BobcatAttack.com - For Fans of Ohio University Sports

Welcome Guest!
Create an Account

site search

about us

advertise with us

help

BobcatAttack.com Message Board

Ohio Basketball

Topic: MAC Season So Far

Topic: MAC Season So Far

Author

Message

OUVan
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Bethesda, MD
Post Count: 5,580

Status: Offline

MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/23/2010 9:51:05 AM

The more things change the more they stay the same. The MAC is now 18-25 overall after the spankings received by the Fiami and BG last night. Again the main culprit is the West which is a putrid 5-15 on the season overall. The East is better at 13-10 but still not great. Kent, Akron, Buffalo and Ohio are a combined 10-4 so far but don't have a marquee win to speak of. Iona is probably the best team the four have beaten. Fiami probably has the conference's biggest win over IUPUI but then they slip in some truly horrid performances like their Duke game and last night's loss to San Diego State. The game last night was punctuated by the SalmonChickens all too familiar dry offensive stretches. They jumped out to an encouraging 17-6 lead only to allow SDSU to go on a 16-0 run to pull ahead. Fiami fought back and in the early parts of the second half the game was tied 39-39. Then the Charlie Coles ugly offense reared its head and about 8 minutes later it was 64-39 SDSU. Can't win too many games with 16-0 and 24-0 runs against you in the same game.

And as a side note the SalmonChicken "faithful" stayed away in droves to the tune of around 1,800 for the 18th ranked Aztecs. This was the 3rd game in as many nights in Oxford as part of the O'Reilly Auto Parts Classic. They drew about the same the night before for Green Bay with a high water mark of 2,100 for IUPUI on Saturday.

Last Edited: 11/23/2010 9:52:21 AM by OUVan

Jeff McKinney
Moderator

Member Since: 11/12/2004
Post Count: 6,155

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/23/2010 10:24:22 AM

Yeah...I feel like Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin to show up re: the MAC having a breakout season and returning to the glory of the not-too-distant past.

The MAC keeps having good recruiting years but it's not showing up in games. I'm beginning to think the problem might be that the league has some coaches who can recruit but are not very good at game preparation.

I'm getting sick of this underachieving trend. Ohio contributed to it by laying an egg vs. Oakland. Tonight, the Bobcats have a chance to make some noise against a pretty good Valpo program.

giacomo
General User

Member Since: 11/20/2007
Post Count: 2,734

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/23/2010 11:22:34 AM

There were some earlier posts before the season where some thought we might be a "top 30" team by the time we played Kansas. It won't happen and the MAC's OOC schedule has much to do with it. It's mediocre and then they go 18-25 on top of it. The MAC is not highly regarded and won't be until teams start beating someone above their level, like Miami had a chance to do at home.

OUVan
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Bethesda, MD
Post Count: 5,580

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/23/2010 11:32:35 AM

I really feel that the league may be turrning a corner but it's just not happening as quickly as we would like. Teams in the West like Ball State, Central and Western all could be good this year. Both Western and Central look better than their records would indicate. And after re-reading my original post it came across a lot more negative than I had intended.

Andrew Ruck
General User

Member Since: 12/22/2004
Location: Columbus, OH
Post Count: 5,233

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/23/2010 12:00:07 PM

giacomo wrote:

There were some earlier posts before the season where some thought we might be a "top 30" team by the time we played Kansas.

There were also some posts where some completely misread and then mis-quoted now THREE times, turning a statement along the lines of "Since we are now 43rd, IF we protect home court and when the games we are supposed to win, we COULD be INTO the 30s" into "We will definitely be ranked in the top 30."

Andrew Ruck
B.B.A. 2003

Ohio69
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 3,062

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/23/2010 12:21:09 PM

MAC teams appear small to me. At every position. 6'7 power forwards and 6'0 guards. Its asking a lot to consistently do damage against the bigger conferences with those types of lineups. The MAC still has a long way to go.

Can somebody hit a pull up jumper for me?.....

Jeff McKinney
Moderator

Member Since: 11/12/2004
Post Count: 6,155

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/23/2010 2:04:40 PM

Agree with OUVan that on paper, there are some good teams in this league...but so far it's not translating into wins. For example, Central is supposed to contend for a MAC title this year but they can't seem to close to deal in close games against average competition like Hawaii and South Alabama.

