Historically speaking, Ohio received a favorable draw for the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
The Bobcats (23-8, 14-2 MAC), undefeated in seven games against their side of the bracket, have earned a No. 2 seed and received a bye to the semifinals as a result.
Ohio’s two MAC losses came to Akron, which has a bye opposite Ohio’s. Kent State, which fell to the Bobcats by one in the teams’ first meeting and took them to overtime in their second, is the No. 4 seed on Akron’s side of the bracket.
Akron will likely be without the services of junior guard Alex Abreu, who pleaded not guilty to a pair of single charges for trafficking marijuana Friday and did not play that night in the Zips’ loss to Kent State. He and another man were arrested Thursday after detectives found more than five pounds of marijuana in the man’s home. Abreu has been suspended indefinitely from the team.
The Bobcats will take the court next Friday at 9 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland to face the winner of a semifinal game between No. 3 Western Michigan, which received a bye to the tournament’s third round, and either Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois or Miami — all of which will begin campus site games Monday.
On the other side of the bracket, Central Michigan and Buffalo will square off in a campus matchup Monday for the chance to play Ball State in Cleveland Wednesday.
Toledo, which is not eligible for postseason play because of a substandard Academic Performance Rate last season, would have been a No. 4 seed for the tournament.
Ohio coach Jim Christian diminished the value of tournament rankings. It all comes down to which teams have momentum, he said.
“Seeding is seeding,” Christian said. “Whether you play three nights, two nights — you just (have to) play.”
Eastern Michigan has won both of its games against campus site foe Northern Illinois, and Bowling Green split with Miami.
Both Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan have beaten Western Michigan once this season.
The Bobcats’ No. 2 seed is their best standing during this senior class’ tenure, as they were a No. 3 seed last year and a No. 9 seed when they won the tournament in 2010.
Ohio will have the better part of a week to prepare for its next game — a luxury it hasn’t enjoyed often this season.
Senior guard D.J. Cooper said there’sno doubt in his mind that the Bobcats will be ready come tournament time.
“It’s here now, so we just have to have a strong week of preparation and bring it,” he said.
jr992810@ohiou.edu
