No. 1 Akron (24-7, 14-4 MAC) vs. No. 8 Ohio (17-15, 8-10 MAC)
12:00 PM ET | ESPN+ | Live Stats
The 2020 Akron Zips claimed the MAC regular season title after defeating Ohio 74-67 and Kent State 79-76 during the final week of the season. The Zips have won the regular season title five times since the 2012 season, including three of the last five seasons. In addition, the 2020 championship marks the first time head coach John Groce has won a league title in his tenure. Akron is 30-19 all-time in the MAC Tournament, 23-8 in its last 31 tournament games. The Zips have won at least one game in the MAC Tournament every year since the 2004-05 season and has advanced to the MAC Tournament title game in nine consecutive seasons with an unprecedented 12-of-13 semifinal appearances. The Zips' runs of the consecutive title game (7) and semifinal appearances (13) are the longest streaks in MAC history. The Zips are 24-13 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Akron is 7-6 in opening round games, 1-0 second round, 10-4 in the quarterfinals, 9-3 semifinals, and 3-6 in title games.
The No. 8 seed Bobcats are 17-15 on the season after defeating CMU, 85-65, on March 9 in Athens. Overall this season, the Bobcats are averaging 71.4 points, 35.4 rebounds, 14.7 assists and 6.4 steals per game. The Bobcats are shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 34.8 percent from three-point range and 68.9 percent from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Jason Preston was named Second Team All-MAC, redshirt sophomore Ben Vander Plas was named All-MAC Third Team, while freshman Lunden McDay was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team. The Bobcats are 42-32 (.569) all-time in the MAC Tournament and have captured six league tournament crowns.
No. 4 Northern Illinois (18-13, 11-7 MAC) vs. No. 12 Miami (13-19, 5-13 MAC)
Approx. 2:30 PM ET | ESPN+ | Live Stats
NIU heads to Cleveland as the No. 4 seed in the MAC Tournament and as co-champions of the MAC West Division. The Huskies earned their first bye in the conference tournament since 2006. NIU is led by senior Eugene German who leads the MAC, and ranks 23rd nationally, in scoring at 20.5 points per game. German has scored 2,203 points in his career, ninth best among active players in NCAA Division I and fifth-most in conference history. German enters this week's conference tournament just eight points behind Earl Boykins (Eastern Michigan, 1995-98) for fourth on the MAC's all-time scoring list. The Huskies are allowing just 64.5 points per game, 42nd nationally, and holding opponents to 40.2 percent shooting, 45th in the country. NIU is averaging 38.8 rebounds per game, 36th in the nation.
Miami was able to go into Buffalo and win its MAC First Round Tournament game thanks in large part to the efforts of junior guard Nike Sibande. He finished with a career-high 31 points, breaking his previous record of 29, set in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational at Campbell on March 14, 2018. It was the most points scored by a RedHawk player since Michael Weathers had 31 against Northern Kentucky Nov. 20, 2016. During the game Sibande moved into ninth on the RedHawks' career scoring list, passing Juby Johnson (1,459 points). He now has 1,463 career points.
No. 1 Bowling Green (21-10, 12-6 MAC) vs. No. 7 Toledo (17-15, 8-10 MAC)
6:30 PM ET | ESPN+ | Live Stats
The Falcons have clinched an automatic bye into the quarterfinals at the 2020 MAC Tournament in Cleveland. The quarterfinal game will take place on Thursday, March 12 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.Both teams entered the game with identical 11-3 league records. With the win, Bowling Green reclaims solo possession of first place with just three games to go in the regular-season. The Falcons are now 21-7 overall and 12-3 within the MAC in 2019-20. With the loss, Akron drops to 21-7 (11-4 MAC). The Zips had won five-straight games and were 6-1 on the road in the MAC heading into the evening. BGSU's 21 wins marks the most for the program in the regular season since winning 22 regular-season games in 2001-02. The Falcons have already matched their MAC win total from a season ago, as the Falcons went 12-6 in 2018-19.
The Rockets have won five of their last six contests and knocked off No. 10 seed Western Michigan, 76-73, at home on Monday night. Junior Marreon Jackson led Toledo with 25 points, while seniors Willie Jackson (22 pts./16 reb.) and Luke Knapke (18 pts./11 reb.) registered double-doubles for a second-straight game. The Rockets led by as many as 19 points before WMU closed to within a point at 70-69 with two minutes left. Toledo answered with a 6-0 run to secure the win.Toledo dropped a pair of close decisions to Bowling Green this season, an 85-79 loss at home on Jan. 25 and an 85-83 setback on the road on Feb. 8. It was the first time the Rockets lost twice to the Falcons since the 1998-99 season. Toledo possesses a 4-1 win-loss mark against Bowling Green in the MAC Tournament, including a 77-62 victory in a first-round contest in 2017. The Rockets won the only meeting between the schools in Cleveland with a 52-48 triumph in a 2008 first-round contest.
No. 3 Ball State (18-13, 11-7 MAC) vs. No. 6 Kent State (20-12, 9-9 MAC)
Approx. 9:00 PM ET | ESPN+ | Live Stats
Ball State meets No. 6 seed Kent State in the last MAC Tournament quarterfinal game Thursday. The third-seeded Cardinals clinched a share of the MAC West Division championship and a first-round tournament bye with a 75-54 win at Northern Illinois in the regular season finale. The Golden Flashes defeated Eastern Michigan 86-76 in a first-round game Monday night in Kent. Ball State enters the tournament as the top defensive team in the MAC. During league play, the Cardinals ranked first in the MAC in scoring defense (63.5), field goal percentage defense (.402) and 3-point percentage defense (.291). For the full season, BSU's scoring defense (62.5) ranks 17th in the country. The Cardinals held conference opponents to fewer than 60 points seven times. The Cardinals forced league foes into less than 30 percent shooting from beyond the arc 10 times.
The Kent State men's basketball team defeated Eastern Michigan, 86-76, Monday night in the opening round game of the Mid-American Conference Tournament at the M.A.C. Center. With the victory, Kent State (20-12) advance to the quarterfinals where they will face Western Division Co-Champion Ball State on Thursday night at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. Kent State owns the best field goal percentage in the league at 45.0 percent during conference play, while Ball State owns the top field goal defense, allowing only 40.2 percent. The Cardinals held the Flashes to 38.3 percent in the first meeting, including 1-of-20 from 3-point range. Kent State features two of the top 15 scorers in the MAC in senior guard Antonio Williams (14.7 ppg, 12th) and junior forward Danny Pippen (14.3 ppg, 15th). Senior big man Philip Whittington ranks fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.543), while senior guard Troy Simons ranks third in 3-pointers (93).
