AKRON
Akron is coming off a 77-74 loss at home against Buffalo. Loren Cristian Jackson led the Zips with 28 points and a team-best six assists, while senior Xeyrius Williams recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds. The Zips have has four players averaging in double-figures in Jackson (19.0), Cheese (15.7), Williams (14.5), and Banks (11.3). Defensively, Akron has held its opponents to score 65.9 points per game on 39.8 percent shooting from the field and 30.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc. 

BALL STATE
After playing four of its past five games on the road, Ball State is home Saturday to host Ohio from the MAC East Division in the only scheduled meeting between the teams this season. Tahjai Teague is averaging a double-double in conference play at 17.3 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Toledo's Willie Jackson and Eastern Michigan's Boubacar Toure are the only other MAC players averaging double-doubles in league play. Teague passed Jarrod Jones (2008-12) last week for third on Ball State's career blocked shots list (118). Teague ranks seventh in school history in rebounds (849) and steals (149).

BOWLING GREEN
Bowling Green is off to one of its best starts in school history. The Falcons have won at least 16 of their first 21 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1946. The Falcons sit alone atop the Mid-American Conference standings with a 7-1 league record. Akron (6-2) and Central Michigan (4-2) each have two MAC losses, while the rest of the conference has lost at least three games. Bowling Green has won seven-straight games, marking its longest MAC winning streak since the 1979-80 season. For just the fifth time ever, BGSU has won at least seven of its first eight MAC games (2019-20; 2018-19; 1982-83; 1979-80; 1961-62).

BUFFALO
The Bulls won their fifth game in their last six as UB went on the road to defeat Akron Tuesday night, setting up a pivotal MAC East matchup on Friday night between the Bulls and Bowling Green Falcons, a rematch of the 2019 MAC Championship game. Buffalo has won 11 of the last 12 meetings with the Falcons dating back to the end of the 2013-14 season. UB is averaging 84.3 points per game in their 14 victories this seasons and have six players averaging in double figures in victories. In losses, the Bulls are averaging just under 70.0 points per game.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Central Michigan is ranked as the No. 6 scoring offense in the country, averaging 82.8 points per game. Kevin McKay is the Chippewas' leading scorer and rebounder at 15.2 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game. His field goal percentage of 66.4 percent is eighth in the country. All players ahead of him are forwards and centers. The next closest guard to McKay is South Alabama's Chad Lott, who is shooting at 55.6 percent, No. 49 in the country.

EASTERN MICHIGAN
Eastern Michigan has seen nail-biters slip from its fingers in the last five-of-six games, at Ohio (Jan. 7), at Northern Illinois (Jan. 11), versus Ohio (Jan. 18), at Bowling Green (Jan. 21), and at Miami (Jan. 25). EMU lost all four games with a margin of six-or-less points. Before MAC play, the Eagles boasted a 5-0 record in games decided by six-or-fewer. The Eagles rank second in the nation and leads the Mid-American Conference in steals per game (11.0). EMU also ranks fourth among Division I teams in total steals with 219.

KENT STATE
The Kent State men's basketball team improved to 16-6 overall and 5-3 in conference play after a come from behind victory at Toledo, 83-70. The Flashes rallied from a 21-point first half deficit to clinch the season sweep over the Rockets. The Flashes have four players averaging in double-figure scoring with  Troy Simons (13.5 ppg), Anthony Roberts (12.5 ppg), Antonio Williams (13.9 ppg), and  Danny Pippen (14.0 ppg). Kent State ranks 30th in the country and third in the conference in scoring offense (78.3 ppg).

MIAMI
Redshirt sophomore guard Isaiah Coleman-Lands had a season-high 16 points off the bench in the win over the Eagles. He was 6-for-10 from the field, including 4-for-8 from behind the arc. It was Coleman-Lands' eighth double figure scoring night of the season. He ranks fifth on the team at 7.8 points per game. He is fourth on the RedHawks in MAC scoring, averaging 9.6 points per contest in league games.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS
The Huskies are 12-9 overall and 5-3 in the MAC. They are coming off a dramatic 61-59 victory over Ohio on Tuesday in which Noah McCarty hit the game-winning layup with only 18 seconds to go. Northern Illinois' success is predicated on its defense. It only allows its opponents an average of 64.3 points per game. Teams are only shooting .395 against the Huskies, and only .297 from behind the arc. NIU leads the MAC in both categories. The offense revolved around senior guard Eugene German. He leads the MAC with an average of 19.5 points per game.

OHIO
Ohio's Jason Preston ranks fourth in the country at 7.5 assists per game. He leads the nation in total assists with 158. Preston logged eight assists without a turnover in the Bobcats' victory last season in Muncie. Preston also leads Ohio in scoring (16.1 ppg) and steals (1.6 spg) while ranking third on the team in rebounding (6.1 rpg). Ben Vander Plas (15.5 ppg) and Jordan Dartis (13.4 ppg) give the Bobcats two more double-figure scorers. Vander Plas is averaging a team-high 18.3 points per game in conference play, including a 28-point performance at Buffalo.

TOLEDO
The Toledo men's basketball team (11-10, 3-5 MAC) will look to win its third straight road game on Saturday, Feb. 1 when it travels to Ypsilanti, Mich. to face Eastern Michigan (10-10, 0-7). The Rockets have suffered setbacks in their last two outings with home defeats to Bowling Green (84-79) and Kent State (83-70). Marreon Jackson has been red-hot during Toledo's last four games, scoring a career-high 36 points at Akron, 29 at Ohio, 27 vs. Bowling Green and 25 vs. Kent State. Knapke also has excelled for the Rockets during this stretch, averaging 20.3 ppg and 8.5 rpg.

WESTERN MICHIGAN
After knocking down seven three-pointers in the first half the Western Michigan men's basketball team connected on just one three in the second half, falling to Northern Illinois 58-52 on Saturday afternoon inside the NIU Convocation Center.. Offensively the Broncos were led by junior Michael Flowers who scored a game-high 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting from the field. Flowers knocked down two three-pointers to go along with two rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes of action.Dating back to last season, Flowers has now scored in double figures in 24 straight games and is 66 shy of eclipsing 1,000 for his career. The Southfield, Mich. native scored 11 of his 14 points in the second half.