Busting Brackets
Fansided

MAC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2020-21 season

By Drew Nixon

BUFFALO, NY - FEBRUARY 2020: Loren Cristian Jackson of the Akron Zips drives to the basket during a matchup against the Buffalo Bulls last season. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY - FEBRUARY 2020: Loren Cristian Jackson of the Akron Zips drives to the basket during a matchup against the Buffalo Bulls last season. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) /
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MAC Basketball Dalonte Brown (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

. . . RedHawks . 9. team. 2249

Miami (OH) would be higher on this list if it weren’t for now former Redhawk Nick Sibande, who was on pace to surpass Wally Szczerbiak as the school’s No. 2 all-time leading scorer, didn’t transfer to Pittsburgh.

Sibande was, as you’d guess, the leading scorer from last season’s Miami (OH) squad that went 13-19 overall and 5-13 in MAC play. He averaged 13.9 ppg, shooting 44% from the field. Having a sub-.500 record and then losing your leading scorer on top of that is a tough break for the Redhawks.

On the positive side of things, Miami (OH) returns three starters and multiple key reserves who will need to step up in order for the team to achieve a better record than last season.

The Redhawks ranked eighth in the MAC in both points scored and points allowed per game. There is room to grow though, particularly on defense with two of the top three leaders in steals from last season in juniors Mekhi Lairy (27) and Isaiah Coleman-Lands (24), and the leader in blocks for the Redhawks in junior Elijah McNamara, who totaled 26 on the year.

Lairy and Coleman-Lands each averaged 8+ points per game last year off the bench, so offensively they can help fill in for the absence of Sibande.

Below are a couple of other important players for Miami (OH) this season:

  • Dalonte Brown – Brown will likely be the go-to guy for the team this season. He averaged a tad under 10 points per game last season and brings more height to a guard-heavy lineup, standing at 6’7″. Expect Brown to get close to a double-double average this season if the Redhawks look to make some noise in March.
  • Dae Dae Grant – Grant started 29 games last year as a freshman and was named to the All-MAC Freshman Team. Some high expectations may come his way, including more opportunities to score.

Miami (OH) are a team that, while I have them pegged ninth in the preseason rankings, don’t be surprised if they can improve upon that 13-19 record from last season. They also added some size with the entrance of Oakland University transfer James Beck and freshman Jackson Ames, who will be more players to watch for this upcoming season.