2009–10 Mid-American Conference men's basketball season
Encyclopedia
The 2009–10 Mid-American Conference men's basketball season is the 64th college basketball
season in the conference's existence. The conference features 12 teams in two divisions, East and West, who will compete for the Mid-American Conference
(MAC) regular season and tournament titles.
gave head coach Billy Taylor
a two-year contract extension after the Cardinals shared the MAC West Division title with Central Michigan
. Taylor finished second in the Coach of the Year ballot sponsored by the Conference and has held a 20–41 record since taking over the program. The contract extension will keep him at Ball State through March 31, 2014. Other changes with the Ball State program include Bob Simmons being promoted to associate head coach and Mitch Gilfillan hired as the Director of Basketball Operations.
On the east side, Bowling Green
gave their head coach Louis Orr
a two-year extension that will also keep him through the 2013–14 basketball season. He beat out Taylor for the MAC Coach of the Year ballot last season. In Orr's two seasons at Bowling Green he increased the team's conference winning percentage, going from 3–13 in the year prior to his arrival, to 7–9 and 11–5 in his two seasons at the institution. To completement the contract extension, Bowling Green announced that Dennis Hopson
would join the Falcons as an assistant coach.
The Akron Zips
gave their head coach Keith Dambrot
a lengthy contract extension, keeping him through the 2015–16 season. Dambrot had led the Zips to four consecutive 20-win seasons in his five years at Akron (his first season only had 19 wins). Those five years were capped off with an NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
Tournament appearance in the 2008–09 season. However, the University lost a key assistant coach when it was announced that Jeff Boals
would leave to become an assistant at Ohio State
. Boals was a key figure in recruiting Zeke Marshall, a 7-foot center who has been Akron's highest recruit in recent history. To replace Boals, Akron hired Dan Peters, former Ohio State assistant coach who helped lead the team to the 2007 National Championship Game. Peters role with the Zips will be the Director of Basketball Operations.
, and Central Michigan won a share of the MAC West Division title last season.
The media also took a vote on who they think would win the MAC Tournament at the end of the season. Unlike the preseason votes, the media would only select the winner of the tournament, and not the placement of the teams afterwards. Akron received the most votes with 19, followed by Buffalo with two votes. Northern Illinois, Kent State, and Bowling Green each received one vote to win the tournament.
game at the College of Wooster on November 7. Overall, MAC teams went 15–1 in these exhibition games, with the lone loss coming from the Toledo Rockets
when they lost 48–56 against Central State University
. The largest margin of victory was 50 points, which was achieved in two games. Northern Illinois
was able to beat Marygrove College
with a score of 120–70, and the Akron Zips
were able to match that margin of victory with an 88–38 victory over Mount Union College
.
began. Miami
first played the Tigers
of Towson University
in their home court in Maryland. While the RedHawks were able to build to a 42–37 lead at halftime, Towson would go on a 10–2 run in the second half and eventually sealing the victory with a final score of 82–71. Northern Illinois
would also begin their season with a loss, losing 55–77 against intrastate opponent Northwestern
Ohio
began their season with a win Ohio Valley University
by a score of 101–72 in the Convocation Center
. Five Ohio players reached double-digits in scoring, led by Ivo Baltic who had 20 points in that game. Ball State
was also able to begin the season with a victory, theirs over Horizon League
opponent Valparaiso
. Six players from Ball State were able to score over ten points, which is the first time in over ten years that it has been accomplished by a team. The Cardinals won by a score of 88–78. Finally, Kent State
began their season by hosting a version of the 2009 Hispanic College Fund
Classic. Their first match-up in that tournament was against the Samford Bulldogs
. The Golden Flashes snuck out a win in that game, 69–66, to keep their home opener streak at 13 games.
organized an event that's known as the BracketBusters, which features teams from Mid-Major Conferences which face each other in order to improve their strength of schedule. The matchups will be announced on February 1 with the teams facing each other on February 19 or 20, 2010. The MAC is tied with the most teams in the event, with them and the Colonial Athletic Association
having 12 teams each featured in the field.
Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Kent State, Miami, and Ohio will all host games in their venues, while Akron, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo, and Western Michigan travelling to opponents' arenas.
Source: Men's Basketball All-MAC Teams, All-Freshman Team Announced
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
season in the conference's existence. The conference features 12 teams in two divisions, East and West, who will compete for the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
(MAC) regular season and tournament titles.
Coaching
None of the twelve teams made head coaching changes from last season, although some gave their coaches contract extensions. Ball StateBall State Cardinals men's basketball
The Ball State Cardinals men's basketball team is the basketball team that represent Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. The Cardinals first basketball season was 1920-1921. The school's team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's...
gave head coach Billy Taylor
Billy Taylor
Billy Taylor was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and since 1994, he was the artistic director for jazz at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in...
a two-year contract extension after the Cardinals shared the MAC West Division title with Central Michigan
Central Michigan Chippewas men's basketball
The Central Michigan Chippewas team is the basketball team that represent Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school's team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2003...
. Taylor finished second in the Coach of the Year ballot sponsored by the Conference and has held a 20–41 record since taking over the program. The contract extension will keep him at Ball State through March 31, 2014. Other changes with the Ball State program include Bob Simmons being promoted to associate head coach and Mitch Gilfillan hired as the Director of Basketball Operations.
On the east side, Bowling Green
Bowling Green Falcons men's basketball
The Bowling Green Falcons men's basketball team is the basketball team that represent Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 1968...
gave their head coach Louis Orr
Louis Orr
Louis M. Orr is an American men's college basketball coach. Orr became the 15th men's basketball head coach at Bowling Green State University on April 4, 2007, replacing Dan Dakich whose contract ran out following the 2006-2007 season. Orr was the head coach at Seton Hall University from April 4,...
a two-year extension that will also keep him through the 2013–14 basketball season. He beat out Taylor for the MAC Coach of the Year ballot last season. In Orr's two seasons at Bowling Green he increased the team's conference winning percentage, going from 3–13 in the year prior to his arrival, to 7–9 and 11–5 in his two seasons at the institution. To completement the contract extension, Bowling Green announced that Dennis Hopson
Dennis Hopson
Dennis Hopson is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach at Bowling Green State University...
would join the Falcons as an assistant coach.
The Akron Zips
Akron Zips men's basketball
The Akron Zips Men's Basketball team represents the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference East division. The team first played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 1986 when Bob Huggins was their coach. The Zips are currently...
gave their head coach Keith Dambrot
Keith Dambrot
Keith B. Dambrot is an American college basketball coach and the current men's basketball head coach of the University of Akron. Dambrot also coached NBA Star, LeBron James, while serving as head coach of St. Vincent-St...
a lengthy contract extension, keeping him through the 2015–16 season. Dambrot had led the Zips to four consecutive 20-win seasons in his five years at Akron (his first season only had 19 wins). Those five years were capped off with an NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
Tournament appearance in the 2008–09 season. However, the University lost a key assistant coach when it was announced that Jeff Boals
Jeff Boals
-External links:*...
would leave to become an assistant at Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball
The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances...
. Boals was a key figure in recruiting Zeke Marshall, a 7-foot center who has been Akron's highest recruit in recent history. To replace Boals, Akron hired Dan Peters, former Ohio State assistant coach who helped lead the team to the 2007 National Championship Game. Peters role with the Zips will be the Director of Basketball Operations.
Media voting
On October 28, the members of the MAC News Media Panel voted in the Preseason Media Poll. They voted Akron as the favorite in the MAC East Division and Central Michigan in the MAC West Division. The Zips come off of a 2008 where they represented the Conference in the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
, and Central Michigan won a share of the MAC West Division title last season.
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The media also took a vote on who they think would win the MAC Tournament at the end of the season. Unlike the preseason votes, the media would only select the winner of the tournament, and not the placement of the teams afterwards. Akron received the most votes with 19, followed by Buffalo with two votes. Northern Illinois, Kent State, and Bowling Green each received one vote to win the tournament.
