Three games into Mid-American Conference (MAC) men’s basketball play, the Miami (OH) RedHawks have continued their underdog season and sit atop the conference standings.
Meanwhile, there are still three teams without a conference win.
Here’s a look at how each team fared this past week:
Miami (11-4, 3-0 MAC)
The RedHawks have been the story of the MAC this season. After finishing just sixth in the MAC preseason poll, Miami sits atop the conference standings.
Miami has been red-hot recently, winning five straight contests. They defeated Ball State 80-72 on Tuesday before dominating Western Michigan 91-71 on Saturday.
The RedHawks have been downright dominant this season. They have won by double-digits in nine of their 11 wins and have an average margin of victory of 21.1 points.
Miami leads the MAC with 83.5 points per game, 49.9% shooting from the field, 40.4% shooting from deep, 16.1 turnovers forced per game and 9.1 steals per game.
Akron (10-5, 3-0 MAC)
Akron continues to be the model of consistency under head coach John Groce. Over the past four seasons under Groce, the Zips are 80-37 overall and 43-16 in the MAC.
After winning the MAC Tournament last season, the Zips are undefeated in conference play and have won all seven games at James A. Rhodes Arena this season.
Akron has won three straight contests. They dominated their past two opponents, defeating Central Michigan 87-71 on Tuesday and Eastern Michigan 105-81 on Saturday.
Ohio (9-6, 3-0 MAC)
The Bobcats have knocked off a slow start to the season and sit in third place in the MAC standings.
After starting just 4-6, Ohio has won five straight games, tied for the longest active winning streak in the conference.
Ohio defeated Buffalo 88-79 on Tuesday before crushing Northern Illinois 108-70 on Saturday.
Senior forward AJ Clayton scored 27 points against the Bulls and 31 against the Huskies and now leads the MAC with 17.4 points per game.
Toledo (9-6, 3-0 MAC)
Toledo has started MAC play strong.
After dropping two straight games against ranked opponents to end non-conference play, the Rockets have won their first three conference contests.
Toledo sneaked out with two close victories this past weekend, besting Eastern Michigan 90-87 on Tuesday and Central Michigan 69-67 on Saturday.
Kent State (11-4, 2-1 MAC)
After starting MAC play with a loss to Ball State, Kent State has battled back with two straight conference wins.
The Golden Flashes defeated Northern Illinois 68-50 on Tuesday and Buffalo 68-49 on Saturday.
KSU has winning records in home (5-1), away (4-2) and neutral (2-1) matchups. However, they are averaging just 69.2 points per game, the fewest in the MAC.
Ball State (8-7, 2-1 MAC)
The Cardinals have hit a hot streak, winning five of their past six games.
This past week, Ball State fell to Miami, 80-72, before knocking off BGSU 91-69.
Senior center Payton Sparks has scored at least 20 points in three of his past five games, scoring 20 points against the RedHawks and 19 against the Falcons. Meanwhile, junior guard Jermahri Hill ranks fourth in the MAC in scoring with 16.5 points per game.
Eastern Michigan (7-8, 1-2 MAC)
The Eagles are one of six teams in the conference with a losing overall and conference record.
Eastern Michigan has lost six of their past eight games, including two straight.
This past week, EMU fell just short against Toledo on Tuesday, 90-87, before getting battered by Akron on Saturday, 105-81.
Bowling Green (6-9, 1-2 MAC)
BGSU is currently hammered by injuries and has won back-to-back games just once this season.
After three games of conference play, BGSU currently holds the final spot for the MAC Tournament.
This past week, the Falcons battled back from a 14-point deficit to defeat Western Michigan 83-79 on Tuesday before falling to Ball State 91-69 on Saturday.
Central Michigan (6-9, 0-3 MAC)
Central Michigan is one of just four teams in the MAC without a conference win.
The Chippewas have not had much success lately, losing six of their past seven games.
CMU recently lost 87-71 to Akron on Tuesday and 69-67 to Toledo on Friday.
Buffalo (5-10, 0-3 MAC)
After starting 5-4, Buffalo has lost six straight games, the second-longest active losing streak in the MAC.
Buffalo has also struggled with scoring for much of the season, scoring 55 or fewer points three times during the recent losing stretch.
The Bulls recently fell 88-79 to Ohio on Tuesday and 68-49 to Kent State on Friday.
Buffalo is allowing opponents to score 81.5 points per game, which is by far the most in the conference.
Northern Illinois (4-11, 0-3 MAC)
Although they ended non-conference play with a 117-50 win, Northern Illinois has lost their first three conference games.
NIU got blown out in both of their contests this past week, falling 68-50 to Kent State on Tuesday and 108-70 to Ohio on Saturday.
The Huskies are averaging just 70.9 points per game, the second-fewest in the MAC.
Western Michigan (3-12, 0-3 MAC)
Western Michigan has not been able to generate any sort of success recently, losing eight consecutive games, which is the longest active losing streak in the MAC.
However, they have lost by single digits in five of their eight recent losses.
The Broncos recently lost 83-79 to Bowling Green on Tuesday and 91-71 to Miami on Saturday.
