MAC Men's Basketball Media Day Held in Cleveland
Oct. 21, 2004
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CLEVELAND -- The Mid-American Conference announced today that Toledo (West Division) and Buffalo (East Division) have been chosen as preseason favorites to win their respective divisions in men's basketball. Voting was conducted by members of the MAC News Media Association. The MAC announces only the top three teams in each division and the tournament winner in its preseason poll. The Rockets were also tabbed to win the MAC Tournament.
The Rockets return all-MAC first-team and all-MAC Tournament selection Keith Triplett and the last two MAC Freshmen of the Year in junior Sammy Villegas and sophomore Justin Ingram. Triplett led the MAC in steals (2.6 spg), was second in scoring (19.6 ppg), third in free throw percentage (80.4) and three-point field goal percentage (41.5) and 11th in assists (3.1 apg). Stan Joplin's squad returns all five starters from last year's team that won 20 games, played in the NIT and advanced to the MAC Tournament semifinals before losing to league champion Western Michigan.
Buffalo head coach and 2004 MAC Coach of the Year Reggie Witherspoon also welcomes back five starters, including two-time all-MAC and Academic all-MAC honoree Turner Battle. Battle (15. ppg, 80 assists) led the Bulls to 17 overall wins and 11 conference victories, the best season for UB since it joined the MAC in 1999. Yassin Idbihi, a 6-foot, 10-inch sophomore forward and preseason all-MAC selection returns after a season of 10.3 ppg and 5.8 rpg and a career-high 23 points in a MAC Tournament opening round win over Northern Illinois.
Top challengers in each division per the preseason voting are Kent State and Miami in the East and Ball State and Western Michigan in the West.
Kent State will be after the program's seventh consecutive 20-win season and fifth straight East Division title. KSU will have to overcome the loss of 7-foot center and school all-time blocked shots leader John Edwards and veteran guard Eric Haut, but should be able to do that with the return of all-MAC guard DeAndre Haynes and the return of 6-foot, 8-inch forward Nate Gerwig. Haynes led the MAC in assists (5.77 apg) and was second in steals (2.32 spg). Gerwig missed the 2004 season due to a knee injury that sidelined him, but in his most recent full season of 2002-03, Gerwig played in 30 games, 28 as a starter, and posted averages of 7.6 ppg and 4.1 rpg. Miami won 18 games overall and 12 MAC contests in 2004 and had Chet Mason (10.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg) and Danny Horace (9.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg) selected to the league's preseason all-MAC team. Mason, despite standing just 6-feet, 3 inches tall, finished third in the league in rebounding.
Ball State can boast of strong guard play with seniors Matt McCollom (9.6 ppg, 47 assists) and Dennis Trammell (team high 13.2 ppg and 81 assists) and sophomore Peyton Stovall (7.2 ppg, a team best 110 assists) returning. The trio combined for 83 starts. Defending MAC Champion Western Michigan will be faced with the loss of 2004 MAC Player of the Year in Mike Williams (18.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and all-MAC selection Anthony Kaan (15.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg) but does return all-MAC guard Ben Reed as well as fellow seniors Levi Rost (31 games, 6.9 ppg) and Rickey Willis (31 games, 3.0 ppg). Reed, the 2002 MAC Freshman of the Year, is the leading returning scorer from last year with his 16.0 ppg and also had a team high 60 steals. Guard Brian Snider, a junior, is back after a season of 149 assists and 44 steals to rank among MAC leaders.
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