesitated for a brief moment before ultimately uttering, “Akron”. Ball State would’ve been the reason for my pause…
The Cardinals were looking like a well-oiled machine earlier this year, anchored by the dexterous Tahjai Teague. Ball State has shown cracks over the past month, but the recent leakage doesn’t concern me. The Cardinals’ backcourt isn’t as glamorous as some of the other sterling guards found across the league, but Ishmael El-Amin is rock solid as the head of the snake. Assuming Kent State can sneak by Eastern Michigan Monday night, a potential matchup between Ball State and Kent State would feature two of the most dangerous teams in the field.
(8) Ohio over (9) Central Michigan
(5) Buffalo over (12) Miami Ohio
(7) Toledo over (10) Western Michigan
(6) Kent State over (11) Eastern Michigan
(1) Akron over (8) Ohio
(5) Buffalo over (4) Northern Illinois
(7) Toledo over (2) Bowling Green
(6) Kent State over (3) Ball State
(1) Akron over (5) Buffalo
(6) Kent State over (7) Toledo
(1) Akron over (6) Kent State