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MAC Basketball: 2022 conference tournament preview and predictions

By Karl Heiser

Mar 13, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Bulls forward Jeenathan Williams (11) dunks during the second half against the Ohio Bobcats at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Bulls forward Jeenathan Williams (11) dunks during the second half against the Ohio Bobcats at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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MAC Basketball Ryan Rollins Toledo Rockets (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
MAC Basketball Ryan Rollins Toledo Rockets (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

Key Teams in the 2022 MAC Basketball Tournament

Team to Beat: Toledo

Toledo is tops in the conference for KenPom’s Adjusted Offensive Efficiency at No. 31 in the country. This should come as no surprise given that the Rockets have four players averaging 12+ points per game and score the most points per game of any other team in the conference. Ryan Rollins, JT Shumate, and Setric Millner form a dangerous trio with their combination of scoring volume and efficiency.

Toledo swept Ohio this year in convincing fashion, but the Rockets were swept in turn by No. 2 seed Kent State. Despite that, Toledo earned the top seed in the conference, boast the best offense in the country, and has the most star power in the MAC. Their ability to score the ball in bunches should make any potential NCAA Tournament opponent nervous.

Top Contenders: Kent State & Ohio

Both Kent State and Ohio deserve to be listed as the top contenders to take down top-seeded Toledo, but for different reasons. The Golden Flashes are crushing it in the results department, entering the MAC Tournament winners of 12 consecutive games. They swept Toledo this season in two games that were not particularly close and also split with Ohio.

Kent State has the top Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in the conference per KenPom and the second-best defense for PPG against. This stalwart defense may be the perfect counter to Toledo’s explosive offensive production while Sincere Carry makes things happen on the offensive end.

Ohio may not have all the results Kent State has – the Bobcats enter the tournament on a three-game losing skid and looked lackluster in two games against Toledo – but Ohio does have experience that other teams do not. They returned much of last year’s MAC Tournament Champion team. Experience is not necessarily something you can quantify, but the Bobcats know what it takes to win this tournament and are good enough to defend their title.

Dangerous Sleeper: Buffalo

Buffalo was the majority favorite for the conference crown, and that wasn’t for no reason. This is a talented Bulls team with one of the conference’s very best in Jeenathan Williams. Expected to be a high-level squad on both sides of the ball, only one of those panned out. Buffalo is second in the MAC in scoring average but the stout defense many analysts expected never really came to fruition.

Behind Williams, Ronaldo Segu, and Josh Mballa, watch out for the Bulls to tap into some of that preseason potential to make things interesting. The No. 5 seed in the MAC won the tournament last year, the Bulls look to make it two in a row.