3MW’s All Conference Team:
Co-Player(s) of the Year: Loren Cristian Jackson, R Sr., Akron / Marreon Jackson, Sr., Toledo
Coach of the Year: Tod Kowalczyk, Toledo
Newcomer of the Year: Ryan Rollins, G, Toledo
Freshman of the Year: Ryan Rollins, G, Toledo
Season Storylines:
MAC basketball and ‘parity’ were once two peas in a pod. No team was distinguished enough to waltz in to a bottom feeder’s gym and cake walk to victory. This year, that started to change. The rich got richer and the poor got poorer.
For the directional Michigan schools (Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Western Michigan) and Northern Illinois, a perfect storm of mayhem ruined any chance of a competitive 2021 campaign. For Western Michigan, it was a first year head coach still finding his footing. For Eastern and Central Michigan, it was two long-tenured head coach waning into the twilight years of their terms. For Northern Illinois, it was a mid-season head coaching change.
And oh yeah, that whole COVID thing didn’t help much either…
All in all, it was a bad year to be under construction in the MAC. A league already known for prolific offenses upgraded its scoring artillery from machine guns to nukes. Toledo started the arms race. The Rockets were headed for another galaxy in December and January, rattling off 11 wins in 12 contests during that span. Then, Buffalo came charging down the stretch. The Bulls lost just once in the month of February - naturally, to Toledo - and enter the MAC Championship piping hot as the #2 seed.
Then there’s Kent State, Akron, Ohio, and Bowling Green, the latter of whom was the picked by many to win the league outright in the offseason. The Falcons looked lost defensively in the month of January but flipped the switch on Valentine’s Day Eve, with a head-turning 7-point road victory over the Rockets.
Don’t sleep on the Flashes, the Zips or the Bobcats, though. Danny Pippen (Kent State), Loren Cristian Jackson (Akron) and Jason Preston (Ohio) are all bonafide superstars, capable of taking over a game at a moment’s notice. This terrific trio is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the MAC’s dazzling array of stars, all of whom shined from start to finish in 2021.
Tournament Preview
Tournament Predictions
(1) Toledo over (8) Ball St.
(5) Ohio over (4) Kent St.
(2) Buffalo over (7) Miami OH
(6) Bowling Green over (3) Akron
(5) Ohio over (1) Toledo
(2) Buffalo over (6) Bowling Green
(5) Ohio over (2) Buffalo