It seems odd the committee wouldn't calculate and use NET rankings like they do for the men's game.

(02-17-2020 07:04 PM)kreed5120 Wrote:  It seems odd the committee wouldn't calculate and use NET rankings like they do for the men's game.

Yep. Usually the gap in Power conferences vs mid majors is far greater than the men so they stick with RPI system which rarely gives mid majors at larges. Even less so than the men.

It's mostly been a group of about 4 teams and no one else is close to them. The power teams in MBB with the 1 and dones have slipped way back to the mid majors in terms of talent, chemistry, and frankly good basketball.

Dayton, Gonzaga and SDSU could all be front runners to win it this year... 9 midmajors are currently ranked and the highest #2. In wbb 4 are ranked with the highest at #11.

Another reason for power schools dominating the women’s game more is that women’s teams have 15 scholarships and men 13. Those two players on the bench at Ohio State could make a big difference in Toledo or Western Michigan or wherever.

I have doubts the women’s number will ever be cut because of Title IX. maybe they could cut it and add two scholarships to track or softball.

That's surprising to hear women's hoops is more closed off to mid-majors. Typically non-revenue sports have more level playing grounds as big schools aren't plowing the same type of money into them.

It could definitely have something to do with the extra scholarships combined with the smaller talent pool. Also, the best of the best in MBB only stay a season or two. An experienced roster can make up for some of that talent gap by playing smart team basketball. WBB it seems player stay for all 4 years so not only are the players more skilled, but they also have good team chemistry and high basketball IQs.

(02-17-2020 09:57 PM)kreed5120 Wrote:  That's surprising to hear women's hoops is more closed off to mid-majors. Typically non-revenue sports have more level playing grounds as big schools aren't plowing the same type of money into them.

It could definitely have something to do with the extra scholarships combined with the smaller talent pool. Also, the best of the best in MBB only stay a season or two. An experienced roster can make up for some of that talent gap by playing smart team basketball. WBB it seems player stay for all 4 years so not only are the players more skilled, but they also have good team chemistry and high basketball IQs.

Very true.

The MAC has made huge strides to keep coaches and make it a 2 bid league. We need to keep the forward thinking and try to keep the wbb MAC a multi bid league.

I think Wbb coaches are a bit more complacent than the men and would rather see their contract thru until the end while waiting for their perfect job.

The conference has become very strong on the women's side, and there is reason to believe that will continue. The conference website lists the top 25 scorers. Seven of the 25 are seniors. Six are freshmen. Of the league's top teams, Central Michigan and Ball State are likely to improve next year. Ohio loses Amani Burke but will get the services of a transfer from Wisconsin, so the Bobcats are likely to be at least as good. (I assume that, as a general rule, returning players will improve a bit from one year to the next.) Kent State also figures to improve. The Flashes currently start two freshmen and two sophomores. Next year they add a 6'4" transfer from Indiana Univ. This year we dropped from 8th to 10th in conference RPI. Next year we should return to 7th or 8th, which probably would lead to a second bid.

I commented a couple weeks ago that Central Michigan might be overlooked for an at-large bid given that its best win was against #70 RPI South Dakota. Since that time, Dayton has moved up to #50, Ohio to #45, and Ball State to #58, giving the Chips some higher quality wins. If Central wins the rest of its regular season games, that should be enough to guarantee a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Charlie Creme of ESPN, answering a question on Twitter yesterday, said he thought Central was a lock for an at-large bid even if they lose in the tournament.

They've played so many close games. I wonder whether they can finish the regular season undefeated.

--

On next season:
-- Central has all five starters back and has a couple of very good freshmen coming in.
-- Ohio loses only one starter and gains the transfer from Wisconsin.
-- Ball State loses only one senior.
-- Kent State loses only one starter and adds the 6-4 Indiana transfer, as noted above.
-- Eastern Michigan has all of its starters back. It has no senior on its roster.

That's the current top five teams in the league.

None of the departing seniors is their team's leading scorer. Highest ranking is Amani Burke of Ohio, their third leading scorer.

(02-18-2020 02:24 PM)cschierh Wrote:  Charlie Creme of ESPN, answering a question on Twitter yesterday, said he thought Central was a lock for an at-large bid even if they lose in the tournament.

