Tuesday, December 26, 2017

MAC MBB being led by newcomers

So, a guy could be forgiven for looking through the list of the most productive MAC players to date and wondering who these people are.  Of the top ten most efficient players in the MAC who are playing significantly, 6 of them are playing for the first time in the MAC.  To wit:

1Elijah MinnieEastern Michigan6-9200Jr111.8 (24.1)
2Thomas WilderWestern Michigan6-3190Sr109.2 (31.0)
3Shawn RoundtreeCentral Michigan6-0185Jr107.7 (27.2)
4Adonis De La RosaKent St.7-0261Jr105.8 (27.8)
5Paul JacksonEastern Michigan6-2175Jr105.0 (29.0)
6Tayler PersonsBall St.6-3220Jr104.7 (29.8)
7Justin TurnerBowling Green6-4190Fr104.3 (24.7)
8Eugene GermanNorthern Illinois6-0175So103.8 (33.7)
9Nick PerkinsBuffalo6-8250Jr103.3 (25.1)
10Tre'Shaun FletcherToledo6-7215Sr101.8 (29.1)


  1. Elijah Minnie (transfer Robert Morris)
  2. Wilder (MAC's only returning first-team player)
  3. Shawn Roundtree (Juco)
  4. Adonis DeLaRosa (averaged about 12 minutes in conf last year, transfer from St. John's)
  5. Paul Jackson (Eastern Kentucky)
  6. Tayler Persons (returning 2nd team All-MAC)
  7. Justin Turner (R-fr)
  8. Eugene German (returning)
  9. Nick Perkins (returning)
  10. Tre Shaun Fletcher (Colorado)


And that doesn't include Malcom Duviver (Oregon State), Teyvion Kirk (FR), 
Daniel Utomi (R-FR), etc.

You could see this coming last year when you had the normal number of graduations in the All-MAC teams added to the wholesale departure of the Akron Zips.  Only 3 out of the 15 players on the All-MAC teams returned this year.  Also, the FR of the year transferred.  So, into the vacuum, freshmen and transfers are emerging.

I got a true sense of this watching Akron play the other night.  It was so weird.  They were so stable for so long, and its a whole new team.

Should make for an interesting year, at any rate.  It also points up the importance of transfers in the MAC.  Even as teams look to use HS players to build programs, UT, Akron, and Kent have all made extensive and effective use of transfers...if only to counteract the devastating impact of graduate transfers.  Of the 10 players above, 6 started their career at another college.

MAC play starts in one week!!

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Off topic. Wondering if the time has come for BG and most of the other MAC schools to think FCS? https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2017/12/20/size-of-support-staffs-gives-power-five-teams-big-edge/108771796/