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Can you believe it's February already? We're a month into conference play and only have five weeks of basketball left. We're starting to figure out a little more about the teams now - like how Akron, Kent State and Central Michigan were really the best teams in the conference all along and NIU could have some holes that didn't expose themselves in the first couple of games.
In any case there is a lot to talk about with these rankings, so let's just get on to it.
| Rank | Team (1st Place Votes) | Points | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akron (10) | 22 | 3 |
| 2 | Kent State (1) | 27 | 2 |
| 3 | Central Michigan | 41 | 6 |
| 4 | Northern Illinois | 44 | 1 |
| 5 | Buffalo | 58 | 9 |
| 6 | Ball State | 66 | 4 |
| 7 | Bowling Green | 83 | 7 |
| 8 | Ohio | 84 | 10 |
| 9 | Toledo | 89 | 5 |
| 10 | Western Michigan | 97 | 11 |
| 11 | Eastern Michigan | 117 | 8 |
| 12 | Miami | 124 | 12 |
Ok this is a lot to take in.
Akron, Kent State and Central Michigan are the new top three after NIU dropped a surprising road game at lowly Miami. It seems that the consensus among the voters is that these three teams are clearly the best in the conference and will be there at the end when it's all said and done. Kent State lost a tough one at Ohio but have generally looked pretty good. Central Michigan was in the doldrums for awhile but are cruising now and are tied for first in the West. Akron is on a four-game winning streak, but have to play at Ohio on Tuesday.
Toledo had the biggest fall of the week, dropping four spot to number 9. This is a really tough team to figure out - they have two of the most talented players in the conference but just can't put it all together. They are 3-5 in conference on the back of a three game losing streak, and travel to Kent, Buffalo and Central Michigan in the upcoming weeks. It may be tough to get to .500 this season, which is almost unacceptable based on the past few seasons.
Eastern Michigan is another surprise. They looked good during non-conference play and at the beginning of MAC play, but this five-game losing streak they are on has been draining. Luckily Miami comes to the Convocation Center on Tuesday, and gives the Eagles a chance to right the ship.