Small MAC write-up in the Sporting News

UK Peregrine · Post by **UK Peregrine** » 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."

BGSU33 · Post by **BGSU33** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 2:59 pm

Thanks for the update. After suffering through the NCAA snubbings in 1997, 2000 and 2002, I won't ever again believe BG will have a shot at an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. Some other teams, yes, but BG, no. In my eyes anymore, it's win the MAC Tournament (which we've never done before) or off to the NIT (and on the road, we never host). Until something changes and makes me think it could happen, I'm sticking to this because I am so tired of getting my hopes up, only to have them crushed. I felt so bad for the three teams I mentioned above, they were very good teams and some, if not all of them, "deserved" to go to the NCAA Tournament in those years.

Metz · Post by **Metz** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 3:51 pm

"The league that brought you Wally Szczerbiak, Gary Trent, Bonzi Wells and Chris Kaman"

They definitely left out someone who is better than Gary Trent and Chris Kaman!

UK Peregrine · Post by **UK Peregrine** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 3:57 pm

McMetz811 wrote:"The league that brought you Wally Szczerbiak, Gary Trent, Bonzi Wells and Chris Kaman"

They definitely left out someone who is better than Gary Trent and Chris Kaman!

Didn't even catch that. They sure did leave out one.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 3:59 pm

UK Peregrine Fan wrote:
McMetz811 wrote:"The league that brought you Wally Szczerbiak, Gary Trent, Bonzi Wells and Chris Kaman"

They definitely left out someone who is better than Gary Trent and Chris Kaman!

Didn't even catch that. They sure did leave out one.

No crap. I cannot believe they'd snub Earl Boykins like that!

BGSU33 · Post by **BGSU33** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 11:10 pm

If the BG teams of 1997, 2000 and 2002 went to the NCAA Tournament, they'd be talking about Antonio Daniels, Anthony Stacey and Keith McLeod. NCAA Tournament's get you national attention, the NIT gets regional attention.

UK Peregrine · Post by **UK Peregrine** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 8:48 am

BGSU33 wrote:If the BG teams of 1997, 2000 and 2002 went to the NCAA Tournament, they'd be talking about Antonio Daniels, Anthony Stacey and Keith McLeod. NCAA Tournament's get you national attention, the NIT gets regional attention.

Sure the tourney helps, but I think AD is probably as recognized or more than Gary Trent in terms of NBA success.

BGSU33 · Post by **BGSU33** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 10:41 am

NBA success, I agree Daniels is more known than Trent, but in college, Trent didn't get the nickname Shaq of the MAC for nothing. A lot of people don't even know AD was a lottery pick. If BG would have played in the NCAA Tournament, he wouldn't have been such a mystery pick to so many people....and maybe they would have known BG was in Ohio and not Kentucky.

UK Peregrine · Post by **UK Peregrine** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 10:45 am

BGSU33 wrote:NBA success, I agree Daniels is more known than Trent, but in college, Trent didn't get the nickname Shaq of the MAC for nothing. A lot of people don't even know AD was a lottery pick. If BG would have played in the NCAA Tournament, he wouldn't have been such a mystery pick to so many people....and maybe they would have know BG was in Ohio and not Kentucky.

Touche.