Small MAC write-up in the Sporting News
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2004 10:50 am
The article is largely about the MVC possibly receiving multiple NCAA tourney bids, but also talks about the MAC. Here's the MAC section from the article and the link to the entire article. http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3280828
The league that brought you Wally Szczerbiak, Gary Trent, Bonzi Wells and Chris Kaman has not been presented an at-large tournament bid since 1999. That's partly because the league's best teams have been fairly successful at following up regular-season titles with conference tournament wins. It's mostly because the MAC cannibalizes itself.
In 2002-03, every MAC team but one earned at least seven conference victories. The year before, only three teams failed to reach that number. In the MAC, because league members have similar levels of commitment and resources, it is difficult to go on the road and expect to return with a victory.
Dan Dakich coached Bowling Green to a 23-8 record in 2001-02 that included an opening win over an NCAA-bound Mississippi team, but managed just a 12-6 league record. Three of BGSU's losses were to a Kent State squad that wound up in the Elite Eight. That same year, Ball State beat both Kansas and UCLA in the Maui Invitational but went 12-6 in the MAC. Neither team joined Kent in the NCAAs.
"Once you lose that fifth game in our league, it's hard to get there," Dakich said. He advocates the MAC moving to a 16-game league schedule next season -- when Marshall's departure leaves 12 members in place -- and lessening the opportunity for teams to beat up on each other. "They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."
The league that brought you Wally Szczerbiak, Gary Trent, Bonzi Wells and Chris Kaman has not been presented an at-large tournament bid since 1999. That's partly because the league's best teams have been fairly successful at following up regular-season titles with conference tournament wins. It's mostly because the MAC cannibalizes itself.
In 2002-03, every MAC team but one earned at least seven conference victories. The year before, only three teams failed to reach that number. In the MAC, because league members have similar levels of commitment and resources, it is difficult to go on the road and expect to return with a victory.
Dan Dakich coached Bowling Green to a 23-8 record in 2001-02 that included an opening win over an NCAA-bound Mississippi team, but managed just a 12-6 league record. Three of BGSU's losses were to a Kent State squad that wound up in the Elite Eight. That same year, Ball State beat both Kansas and UCLA in the Maui Invitational but went 12-6 in the MAC. Neither team joined Kent in the NCAAs.
"Once you lose that fifth game in our league, it's hard to get there," Dakich said. He advocates the MAC moving to a 16-game league schedule next season -- when Marshall's departure leaves 12 members in place -- and lessening the opportunity for teams to beat up on each other. "They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."
