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MAC Basketball: 2021 conference tournament preview and predictions

By Sean Cole

Mar 12, 2020; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Empty seats at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse before the game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio Bobcats. The game and the Mid-American Conference basketball tournament was cancelled in an attempt to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2020; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Empty seats at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse before the game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio Bobcats. The game and the Mid-American Conference basketball tournament was cancelled in an attempt to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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MAC Basketball
MAC Basketball Marreon Jackson Toledo Rockets (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Key teams to watch in MAC Basketball Tournament

The 2020-2021 in the MAC was a very competitive season as the first four seeds were separated by only two games in the loss column, as the second and third seedings came down to the very last game of the regular season. So, here is a look at a few of the teams playing in this year’s conference tournament.

The Favorite: Toledo Rockets (19-7 Overall. 14-4 MAC)

The Rockets for a lack of better words, came out of nowhere, as they were picked number six in the preseason poll and claimed its first regular season crown since the 2013-2014 season and will be the number one seed for the first time since the 2006-2007 season.

Toledo has played well on both ends of the court as they are number two in scoring offense at 81.0 ppg and number two in defense at 71.4 ppg, making them second in the league in scoring margin at 9.6. Toledo is 7-3 in its last ten games and are looking to make statement, in winning the automatic bid to the dance.

Biggest Threat To The Favorite: Buffalo Bulls (15-7, 13-5 MAC)

The Bulls, who are the reigning MAC Conference Tournament Champions are riding a five-game winning streak and are the hottest team in the MAC right now. Buffalo is getting hot and playing their best basketball of the season and they are playing well when it counts.

Toledo leads the league in scoring at 82.7 ppg, also leading the league in rebounding offense (44.1 rpg), offense rebounds (14.7 rpg), defensive rebounds (29.4 rpg), and rebounding margin (8.6 rpg). Since Buffalo’s was unable to play in last year’s NCAA Tournament, I think they feel like they have something to prove. Look out for the Bulls in this tournament.

Potential Sleeper: Bowling Green Falcons (14-10, 10-8 MAC)

If there was any team that wasn’t needed any more motivation to win this years tournament it would have to be the Falcons. How about this for motivation, the last time that Bowling Green made the NCAA tournament was in the 1967-1968 season. That was 54 years ago and to put it in some perspective, the last time the Falcons played in the tournament was when Richard Nixon was President of the United States.

The Falcons are the sentimental pick, but they are 10-3 this year in road games, so with the tournament being  held in Cleveland, who knows what could happen.