Basketball MAC Media "Day"

As a bow to budget issues, the MAC is no longer holding a basketball media day, where everyone comes to a central location and there are lots of banal interviews that sound like this scene, with the great quote..."of course its boring, that's the point."  (Warning there is a small amount of foul language included here).



So, instead, in order to maintain the fiscal integrity, we are now uttering banalities over the phone.  Horray for progress!

Pretty much the only even moderately interesting part of the thing is the media's vote on how is the pre-season favorite.

MAC East Division Preseason Media Poll
1. Akron - 190 points (19)
2. Kent State - 108 points (3)
3. Buffalo - 97 points (1)
4. Miami -- 78 points
5. Bowling Green - 54 points (1)
6. Ohio - 32 points


MAC West Division Preseason Media Poll
1. Central Michigan - 113 points (10)
2. Northern Illinois - 102 points (4)
3. Eastern Michigan - 94 points (3)
4. Ball State - 87 points (3)
5. Western Michigan - 79 points (4)
6. Toledo - 29 points

Now, let's pause and take a look.  First of all.....Bowling Green got a first place vote.  I don't know how to explain that.  It isn't that I think we will be terrible necessarily, but as a pre-season judgment, it is beyond me how you could pick BG ahead of Akron, Kent, or even Miami.  As the kids today say, "it is kind of random."

Akron is getting as much pre-season hype as any team in the MAC has in recent years.  They went to the dance last year, lost one guy off that team, and have added OMG recruit Zeke Marshall, the most highly ranked MAC recruit I can recall, especially as a 7-footer.  So the Zips have to be the team to beat.  The power in the conference still resides in the East.  The West sucks so hard they blow.

I haven't really looked too closely, but I'm surprised to see WMU down for another year, especially with David Kool.

The All-MAC pre-season team is as follows.  I don't know that I can disagree with any of those.  Even having a West team is a form of welfare.

East Division All-MAC Preseason Team
Kenny Hayes, G, Miami
Brett McKnight, F, Akron
Rodney Pierce, G, Buffalo
Chris Singletary, G, Kent State
Anthony "Humpty" Hitches, G, Akron

West Division All-MAC Preseason Team
David Kool, G, Western Michigan
Jarrod Jones, F/C, Ball State
Brandon Bowdry, F, Eastern Michigan
Darion "Jake" Anderson, G, Northern Illinois
Carlos Medlock, G, Eastern Michigan

One last thing.  This pre-season ratings are just a measure of where people think you are.  Some of them always look dumb in February.  There is no reason to think much differently, but things shake out on the court.  I will do more basketball previews coming up, but in the meantime, I will say this.  Just like last year, a good goal for this team is a first-round bye in the tournament.