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{mosimage}What’s up MAC?

Kent State‘s awful performance Thursday against UNLV
in the NCAA Tourney only reaffirms the lack of respect for MAC basketball by college
basketball fans.

Seriously, could the MAC have embarrassed itself any worse? The Golden Flashes scored just 10 points in the first half while averaging one turnover per minute during an eight minute scoring drought. Half time score: UNLV 31 – Kent State 10

Kent read, Kent write, Kent score

For years I’ve defended MAC
basketball. I did so because it’s a talented and tough conference to
win games in. MAC teams travel by bus, not plane, and face conference
rivals playing in old band-boxes well suited for home court advantages.
Plus, with the conference’s own talent parity, winning the conference
championship is a real chore.

Still, when it comes to the
NCAA’s Tourney at-large selection committee, the MAC is usually a one
and done conference; automatic-bid in, everyone else out.

I use to believe this was an
injustice. After all, how could so-called college basketball experts
overlook the hardy teams of the MAC?

Well, maybe I should take another look. Warning: It’s not pretty.

The MAC has failed to win a
first round NCAA game in five years. The last first round win came in
2003 as (11) Central Michigan defeated (5) Creighton. Then, the
Chippewas promptly lost to (3) Duke in the second round.
 

So, what’s a MAC team to do? Basically, start winning games when they count. Think Gonzaga.

Former Gonzaga standout Chester Molester

Gonzaga basketball burst onto the national scene during the 1999 season with its improbable run to the Elite Eight.

In the ‘99 tournament the
Zags’ molded a Cinderella image with victories against the (2), (6),
and (7) seeds. This image has continued to grow as Gonzaga has advanced
to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 7 of the last 9 years.

Despite never reaching a Final Four, college basketball fans now recognize Gonzaga men’s basketball as an elite hoops program.

Not to mention, when the Bulldogs do fall in the tournament it’s not by much on the scoreboard. Having faced (1) UConn, (2) UCLA, and (6) Texas Tech since 1999, the Zags average margin of loss is less than three points.

And, while most fans still
have no idea what conference the Bulldogs play in or what its regular
season schedule is like year-to-year, all college basketball fans seem
to know is Gonzaga is a near-lock pick on their brackets.

In turn, Gonzaga’s tourney
success also earns the selection committee’s respect. And, the Zags’
also improves its own national image and that of its conference (even
if we can’t always remember its name) and its individual members.
Understand this MAC?

A member of the West Coast Conference

Still, what the MAC also
needs to understand is that the majority of the college basketball
world doesn’t care about mid-major hoops during the regular season.
Rather, fans crave North Carolina vs. Duke, Kansas against Texas and
not Western Michigan vs. Eastern Michigan.

Certainly, this aspect is
largely out of the conference’s control but, the MAC does have that one
opportunity every year to steal the spotlight. Of course, that time is
in March when it’s in style for mid-majors to upset the top-seeded
Dukies and Spartans of the tourney.

So, until mid-March the
mid-majors can’t expect the college basketball world to come to its
defense as legitimate programs. For conferences like the MAC it’s all
about putting your best foot forward in March.

Unfortunately, the MAC
hasn’t cashed in on such an opportunity since 2002 when (10) Kent State
made a run for the ages by upsetting (2) Alabama, (3) Pittsburgh and
fighting tooth-and-nail before losing against an eventual Final Four
team, (5) Indiana.

In fact, it was this run by
Kent State that made me speak up for MAC basketball. However, six years
later there hasn’t been much to chirp about.

Now, I better understand why
the selection committee doesn’t look more favorable at the MAC when it
comes to choosing at-large bids, they can’t because the MAC won’t let
them.

Notes

• Here’s a more detailed look at the MAC’s recent failures in the NCAA Tournament.

2008 – (9) Kent State loses against (8) UNLV

2007 – (14) Miami loses against (3) Oregon

2006 – (12) Kent State loses against (5) Pittsburgh

2005 – (13) Ohio loses against (4) Florida

2004 – (11) W. Michigan loses against (6) Vanderbilt

2003 – (11) C. Michigan wins against (5) Creighton then loses against (3) Duke

2002 – (10) Kent State defeats (7) Oklahoma State, (2) Alabama, (3) Pittsburgh and finally falls to eventual Final Four team (5) Indiana

2001 – (13) Kent State loses to (4) Indiana

2000 – (11) Ball State loses against (6) UCLA 65-57

• Dating back to the 2000 tourney, the MAC has lost seven first round games by an average of nine points per game.

• In the same time period, the average seeding for MAC teams is 11th with its highest seed a nine and lowest 14th.

• MAC, upgrade the web site! It’s not that the site is completely horrible from a user’s stand point, but it looks so mid-major.

• Note of clarity: I’m not a MAC basketball
  hater and I wish this conference well. And, as an alumnus of the MAC I’ll probably always follow MAC basketball. So please MAC,
  stop whining and start winning.

Speaking of my Bobcats, I’m
still happy with head coach Tim O’Shea’s performance. Of course,
there’s an argument to be made that considering the team’s talent level
the program has underachieved since making the NCAA Tournament in 2005.

However, some of the better
talent didn’t just choose to play in Athens by spinning a globe,
O’Shea’s and his staff reeled them in. Plus, I fully expect O’Shea to
add more talent in the coming off season.

Does this necessarily mean
more wins for Ohio? I don’t know for sure but, we know adding good
talent won’t hurt the program either.

Besides, it has been well
documented that O’Shea still yearns for a return to his roots on the
East coast. So, for the anti-O’Shea supporters don’t expect the coach
to be in Athens forever. But, maybe at least consider enjoying the 20
win seasons while he’s still in Southeast Ohio.

In O’Shea’s last four
seasons the Bobcats have managed at least 19 wins. And, the Cats’ have
averaged about 10 conference wins per year in the same time span.

Tim O’Shea’s record at Ohio University

2007-08: (20-12), 9-7

2006-07: (19-13), 9-7

2005-06: (19-11), 10-8 *Won MAC Championship

2004-05: (21-11), 11-7

2003-04: (10-20), 7-11

2002-03: (14-16), 8-10

2001-02: (17-11), 11-7