They've played so many close games. I wonder whether they can finish the regular season undefeated.

--

On next season:
-- Central has all five starters back and has a couple of very good freshmen coming in.
-- Ohio loses only one starter and gains the transfer from Wisconsin.
-- Ball State loses only one senior.
-- Kent State loses only one starter and adds the 6-4 Indiana transfer, as noted above.
-- Eastern Michigan has all of its starters back. It has no senior on its roster.

That's the current top five teams in the league.

None of the departing seniors is their team's leading scorer. Highest ranking is Amani Burke of Ohio, their third leading scorer.

Thanks for that great info. Eastern Michigan, in addition to returning everyone, will get the services of two transfers. Ce'Nara Skanes was on the all-freshman team in Conference USA, where she averaged 8 ppg and 8 rpg for Florida International. Toyosi Abiola, from Iona, was freshman of the year in the MAAC. Abiola has been on campus now for two years. The first year she sat out due to transfer, and this year she lost the season to injury. EMU has been hit hard by injuries this year, but the Eagles are still holding their own. This team will be stacked next year if they can stay healthy.

Being an avid women's fan for 10 years now, I think the freshman toledo has are the best class we've ever brought in. They aren't getting tons of minutes but with Santucci, Grad transfer Whittaker, and Rokkannen leaving three starting spots will open.

Freshman Lockett already starts. One spot for Wiard the talented 2,000 point scoring h.s. pg, and one for anyone who wins the shooting guard position in the off-season.

I predict something along these lines, and that's not with the incoming class being taken into consideration.

(sr.) Black SG
(sr.) Beachum C
(so.) Wiard PG
(so.) Lockett G
(sr.) T. Davis. G

(so.) Morgan- Elliott F
(so.) Barnes SG
(jr.) Johnson G
(sr.) Copeland PG
(so.) Curry G
(jr.) Lance F

All of these players besides Curry and Copeland play as well. Toledo hits 10/11 in rotation every night.

Does Morgan-Elliott impress you? She originally committed to Kent, and we ended up with Nila Blackford instead. Blackford has turned out to be the team's leading scorer and rebounder as a freshman.

(02-18-2020 06:33 PM)cschierh Wrote:  Does Morgan-Elliott impress you? She originally committed to Kent, and we ended up with Nila Blackford instead. Blackford has turned out to be the team's leading scorer and rebounder as a freshman.

Morgan-Elliott plays a decent number of minutes by necessity because we have no one at her position. She doesn't rebound or score much at all. 3.7 ppg and 2.0 rpg in 15.6 minutes. I'd say Blackford was a pretty good consolation prize.

(02-18-2020 06:33 PM)cschierh Wrote:  Does Morgan-Elliott impress you? She originally committed to Kent, and we ended up with Nila Blackford instead. Blackford has turned out to be the team's leading scorer and rebounder as a freshman.

I personally like her game. She's a bit slow on the feet but very good shooter, and she isn't afraid to let it go. Shooters shoot. She'll be a good player I think. She reminds me JayAnn Bravo Hariott.

(02-19-2020 10:28 AM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  

(02-18-2020 06:33 PM)cschierh Wrote:  Does Morgan-Elliott impress you? She originally committed to Kent, and we ended up with Nila Blackford instead. Blackford has turned out to be the team's leading scorer and rebounder as a freshman.

I personally like her game. She's a bit slow on the feet but very good shooter, and she isn't afraid to let it go. Shooters shoot. She'll be a good player I think. She reminds me JayAnn Bravo Hariott.

I diagnose you with a severe case of rose-colored glasses (also known as being a fan). Since she is 6-22 (27%) on three pointers, and her shot looks awkward, I'm wondering what leads you to think that Morgan-Elliot is a good shooter. Around the basket, I agree that she has nice touch. As for the comparison to Bravo-Hariott, I don't see it at all. Her freshman year, Jay-Ann averaged 10.4 points per game and shot .356 behind the arc on a Rockets team that was better than this year's version. The two players share a solid build, but Jay-Ann was quicker, and she also was a better ball-handler. In the MAC tournament, Jay-Ann scored 30 against Eastern Michigan.

