College Basketball Preview - Mid-American Conference

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

10/30/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - OUTLOOK: The Akron Zips and Kent State Golden Flashes battled for the East Division last season, while the Toledo Rockets ran away with the West Division, but none of those three teams captured the Conference Tournament title. The winner was in fact the Miami-Ohio RedHawks, who finished last year with a mediocre 18-15 ledger to go along with a 10-6 mark in league play. Repeating for the tournament title will be tough for the RedHawks, especially playing in the same division as Akron and KSU. As for the Zips, they collected a school-best 26 victories last season and also finished with a 13-3 league mark, but because of a last second loss to Miami-Ohio in the tournament championship, along with a very soft schedule, the Zips were not invited to the Big Dance. Although the Zips have lost last season's MAC Player of the Year, the team is still very strong and should once again compete for the league title. However, Akron will have to outlast the Golden Flashes and that will be a tough task. KSU finished last year with a 21-11 mark and a 12-4 conference record, and a similar outcome is definitely in the cards for the Flashes this campaign thanks to the return of four starters, as well as a strong recruiting class. Not to be overlooked are the Bobcats of Ohio, as the team returns three starters, and possesses possibly the best frontcourt in the league. Unfortunately, Buffalo and Bowling Green will have a tough time winning many games in the East Division. As mentioned before, the West Division was dominated by the Rockets last season, but that might not be the case this time around. Toledo has lost three key starters, and although the recruiting class is solid, expect the Rockets to take a step back this year. The frontrunner for this division looks to be the Western Michigan Broncos, mainly because the team returns the majority of its roster, including all five starters from last season when the team posted a 16-16 overall record, along with a 9-7 mark in conference action. However expect the Chippewas of Central Michigan to have a say in the winner of the West Division. The Chippewas were only 7-9 in league action a year ago, but the team possesses a possible Player of the Year candidate, along with the one of the top recruiting classes in the conference. Unfortunately, the Eastern Michigan Eagles, Northern Illinois Huskies and Ball State Cardinals will spend the season trying to stay out of the basement in the division.

CONFERENCE CHAMPION: Central Michigan

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH: EAST DIVISION: 1. Kent State, 2. Akron, 3. Ohio, 4. Miami-Ohio, 5. Buffalo, 6. Bowling Green. WEST DIVISION: 1. Central Michigan, 2. Western Michigan, 3. Toledo, 4. Ball State, 5. Eastern Michigan, 6. Northern Illinois.

TEAM BY TEAM ANALYSIS:

EAST DIVISION:

KENT STATE: The Golden Flashes pride themselves on stingy defensive play, and that has helped the team post nine consecutive 20-win seasons. Last year the Flashes surrendered only 62.4 ppg, while forcing an impressive 16.6 turnovers per contest. Once again the defense for KSU should be solid, but offensively is where the team has plenty of questions. Two of the top scorers from 2006-07 are gone, leaving the squad without a double-digit point producer. The main weapon for Kent State will be Haminn Quaintance, who was a nightmare for opponents last season. The 6-7 forward was a key reserve for the Golden Flashes last season, averaging 8.2 ppg to go along with 5.3 rpg. Quaintance also led the squad with 48 blocks and 50 steals. The leading returning scorer for the Flashes is senior Mike Scott (9.4 ppg), but he is much more valuable for his play on the boards, as the forward paced the team a year ago with 6.4 rpg. Two key additions this season with be transfer swingman, Rashad Woods, from DePaul and 7-0 center Gabe Garcia, who is a native of Brazil. Both players should instantly contribute and give KSU a bigger presence down low.

AKRON: The Zips are coming off a year in which the team posted a school- record 26 wins. However, a soft schedule left the team out of postseason play. The team returns three starters, including MAC Player of the Year candidate Jeremiah Wood, as the Zips will try to push their way into postseason play in 2007-08. Wood is clearly the anchor of this frontcourt, as the 6-6 forward tallied 10.3 ppg, while also collecting a team-best 7.8 rpg. Quade Milum and Nate Linhart will also join Wood in the paint, giving the Zips a devastating frontcourt. The loss of point guard Dru Joyce will surely hurt, but the Zips possess a solid backcourt tandem in Cedrick Middleton and Nick Dials. Both players are excellent from behind the arc, as Middleton netted 39.4 percent from long range, while Dials posted a 43.2 three-point shooting percentage. In a reserve role, Middleton averaged an impressive 11.1 ppg, while Dials will return to his starting spot where he contributed 9.9 ppg.

