Ranking every college basketball team from No. 1 to 353 for 2019-20 and an interesting fact on every team
I give this guy (Matt Norlander on CBS.com) credit for one thing: he does his own work on every team in the country, makes his subjective picks and publishes them. He doesn't fall back on whatever a computer tells him. Human error! It's a good thing. Very few people will agree with anyone's pre-season rankings, but they are good fodder for talk until the season tips off.
To save everyone scrolling through all 353 teams, here are the MAC rankings.
93. Toledo: The class of the MAC's West division, it sure seems like the Rockets will win north of 20 games for a third straight season.
112. Central Michigan: Keno Davis is in his eighth season with the Chippewas. He has a score-by-committee group that could be the top overachievers in the MAC.
119. Ball State: With nearly 70% of the team's minutes returning, hopes are as high for the Cardinals as they've been in a decade or more.
124. Bowling Green: Four-team chase in the MAC, alongside Ball State, CMU and Toledo. Guard Justin Turner emerges as a top player in the league.
143. Kent State: Prototypical balanced, if undersized, MAC team that will peel off a few wins it shouldn't and could be a tourney spoiler.
154. Buffalo: The most dominant season in program history -- by far; the Bulls were 32-4 last season! -- will lead to a huge comedown as Jim Whitesell takes over for outgoing Nate Oats. Buffalo still has some dudes, but winning the MAC will be a tussle.
155. Akron: Top-three defensive team in the MAC, but there are still plenty of questions on how the team can score enough to win 20 games.
166. Northern Illinois: Senior Eugene German (averages of 20.4 points, 5.2 rebounds) is among the most undervalued players in the country because he's on a team that needs him as much as almost any other team needs any other player.
176. Miami (Ohio): Remember, RedHawks is one word. Jack Owens' crew should see a blooming season from fully healthy Isaiah Coleman-Lands.
217. Western Michigan: Subpar team that lost a lot from last season. Broncos begin the cycle anew.
230. Eastern Michigan: Two interesting EMU facts. 1) Rob Murphy is recruiting Emoni Bates, the most talented player in high school basketball (EMU is located in Bates' hometown of Ypsilanti, Michigan); and 2) Murphy just published an autobiography, "Deep." He was the only mid-major college basketball coach to do so in the offseason.
282. Ohio: Jeff Boals left Stony Brook to return home and coach his alma mater, taking over an Ohio program that is proud but the youngest team (five freshmen) in the MAC.