(02-19-2020 01:26 PM)Dwight Wrote:  

(02-19-2020 10:28 AM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  

(02-18-2020 06:33 PM)cschierh Wrote:  Does Morgan-Elliott impress you? She originally committed to Kent, and we ended up with Nila Blackford instead. Blackford has turned out to be the team's leading scorer and rebounder as a freshman.

I personally like her game. She's a bit slow on the feet but very good shooter, and she isn't afraid to let it go. Shooters shoot. She'll be a good player I think. She reminds me JayAnn Bravo Hariott.

I diagnose you with a severe case of rose-colored glasses (also known as being a fan). Since she is 6-22 (27%) on three pointers, and her shot looks awkward, I'm wondering what leads you to think that Morgan-Elliot is a good shooter. Around the basket, I agree that she has nice touch. As for the comparison to Bravo-Hariott, I don't see it at all. Her freshman year, Jay-Ann averaged 10.4 points per game and shot .356 behind the arc on a Rockets team that was better than this year's version. The two players share a solid build, but Jay-Ann was quicker, and she also was a better ball-handler. In the MAC tournament, Jay-Ann scored 30 against Eastern Michigan.

Morgan Elliott throws it up from way downtown and her shot looks pretty smooth IMO. She is a scorer and I think that will show as her career develops. Shooting 27% as a freshman from deep in limited minutes isn't uncommon or horrible.

Updates from Wednesday's games:

Central Michigan clinched a bye at the MAC Tournament with a 71-58 win at home over Kent State. Ohio and Ball State are getting close to clinching. They're three games ahead of the pack with five games to go.

Kent State, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan are tied in the race for the fourth and final bye. Toledo is just a game behind, Akron two games.

Akron was the only team to win on the road and gain “golf” points.

Akron beat Buffalo 69-63, sending the Bulls to their sixth straight defeat. The last time Buffalo lost six in a row was 2012-13. A 7-1 run toward the end of the third quarter gave Buffalo a brief lead, but Akron finished the quarter with seven straight points, then outscored the Bulls 20-17 in the fourth quarter. Haliegh Reinoehl had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Akron; Jordan Dawson had 13 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. Theresa Onwuka had 21 points and 12 rebounds for Buffalo.

Central and KSU were tied 25-25 after the first quarter, but the Chippewas held Kent to 29% shooting the rest of the game. Freshman Molly Davis had 26 points and seven assists for CMU. Micaela Kelly had 16 and 11 rebounds. Asiah Dingle led Kent State with 16; the point guard has shot 61% over the last five games, all coming off the bench.

Western Michigan led by as many as 17 points in beating Bowling Green 69-55. Breanna Mobley had 23 points and 13 rebounds for her 16th double-double of the season. Redshirt junior guard Caterrion Thompson had a career-high 23 off the bench for BG.

Ball State ran its home MAC record to 7-0 with a 97-89 win over Northern Illinois. Oshlynn Brown had 28 points and 13 rebounds for the Cardinals, who had five players score in double figures. Courtney Brown led four players in double figures for NIU with 18 points.

Ohio went on a 28-1 run over 12 minutes in the third and fourth quarter and beat Toledo 86-58. OU’s Erica Johnson, the MAC’s leading scorer in conference games, had 31 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and four steals. Cece Hooks had 20 and fur steals. Tanaya Beachkam had 20 and 14 rebounds for Toledo.

BEST GAMES THIS SATURDAY: Ball State at Eastern Michigan. Western Michigan at Toledo.

THE "GOLF" STANDINGS

They give a team -1 for a road win (a “birdie”) and adds a point for a home loss (a “bogey.” A home win or road loss gets zero (“par”).

-6
-- Central Michigan (13-0, 20-4)

-3
-- Ball State (10-3, 18-7)
-- Ohio (10-3, 17-7)

-1
-- Kent State (7-6, 14-10)
-- Eastern Michigan (7-6, 12-12)

Even

-- Western Michigan (7-6, 14-10)
-- Toledo (6-7, 11-13)

+1
-- Akron (5-8, 12-12)

+2
-- Northern Illinois (3-9, 7-16)

+3
-- Buffalo (4-9, 13-11)
-- Miami (4-9, 11-14)

+5
-- Bowling Green (1-12, 8-17).

Do we have any Buffalo fans here who can tell us what has happened to the Bulls?

