2020-2021 Preseason Poll

[mbenecke]

The Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook has released their preseason MAC predictions:

1. Bowling Green
2. Akron
3. Ball State
4. Toledo
5. Ohio
6. Kent State
7. Buffalo
8. Northern Illinois
9. Miami
10. Eastern Michigan
11. Central Michigan
12. Western Michigan

All-Conference Team:
Jayvon Graves - Buffalo
Loren Christian Jackson Akron
Marreon Jackson, Toledo
Jason Preston, Ohio
Justin Turner, Bowling Green

High expectations this year, folks. Here's hoping we live up to them and break that damn 52-year drought.

[BleedOrange]

Akron lost a lot in its senior class, as did Toledo.

I expect Ohio to be the 2nd best team in the MAC.

I also expect WMU to be a decent team.

I don't see any really bad teams in this conference. Nobody should end up with an RPI south of 200.

[mbenecke]

In the Coaches Poll, just released this morning:

1. Bowling Green (8) - 132
2. Ohio (1) - 117
3. Akron (2) - 115
4. Buffalo - 109
5. Ball State - 104
6. Toledo (1) - 93
7. Kent State - 65
8. Eastern Michigan - 57
9. Miami - 48
10. Northern Illinois - 43
11. Central Michigan - 40
12. Western Michigan - 13

Tournament Champions: Bowling Green (4), Akron (2), Ball State (1), Buffalo (1), Eastern Michigan (1), Kent State (1), Miami (1), Toledo (1)

First Team All-MAC
Jayvon Graves, Buffalo
Loren Christian Jackson, Akron
Marreon Jackson, Toledo
Jason Preston, Ohio
Justin Turner, Bowling Green

Second Team All-MAC
Ishmael El-Amin, Ball State
Josh Mballa, Buffalo
Danny Pippen, Kent State
Ben Vander Plas, Ohio
Daeqwon Plowden, Bowling Green

[BillyLP]

Plowden definitely has first team capability. I hope he takes the second team pick as motivation.

[BGSU33]

In the Coaches Poll, just released this morning:

1. Bowling Green (8) - 132
2. Ohio (1) - 117
3. Akron (2) - 115
4. Buffalo - 109
5. Ball State - 104
6. Toledo (1) - 93
7. Kent State - 65
8. Eastern Michigan - 57
9. Miami - 48
10. Northern Illinois - 43
11. Central Michigan - 40
12. Western Michigan - 13

Tournament Champions: Bowling Green (4), Akron (2), Ball State (1), Buffalo (1), Eastern Michigan (1), Kent State (1), Miami (1), Toledo (1)

First Team All-MAC
Jayvon Graves, Buffalo
Loren Christian Jackson, Akron
Marreon Jackson, Toledo
Jason Preston, Ohio
Justin Turner, Bowling Green

Second Team All-MAC
Ishmael El-Amin, Ball State
Josh Mballa, Buffalo
Danny Pippen, Kent State
Ben Vander Plas, Ohio
Daeqwon Plowden, Bowling Green

I see all this amazingly great preseason info for BG and I get extremely excited. But then the reality of the situation starts to set in and all I can think about is, how will this not work out this year for BG, again. I fully understand it's a very negative way to look at it, and God do I hope I'm wrong and BG finally wins a MAC Tournament and can go dancing. But after decades of heartache and upsets and falling short, and now Covid added to the mix, it's truly going to take a minor miracle to see this program do what every other MAC school has done at least once and some have done a number of times and a feat BG has never done once - win the MAC Tournament. In all honestly, if it doesn't happen again with this team - a team picked to do it again, it really may never occur in many of our lifetimes. If that sounds like a huge exaggeration, then take a good look at the record books. BG has never won the MAC Tournament in its 40+ years of existence, and BG hasn't made the NCAA's since 1968. It's not an exaggerated statement. Please, for the love of God, can we finally cut down the nets in Cleveland and win this damn thing,...

