We are officially through November, with just one more month of non-conference play remaining for Mid-American Conference (MAC) men’s basketball teams.
Kent State currently leads the pack with six wins, while Northern Illinois rounds out the 12-team field with just two.
Now that conference play is in full swing, each team’s strengths and weaknesses are becoming much clearer.
Here is a look at how each team fared this past week:
Kent State (6-2)
Kent State took a trip north of the border, competing in the Western Slam in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. For the most part, the Golden Flashes took care of business, winning two of three games to solidify their spot at the top of the conference standings.
KSU defeated Towson 65-54 on Thursday and Kennesaw State 67-60 on Saturday.
However, they did have an ugly 51-39 loss to UC Irvine on Friday, where they shot just 22.6% (14-62) from the field, 14.8% (4-27) on three-pointers and 58.3% (7-12) on free throws.
The Golden Flashes’ strengths and weaknesses are becoming clearer as the weeks pass.
They lead the MAC in all three major defensive statistics, holding opponents to 61.0 points per game, a 39.1% field goal and a 28.5% three-point percentage.
However, they continue to struggle on offense, placing last in the MAC with just 67.4 points per game and 39.2% shooting from the field.
Akron (4-2)
Akron had their most successful weekend of the season, sweeping their three games in the Akron Basketball Classic. The Zips defeated Lamar (79-72), Nebraska Omaha (92-84) and Alabama State (97-78).
John Groce’s offense has continued to dominate, with Akron leading the MAC with 83.2 points per game, 37.7% shooting from beyond the arc, 12.8 three-pointers per game, 13.7 offensive rebounds per game, 20.8 assists per game and just 10.7 turnovers per game.
Redshirt junior guard Nate Johnson led Akron’s offense over the weekend, earning the MVP honors for the tournament. He averaged 17.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
Junior guard Tavari Johnson also had a good three-game stretch, averaging 12.3 points, 5.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
Miami (OH) (4-2)
Miami (OH) had a successful trip to the Sunshine State, going 2-0 in the Fort Myers Classic by defeating Siena (70-58) on Monday and Mercer University (75-72) on Tuesday.
Miami found contributions up and down the roster. Junior guard Peter Suder and redshirt sophomore wing Kam Craft led MU with 18 points against Siena, while five RedHawks scored double figures against Mercer.
Miami’s strength seems to be offensive efficiency, as they lead the MAC with a 46.1% field goal percentage. However, they have struggled on the boards, grabbing a conference-worst 32.2 rebounds per game.
Eastern Michigan (5-3)
Eastern Michigan went 2-1 this past week, picking up two wins in the Houston Christian MTE.
EMU defeated Houston Christian by one point (74-73) on Monday and Northern Arizona (72-68) on Tuesday. However, on Saturday, they fell 98-89 to Detroit Mercy in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Senior forward Da’Sean Nelson dominated, averaging 21.0 points per game this past week. Junior guard Henry Christian also shined on Saturday, scoring a game-high 28 points while shooting 9-16 from the field and 4-8 from deep.
Interestingly, the strengths and weaknesses of the Eagles seem to still be up in the air, as they rank in the middle of the pack in the MAC for nearly every statistic.
Toledo (5-3)
Toledo had a light but rough week. The Rockets had just one game but fell in that contest by over 30 points to Oakland, 85-52.
UT struggled on offense, shooting just 38.2% (21-55) from the field, 18.8% (3-16) on three-pointers and 41.2% (7-17) from the charity stripe.
However, statistically speaking, Toledo’s offense is still one of the best in the MAC. The Rockets rank second in the conference with a 46.1% field goal percentage, ranking fourth with 76.8 points per game and 35% shooting on three-pointers.
Buffalo (4-3)
Buffalo also only had one game this past week, capping off the Buffalo Classic with a one-point victory over North Carolina A&T at home on Monday, 82-81.
After losing three straight in the middle of November, the Bulls have rattled off back-to-back victories.
Sophomore guard Ryan Sabol stayed on fire, tallying his third 20-point performance of the season with a team-high 22 on Monday. Sabol leads the MAC with 18.6 points per game and 25 three-pointers this season.