Six losses in a row for a team that once was ranked in the Mid-major Top 25!

(02-20-2020 04:22 PM)cschierh Wrote:  Do we have any Buffalo fans here who can tell us what has happened to the Bulls?

Six losses in a row for a team that once was ranked in the Mid-major Top 25!

They have a freshman in the top 5 in the country in scoring. Relying on young players without leadership can be a problem. Their coach gets more T's than I've ever seen. Too many turnovers and lack of effort plays plagued them both times vs. Toledo.

The weekend roundup:

Central Michigan beat Northern Illinois 70-66 on the road to clinch at least a share of the MAC regular season championship.

Second-place Ohio and Ball State both lost on the road and remain tied. Kent State, Western Michigan are still tied for fourth, the final position that gets a first-round bye in the MAC Tournament next month. Four games remain in the regular season.

Central won its eighth conference game by fewer than eight points to stay undefeated in the conference. The game was close most of the way. Central led by 10 with 6:12 to play, but NIU closed it to two with less than a minute to go. CMU hit five of six free throws in the last 53 seconds. Kyra Bussell had 25 for Central; Courtney Woods had 21 for Northern.

Akron won its biggest game of the season, coming from behind to beat Ohio 79-76 in Akron. A key play was a foul on Akron’s Jordyn Dawson with the scored tied and just over a minute to play. She was first charged with an offensive foul, but it was reversed on review. Dawson had 20 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Cierra Hooks had a school-record 41 points for Ohio.

Eastern Michigan beat Ball State 61-58, icing the game with two last-minute steals. Areanna Combs had 15 points and nine rebounds for Eastern; sophomore Juanita Agosto had nine points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Freshman guard Sydney Freeman led Ball State with 14 points.

Buffalo broke its six-game losing streak, its longest since 2012-13, with a 62-56 win at last-place Bowling Green. With 29 seconds to go, Buffalo leading by two and Ball State with the ball, sophomore guard Aireal Dickson stole the ball and fed Dyaisha Fair for a layup that clinched the game. Fair had 21 points for Buffalo. Madisen Parker had 14 for BG.

Western Michigan won its fourth straight game by beating Toledo 70-58 in Toledo. It was Western’s first victory in Toledo in six years. Sophomore guard Jordan Walker had 21 points and five steals for Western. Freshman guard Sydney Shafer had a career-high 17 points off the bench. Freshman guard Quinesha Lockett had 17 points to lead Toledo.

Kent State beat Miami 80-75 behind senior Megan Carter's first double-double. She had 21 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday Day. Like most teams, KSU started all of its seniors. But one was Ali Poole, who's three weeks off of ACL surgery. Miami sent 5-3 Lauren Dickerson to the jump ball, KSU senior Sydney Brinlee tapped it to Carter to passed it to Poole standing in front of the KSU bench wearing a heavy knee brace. Poole handed the ball to coach Todd Starkey out of bounds.

BEST GAMES THIS SATURDAY: Western Michigan at Central Michigan. Toledo at Ball State. Akron at Kent State.

THE "GOLF" STANDINGS

They give a team -1 for a road win (a “birdie”) and adds a point for a home loss (a “bogey.” A home win or road loss gets zero (“par”).

-7
-- Central Michigan (14-0, 21-4)

-3
-- Ball State (10-4, 18-8)
-- Ohio (10-4, 17-8)

-1
-- Kent State (8-6, 15-10)
-- Western Michigan (8-6, 15-10)
-- Eastern Michigan (8-6, 13-12)

+1
-- Akron (6-8, 13-12)
-- Toledo (6-8, 11-14)

+2
-- Buffalo (5-9, 14-11)

+3
-- Miami (4-10, 11-14)
-- Northern Illinois (3-10, 7-17)

+6
-- Bowling Green (1-13, 8-18).

Regular MAC standings are at
http://www.espn.com/womens-college-baske...onference.

MAC statistics are at
https://getsomemaction.com/stats.aspx?pa...year=2019.

CMU is now 15-0 in the MAC after destroying the cows tonight.

(02-26-2020 09:08 PM)arrows80 Wrote:  CMU is now 15-0 in the MAC after destroying the cows tonight.

Outright regular season MAC champs, 4 years in a row.