An extensive if not comprehensive look at all 12 Mid-American Conference college basketball teams. The opening game is November 10, so we better get started.
Last year: 24-10 (12-4), 2nd MAC East; lost to OHIO in MAC tournament; lost to Green Bay in CBI first round
This year: Picked 3rd in MAC East; 4 of 24 picked them to win the division; 2 of 24 pick them to win MAC tournament
Coach: Keith Dambrot (y'know, LeBron's high school coach) is entering his 7th season with Akron. His record: 139-62.
First Game: November 12, vs. Millikin University (Division III school)
Can a kangaroo dribble a basketball? Maybe, with its feet, for a little while. It could also keep the ball in its pouch, but would obviously be called for traveling if the referee sees him do it.
Departures
Tim Carroll — graduated
Jimmy Conyers — graduated
Chris McKnight — graduated
Anthony "Humpty" Hitchens — transferred
Ronnie Steward — transferred
Alex Sullivan — transferred
Steve Swiech — transferred
Transfers (sitting out this year)
Brian Walsh (Xavier)
Chauncey Gilliam (UMBC)
(Quincy Diggs transferred from New Orleans, which dropped its Division I status, so he can play this year)
Returning Award-Winners
Brett McKnight (All-MAC Honorable Mention)
Zeke Marshall (All-MAC Freshman Team)
Big Nonconference Games
December 12 @ Temple
December 15 @ Minnesota
December 23 @ Miami of Florida
A Paragraph of Thought on Akron Basketball
Well, Akron's always good. They shoulda won the whole MAC last year, but OHIO happened. They lost a bunch of important players but this is one of those resilient teams who keeps finding usable players from all over. Cvetinovic is from Serbia, they recruited Abreu from Puerto Rico, and then there's the three transfers. Sure, people are higher on the Bobcats and Golden Flashes, and some might even prefer their MAC East favorites RedHawk style — for SPICE! — but Akron's going to be in there. They always are. But when you lose a guy named Humpty, it breaks your heart. Digital Underground references will be down 83 percent as a result of it.