This coming weeks games…

Monday 1/10
No Games

Tuesday 1/11
Ball State + 8.5 @ Akron - 7 PM [ESPN3]
Bowling Green +9.5 @ Ohio - 7 PM [ESPN3]
Northern Illinois +15.5 @ Kent State - 7 PM [ESPN3]
Buffalo -13.5 @ Western Michigan - 7 PM [ESPN3]
Toledo -1 @ Miami - 7 PM [ESPN+]
Central Michigan +9 @ Eastern Michigan - 7 PM [ESPN3]

Wednesday 1/12
No Games

Thursday 1/13
No Games

Friday 1/14
Buffalo -6.5 @ Ball State - 6:00 [CBSSN]
Akron +1.5 @ Kent State - 8 PM [CBSSN]

Saturday 1/15
Miami @ Western Michigan - 2 PM [ESPN+]
Eastern Michigan @ Northern Illinois - 4:30 [ESPN3]
Toledo @ Bowling Green - 5 PM [ESPN3]

Ohio @ Central Michigan - Postponed

Sunday 1/16
No games

Added the opening lines for tomorrow’s games.

Ohio adds a new player to their roster today.

Lukas Frazier, G, 6-5, 170
Transfer from Dayton
2020 D-2 Ohio Player of the Year

Buffalo beats Western Michigan 78-64 after being down 1 at the half.

Eastern Michigan smoked Central Michigan 99-68. The Eagles had 5 players in double figures, lead by Bryce McBride with 16.

Toledo gets the road win in Oxford, 75-72 over Miami.

Ohio beat Bowling Green 85-78 in what felt like a rock fight. It was definitely closer than the final margin. Ohio’s win its 8th in a row.

Akron defended home court beating Ball State 84-74.

Kent loses at home to NIU 65-63…..

Huskies pull out a 65-63 win at Kent State.

Akron beat Ball State 84-74. Castaneda finished with 29 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds.

Kent State is a mystery to me. How can a team lose to CMU and NIU at home but beat Toledo at home, too?

We live in an age of hyperbole, when every statement has to the best, worst, biggest, fastest, least, that has ever been seen, but I can safely say, that over the last month, this is the weakest KSU team of the last 25 years. We hold out hope that once things settle down health wise and maybe a couple of players see the light, that this can be the team that we saw in November going toe to toe with Xavier, beating JMU and GW and getting to the championship game down in Naples. But now? It’s not working.

(01-12-2022 11:19 AM)axeme Wrote:  We live in an age of hyperbole, when every statement has to the best, worst, biggest, fastest, least, that has ever been seen, but I can safely say, that over the last month, this is the weakest KSU team of the last 25 years. We hold out hope that once things settle down health wise and maybe a couple of players see the light, that this can be the team that we saw in November going toe to toe with Xavier, beating JMU and GW and getting to the championship game down in Naples. But now? It’s not working.

Well, they have certainly showed some promise, even lately, with winning at Ball State and coming back from a large deficit against us on the road. i think by tournament time, they will be a very tough out.

(01-12-2022 11:19 AM)axeme Wrote:  We live in an age of hyperbole, when every statement has to the best, worst, biggest, fastest, least, that has ever been seen, but I can safely say, that over the last month, this is the weakest KSU team of the last 25 years. We hold out hope that once things settle down health wise and maybe a couple of players see the light, that this can be the team that we saw in November going toe to toe with Xavier, beating JMU and GW and getting to the championship game down in Naples. But now? It’s not working.

I said it 2 weekends ago... I thought Toledo vs. Kent was the worst mbb ive seen in years. Looking on the body of work Kent has been more consistently at that
level, and Toledo has played 5 really bad halves all season. It comes down to style mostly. Teams who live and die by the 3 can look awful when shots dont fall. Miami will have some ugly games as well. Kent is a 4th to 7th place team this season and that should play out as so.

(01-12-2022 09:43 AM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  Kent State is a mystery to me. How can a team lose to CMU and NIU at home but beat Toledo at home, too?

They're just not a good team right now. Maybe they can figure things out and get back to how they were playing earlier in the season. Akron had a rough 3 game stretch down in Florida earlier in the year, which led to Walton mysteriously leaving the team, but it looks like they have since righted the ship. The season is still young. The best teams now might not be the best team come March.

