With less than two weeks remaining before the start of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, it's that time again - time to take a look at the possibilities and see if any MAC teams will make the Big Dance without having to win the MAC Tournament.
A question many MAC basketball fans have been wondering about is if the MAC will get more than one team in the NCAA Tournament. Now, being the gambling man that I am, I took a bet with a friend before the MAC season started. He figured the MAC would get more than one team this year and I predicted that the MAC would get the shaft once again because of all the teams in better conferences with free passes into the tourney.
Although the only thing riding on this wager was that the loser has to buy the winner a bag of his choice of Lays potato chips, I am going to stick with my original claim. The MAC will only get one team into the dance, but the NIT will have a heavy MAC influence.
While the conference standings might make it look like the MAC has a decent shot in getting two teams into the round of 64, the records are a bit deceiving.
Sure, Kent State, Akron and Miami all have double-digit wins in the conference, but only Kent and Akron have a considerable amount of overall wins with 20 and 19, respectively. And when you look through the complete MAC standings, a majority of those MAC wins diminish in value.
So let's go with an example. Say Kent doesn't win the MAC Tournament. Does it still make the Big Dance? No, and that answer is simple. Not only are most of its wins off not even mediocre MAC West teams, but its out of conference schedule is sure to disappoint as well.
Big wins against Austin Peay, Texas Pan-American and Concordia headline their OOC, but the Golden Flashes also lost five games in it. The Kent picked up losses against Delaware State, Rutgers, Southern Illinois, Syracuse and Saint Mary's.
Akron has the same problem - just look at its OOC. Sure, the Zips pummeled Division III Denison 123-52, which means about as much as ... well, beating a Division III team, but they have no quality wins either - something all MAC teams seem to have in common.
Now, I really shouldn't even bring the RPIs into consideration, because we all know how important they are (isn't that right Reggie Witherspoon - remember last season?), but I will anyway. The MAC not only doesn't have a team in the top 50 in this year, but not even in the top 70!
Akron is boasting a 72 in the RPI, and next in line from the MAC is Kent at 78, Miami at 82 and Ohio at 103. This is definitely not going to bode well for the MAC come selection Sunday.
So, it looks like we have another typical year in the MAC where the only team to make it to the NCAA Tournament will be the winner of the MAC Tournament. My picks for that? You'll just have to wait for next week.
- Nick Miller is a junior journalism major who thinks a MAC team could go deep in the NIT this year. Send him an e-mail at nm202803@ohiou.edu
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