After 31 games of regular season action, the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Men’s Basketball Tournament is finally here.  

The tournament will take place from Thursday to Saturday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio.  

Here is a look at the eight teams vying for a conference tournament championship and a ticket to the NCAA Tournament.  

Toledo  

Toledo (20-11, 14-4 MAC), the MAC regular-season champion, enters the conference tournament as the top seed for the fourth season in a row, becoming just the second team overall and first since Cincinnati (1948-1951) to accomplish this feat.  

The Rockets won the inaugural MAC Tournament Championship in 1980 but have failed to raise a second banner in the past 43 seasons.  

Last year, UT reached the MAC Tournament Championship, falling to Kent State, 93-78. 

The Rockets lead the MAC with 80.7 points per game, 48% shooting from the field and 37.9% shooting on three-pointers.  

However, UT allows opponents to shoot 34.4% on three-pointers, score 76.4 points per game and shoot 48.1% on three-pointers, ranking ninth, 10th and last in the conference, respectively.  

Akron  

Akron (21-10, 13-5 MAC) enters the MAC Tournament as the second seed.  

The Zips were the preseason favorites to win the MAC Tournament, earning nine of 12 votes in the preseason coaches poll.  

However, Akron enters the tournament on a two-game losing streak, dropping the final two contests of the regular season to Eastern and Western Michigan.  

UA most recently won the MAC Tournament Championship in 2022 but was eliminated in the semifinals by Kent State last year.  

The Zips have been one of the best defensive teams in the conference this season, holding opponents to 66.2 points per game and 30.4% shooting from the field, the best marks in the MAC.   

Akron also has the best rebounding margin in the MAC, outrebounding opponents by 4.3 boards per game.  

Ohio  

Ohio (19-12, 13-5 MAC) enters the tournament as the third seed.  

While the Bobcats started the season 6-6 and conference play just 1-3, they finished the season with six consecutive wins, the longest active winning streak in the MAC.  

OU has won seven MAC Tournament Championships, tied with Ball State and Kent State for the most all-time. Their most recent conference tournament championship was in 2021.  

Ohio has been solid on both sides of the ball.   

The Bobcats score 77.6 points per game, shoot 45.8% from the field and make 36.1% of their three-point attempts, ranking second, third and fourth in the MAC, respectively.  

They also hold opponents to 42.9% shooting from the field, 70.6 points per game and 33.3% shooting on three-pointers, ranking third, fourth and sixth in the conference, respectively. 

On top of this, Ohio turns the ball over just 9.9 times per game while forcing 13.5 turnovers per game, leading the MAC in both categories.  

Central Michigan  

Central Michigan (18-13, 12-6 MAC), who was picked to finish last in the MAC in the preseason coaches poll, enters the tournament as the fourth seed.  

The Chippewas, who did not make the conference tournament last season, notched their first winning season since 2018-2019 (23-12) and best conference record since 2014-2015 (12-6).  

While CMU has won the MAC Tournament twice, their last championship came back in 2003.  

The Chippewas have one of the best defenses in the conference.   

They hold opponents to just 41.1% shooting from the field, 31.2% shooting on three-pointers and 70.2 points per game, the best, second-best and third-best marks in the MAC, respectively.  

However, they have struggled on offense all season.  

CMU scores the second-fewest points per game, 66.8, shoots the second-worst from the field, 42.2%, and shoots the third-worst on three-pointers, 30.2%, in the MAC.  

Bowling Green  

Bowling Green (19-12, 10-8 MAC), who failed to make the conference tournament the past two seasons, enters the MAC Tournament as the fifth seed.  

The Falcons are the only active MAC team to have never won the conference tournament. However, they have finished runner-up four times, including in the inaugural 1980 tournament.  

BG is also seeking an appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1968. Their March Madness drought is tied with Columbia for the third-longest in the country, trailing only Tennessee Tech (1963) and Dartmouth (1959).  

However, BGSU closed the regular season with a win for the first time since the 2012-2013 campaign, defeating Ball State 80-70 for their second straight win.  

The Falcons are arguably the best rebounding team in the conference.  

Bowling Green grabs 38 combined rebounds and 26.7 defensive rebounds per game, leading the MAC.  

However, they have struggled shooting for most of the season.  

The Falcons shoot just 43.3% from the field and 29.9% on three-pointers, ranking ninth and 10th in the conference, respectively.  

Western Michigan  

Western Michigan (12-19, 9-9 MAC), which has also missed the MAC Tournament the past two seasons, enters the tournament as the sixth seed.  

The Broncos have won two conference championships, with their latest coming in 2014.  

WMU has struggled against good competition, compiling a record of just 1-13 against winning teams.  

The Broncos’ statistics do not stand out on paper.  

Western Michigan scores just 71.8 points per game and 43.6% from the field, the eighth-worst marks in the conference.   

They also allow opponents to score 74.6 points per game and shoot 34.2% on three-pointers, ranking ninth and eighth in the MAC, respectively.  

WMU has also struggled mightily at the charity stripe. Their 63% free throw percentage is the sixth-worst in the country.  

Miami (OH)  

Miami (15-16, 9-9 MAC) enters the postseason tournament as the seventh seed.  

The RedHawks have won the MAC Tournament Championship four times, with their most recent victory coming in 2007.  

MU has also reached the NCAA Tournament 17 times, the most of any MAC team.  

Miami enters the tournament as one of the youngest teams in the country, with an average age of 20.07.  

However, Miami’s 15 wins this season are the most since the 2018-2019 campaign.  

The RedHawks have been one of the better defensive teams in the conference.  

They hold opponents to 69.9 points per game and 42.6% shooting from the field, the second-best marks in the conference.  

However, they grab just 33.4 combined rebounds and 8.3 offensive boards per game, the worst marks in the MAC.  

Kent State  

Kent State (15-16, 8-10 MAC), the defending MAC Tournament champion, enters the tournament as the eighth seed.  

The Golden Flashes, who have made the MAC Tournament Championship game two years in a row, have won seven conference tournament championships, tied with Ball State and Ohio for the most ever.   

Although Kent State made the MAC Tournament, their streak of 27 consecutive seasons without a losing record ended this year. Before this season, the Golden Flashes were one of just eight teams in the country not to have a losing record this century.  

KSU, who was picked to finish second in the MAC in the preseason coaches poll, has not been dominant in any specific area of the game this season.  

The Golden Flashes rank third in the MAC with 75.6 points per game, fifth with a 35.8% three-point percentage and seventh with a 44.1% field goal percentage.  

Kent State holds opponents to 33.3% shooting on three-pointers, 72.4 points per game and 45.3% shooting from the field, ranking fifth, seventh and 10th in the conference, respectively.  

Bracket  

On Thursday, Toledo will face Kent State, Central Michigan will face Bowling Green, Akron will face Miami, and Ohio will face Western Michigan in the quarterfinals.  

In the semifinals on Friday, the winner between the Rockets and Golden Flashes will battle the winner between the Chippewas and Falcons at 5 p.m. Meanwhile, the winner between the Zips and RedHawks will battle the winner between the Bobcats and Broncos at 7:30 p.m.  

The winners of two semifinal games will square off Saturday for the championship game at 7:30 p.m.  

Falcon Media Sports Network will have the call for all seven games throughout the week. All games will be broadcast on Falcon Radio except for the championship game, which will be on 88.1 WBGU.