Gio Santiago is the key. Since he was out with Covid and now an injury, things are just not right. He’s a perfect balance for Carry. His illness caused him to lose his shooting touch. He was 3/18 from 3 in two games he tried to comeback. He’s out again now. He led the MAC in 3 pt % last season and isn’t a gunner, he’s a controlled shooter. We need a full recovery from him.

Different teams match-up differently personnel and style-wise.

That's why even in a non-COVID year upsets happen.

Now throw in the health-safety protocols where kids are out and "Transfer Portal" where some have already bailed (physically or mentally) - who knows?

Plus it's a long season to MAC Tourney.

A lot can, and probably will, happen before Cleveland.

Man I love conference play because anything can happen!! Not shocked at all NIU beat kent state, if you don’t bring your A game anybody can be beat. Also looks like westerns b artis white is back they played Buffalo tough I expect them to beat a favored team also in mac play

(01-12-2022 02:04 PM)axeme Wrote:  Gio Santiago is the key. Since he was out with Covid and now an injury, things are just not right. He’s a perfect balance for Carry. His illness caused him to lose his shooting touch. He was 3/18 from 3 in two games he tried to comeback. He’s out again now. He led the MAC in 3 pt % last season and isn’t a gunner, he’s a controlled shooter. We need a full recovery from him.

Littleson led the nation...

(01-12-2022 08:55 PM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  

(01-12-2022 02:04 PM)axeme Wrote:  Gio Santiago is the key. Since he was out with Covid and now an injury, things are just not right. He’s a perfect balance for Carry. His illness caused him to lose his shooting touch. He was 3/18 from 3 in two games he tried to comeback. He’s out again now. He led the MAC in 3 pt % last season and isn’t a gunner, he’s a controlled shooter. We need a full recovery from him.

Littleson led the nation...

Correct.
I heard Santiago on the broadcast last week. Perhaps they meant leading returning 3pt %. Obviously, Littleson led the MAC last season. Santiago was second.

(01-12-2022 01:43 PM)kreed5120 Wrote:  

(01-12-2022 09:43 AM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  Kent State is a mystery to me. How can a team lose to CMU and NIU at home but beat Toledo at home, too?

They're just not a good team right now. Maybe they can figure things out and get back to how they were playing earlier in the season. Akron had a rough 3 game stretch down in Florida earlier in the year, which led to Walton mysteriously leaving the team, but it looks like they have since righted the ship. The season is still young. The best teams now might not be the best team come March.

I'd argue that Walton leaving Akron and them immediately improving is not coincidence. Everywhere Walton has played (Missouri, Ball St, Akron-he was in college for nearly 7 years) he has lost. He's a 1 on 1 player who got numbers when the team was struggling and they let him take over and do his 1 on 1 iso thing. Maybe someone can correct me, but I can't remember him ever playing well when his team was playing well.

Groce is a a bit of a weirdo but he finds ways to tinker and push and get something out of his guys. Freeman is a pain in the butt to play against and Ali can take over on a good night. If they get that pg to find his confidence consistently they will be a tough out down the stretch.

OU needs depth and health. Most consistent team but racking up major minutes to their core.

Toledo has really improved their defense and team rebounding. Offense looks great for stretches but is inconsistent. If that clicks come March they will be a problem.

Miami won't win the league or tourney but they could beat anyone on a good night. Small but good defensively. Small but can get clean looks offensively. Not a team you want to play in the quarters in Cleveland.

Senderhoff knows how to coach, just depends on if this version buys in and overcome all the on and off injuries and peak late. Could miss the conf tourney or make a run.

UB just lurking, potentially as good as anyone and their mini slump lowered expectations but I wouldn't want to face them in cleveland either.

(01-12-2022 11:19 PM)pono Wrote:  [quote='kreed5120' pid='18004327' dateline='1642012992']
[quote='bobcat_backer' pid='18003715' dateline='1641998625']
Kent State is a mystery to me. How can a team lose to CMU and NIU at home but beat Toledo at home, too?

In MAC play, KSU has been a poor scoring team as it averages only 67.2 ppg. That’s the 9th lowest scoring average out of 12-teams.

KSU has to fix it’s scoring. Until they do, KSU is not likely to improve no matter whether they play a good or bad team, nor whether they play at home or on the road.

Added the spreads for todays games. Kind of surprised Kent opened as a favorite over Akron.

Ohio @ CMU has been postponed per MAC Twitter

https://twitter.com/MACSports/status/148...0705564675