One week remains until the Mid-American Conference Tournament. Half the teams have one game left, some have two. Perfect time to run down my thoughts on the postseason awards one more time before the weekend.
A lot has changed in recent weeks for the Player of the Year candidates. D.J. Cooper's ankle injury slowed him for a while. Byron Mulkey and Xavier Silas have dropped off. Nobody appears to be that much better than the rest of the pack. So I guess that makes this more fun. Alas, let's get to it.
My previous rankings can be seen here
Player of the Year
1. Julian Mavunga, Miami (Previous: 5)
Whereas most of the others on this list have better numbers in non-conference games than in the MAC, Mavunga has thrived in conference play. His 16.3 scoring and 9.2 rebounding MAC averages are better than his season averages, and he's put the entire RedHawks roster on his back after Antonio Ballard's wrist injury in late January. Without him, Miami would be nowhere near the top of the league.
2. D.J. Cooper, Ohio (Previous: 1)
Cooper was slowed by an ankle injury for a few weeks and turned in some below average (for his standards) performances. His 25-point, nine-assist, eight-rebound night Tuesday against Akron — in which he looked 100 percent for the first time since the injury — makes this a tough race to call, though.
3. Byron Mulkey, Buffalo (Previous: 2)
Since his 29-point outburst against Central Michigan in early February, Mulkey has scored below his season average in five consecutive games. Most recently, his 2-for-10, five-point performance in a 69-60 loss to Akron on Saturday will resonate in my mind if the Bulls keeps fading into the bottom of the MAC.
4. Justin Greene, Kent State (Previous: 6)
The numbers look good (15.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg), but Greene has a nkack for disappearing at times. His field goal percentage is down almost 10 points from last year and he never seems to dominate a game. Still, Greene is in the top-five in the MAC in both scoring and rebounding for one of the league's top teams. That has to count for something, right?
5. Brandon Bowdry, Eastern Michigan (Previous: 4)
Bowdry's numbers have slipped from his incredible start to the season, but his 15 double-doubles are tops in the MAC. He's the lone bright spot on a bad Eastern Michigan team.
Just missed the cut: Trey Zeigler, Central Michigan; Xavier Silas, Northern Ilinois
Coach of the Year
1. Charlie Coles, Miami
While the "Most Entertaining Coach" award would also go to Coles, he's really earned the more serious honor to this point. The RedHawks have been at the top of the MAC all season long, and Coles is a big reason. Playing without Ballard for the past month, Coles and his team have found a way to keep winning. They still have a shot for the No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament, too
2. Geno Ford, Kent State
Ford has turned in another good year with the Golden Flashes. Always re-loading, Kent has stayed at the top of the MAC despite a slow start in conference play after losing a few key seniors last year.
3. John Groce, Ohio
Much like they did last year, the Bobcats are peaking at the right time. And in a classic "we should have seen this coming" fashion, Groce has stuck to his one-day-at-a-time attitude, bam. The Bobcats are 9-6 in the MAC and have won nine of their last 11. The team is buying in to his philosophy (yet again), and has clinched its first winning MAC record in Groce's tenure
Defensive Player of the Year
1. Mulkey, Buffalo
2. Mitchell Watt, Buffalo
3. Cooper, Ohio
Freshman of the Year
1. Trey Zeigler, Central Michigan
2. Javon McCrea, Buffalo
3. Reese Holiday, Toledo
