There was potential for movement among the teams in the Mid-American Conference this week, but most teams only cemented their spots from last week.
1. Central Michigan (16-4, 9-0 MAC)
The Chippewas had the toughest week imaginable but still came out unscathed. On Wednesday, CMU survived Buffalo on the road in double overtime, then quickly turned around and defeated Ohio 92-90 in overtime on Saturday. There are still games to play, but the Chippewas currently have a three-game lead over the next best team in the conference. They’re the best team in the conference and the clear favorites for a third-straight conference championship.
2. Ohio (13-7, 6-3 MAC)
The Bobcats would have made the jump into the top spot Saturday had they won in Mt. Pleasant against the Chippewas. Ohio’s three conference losses have all come in heartbreaking fashion, but it still can hang its head on a tough win over Akron earlier in the week. Saturday’s loss, however, will put a deep dent into conference title hopes.
3. Ball State (14-7, 6-3 MAC)
The next few spots could be arranged in any order, but the Cardinals get the nod. Ball State has been a tough out for the teams in the conference not named Ohio or Central Michigan. On Wednesday, they lost a 1-point game on the road to Kent State but finished the week with a win over Western Michigan.
4. Toledo (10-9, 5-3 MAC)
This hasn’t been a great year for the MAC. Central Michigan is running away with the conference, but everyone behind the Chippewas has just beaten up on each other. Toledo lost in a blowout to Eastern Michigan but won a tight game over Kent State. Toledo still has a chance to make some noise in a tournament setting, but its regular season has been mediocre — like many of the teams in the MAC.
5. Kent State (11-8, 4-4 MAC)
The Golden Flashes are second in the MAC East, but that isn’t saying too much. A .500 conference record is nothing to brag about, but a win over Ball State earlier in the week lets them squeak into the top 5.
Rounding things out:
Buffalo
Eastern Michigan
Western Michigan
Akron
Miami
Northern Illinois
Bowling Green
