LWOS continues its conference previews with the 2020-21 MAC Basketball Preview. The Mid-American Conference saw a great title race between Akron and Bowling Green last season. Akron emerged on top and was primed to make a run at the conference tournament title. However, the pandemic put the sports world on hold, and with it, the Zips’ March Madness dreams. Both Akron and Bowling Green will be title contenders once more heading into 2020-21. However, other notable MAC powerhouses will have something to say about that as well.
2020-21 MAC Basketball Preview
12. Central Michigan Chippewas
Key Returners: Devontae Lane, Travon Broadway Jr., Deschon Winston
Key Losses: David DiLeo, Dallas Morgan, Kevin McKay
Key Newcomers: Braden Burke (Michigan State), Meikkel Murray (JUCO), Malik Muhammad (JUCO)
Central Michigan enters the 2020-21 season without four starters from last season. The Chippewas will look to plug those holes with junior college transfers. Burke should help as well, though he played limited minutes at Michigan State the past two seasons. There is too much roster turnover to have high expectations for this season. However, if the roster can mesh together, they may surprise a few teams by league play.
11. Northern Illinois Huskies
Key Returners: Trendon Hankerson, Darius Beane
Key Losses: Eugene German, Lacey James
Key Newcomers: Anthony Crump (Middle Tennessee State), Tavon Jones (JUCO), Adong Makuoi (JUCO)
Northern Illinois had one of its best seasons in school history last season. A lot of that success revolved around the abilities of German. He averaged 20.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game on his way to a first-team all-conference selection. Everyone that is left will have to pick up a piece of that production for NIU to have any kind of repeat performance. The Huskies will be led by their more experienced frontcourt, but a step back is likely this season.
10. Western Michigan Broncos
Key Returners: B. Artis-White, Rafael Cruz Jr., Titus Wright
Key Losses: Michael Flowers, Brandon Johnson
Key Newcomers: Greg Lee (Cal State Bakersfield), Josiah Freeman
Western Michigan’s first goal for the upcoming season is to replace the scoring that it lost in Flowers and Johnson. The duo combined for 32.2 points per game in 2019-20. Johnson was also a force in the paint, averaging 8.1 rebounds and one block per game, garnering third-team honors. The Broncos are in the midst of a youth movement after committing to Artis-White and Wright last season. They will take on bigger roles this year. Western Michigan will show some improvement, but competing for any league titles is still off in the distance.
9. Miami (OH) RedHawks
Key Returners: Dalonte Brown, Dae Dae Grant, Mekhi Lairy
Key Losses: Nike Sibande
Key Newcomers: None
Miami seems to have found a future star in Dae Dae Grant. He averaged a modest 9.3 points, three rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game in his first college season, making the all-freshman team. Expect him to continue to grow as a sophomore and be a key piece for the RedHawks. The frontcourt is the strength of this team, especially with the return of Brown. Miami is not going to turn any heads, but they should also find themselves climbing out of the league basement.
8. Kent State Golden Flashes
Key Returners: Danny Pippen
Key Losses: Antonio Williams, Troy Simmons, Anthony Roberts
Key Newcomers: Malique Jacobs (JUCO), Tekorian Smith (JUCO), Gabe O’Neal (JUCO)
Kent State took some heavy casualties, especially with Williams leaving the program. He was a second-team performer after averaging 14.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in 2019-20. Pippen will have to become the go-to guy, which he proved to be capable of at times last season. The rest of the holes are being filled by a host of junior college transfers. Expect the Golden Flashes to take a bit of a step back as they retool to compete again shortly.
7. Eastern Michigan Eagles
Key Returners: Ty Groce, Noah Morgan, Yeikson Montero
Key Losses: Boubacar Toure
Key Newcomers: James Love (Kansas State), Axel Okongo (Missouri)
Eastern Michigan is going to be much improved in 2020-21 thanks to the return of most of the roster and some key transfers. Love should take on a much bigger role than he had at Kansas State while Okongo will tower over opponents in the pain with his seven-foot frame. The Eagles will be led by a host of seniors, especially in the backcourt. That kind of formula makes Eastern Michigan a sleeper to push higher than this. However, they will have to prove they can do it, and get a middle of the pack projection for now.
6. Toledo Rockets
Key Returners: Marreon Jackson, Spencer Littleson, Keshaun Saunders
Key Losses: Luke Knapke, Willie Jackson
Key Newcomers: Charles Jones (JUCO), Seth Millner (JUCO), Jonathan Komagum (JUCO)
Toledo took some hits in the frontcourt as Knapke and Willie Jackson move on. However, the Rockets are blessed with a gifted all-around player in Marreon Jackson. He averaged 19.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.5 steals in 2019-20. Jackson should be a playmaker once again and contend for the player of the year honor. Due to those losses in the frontcourt, most of the post players this season have little to no experience at the Division I level. Marreon Jackson will keep this team in games, but they are a step behind the top tier of this league.