Central Michigan (3-3)
Central Michigan was a few points away from a perfect week, defeating Central State 86-52 on Wednesday before falling by three points to Minnesota on Monday, 68-65.
While they don’t have a player averaging over 13 points per game, senior guard/forward Jakobi Heady has been a strong presence down low, leading the conference with 8.2 rebounds per game.
Like Eastern Michigan, the Chippewas are still searching for a true identity and strength, as they rank in the middle of the pack in the MAC in many categories.
Western Michigan (3-4)
Western Michigan also had just one game this past week, defeating Youngstown State 73-62 on Wednesday.
Redshirt junior guard Brandon Muntu and redshirt sophomore guard Max Burton excelled against the Penguins, both scoring a team-high 18 points. Muntu shot 6-9 from the field and a perfect 4-4 on three-pointers, while Burton grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds and shot 7-9.
While Western Michigan’s offense has not been the greatest this season, their defense has stood out.
The Broncos rank just eight in the MAC with 72.6 points per game and 10th with 41.7% shooting from the field and 30.5% on three-pointers. However, their defense ranks third in the conference by holding opponents to 68.7 points per game and 30% shooting from deep.
Ball State (3-5)
Ball State had a successful week, winning two of three games in the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Florida.
The Cardinals defeated Eastern Kentucky on Monday, 63-61, and blew out Florida Tech on Tuesday, 94-57. However, they ended the tournament by falling to Richmond on Wednesday, 73-60.
Junior guard Jermahri Hill put on a show, averaging 21.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He also tallied three steals and two blocks while shooting 59% (23-39) from the field. Hill ranks second in the MAC with 17.6 points per game.
While Ball State’s strength seems to lie in their defense, as they rank top-five in the MAC in scoring, field goal and three-point defense, they have struggled shooting from deep. The Cardinals rank last in the conference with a 29.9% three-point percentage.
Bowling Green (3-5)
Bowling Green is still looking to find its footing after last season’s 20-win campaign.
The Falcons split their two games in the Arizona Tip-Off, falling 73-70 to Weber State on Friday before escaping with a 61-60 win over New Mexico State on Saturday.
While junior guard Javontae Campbell and senior guard Derrick Butler have been major contributors, the offense seems to run through senior forward Marcus Johnson.
Johnson struggled against Weber State, scoring just eight points on 3-15 shooting from the field and 1-6 from deep. However, he took over against NMSU, scoring a game-high 23 points, grabbing five rebounds, tallying five assists and three steals while shooting 7-13 from the field, 2-5 on three-pointers and 7-7 on free throws. Johnson ranks third in the MAC with 17.4 points per game.
BGSU’s offense has improved significantly this season. The Orange and Brown rank third in the MAC with a 36.2% three-point percentage, fourth with a 44.8% field goal percentage and fifth with 75.9 points per game.
Ohio (3-5)
Ohio split their two matchups, falling 74-65 to Texas State on Sunday before defeating Robert Morris on Saturday, 84-68.
Senior forward AJ Clayton led the Bobcats in scoring in both games. He scored 18 points against Texas State before tallying 16 against Robert Morris. Clayton ranks fifth in the MAC with 16.5 points per game.
OU’s defense has struggled through the first eight games of the season. The Bobcats allow opponents to score 80.1 points per game and shoot 48.6% from the field, ranking 11th in the MAC. Meanwhile, they allow opponents to shoot 45.7% from deep, ranking last in the conference.
Northern Illinois (2-6)
Northern Illinois’ struggles continued, falling 87-82 to Valparaiso on Wednesday before losing 72-59 to Eastern Illinois on Friday. The Huskies have lost a conference-worst five straight games.
NIU’s offense has struggled this season, ranking second-to-last with 68.8 points per game and a 40.3% field goal percentage.
However, they have been the best interior defense team in the MAC, leading the conference with 4.8 blocks per game. Junior forward Ethan Butler and sophomore guard Quentin Jones rank second and third in the MAC with 1.8 and 1.5 blocks per game, respectively.
