Akron Zips
Coach: Dan Hipsher
2002 record: 14-14 overall, 9-9 Mid-American Conference
Strengths: Akron has potential to be the most explosive team in the MAC with guards Johnny Hollingsworth and Derrick Tarver as the most potent scoring duo in the conference (38.0 points per game). The team possesses quality depth, losing little from graduation last year and adding Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary forward Romeo Travis and center Matt Futch, who sat out last season for academic reasons.
Weaknesses: All the hype in the MAC will likely center around the Zips, but chemistry could be an issue. The Zips only managed a .500 record with the same team last season and there did not seem to be enough shots at times. The best talent does not always win the league and many believe if the chemistry does not improve, then the team will not survive the tough schedule that takes the Zips to North Carolina and Cincinnati in the early season.
Buffalo Bulls
Coach: Reggie Witherspoon
2002 record: 5-23, 2-16 MAC
Strengths: Guard Turner Battle was the leader of the Bulls last season, playing a good all around game averaging 12.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 4.6 apg. One problem, Battle was lost for the final part of last season with injury after 20 games. The team only managed one win in the final eight games playing without Battle. Guard Jason Bird returns, as do all of the team's top five scorers, so if the Bulls have one thing going for them, it is continuity amongst their starters.
Weaknesses: The Bulls were one of the worst road teams in the nation last season, going 0-15 away from home. Buffalo will lack quality depth because after their premier five players, Witherspoon will be faced with working in a multitude of new players on the bench. Last season proved how poor their depth was when Battle went down. Then again the Bulls were not world-beaters with their floor general in the lineup. It looks like another year in the basement for the Bulls barring a big surprise from someone like Mark Bortz, who was in the top 10 in the conference for both blocks and rebounds.
Kent State Golden Flashes
Coach: Jim Christian
2002 record: 21-10, 12-6 MAC
Strengths: Senior guard Eric Haut (14.1 ppg) is the best player that flew below the radar of many MAC observers last season. Haut, along with centers John Edwards and Nate Gerwig, are the only players left who saw much action in the Elite Eight run in 2002, but even the stripped down version from last season made the MAC title game. Edwards could become a force in the paint (41 blocked shots last season), if he can stay on the floor (team-high 90 fouls last season). Guard DeAndre Haynes played big minutes as a freshman and racked up 4.3 apg running the offense.
Weaknesses: Like Central Michigan, who lost center Chris Kaman, and Ohio, who lost Ohio forwards Brandon Hunter and Steve Esterkamp, Kent State must replace its workhorse, forward Antonio Gates. Whenever the Golden Flashes needed a hoop late in a game, Gates would give opponents that deadly crossover and win it for Kent State more often than not. If Kent State can fill his shoes with another go-to-guy, there is no reason the Golden Flashes will not be a top-tier MAC team.
Marshall Thundering Herd
Coach: Ron Jirsa
2002 record: 9-9, 14-15 MAC
Strengths: Marshall might be the definition of addition by subtraction. The early departure of guard Ronald Blackshear will leave more minutes for slightly more stable influences on the floor like A.W. Hamilton and Ronny Dawn. Marvin Black is one of the more consistent big men in the MAC but is by no means a superstar. On a team with a total lack of consistency last season, Black was a rock of stability. Fellow big man Mark Patton has potential to be an All-MAC player as he develops. This could be a breakout season for the fundamentally sound West Virginia native.
Weaknesses: Jirsa had a record of 35-32 in his short stint as the coach at Georgia, and it remains to be seen what he can do with a group mostly composed of former coach Greg White's holdovers. Beyond Dawn and Hamilton, the depth of the backcourt for Marshall is shallow, and even Dawn has yet to become much more than a role player. Center Ardo Armpalu has to prove he can contribute something to the frontcourt because Black cannot do it all by himself.
Miami RedHawks
Coach: Charlie Coles
2002 record: 13-15, 11-7 MAC
Strengths: The RedHawks lost no players of any consequence last season. Like the other teams picked to finish toward the top of the MAC, Miami is loaded with experience. Guard Juby Johnson is a preseason All-MAC selection for Coles, and he should be part of a talented guard duo with Chet Mason. Guard Josh Hausfeld was the deadly three-point shooter to compliment their quickness last season, and he should only continue to get better in his sophomore season. New big men Monty St. Clair, Eric Van Buskirk and Nathan Peavy could be the final piece the RedHawks need to dominate in the MAC.
Weaknesses: Scoring was an issue last season, but Miami's defense backed that up last year. Those scoring deficiencies could be worked out with the new, more up-tempo style that Coles plans on playing this season. Will the installation of another new system slow down the RedHawks? Coles is the best X's and O's man in the league, so conventional wisdom says 'no.' If Coles can convince forward Danny Horace to back off of a few three-point shots and crash the boards, Miami will have the inside threat to compliment a talented group of guards.
Ohio Bobcats
Coach: Tim O'Shea
2002 record: 14-16, 8-10 MAC
Strengths: The backcourt of Thomas Stephens, Jaivon Harris and Diamond Gladney is one of the better groups in the league. Stephens improved his play in almost every game late in the season, finding a knack for timely baskets that kept the Bobcats season alive. Forwards Jeff Halbert and Delvar Barrett will each have the opportunity to expand on solid initial seasons with Ohio if they can remain healthy. People should not underestimate the value of improved chemistry with the strain of expectations lifted from the team.
Weaknesses: The days of Brandon Hunter, Steve Esterkamp and Sonny Johnson are no more. While chemistry is improved in this group, the team must once again welcome six newcomers to active duty, counting center Clay McGowen who arrived last season for practice. Injuries could once again be a factor as Barrett continues to battle issues with his feet, and Halbert is still on the mend from a variety of injuries that limited his summer activity.
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