College basketball is back, baby, and what a week.
Upsets, drama, intrigue and more importantly, the Mid-American Conference has completed its first week of play.
The Bowling Green Falcons started flying high into the Todd Simon era 2-0, defeating Chicago State and Arkansas State in their first two games of the season.
As for the rest of the MAC? Let’s see how they did last week.
Toledo
BG’s I-75 rivals have started the season off 2-0, ranking them near the top of the MAC after one week of play.
With victories against Detroit Mercy and Louisiana, the Rockets are off to a hot start as ever despite former MAC MVP RJ Dennis transferring to the Baylor Bears. The Rockets defeated the Titans in their first game of the season by 30 points.
Junior guard Ra’Heim Moss was a standout player for the Rockets, scoring 15 and 16 points in the season’s opening games.
Next up- Wright State on Nov. 14 at 7:00 p.m.
Ball State
What a week for bird-themed teams in the MAC. The Falcons started 2-0, and the Cardinals had a hot start of their own, also starting the season 2-0 with victories against Goshen and Old Domain.
The victory against Old Dominion was particularly impressive as the Cardinals scored 101 points in the season’s first game and defeated their opponents by an overall deficit of 71 points.
In their second-season victory, Junior guard Jalin Anderson had one heck of a game, scoring 29 points on 10/15 shooting, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out two assists.
Next up- Oakland City on Nov. 14 at 7:00 p.m.
Akron
The Zips are the fourth team in the MAC to end the week undefeated, with victories coming against South Dakota State and Southern Mississippi.
The Zips had impressive shooting performances in both games. Against South Dakota St., the Zips shot 50% from the field and against Southern Mississippi, they shot 47.1% on field goals.
Senior forward Enrique Freeman recorded a double-double in the season’s first game, scoring 13 points and 14 rebounds.
Next up- Heidelberg on Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Kent State
The reigning MAC champions have gotten off to a strong 2-1 start with victories against Malone and Fresno State, with the first loss coming against James Madison in their second game of the season.
In the season’s first three games, the Golden Flashes are shooting 44.8% from the field and 34.6% from the three-point line.
In the last two games, reigning MAC Sixth Man of the Year Jalen Sullinger scored 30 points in the loss against James Madison and 17 points in the victory against Fresno State.
Next up- Hampton on Nov. 17 at 6:45 p.m.
Ohio
The Bobcats have begun their 23-24 campaign at 1-1, with one win and one loss against Troy and Cleveland State respectively.
Ohio won their first game of the season by 18 points and were narrowly defeated by Cleveland St by just four points—two very different scenarios for the first two games.
Sophomore guard AJ Brown was particularly dominant in the first game of the season, scoring 24 points on 10/15 shooting and recording four steals.
Next up- Detroit Mercy on Nov. 18 at 2:00 p.m.
Northern Illinois
The Huskies began their 23-24 season campaign 1-1, with a loss against 5-ranked Marquette and a win against Appalachian St.
Now many you would look at that first game and think to themselves, oh well, the Huskies got blown out by a much better team, the Huskies played a tough contest and managed to keep up with Marquette for most of the game- even scoring 42 points in the second half.
The victory against Appalachian State saw junior David Coit drop 27 points on 50% shooting and a perfect 100% on free throws on nine attempts.
Next up- Illinois Tech on Nov. 13 at 8:00 p.m.
Eastern Michigan
After an 8-23 2022-23 season, the Eagles have begun their season with a 1-1 record after two games, with a loss against Butler and a win against Georgia Southern.
There were few positives in their season opener at Butler. Despite going into halftime just down eight points, the Bulldogs scored 60 points in the second half to seal the game.
The season’s second game was a much better time for the Eagles, with a ten-point victory against another team ironically named the Eagles. Freshman guard Arne Osojnik scored 18 points in the victory on 7/13 shooting.
Next up- #10 Florida Atlantic on Nov. 14 at 7:00 p.m.
Western Michigan
After an 8-23 campaign last season, the Broncos opened their season with two straight losses against North Dakota St and Georgia St.
Now despite the rocky start, it’s not all bad. The Broncos lost their first game of the season by just 4 points and their second game by just seven points.
In the season’s first game, Junior guard B.Artis White scored 20 points in the season opener and led the team with four assists. Additionally, Senior center Titus Wright grabbed 11 rebounds.
Next up- Northwestern on Nov. 14 at 8:00 p.m.
Buffalo
The Buffalo Bulls were the second team unable to win in the first-team games of the new season.
Both losses to Fairleigh Dickinson and South Alabama start the George Halcovage on a rocky start. The loss to South Alabama was a double-digit loss.
Senior forward Isaiah Adams, who scored 28 points on 10/23 shooting against Fairleigh Dickinson, is a bright spot for the Bulls. Senior forward Jonnivous Smith also grabbed an impressive 19 rebounds in the season’s first game.
Next up- Roberts Wesley on Nov 15 at 7:00 p.m.
Miami OH
The RedHawks are another team that began their 23-24 campaign with two straight losses against Evansville and Texas St.
In both games, the RedHawks combined 34 total turnovers against them. Positively, the RedHawks shot 50% from the three-point line against Evansville.
Senior guard and former Huskie Darweshi Hunter scored 21 points in both matchups, and he led the team in scoring in both games.
Next Up- Coppin St on Nov. 17 at 7:00 p.m.
Central Michigan
Rounding out the rest of the MAC, the Chippewas lost their first two games against Oklahoma and UL Monroe.
Both losses to Oklahoma and UL Monroe were double-digit losses. The Chippewas lost to Oklahoma by a total of 30 points.
A bright spot for the Chippewas in these losses was junior guard Anthony Pritchard, who scored 11 and 15 points in both games, respectively.
Next Up- Florida St on Nov. 13 7:00 p.m.
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