AKRON
Akron moved to 11-3 overall and improved to 20-8 all-time in MAC season opening games. The Zips are 8-0 at home this season and riding a 10-game winning streak, dating back to the 2018-19 season. Akron ranks 51st overall in the NCAA NET Rankings - Best ranking in the MAC. 
 
BALL STATE
Ball State won its MAC opener for the third straight season, defeating West Division rival Toledo for the sixth time in the past seven meetings. The Cardinals will now square off with defending league champion Buffalo. After holding Toledo to just 57 points, Ball State has vaulted to the top spot in the MAC in scoring defense, allowing only 60.9 points per game. The Cardinals have held eight opponents to fewer than 60 points.
 
BOWLING GREEN
Bowling Green and Miami will each be looking for their first conference win of the 2019-20 season. The Falcons were defeated at home by Kent State on Jan. 3, while the RedHawks took a loss at Central Michigan on Jan. 4. Senior Dylan Frye continues to close in on BGSU’s three-point field goals record. Frye has made 213 three-pointers as a Falcon. He is 16 three-point makes away from setting the program record. Frye has made multiple triples in 61 career games. Over the last nine games, junior Daeqwon Plowden is averaging 15.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. Plowden, who had 15 combined double-digit scoring games across his freshmen and sophomore seasons, has scored 10-plus points in nine games in 2019-20.
 
BUFFALO
The Bulls recently closed out their season long five-game homestand, picking up wins against all three local rivals in the process.  The Bulls conclude non-conference play with nine wins, the second straight year UB has had at least nine victories in non-conference action and the third time since 2014-15.  UB remains amongst the leaders in offensive rebounding this season as they are second in the nation at 15.21 offensive boards per contest. After playing five straight at home, Buffalo now begins a two-game road trip with contests at Ball State on Tuesday and Miami on Friday night.
 
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Senior guard Kevin McKay leads all DI guards in field goal percentage and ranks 7th nationally (.655); Senior forward David DiLeo has moved into a tie for 4th place on the MAC career 3-pointers list (290) 
 
EASTERN MICHIGAN
Eastern Michigan begins a two-game road tile starting at Mid-American Conference foe Ohio University Tuesday, Jan. 7 in Athens, Ohio at 7 p.m.  The Eagles lead both the nation and the Mid-American Conference in steals per game (11.4). EMU also ranks first in the MAC and third among Division I team in total steals with 160. Redshirt senior Boubacar Toure leads the Mid-American Conference with a 66.3 field goal percentage (55-83) and ranks second (43rd nationally) with 3.3 offensive rebounds pre game. Redshirt junior Ty Groce is leading the team with 28 steals, which ranks third in the MAC and 64th in the nation. The Ypsilanti, Mich. native also sit fourth in the league with 2.0 steals per contest.  
 
KENT STATE
The Flashes are 11-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play. Kent State opened conference play with a win at Bowling Green, the first time winning at the Stroh Center since 2017. Kent State finished non-conference with a +12.5 scoring margin, the largest scoring margin through 20 seasons. 
 
MIAMI
The RedHawks nearly set several offensive records in their 119-52 victory over Wilberforce last Monday. The 119 points were the second-most ever behind the 123 scored in win over Midway on Nov. 29, 2017. The 47 field goals made was the fourth-most in school history, while the .671 shooting percentage for the game ranked fourth as well. Seven different Miami players finished in double-figures scoring in the victory. It was the first time since an 81-71 victory at Purdue on Nov. 19, 2004, that the ‘Hawks had six or more do that in same game.
 
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Eugene German past Allen Rayhorn (1,848) and Donnell Thomas (1,853) into second on NIU’s career scoring list in the Huskies’ win at Buffalo. German has 1,859 career points.  - NIU snapped an 11-game road losing streak in Buffalo with its 73-72 conference opening victory at Alumni Arena, its first against the Bulls in Buffalo since 2003. Overall, the Huskies currently own a three-game winning streak against the Bulls.  - Lacey James recorded his eighth career double-double against Buffalo, scoring a season-high 18 points while tying a season-high with 13 rebounds. James was 7-of-9 from the field against the Bulls, including 2-of-2 from three-point range. 
 
OHIO
Jason Preston ranks fifth in the NCAA in total assists and assists per game, while also ranking 9th in minutes played. Ohio looks to defeat EMU at home for the first time since 2016 when Ohio and the Eagles face off on Tuesday night. 
 
TOLEDO
Toledo looks to bounce back from last Friday's 61-57 defeat to Ball State in its Mid-American Conference opener when it visits Kent State (11-3) on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Senior Marreon Jackson leads Toledo offensively with 16.5 ppg (4th in MAC) and is followed closely by senior Luke Knapke's 15.9 ppg (5th in MAC). Senior Spencer Littleson is averaging 12.1 ppg, while senior Willie Jackson is averaging a double-double with 11.3 ppg and 12.2 rpg, a total that ranks fourth in the nation. He also is tied for eighth nationally with eight double-doubles.
 
WESTERN MICHIGAN
Western Michigan is 1-0 to begin MAC play for just the third time since 2010 after a 77-65 victory over Ohio … The Broncos have been dominant when leading at the half this season posting a 7-0 record and over the past three seasons are 37-10 … With eight wins in just 14 games, WMU has already matches its season win total from a year ago, along with its 6-1 home record being the best since the 2015-16 campaign.