BG and MAC MBB for 2019
A few semi-random thoughts about BG and the MAC MBB year.
First, BG is currently ranked 98th on Kenpom, as of Wednesday night. That's #3 in the MAC. UB is #22 and UT is #56. Right now, Buffalo is the only team in the MAC with a shot at an at-large bid. However, this is BG's best ranking since the Jans season, when BG peaked at a #59 before losing four of the last six in the regular season. Even with that, BG won its first post-season game in forever.
Anyway, the 2002 lose-on-a-half-court-shot team finished the year ranked #60, for perspective.
In the NET rankings the NCAA uses, BG is #110. Unbelievably, they are ranked behind Ball State which is #99. (This is why computer rankings can't be completely trusted on their own). UB is #22, UT is #57.
In case you are curious, here's BG's team sheet that the selection committee would use. It does not include the WMU game. For example, you can see that our average win has a 202 rating. That's not good, but our schedule was designed to prepare the team, not win an at-large bid.
As for the conference, the MAC is #9 on kenpom. This is remarkable and very cool. The biggest fall has been the A-10, which is now #12. The next conference up is the West Coast Conference. In the NET, the MAC is 9th as well. The PAC-12 is 7th. (Does not include Tuesday's games, which can't have made too much of a difference.
The MAC was 13th in kenpom last year. When BG won the regular season, the MAC was at its low point, #19. The MAC has not been in single digits since before 2002 (as far back as we go). In 2005, the MAC was #10. OU beat Buffalo in the championship that year, and Turner Battle was the MAC POY.
So, the point of all this is that BG is having its resurgence at a time when the MAC is as strong as it has been in many years, possibly in a generation. With the advent of the ESPN products, it is possible to watch a lot more than in the past, and I'd recommend you take it all in. It's been a great season and we're only half-way through.
In case you are curious, here's BG's team sheet that the selection committee would use. It does not include the WMU game. For example, you can see that our average win has a 202 rating. That's not good, but our schedule was designed to prepare the team, not win an at-large bid.
As for the conference, the MAC is #9 on kenpom. This is remarkable and very cool. The biggest fall has been the A-10, which is now #12. The next conference up is the West Coast Conference. In the NET, the MAC is 9th as well. The PAC-12 is 7th. (Does not include Tuesday's games, which can't have made too much of a difference.
The MAC was 13th in kenpom last year. When BG won the regular season, the MAC was at its low point, #19. The MAC has not been in single digits since before 2002 (as far back as we go). In 2005, the MAC was #10. OU beat Buffalo in the championship that year, and Turner Battle was the MAC POY.
So, the point of all this is that BG is having its resurgence at a time when the MAC is as strong as it has been in many years, possibly in a generation. With the advent of the ESPN products, it is possible to watch a lot more than in the past, and I'd recommend you take it all in. It's been a great season and we're only half-way through.
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