MAC Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
8. Rayj Dennis
After originally beginning his career at Boise State in the Mountain West, Dennis found his best success these last two seasons in the MAC. A 6’2 guard from Oswego, Illinois, he found a place much closer to home, starring at Toledo for the last two years and greatly improving his personal stock.
During his junior year, Dennis took a step forward with 12.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, guiding Toledo to 26 wins and a regular season title in the MAC. Suffice to say, year two was even better. Now Toledo’s point guard, Dennis averaged 19.5 points and 5.8 assists per game, with decent steals numbers as well. It was another fantastic year for the Rockets, who won 27 games and another conference crown, though Dennis fell short of a chance at the NCAA Tournament.
After putting up impressive figures, Dennis was named MAC Player of the Year this past season, leading the conference in scoring and assists and sitting among the national leaders in both categories. Dennis was obviously playing a major role in Toledo’s 53-16 record during his time on campus. He’s taking advantage of the bonus year from the pandemic, but moving on from Toledo, with Dennis set to spend next season at Baylor. The memories he’s made with the Rockets are clear and absolute.