All eight seeds have been locked down in this week’s Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament.
Here’s how each team matches up in Cleveland:
#1 Akron Zips vs #8 Bowling Green Falcons
Bowling Green snuck into the tournament on a double-overtime buzzer-beater in a game that wasn’t even theirs – Northern Illinois’ James Dent Jr. drilled a line-drive two to give the Huskies the upset victory over Central Michigan and send Bowling Green to Cleveland, despite losing to Western Michigan on Friday night.
For BG, it’s not necessarily the matchup they were hoping for. The Falcons, who have dealt with a plethora of injuries this season, have had to shrink their rotation down to seven players. Compared to the beginning of the season, where they received contributions from as many as 11 guys.
Conversely, Akron is one of the deepest and most physical teams in the MAC. The Zips have 10 players averaging at least five points a game and have the conference’s best scoring offense, clocking in at 84.0 points a night and holding teams to 74.3 points per game.
The Zips have the second-best three-point percentage as a team, just behind Miami (OH). Bowling Green, on the other hand, has the fourth-best perimeter defense, holding teams to under 32% shooting from range.
It’s all going to come down to whether or not Bowling Green can win on the boards – the Zips are the MAC’s best rebounding team at nearly 40 rebounds a game.
#2 Miami RedHawks vs #7 Eastern Michigan Eagles
Miami’s cooled off after starting the season red-hot, yet they’ve still maintained a strong presence at the top of the conference.
The RedHawks have the MAC’s second-best point differential, with the third-best defense and second-best offense.
As for the Eagles, a slow start deflates their numbers. They closed out the season winning three of their last five, and beat Miami in Ypsilanti less than a month ago. Both Jalen Terry and Da’Sean Nelson have burst onto the scene in a big way, both finishing top five in the conference in terms of scoring.
The big battle will come at the three-point line, Miami is the MAC’s best three-shooting team, connecting on nearly 40% of their threes. Eastern Michigan is fourth in three-point percentage; however, they struggle to guard the long ball. The Eagles allow opponents to shoot 36.8% from distance, ninth in the MAC.
#3 Kent State Golden Flashes vs #6 Western Michigan Broncos
Once again, Kent State has been dominant on defense this season. They hold opponents to a MAC-best 68.3 points per game, better than the second-place Central Michigan Chippewas by almost four points.
The Golden Flashes are led by VonCameron Davis and Jalen Sullinger, who combine for 30.3 points per game.
Western has a negative point differential, with one of the worst scoring offenses in the conference, and a struggling defense, allowing 76.1 points to opponents each night.
If Western Michigan wants to pull off the 6-over-3 upset, they’ll have to lock in at the charity stripe. Kent State shoots a MAC-best 76.3% at the line, while the Broncos are dead last, cashing in on just 67.4% of free throws.
#4 Toledo Rockets vs #5 Ohio Bobcats
Ohio entered this past week as the third seed, losing their last two games and earning a rematch from their last game on March 7.
The Bobcats have been extremely beat up this season, going through a revolving door of #1 scoring options since the start of conference play.
Elmore James had 20 points in the Bobcats’ loss to Toledo on Friday.
For the Rockets, the last month of the season has been tough sledding to say the least. Toledo lost six of their last eight games, dating back to Feb. 11, with losses to Bowling Green, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, and a 40-point loss to Kent State.
It’s a matchup of the third and fourth-best offenses in the conference, yet the defense is where the discrepancies lie. Toledo allows opponents to put up nearly 80 points a night, which is second-worst in the MAC to just Buffalo.
Ohio also lies in the bottom half but sits seventh overall, allowing opponents to score right around 76 points per game.
It makes sense, given the seeding, but this matchup looks to be the best of the opening round on paper.
