College basketball's early signing day was last Thursday, and most of the MAC schools filled their scholarships. A couple still have a way to go, but a majority of the teams are set for at least next season.
Akron Zips
No signees
Ball State Cardinals
Signees:
SF | Sean Sellers | Greensburg, IN/Greensburg |
SF | Rasean Richardson | Indianapolis, IN/Arsenal Tech |
SG | Jeremie Tyler | Indianapolis, IN/Arsenal Tech |
SG | Francis Kiapway | Hamilton, Canada/St. Thomas More (CT) |
A nice first class for James Whitford, who gets four players and three of them in-state. Ball State has long been #6 in terms of Indiana college basketball. Obviously the Cardinals aren't going to get guys that end up at Indiana, Notre Dame, or Purdue. But, they have to start out-recruiting the smaller Indiana schools like Indiana State, Evansville, IUPUI, and IPFW. The talent is endless in Indiana and Ball State is finally starting to reap the benefits. Whitford beat out a couple other MAC schools for Richardson and Tyler. Ball State loses a lot next year, including Jesse Berry, Majok Majok, Chris Bond and Tyler Koch.
Bowling Green Falcons
Signee:
PG | B.J. Edwards, Jr. | Lehigh Acres, FL/Lehigh Acres |
Louis Orr only signed one and he still have three scholarships available. There aren't a lot of reported offers for the Falcons, which is really head-scratching. Edwards' only reported offer was from the Falcons. Needless the say the future of Bowling Green basketball is certainly in a state of flux.
Buffalo Bulls
Signees:
SG | Mory Diane | Detroit, MI/Pershing |
PG | Lamontre Bearden | Germantown, WI/Germantown |
PF | Raheem Johnson | Romulus, MI/Romulus/Barton CC |
Bearden is the star of the class. He's a 4-star point guard who had offers from Oregon State and Saint Louis. Jarod Oldham and Josh Freelove are gone after this year and Bearden will inherit the starting point guard role from Day 1. Diane is ranked as the eleventh best player in Michigan and Johnson will be needed to fill the minutes left by departing Javon McCrea.
Central Michigan Chippewas
Signee:
F/C | Luke Meyer | Addison, MI/Addison |
The Chips just signed one on Signing Day, and Meyer is a much needed improvement. The frontcourt is pretty weak and Meyer probably will have a chance to start right away. He was first-team all-state in Class C in Michigan and was also the state champion in the high jump. Keno Davis only loses DeAndray Buckley and Zach Saylor after this season.
Eastern Michigan Eagles
Signee:
PF | Jordan Nobles | Canton, MI/Canton |
Not much is out there about Nobles, but he fills a need for Rob Murphy. Da'Shonte Riley graduates, so the center/forward spot will be wide open. Nobles had offers from Detroit and UMass-Lowell as well.
Kent State Golden Flashes
SG | Rosel Hurley | Cleveland, OH/Shaker Heights |
PF | Raasean Davis | Dallas, GA/Paulding County |
SF | Gary Akbar | Dayton, OH/Midland College |
Rob Senderoff picks up three solid players to replace Mark Henniger, Melvin Tabb and Darren Goodson. Akbar is a junior college transfer who committed to Akron, then Cleveland State right out of high school. Hurley plays for one of the best high school teams in Cleveland. Davis picked the Flashes over Cincinnati and Wichita State.
Miami RedHawks
SF | Roderick Mills | Cincinnati, OH/St. Xavier |
SG | Zack McCormick | Cincinnati, OH/Turpin |
PF | Logan McLane | Greenville, NC/Greenfield School |
John Cooper may not have a lot of success on the floor yet, but he's done well on the recruiting trail. Cooper wants to get into the Cincinnati market, and he got a great start with Mills and McCormick. Mills plays for a storied football school that has a great basketball team too. McCormick is the gem of the class, as everyone in the MAC wanted him as well as Tennessee. McLane had numerous Big South offers as well as a Seton Hall offer.
Northern Illinois Huskies
No signees.
Ohio Bobcats
PF | Tariq Owens | Laurel, MD/TAAG Academy |
SG | Kendall Crute | Marietta, GA/North Cobb Christian |
SG | Nehemias Morillo | Santiago, D.R./Monroe College |
SF | Rodell Wigginton | Dartmouth, Canada/College of Central Florida |
Bryan already did a great job of covering the newest Bobcats here.
Toledo Rockets
SG | Cuyler "Stuckey" Mosley | Orlando, FL/Timber Creek |
The Rockets lose Rian Pearson and Matt Smith after this season, so Mosley will have a good shot at playing time. He turned down a Kansas State and Drexel offer (and also chose to come to Ohio from Florida), so that's a positive.
Western Michigan Broncos
C | Drake LaMont | Plantation, FL/American Heritage School |
PG | Thomas Wilder | New Providence, IA/Quakerdale New Promise Academy |
A bit of an odd class for Steve Hawkins in that no Michigan players committed. You may be more familiar with LaMont's dad Dave, who calls MAC Football games on ESPN3. He turned down Cleveland State, Ball State and Miami offers to come to K-Zoo. LaMont will fill the void left by graduating Shayne Whittington at the center position. Not much is known about Wilder.