OHIO: The Bobcats are a very dangerous team with three solid starters returning to the mix. The frontcourt for Ohio could possibly be the best in the MAC, as the duo of Jerome Tillman and Leon Williams will cause plenty of problems for opponents. The two forwards were the top two performers for Ohio last year, as Tillman tallied 14.6 ppg to go along with 8.2 rpg, while Williams posted 14.4 ppg and also collected 8.8 rpg. With the addition of Murray State transfer Justin Orr, this will be an extremely difficult frontcourt for any opponent. Sharp shooting Bubba Walther will be a staple for the Bobcats this season, as the guard connected on 74 three-point shots. The main issue for this squad will be at point guard, where the team will need to find a replacement for Sonny Troutman. As of now, junior college transfer Mike Allen looks to be the top option for Ohio, as the guard is a tremendous floor general who can also play suffocating defense. Incoming freshman Tommy Freeman and three-point shooter Bert Whittington will also find plenty of time on the court this season.

MIAMI-OHIO: The RedHawks' run to the NCAA Tournament was based solely on the play of the team at the defensive end of the floor. Miami-Ohio held the opposition to just 57.4 ppg a year ago and for the RedHawks to return to the Big Dance the team must duplicate that effort. The leader of this group is without question forward Tim Pollitz. The 6-6 senior has dominated down low for Miami, and is coming off a terrific season in which he posted 16.1 ppg to go along with 5.6 rpg. While Pollitz is the anchor for the RedHawks, swingman Michael Bramos is clearly the sparkplug for Miami. Bramos tallied 11.2 ppg last season, but it is his defensive play that makes him valuable, as the junior led the squad with 41 blocks and 46 steals. Alex Moosmann, who struggled last year as a freshman, will get another chance to prove his worth, but this time the guard will have much more help thanks to incoming juco transfer Kenny Hayes and also freshman Rodney Haddix.

BUFFALO: The Bulls have always relied heavily on their strong frontcourt presence, but the departure of Yassin Idbihi and Parnell Smith leaves coach Reggie Witherspoon with plenty of questions. Replacing Idbihi, possibly the best big man to ever play at Buffalo, will be virtually impossible. Looking to take on that task will likely be Vadim Fedotov. The 6-9 junior only averaged 3.3 ppg a year ago and will have to improve drastically if he plans on anchoring the frontcourt. Also slated to find time in the frontcourt is Kambi Laleye, who only posted 1.1 ppg last season. However, he has the most upside out of a bunch of mediocre players. Fortunately Witherspoon does not have a problem figuring out the team's floor general, as the honor will undoubtedly go to Byron Mulkey. Mulkey walked on to the team as a freshman a year ago and proceeded to average 9.3 ppg and 4.5 rpg. Andy Robinson, who produced 10.3 ppg in '06-07, will be Mulkey's running mate. However, the bottom line for this group is the frontcourt play. If the Bulls cannot produce down low, it will be a long season in Buffalo.

BOWLING GREEN: New head coach Louis Orr has a tough task ahead of him, as he will have to bring the Falcons back to the top of the MAC, and without the team's leading scorer from a year ago. Martin Samarco, who averaged 19.5 ppg last season, is gone, but the team does return players such as Ryne Hamblet and Nate Miller. Hamblet is clearly the top guard for BGSU this year, as the 6-6 senior posted 10.4 ppg to go along with a team-best 125 assists. Unfortunately there is not much else in the backcourt for BGSU, as the team will likely go with Brian Moten. The frontcourt has much more depth, beginning with Miller, who was a monster in the paint last season, posting 14.1 ppg to go along with 7.7 rpg. Teaming up with Miller will be Erik Marschall and Otis Polk. Marschall is a big forward, who can easily average a double-double if he can stay on the court and avoid injuries. As for Polk, he did very little last season, but the 6-9 sophomore will certainly get a chance to shine this time around.

WEST DIVISION

CENTRAL MICHIGAN: Coming off a losing season in his first year on the sideline for CMU, head coach Ernie Zeigler has the Chippewas primed to take the crown in the MAC. Leading the way for this squad will be Giordan Watson, a prototypical guard with a strong shot along with an ability to drive the lane. Watson averaged 18.8 ppg last season and also led the squad with 129 assists and 51 steals. As of now, Jordan Bitzer will be the other guard for CMU, as the sophomore is coming off a 7.4 ppg performance. However, Bitzer could lose time to incoming freshman Chase Simon, who was a high school phenom. The frontcourt is not as solid, mainly because a few players are coming off injury-riddled seasons. Chris Kellermann only played 19 games last season, averaging just 8.8 ppg and 3.2 rpg. Expect those numbers to rise, especially if he can play a full season. The biggest weapon on the baseline for CMU will be Marko Spica, who is a tremendous power forward with plenty of scoring moves in the paint. The 6-9 sophomore is coming off a 7.1 ppg performance, but this year he has the chance to average a double-double. Another player who has a ton of offensive talent is transfer swingman Nate Minnoy. As a freshman at Purdue, the junior averaged 10.2 ppg and 5.1 rpg. Minnoy should give the Chippewas another scoring threat, especially with his quick moves and ability to drive the lane.