[Falconwriter]

In the Coaches Poll, just released this morning:

1. Bowling Green (8) - 132
2. Ohio (1) - 117
3. Akron (2) - 115
4. Buffalo - 109
5. Ball State - 104
6. Toledo (1) - 93
7. Kent State - 65
8. Eastern Michigan - 57
9. Miami - 48
10. Northern Illinois - 43
11. Central Michigan - 40
12. Western Michigan - 13

Tournament Champions: Bowling Green (4), Akron (2), Ball State (1), Buffalo (1), Eastern Michigan (1), Kent State (1), Miami (1), Toledo (1)

First Team All-MAC
Jayvon Graves, Buffalo
Loren Christian Jackson, Akron
Marreon Jackson, Toledo
Jason Preston, Ohio
Justin Turner, Bowling Green

Second Team All-MAC
Ishmael El-Amin, Ball State
Josh Mballa, Buffalo
Danny Pippen, Kent State
Ben Vander Plas, Ohio
Daeqwon Plowden, Bowling Green

I see all this amazingly great preseason info for BG and I get extremely excited. But then the reality of the situation starts to set in and all I can think about is, how will this not work out this year for BG, again. I fully understand it's a very negative way to look at it, and God do I hope I'm wrong and BG finally wins a MAC Tournament and can go dancing. But after decades of heartache and upsets and falling short, and now Covid added to the mix, it's truly going to take a minor miracle to see this program do what every other MAC school has done at least once and some have done a number of times and a feat BG has never done once - win the MAC Tournament. In all honestly, if it doesn't happen again with this team - a team picked to do it again, it really may never occur in many of our lifetimes. If that sounds like a huge exaggeration, then take a good look at the record books. BG has never won the MAC Tournament in its 40+ years of existence, and BG hasn't made the NCAA's since 1968. It's not an exaggerated statement. Please, for the love of God, can we finally cut down the nets in Cleveland and win this damn thing,...

I get the angst. We all do. And this team has the talent to win everything in the league, and should. But anything can happen, and often does. I hate the non-NCAA tourney streak as much as anyone, and I blame the damn greed of having league tournaments to decide the representative. I've always believed the regular season winner should go. Period. I will never change my mind on that one. Getting hot in a short tourney is very different from being good for months during a regular season. In any event...here's hoping it comes to an end this season.

[BGSU33]

In the Coaches Poll, just released this morning:

1. Bowling Green (8) - 132
2. Ohio (1) - 117
3. Akron (2) - 115
4. Buffalo - 109
5. Ball State - 104
6. Toledo (1) - 93
7. Kent State - 65
8. Eastern Michigan - 57
9. Miami - 48
10. Northern Illinois - 43
11. Central Michigan - 40
12. Western Michigan - 13

Tournament Champions: Bowling Green (4), Akron (2), Ball State (1), Buffalo (1), Eastern Michigan (1), Kent State (1), Miami (1), Toledo (1)

First Team All-MAC
Jayvon Graves, Buffalo
Loren Christian Jackson, Akron
Marreon Jackson, Toledo
Jason Preston, Ohio
Justin Turner, Bowling Green

Second Team All-MAC
Ishmael El-Amin, Ball State
Josh Mballa, Buffalo
Danny Pippen, Kent State
Ben Vander Plas, Ohio
Daeqwon Plowden, Bowling Green

I see all this amazingly great preseason info for BG and I get extremely excited. But then the reality of the situation starts to set in and all I can think about is, how will this not work out this year for BG, again. I fully understand it's a very negative way to look at it, and God do I hope I'm wrong and BG finally wins a MAC Tournament and can go dancing. But after decades of heartache and upsets and falling short, and now Covid added to the mix, it's truly going to take a minor miracle to see this program do what every other MAC school has done at least once and some have done a number of times and a feat BG has never done once - win the MAC Tournament. In all honestly, if it doesn't happen again with this team - a team picked to do it again, it really may never occur in many of our lifetimes. If that sounds like a huge exaggeration, then take a good look at the record books. BG has never won the MAC Tournament in its 40+ years of existence, and BG hasn't made the NCAA's since 1968. It's not an exaggerated statement. Please, for the love of God, can we finally cut down the nets in Cleveland and win this damn thing,...

I get the angst. We all do. And this team has the talent to win everything in the league, and should. But anything can happen, and often does. I hate the non-NCAA tourney streak as much as anyone, and I blame the damn greed of having league tournaments to decide the representative. I've always believed the regular season winner should go. Period. I will never change my mind on that one. Getting hot in a short tourney is very different from being good for months during a regular season. In any event...here's hoping it comes to an end this season.

Bump. This is EXACTLY what I was talking about back then. I’ve seen this show before, time and time again. You need to win THREE games in Cleveland to become a MAC Champion. This team can even win one game on its home floor. And by the way, I agree with you, I’d rather it be the regular season champion too. If nothing else simply because BG can’t win the MAC Tournament.