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An up and down week for some teams in the MAC, here’s the power rankings with only two weeks remaining until the conference tournament.
12. Northern Illinois 2-13 (1-9)
Last week: L 76-81 Vs. Akron | L 64-69 Miami
The Northern Illinois Huskies come in last for the rankings this week. They haven’t played real well since coming off their break, and are currently sitting on a four game losing streak. Their chances for postseason play are very bleak at this point in the season. They face off against Buffalo and Eastern Michigan this week, with a loss effectively eliminating them from postseason contention.
11. Eastern Michigan 4-9 (1-8)
Last week: L 51-64 Vs. Kent State
Eastern Michigan played their first game in a while this week, and had admirable effort after sitting for almost a full month leading up to this game. The Eagles aren’t completely out of contention for the conference tournament yet, but it’ll take a lot of work for them to go from 11th to eighth. They’ve already had one game postponed this week, but they’re scheduled to play Ohio and Northern Illinois.
10. Central Michigan 6-12 (2-9)
Last week: No games
Central Michigan didn’t play at all this week. Their record, as well as their chances late in the season aren’t looking too strong. They haven’t played since February 6th, but they do have a game scheduled for this week. They’ll need to get going quick, as there’s not much time left in the season.
9. Western Michigan 4-13 (3-9)
Last week: L 69-76 Vs. Kent State
Only one game for the Broncos this week, as they lost in a close one to Kent State. The Broncos need every win they can get, as they sit in ninth place in the conference, and their chances for postseason play aren’t looking too good. They’ll need to get something going in their favor this week as they take on Miami and Toledo.
8. Ball State 7-11 (5-8)
Last week: L 62-75 Vs. Bowling Green | L 79-88 Vs. Akron
Ball State had a tough week. A pair of losses, and now they’re on the verge of being completely excluded from the conference tournament. They didn’t play very close with Ball State, and played a little closer with Akron. They’ll look to turn it around this week when they face off against Kent State and Central Michigan.
7. Miami 9-9 (6-7)
Last week: L 75-87 Vs. Toledo | W 69-64 Vs. Northern Illinois
Miami is the lowest team on these rankings to have won their last game. The RedHawks lost against Toledo to open the week, but turned it around against Northern Illinois. The win put Miami into seventh in the standings, but they’ll still have some work to do to secure their spot into Cleveland. They go to Central and Western Michigan before closing out the week by hosting Kent State.
6. Bowling Green 12-9 (8-7)
Last week: W 75-62 Vs. Ball State
One’s a win, two’s a streak for the Bowling Green Falcons, as they find their way to the win column again to get back to a winning streak after a long skid. They traveled to Ball State and took care of the Cardinals. The win keeps them in sixth place in the conference. The Falcons have a huge opportunity this week as they travel to Akron for a Friday night primetime game. A win against the Zips would be huge for BGSU going into the conference tournament.
5. Buffalo 9-7 (7-5)
Last week: L 70-80 Vs. Toledo
Buffalo only played one game this week, as their matchup with Eastern Michigan got postponed. They played close with the top team in the conference, but just didn’t have enough to take down the Rockets. Buffalo has a prime opportunity this week to gain ground in the standings, with three games coming up against Northern Illinois, Central Michigan and Ohio.
4. Ohio 11-6 (7-4)
Last week: No games
Ohio didn’t play at all last week, and hasn’t played a game since February 2nd against Central Michigan. They’re scheduled to play this week against Akron, a huge game for them to try to steal positioning in the standings. The Bobcats will need to come out of the gates quick from their break, with few games left in the regular season.
3. Kent State 14-5 (11-4)
Last week: W 76-69 Vs. Western Michigan | W 64-51 Vs. Eastern Michigan
Kent State faced off against a pair of directional schools this week, and directed themselves to a pair of wins. They carry a four game winning streak into this week, and sit in third place in the conference. The Golden Flashes have to go on the road for both their games this week, as they travel to Muncie to play Ball State, and Oxford to face off against Miami. This week will be key for Kent State to get a favorable seed in the tournament.
2. Toledo 18-6 (13-3)
Last week: W 87-75 Vs. Miami | W 80-70 Vs. Buffalo
After dropping a pair of games to Ball State and Bowling Green, Toledo finally found their way back to the win column. They took down Miami to break their two game skid, and help slow down charging Akron. They then traveled out to Buffalo on Friday night, and beat the Bulls by 10 under the primetime lights. Toledo hosts Western Michigan this week for their only game. They currently sit a half a game ahead of Akron, in first place of the conference with only three games to play.
1. Akron 14-4 (12-3)
Last week: W 81-76 Vs. Northern Illinois | W 88-79 Vs. Ball State
The Zips kept doing what they’ve been doing all season, winning. Akron swept their two games, and extended their win streak to four games. They came out slow against Northern Illinois, but had enough in the tank to win by five. Their game against Ball State was a typical win for the Zips, as they controlled the tempo and rode it to a nine point win. They have Ohio and Bowling Green coming up this week, a pair of wins they must have if they want a shot at the top seed in Cleveland.