In typical Mid-American Conference fashion, the fans, coaches and players truly didn’t know what the MAC Tournament would look like until the last moment. After a hectic night of seemingly endless seeding scenarios, the conference’s top eight is set for Cleveland.
Games will start at 11 a.m. March 13 in Rocket Arena. Here are how the matchups shaped up:
Game one: No. 1 Akron vs No. 8 Bowling Green
Akron had clinched its spot as regular season champions before March even rolled around. For its first-round opponent, Bowling Green, it had to wait until the regular season’s last moment. After Bowling Green lost to Western Michigan, securing its opponent’s spot as the No. 6 seed, Bowling Green had to hope for a Central Michigan loss. They would be waiting a while.
The MAC’s last-placed Northern Illinois took Central Michigan to double overtime, winning on what appeared to be an accidental game-winner by senior guard James Dent, securing Bowling Green’s spot in the tournament. Bowling Green played Akron just as close, losing 71-68 at home in early January.
Game two: No. 4 Toledo vs No. 5 Ohio
Due to how the rest of the final night fell, these two teams were destined to rematch in the MAC Tournament, regardless of how their closing night faceoff went. The only difference was if Ohio won, the teams would have faced off in the No. 3 vs No. 6 matchup on the other end of the bracket.
Ohio and Toledo have faced off twice in the regular season, with Toledo winning both. Toledo started MAC play 8-2 but faltered late, finishing 10-8 along with Ohio, the preseason No. 1 team in the conference. Ohio has dealt with injuries throughout and will likely be without star wing AJ Brown for the tournament, although coach Jeff Boals said a return is a possibility.
Game three: No. 2 Miami vs No. 7 Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan had perhaps the most disappointing turn of events with its loss to Kent State. Had it won, Eastern Michigan would have secured the tournament’s No. 3 seed, in a chaotic turn involving every single one of the MAC’s seeding tiebreakers, as Eastern Michigan, Ohio, Toledo and Kent State would have all finished with the same conference record.
However, with the loss, it drops to No. 7. The good news, however, is the Eagles will now face the RedHawks, a team they have proven they can beat with a 76-66 win in Ypsilanti last month. However, Miami should not be taken lightly after its best season under Travis Steele, where it finished 14-4 in MAC play.
Game four: No. 3 Kent State vs No. 6 Western Michigan
Had Western Michigan lost to Bowling Green, it would have been the one waiting for the result of the Northern Illinois-Central Michigan game. However, with the win, it secured its matchup against Kent State, jumping rival Eastern Michigan in the standings. The Broncos have played the Flashes well through two previous matchups, with a 10-point win and 1-point loss in a series that saw both home teams lose.
Kent State comes into the tournament with the MAC’s best defense, routinely holding teams under 70 points. The offense has started to find its stride as of late, as this team has proven itself to be deep and talented on both ends. The Flashes were a Cinderella story last year. They’ll look to find similar success in 2025.
