The MAC's Unexpected Year

Just for fun, I went back to the MAC's pre-season release to look at who was picked where and who was on the pre-season All-MAC team was.  I do this not to point out that the people who did this poll--the media--are wrong or dumb, but to point out the uncertainty that is with every season and how much things can change over the course of a year.  It is one of the things that keeps us watching as sports fans, and it it was never more evident than in the MAC this  year.

To wit, in the East, where the teams who were HEAVY favorites finished 4th and 6th and a team picked to be 4th finished 1st and a team picked 5th finished 3rd.  (Yes, I know Akron lost people, that's my point).

2014-15 MAC East Division Predicted Order of Finish  Actual
1. Akron – 117 points (17 1st Place)  (4th)
2. Ohio – 92 (2) (6th)
3. Kent State – 66 (2nd)
4. Buffalo – 58 (1st)
5. Bowling Green – 52 (1) (3rd)
6. Miami – 35 (5th)

The West was a little better, but no one (well, one guy) saw CMU coming.  In fact, I think that one guy got mocked.  Anyway, good call, dude.  Everyone else missed it.  Everyone thought UT would win the division, and they did finish second.

2014-15 MAC West Division Predicted Order of Finish  Actual
1. Toledo – 118 points (18 1st Place) (2nd)
2. Western Michigan – 94 (1) (3rd)
3. Eastern Michigan – 68 (4th)
4. Northern Illinois – 63 (5th)
5. Central Michigan – 49 (1) (1st)
6. Ball State – 28 (6th)

OK, and then the tournament champ.  As we can see, Toledo was the overwhelming favorite.  No one picked Buffalo at all.

Tournament Champion: Toledo (15), Akron (1), Bowling Green (1), Central Michigan (1), Ohio (1), Western Michigan (1)

Now, let's look at how they did on the players.  The post-season awards are not done by division, so they aren't direct comparable.  Having said that, it is still interesting.

MAC East Division Preseason All-MAC Team
Demetrius "Tree" Treadwell, Sr., F, Akron  (DNF)
Richaun Holmes, Sr., F, Bowling Green (1st)
Will Regan, Sr., F, Buffalo (NR)
Kris Brewer, Kent State, Sr., G, Kent State (HM)
Maurice Ndour, Sr., F, Ohio (2nd)

MAC West Division Preseason All-MAC Team
Chris Fowler, Jr., G, Central Michigan (1st)
Karrington Ward, Sr., F, Eastern Michigan (HM)
Julius "Juice" Brown, Sr., G, Toledo (1st)
Justin Drummond, Sr., G/F, Toledo (3rd)
David Brown, Grad., G, Western Michigan (2nd)

So, if you figure these would equate to the first and second teams (10 players), only 5 of the 10 ended up 1st or 2nd team.  Again, I'm not calling these players out for not making it, just pointing out how people emerge in competition when they were not expected to.

As below.  These 5 players made first or second team without being on the pre-season All-MAC team....yeah, and that includes the Player of the Year, too.

Justin Moss, Buffalo, F
Jimmy Hall, Kent State, F
Shannon Evans, Buffalo, G
Devareaux Manley, Kent State, G
Eric Washington, Miami, G