MAC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2023-24 season
By Jay George
3. Toledo Rockets
Last Season: 27-8 (16-2 in MAC play)
It seems as though the Toledo Rockets are always at the pinnacle of success in the MAC. The team has produced some great talent in their past such as Spencer Littleson, a lights-out bucket from three, who went on to play professionally overseas following a short NBA stint. Or Marreon Jackson who did much the same as Littleson after dominating the conference and spending a season at Arizona State. Unlike their other MAC counterparts so far, the Rockets focus on an offensively strong and fast team that can bring five shooters to the floor at one time while still maintaining size. Toledo impressively ranked 2nd in points per game in college basketball.
That doesn’t mean this team can’t excel in the other facets of the game. In fact, Toledo was ranked 3rd in the MAC in steals per game and 4th in defensive rebounds. This is a perfect depiction of a more modern style college team. They play fast, team basketball offensively, and can still crash the glass and disrupt on defense through size and athleticism.
The main issue with Toledo this year is they suffered some massive losses roster wise with star guard RayJ Dennis leaving for Baylor, as well as forwards Setric Millner Jr. and JT Shumate heading into their careers of professional play. These losses are the difference between the Rockets being the number one or number two team before seeing anything, but you can’t discredit the program’s ability to continue to find talent and produce on the court.