How can you not love some MACtion?
Last season, we were blessed with the presence of Ohio Bobcat Jason Preston, who led Ohio to its seventh MAC Championship. This season, it will be a battle between Ohio, Toledo and Kent State. All three could have a shot at a ticket to The Big Dance.
Of the three, Toledo is the clear favorite. Toledo ended the season 17-3 in conference play and repeated as MAC regular-season champions. Last season, the Rockets clinched the regular-season title but fell short against Ohio in the semi-finals. This season, they’re back.
Toledo is led by the third-best scorer in the conference: Ryan Rollins, who averages 19.2 PPG. Another player to watch is teammate JT Shumate. Shumate leads the conference in three-point shooting percentages. As a whole, Toledo has the best scoring offense, averaging 81.5 PPG. As for defense, Toledo comes in fourth, allowing just 68.4 PPG.
The biggest threat to Toledo is Kent State. The Golden Flashes were the second-best team in the conference and had the second-best defense. However, if Kent wants to have a shot at winning the tournament, they will need their offense to step up. Their offense is the 6th best in the conference and they only have two players in the top 25 for scoring.
If there is a darkhorse for this tournament, it is Akron. Akron has the best defense in the conference and has three players in the top 25 in scoring. One player to look out for is Enrique Freeman. Standing at 6-foot-7, he leads the conference in rebounds, averaging 11. To put this into perspective, he holds about a three rebound lead on the second best in the conference.
The MAC tournament will be a fun one. Any of the top three teams could have a shot to win, but if I were to put my money on any, it has to be Toledo. The Rockets have the best offense in the conference and will be looking for redemption. Don’t be surprised if they come away as the conference champions.