Hopefully, these teams will gel fast enough to get the MAC some decent OOC wins before January, so that our conference RPI and Sagarin ratings will be somewhat respectable. If these teams gel after Jan. 1, it won't help the MAC in the computer ratings.

crackerbaby00
General User

Member Since: 3/8/2007
Post Count: 442

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/23/2010 5:18:51 PM

Ohio69 wrote:

Sure, there are some teams around the country that have larger players at every position, but I dont think 6'7 PFs and 6'0 guards are that abnormal in college basketball. UMD is starting Dino Gregory at PF, who is only 6'7. Clemson has two guys who play PF/C that are only 6'8. Michigan St went to the Final 4 two years ago with a guy playing significant minutes at the 4 who is only 6'6 and two guards that are right around 6'0-6'1 (And a backup that is 5'11). WVU regularly plays a number of guys in the front court that are 6'7 or under.

I would say that the bigger difference between the MAC and the top conferences is that speed/quickness that the rosters have from top to bottom. Yes, we have had some players that were quick for their position, but Groce is really starting to infuse the entire roster with players with that type of quickness. DJ, Kellogg, Johnson, Hall, Baltic are the beginning of this influx, which looks to be continuing next year with the 5 players that will be joining the team (including the 2 transfers currently practicing with the team).

Ted Thompson
Administrator

Member Since: 11/11/2004
Location: MAC Play
Post Count: 7,723

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/23/2010 11:09:50 PM

MAC gets a 4-0 night with 2 wins against the Horizon. Wright St. rallied to beat Oakland tonight.

Follow Ohio Football recruiting on the BobcatAttack.com football recruiting database.

flyguy51
General User

Member Since: 3/7/2005
Post Count: 16

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/23/2010 11:21:44 PM

OUVan wrote:

Iona is probably the best team the four have beaten.

Yeah, except Bryant beat them also.

TWT
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Alexandria, VA
Post Count: 5,208

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/24/2010 1:16:37 AM

Jeff McKinney wrote:

Ask not what the MAC can do for Ohio, ask what Ohio can do for the MAC. Its dreaming at this point if we ever believe the MAC West schools are going to produce at-large resumes. They have never been on the level of the East as a unit. The only way the MAC is going to become a 2 bid conference is if a few of the MAC East schools go out and make a financial committment to big time basketball. Build basketball practice facilities and hire million dollar coaches. IMO, Ohio should go out and spend the 10 million or what ever on a basketball practice facility that includes locker rooms for Olympic sports. Its a far cheaper idea than the Indoor Practice Facility for football and better return on investment. I like the level where our football program is with Frank taking things up a notch but honestly the level of investment required is too high for a small market school.

Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Miami @ Peden front of 25,086

bigtillyoopsupsideurhead
General User

Member Since: 12/1/2006
Location: Cincinnati
Post Count: 1,926

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/24/2010 11:09:23 AM

The MAC went 4-0 yesterday, including solid wins by Buffalo and Western Mich both on the road.

The MAC is now 22-25 overall.

John C. Wanamaker
General User

Member Since: 1/2/2005
Post Count: 1,103

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/24/2010 12:08:41 PM

Saw the MAC breakdown yesterday in the game notes, have you noticed who are 22 wins are against though? It is a real who's who in nobody basketball.

"Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half."

oubobcatjohn
General User

Member Since: 1/1/2005
Post Count: 825

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/26/2010 3:17:13 PM

Here is my take so far.
Kent State looks tough with Green inside and they hit the glass really well. They are not a great 3pt shooting team(Holt struggling big) and that might make them probe to scoring troubles in MAC when coach game plan around Green.

Akron- They have some size in the frontcourt with Marshall and Cintinovic inside getting points and rebounds. Outside they got proven 3 pt shooters in McClanahan and Mcknees. They got depth too. Can they defend a real good point guard. CSU lit them up and that may be their weakness.

Miami- They rely on Winbush a lot for his 3 point shooting. They live and die with the three. Mavunga is very up and down. This team is very inconsistent from game to game. Not impressive results so far. They aren't as good as the team top MAC east teams.

Buffalo- They have a point guard putting up DJ Cooper type numbers.streaky shooting team but the have lots of assists and they are monsters on the glass and lots of blocked shots. This team is dangerous as they play very hard. They play a lot of bodies. So far they have been better than expected

Bowling Green- Terrible team. They got blown out by 36 at home to a mid level A-10 team Duquene. They lost to Howard who lost big to Deleware if you want an example of how bad they are. The are looking like a huge favorite to be the 11th seed in the MAC

Ball State- Almost beat St Johns in Alaska. This team is very talented and a legit MAC title contender. They might be the MAC's best team.