5. Ball State Cardinals
Key Returners: Ishmael El-Amin, Jarron Coleman
Key Losses: Tahjai Teague, Kyle Mallers
Key Newcomers: Reggie Jones (Tulsa)
Ball State was very competitive last season, and most of that team returns. The loss of Teague will sting a bit, as losing a first-team performer is always tough to overcome. However, there is plenty coming back that should be able to pick up his production. That includes senior El-Amin and rising sophomore Coleman. The biggest role that will need to be carved out with Teague’s departure is a go-to post player. However, the overall talent of the Cardinals will keep them in the mix for a potential league title.
4. Ohio Bobcats
Key Returners: Jason Preston, Ben Vander Plas, Lunden McDay
Key Losses: Jordan Dartis, Sylvester Ogbonda
Key Newcomers: Mark Sears, Rifen Miguel (JUCO)
Ohio is another team that has key returners, making them yet another team that can push for a finish at the top. It all starts with Preston, who does just about everything for this team. He averaged 16.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.4 steals last season, earning him a spot on the conference second-team. The biggest area of concern is the youth of the roster, but that could also be a strength as this team has played together for at least a full season. The Bobcats do not ever seem to be down long in the MAC, and they will be major players once again.
3. Buffalo Bulls
Key Returners: Jayvon Graves, Jeenathan Williams, Joshua Mballa
Key Losses: Davonta Jordan, Antwain Johnson
Key Newcomers: Malik Zachery (JUCO), Chanse Robinson
Buffalo was respectable in head coach Jim Whitesell’s first season at the helm. After all, it is tough to follow up the best season in school history regardless of where that is. Plenty of talent returns in year two of the Whitesell era to make the Bulls a threat once again. Graves is a player of the year candidate, averaging 17.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 2019-20. He is just one of many weapons the Bulls possess at multiple positions. The addition of highly-regarded freshman Robinson is the icing on the cake. Buffalo will be a 20-win team at a minimum in 2020-21.
2. Akron Zips
Key Returners: Loren Jackson
Key Losses: Tyler Cheese, Xeyrius Williams, Channel Banks
Key Newcomers: Bryan Trimble (St. John’s), Maishe Dailey (Iowa), Taylor Currie (JUCO)
Akron lost a lot from last year’s regular-season title team. The losses of Cheese and Williams, especially, cannot be understated. However, when you have the player of the year in Jackson back, you cannot be expected to fall that far. The additions of Trimble and Dailey will be big in terms of replacing the production that walked out of the gym. The Zips are still plenty capable of repeating for a league crown. However, they will have to prove that they can overcome the losses from last year’s team first.
1. Bowling Green Falcons
Key Returners: Justin Turner, Daeqwon Plowden
Key Losses: Dylan Frye, Tayler Mattos
Key Newcomers: None
Bowling Green fought wire to wire with Akron for the league crown in 2019-20. The Falcons split with the Zips during the regular season but faltered down the stretch. Entering 2020-21, the MAC appears to be a two-horse race again between BGSU and Akron. The backcourt is one of the most experienced in the country. That is aided by the return of Turner, who entered the transfer portal but decided to return to the Falcons. The one thing to keep an eye on is the depth behind Plowden in the paint. Still, Bowling Green is ready to stake their claim at the top of the league this season.
2020-21 MAC Basketball Preview Award Projections
Player of the Year: Loren Jackson, Akron
Jackson can look to stamp himself into the league’s history books if he can repeat. He earned this honor last season after averaging 19.8 points and 4.5 assists per game. He was also a lethal shooter from beyond the arc, averaging 42.8 percent. Jackson will have Akron competing for a title again, and a repeat of last season’s numbers at a minimum will have him in contention for this award once more.
Defensive Player of the Year: Ty Groce, Eastern Michigan
Groce became a full-time starter for the Eagles last season, allowing him to fully show his capabilities as a defender. He averaged 1.8 steals per game while also coming close to averaging a block per game. Furthermore, Groce finished in the top five in defensive rating and defensive win shares in 2019-20. Expect him to improve even more and earn the MAC’s top defensive award.
Freshman of the Year: Mark Sears, Ohio
Sears comes to the Bobcats from one of the premier prep schools in the country in Hargrave Military Academy. As a senior, he averaged 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists per game. He should find himself with a chance to be Ohio’s first choice off the bench in the backcourt. Depending on how well he plays, he could even wiggle in as a starter at times. Sears should be a key piece immediately on an Ohio team that has a MAC title in its sights.
Sixth-Man of the Year: Trey Diggs, Bowling Green
Trey Diggs played an average of 18.5 minutes per game last season, becoming a serviceable backcourt player off the bench. He averaged 7.5 points per game and was a 39.1 percent shooter from the three-point line. Diggs is the kind of shooter that can come into a game and quickly shift the game if he is on. He will be the kind of spark the Falcons will need to win a title this season.
Coach of the Year: Michael Huger, Bowling Green
Huger has been leading the Falcons since the 2015-16 season. Entering 2020-21, he is looking to have his third-straight season of at least 20 wins. Furthermore, he is trying to get the program back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1968. Huger has the team to accomplish that feat, and winning a league like the MAC is a grind, to begin with. Getting the Falcons back to the top of the league will be more than enough to get him this honor.
All-Conference First-Team Projection: Loren Jackson (Akron), Justin Turner (Bowling Green), Jayvon Graves (Buffalo), Marreon Jackson (Toledo), Jason Preston (Ohio)
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