Busting Brackets
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Mid-major Basketball power rankings: Dayton, Gonzaga and ETSU rises up

By Tristan Freeman

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 01: Matt Mitchell #11 of the San Diego State Aztecs steals possession of the ball in the second half against the Utah State Aggies at Viejas Arena on February 01, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kent Horner/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 01: Matt Mitchell #11 of the San Diego State Aztecs steals possession of the ball in the second half against the Utah State Aggies at Viejas Arena on February 01, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kent Horner/Getty Images) /
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AUBURN HILLS, MI – MARCH 21: The masoct for the Akron Zips (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
AUBURN HILLS, MI – MARCH 21: The masoct for the Akron Zips (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

22. Akron Zips (24-7, 14-4 MAC)

In the middle of the season, there was a clear logjam in the MAC, with several teams vying for a No. 1 seed on the conference tournament. In the end, it was Akron who separated themselves from the rest, winning eight of nine games to end the regular season, including just beating Kent State by three points on Friday.

Junior guard Loren Jackson will likely win MAC Player of the Year, averaging 20 ppg and 4.5 apg on the season. He benefits greatly from having a trio of double-digit scoring seniors beside him, including Tyler Cheese (15.9 ppg). This team has good scoring depth and size down low, with Xeyrius Williams and Deng Riak holding down the frontline.

The Zips are going to be viewed as a favorite in the upcoming MAC Tournament but will have plenty of competition to deal with. Teams such as Kent State, Buffalo, Bowling Green and Ball State are capable of making runs and defeating Akron, so Jackson and company will have to play at a high level in order to win. A 13 seed is likely the Zips fate if they make the NCAA Tournament and they have the tools to pull off the upset if the right matchup occurs.

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