Central Michigan- Zieglar is as good as the hype. He can score a lot. They are a threat to challange Ball State in the west. They could get 4 or 5 seed this year.

Northern Illinois- They got Silas who is a big time score, but they turnover it over a lot and that will doom them to mediocrity

Eastern Michigan- They got Bowdry who could be a contender for MAC player of the years. Pesky team that could be around .500 in the MAC.

Western Michigan- This team isn't great on paper but they have enough to surpise.

Toledo- One of the worst teams in country. 25 losses atleast for the Rockets. They would have trouble against the SWAC they are that bad.

bigtillyoopsupsideurhead
General User

Member Since: 12/1/2006
Location: Cincinnati
Post Count: 1,926

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/27/2010 9:43:22 PM

oubobcatjohn wrote:

Ball State- Almost beat St Johns in Alaska. This team is very talented and a legit MAC title contender. They might be the MAC's best team.

They got crushed by Division II Alaska-Anchorage today. You might have to rethink the MAC title contender theory.

oubobcatjohn
General User

Member Since: 1/1/2005
Post Count: 825

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/27/2010 9:52:04 PM

Ball State should start looking for a new coach. They have a talented team. They blew the MAC west with a three game lead, then got bounced by Ohio in the first round. Today a loss to Alaska Anchorage. The MAC RPI has been down the last 10 years and its EMU, Toledo and Ball State who have seen their once decent programs fall off a cliff.

Ohio69
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 3,062

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/28/2010 9:18:29 PM

crackerbaby00 wrote:

I would say that the bigger difference between the MAC and the top conferences is that speed/quickness that the rosters have from top to bottom. Yes, we have had some players that were quick for their position, but Groce is really starting to infuse the entire roster with players with that type of quickness. DJ, Kellogg, Johnson, Hall, Baltic are the beginning of this influx, which looks to be continuing next year with the 5 players that will be joining the team (including the 2 transfers currently practicing with the team).

Good points. I don't know. Maybe I'm just stuck on size. I see some of the other mid majors on TV like Wichita State and others and they seem to have the big dudes with quickness. Even Oakland had several at least average-ability ones. I want some. Are you listening Santa? I've been good. Honest.

The MAC west sure looks like a mess again. And that Ball State loss to Anchorage is a real head scratcher. Wonder what our Indiana posters think of that?

Last Edited: 11/28/2010 9:19:55 PM by Ohio69

Can somebody hit a pull up jumper for me?.....

tiptondevilcat
General User

Member Since: 11/1/2010
Post Count: 65

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/28/2010 10:05:32 PM

Billy Taylor is on the right path. He is getting his players in and has had some problems with getting a point guard to stick. Seems like the last few have been shy on grades. He lost a pretty good assistant to MTSU because of it but that did not stem the tide as they lost a couple more since then.

What's up with the fellow up above who is calling for Taylor's job? He is a great find and the perfect guy to pick up Ronnie Thompson's Mess. If we had Zach Hahn, Tommy Freeman and Ben Botts off the list of 33 great shooters we would have been a lot better. RT did not even take a look at any of them.

JSF
General User

Member Since: 1/29/2005
Location: Houston, TX
Post Count: 6,554

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/28/2010 10:35:26 PM

MAC title contenders to needing a new cold? John strikes again.

"Loyalty to a hometown or city is fleeting and interchangeable, but college is a stamp of identity."- Kyle Whelliston, One Beautiful Season.

My blog about depression and mental illness: https://bit.ly/3buGXH8

Jeff McKinney
Moderator

Member Since: 11/12/2004
Post Count: 6,155

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/29/2010 5:47:01 PM

I always try to avoid colds.

JSF
General User

Member Since: 1/29/2005
Location: Houston, TX
Post Count: 6,554

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Season So Far

Posted: 11/29/2010 10:29:19 PM

I'm an idiot.

Showing Replies:	1 - 21 of 21 Posts
Jump to Page:	1

View Other 'Ohio Basketball' Topics

There are 336 Active Visitors on BobcatAttack.com

336 Guests
0 Registered Users

There are no other users looking at this page.