Bracket Buster Busts MAC, as I continue to beat a dead horse

The results are in from the bracket buster, and as part of my role to document the MAC's basketball struggles, I note that the conference lost 8 of the 12 games yesterday.

Of course, that doesn't necessarily tell the whole story. It all depends on who you played, where, etc.

I've ranked the losses (first) in order of RPI. To start with, certainly losing at Vermont and Evansville are not embarrassing. Those are very solid mid major programs. Still, you know, the top two teams in the MAC might have won one of those games.

From there, the losses get a little less glamorous. I guess losing at Eastern Kentucky is understandable, but you'd think the MAC would have beaten at least one of Indiana State,

Canisius, Valparaiso, Georgia State and Eastern Illinois, and yes, some of those games were home games.

Losses:

@Vermont 78 (22-7, #87), Buffalo 70

@Evansville 75 (16-11, #86), Miami 61

@Eastern Kentucky 73 (18-10 #163), Ohio 51

@Indiana State 69 (9-19, #206), Toledo 62

Canisius 71 (9-18, #214), @Bowling Green 66 (OT)

@Valparaiso 74 (8-20, #241), Akron 66

Georgia State 63 (10-18, #261), @Eastern Michigan 58

Eastern Illinois 59 (12-15, #281), @Western Michigan 57

Now, let's look at the wins. The best win the MAC had was Kent beating Morehead State, which is a pretty average team, and the game was at Kent. In fact, it is really the only win that is even presentable. Ball State and CMU won at home against some of the worst teams in D1, and NIU won on the road against one of the VERY worst teams in D1.

Wins

@Kent State 79, Morehead State 76 (16-13, #177)

@Ball State 59, Tennessee Tech 55 (11-17, #291)

@Central Michigan 68, Fairleigh Dickinson 62 (7-21, #304)

Northern Illinois 97, @Southeast Missouri State 73 (3-25, #337)

Again, I know this point has been made, time and again. Still, we have to stop and just reflect how the MAC is competing--not one the road against Big time schools, but against teams we simply should be ablee to compete with.