WESTERN MICHIGAN: The off-season was not kind to the Broncos, as three of their top players, along with the head coach all spent time in the hospital. Center Joe Reitz had to deal with an appendicitis, while Shawntes Gary and Jon Workman needed surgeries to repair hand and foot injuries, respectively. As for coach Steve Hawkins, he suffered a seizure during the summer, but just like the three previous players, he is ready to begin the season, and if the team can stay healthy the rest of the way, it will be a strong season for WMU. Everything begins with Reitz, as the center is one of the top big men in the MAC. He is coming off a 13.9 ppg and 8.6 rpg performance last season and should once again come close to averaging a double-double. Hopefully Workman can fully recover from the ankle surgery so he can give Reitz much needed help on the baseline. The combination of Shawntes Gary and David Kool give the Broncos a solid one-two punch in the backcourt. Gary posted 10.2 ppg last season and that number should increase this season, as the guard will look to drive to the basket more. As for Kool, he is the team's shooter, netting 41.9 percent of his shots from behind the arc last year. Running the show will be Michael Redell, who led the Broncos with 142 assists a year ago.

TOLEDO: The Rockets were the cream of the crop in the West Division last season, but with three starters gone, look for the team to take a step backward. Coach Stan Joplin runs a unique four-guard system and the floor general for him will once again by Kashif Payne. Payne only stands at 5-9, but the quick guard has a tremendous understanding of the game and finished last season with 4.2 apg. Juniors Jonathan Amos and Tyrone Kent will get their chance to prove their worth this season. Both players were significant last year off the bench, but now they need to step up their respective games to help Toledo repeat as MAC West champions. Replacing forward Florentino Valencia will be the biggest challenge and as of now there is no clear cut successor. Forward Jerrah Young, who is a West Virginia transfer, has impressive defensive ability, but must increase his offensive production if he wants to start in this new year.

BALL STATE: So many things went wrong for Ball State last season, on and off the court, and all those issues led to the resignation of coach Ronny Thompson. Enter Billy Taylor, former Lehigh coach, who will roam the sideline for Ball State looking to return this once proud basketball program back to the top of the MAC. However, regaining its elite status in the MAC will not happen overnight. Three starters do return, none are more important than Peyton Stovall. Before dealing with knee issues, Stovall had a tremendous sophomore season, averaging a whopping 16.7 ppg. He is a dangerous three-point shooter, but the guard needs to get over the knee problem and get back to his shooting form from two years ago. Also back for the Cardinals is forward Anthony Newell, who is coming off a solid season in which the junior averaged 11.9 ppg and a team-best 8.0 rpg. Unfortunately, coach Taylor does not have much more to work with and the six new players entering this year are all his recruits. How they work intothe system will go a long way in determining BSU's level of success in 2007-08.

EASTERN MICHIGAN: There is a lot to be positive about for the Eagles entering this new campaign. Sure, the team was just 13-19 overall last season, and only 6-10 in league play, but there is a ton of talent back for EMU. Point guard Carlos Medlock is the clear leader of this squad and was sensational for the Eagles last season before suffering a foot injury that left him on the bench for 13 games. Medlock is one of the top passing guards in the league (3.3 apg), and because of this, fellow guard Jarred Axon and swingman Jesse Bunkley should benefit greatly. Axon saw his time increase as the season progressed last year and because of his solid play he should be on the floor to begin the season. As for Bunkley, the transfer was an instant success, averaging 11.0 ppg. With this being his last season, expect big things from this dangerous 6-5 guard. The frontcourt will rest on the foot of Justin Dobbins. The forward missed some time last year with a nagging foot injury, but despite the troubles, he still finished with 5.8 ppg and 4.1 rpg. If Dobbins can remain healthy, he will certainly look to post big numbers this season.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS: Losing the top two scorers from a year ago will definitely hurt the chances of Northern Illinois trying to push towards the top of the division. However, former head coach of Colorado, Ricardo Patton, will try to get this program back in order in a timely fashion. After posting 23 losses last year (tying a school record) it is tough to imagine the Huskies going anywhere but forward. Cody Yelder is clearly the top offensive performer for NIU heading into this year, as the guard posted 9.8 ppg last season. However, he has yet to really touch his full potential because of injury issues. If the sophomore can remain healthy, expect a big year from him. Also returning is forward Ben Rand and guard Zach Pancratz. Both are tremendous defensive players, but neither are consistent offensively. Joining Rand in the frontcourt will be Shaun Logan. The 6-7 senior started almost every contest last year, and averaged 7.6 ppg and grabbed an impressive 5.5 rpg. All and all, the Huskies should collect double-figure wins, but anything higher than a .500 record is unlikely.