Exhibition games
All 12 MAC teams combined to play a total of 16 exhibition games. All of these games were against schools of lower divisions (NCAA Division II, for example). 15 of these 16 games were played in the home court of the MAC team, with the exclusion of a Kent State Golden Flashes2009–10 Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball team represented Kent State University in the 2009–10 college basketball season. The team was coached by Geno Ford and played their home games in the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center. They are members of the Mid-American Conference...
game at the College of Wooster on November 7. Overall, MAC teams went 15–1 in these exhibition games, with the lone loss coming from the Toledo Rockets
2009–10 Toledo Rockets men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Toledo Rockets men's basketball team represented the University of Toledo in the college basketball season of 2009–10. The team, coached by Gene Cross, are members of the Mid-American Conference and played their homes game in Savage Arena. They finished the season 4–28, 1–15...
when they lost 48–56 against Central State University
Central State University
Central State University, commonly referred to as "C-State", is a historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio, United States. It is the only public HBCU in Ohio.-History:...
. The largest margin of victory was 50 points, which was achieved in two games. Northern Illinois
2009–10 Northern Illinois Huskies men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Northern Illinois Huskies basketball team represented Northern Illinois University in the college basketball season of 2009–10. The team, led by head coached by Ricardo Patton, are members of the Mid-American Conference and played their homes game at the Convocation Center...
was able to beat Marygrove College
Marygrove College
Marygrove College is an independent, Catholic, liberal arts college located in Detroit, Michigan. The college is sponsored by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.-History:...
with a score of 120–70, and the Akron Zips
2009–10 Akron Zips men's basketball team
The 2009–10 University of Akron Zips basketball team represented the University of Akron in the college basketball season of 2009–10. The Zips, led by head coach Keith Dambrot, are members of the Mid-American Conference and played their home games at James A. Rhodes Arena...
were able to match that margin of victory with an 88–38 victory over Mount Union College
Mount Union College
The University of Mount Union is a 4-year private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Alliance, Ohio.Mount Union enrolls 2200 undergraduates. Approximately 50 percent are women and 50 percent are men, representing more than 22 states and 13 countries. Mount Union has an active alumni base of...
.
November
Five Mid-American Conference teams opened up their season on November 13, the first Friday after the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2009, and ended with the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 5, 2010 on the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The opening round occurred on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, followed by first...
began. Miami
2009–10 Miami RedHawks men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Miami RedHawks basketball team will represent Miami University in the college basketball season of 2009–10. The team is coached by Charlie Coles and will play their homes game in Millett Hall.-Roster Changes:...
first played the Tigers
Towson Tigers
The Towson Tigers, formerly Towson College Knights, are the athletics teams of Towson University. All of the major athletic teams compete in the Colonial Athletic Association with 20 Division I athletic teams The Towson Tigers, formerly Towson College Knights, are the athletics teams of Towson...
of Towson University
Towson University
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
in their home court in Maryland. While the RedHawks were able to build to a 42–37 lead at halftime, Towson would go on a 10–2 run in the second half and eventually sealing the victory with a final score of 82–71. Northern Illinois
2009–10 Northern Illinois Huskies men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Northern Illinois Huskies basketball team represented Northern Illinois University in the college basketball season of 2009–10. The team, led by head coached by Ricardo Patton, are members of the Mid-American Conference and played their homes game at the Convocation Center...
would also begin their season with a loss, losing 55–77 against intrastate opponent Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball
The Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team representing Northwestern University in the Big Ten Conference. Men's basketball was first introduced at Northwestern in 1901...
Ohio
2009–10 Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Ohio Bobcats basketball team represented Ohio University in the college basketball season of 2009–10. The team was coached by John Groce and played their homes game at the Convocation Center....
began their season with a win Ohio Valley University
Ohio Valley University
Ohio Valley University is a private, four-year Christian college and is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. It is located between the western towns of Parkersburg and Vienna in the State of West Virginia in the United States....
by a score of 101–72 in the Convocation Center
Convocation Center (Ohio University)
Convocation Center is a 13,080-seat multi-purpose arena that is home to the Ohio Bobcats basketball, volleyball, and wrestling teams. The first men's basketball game in the arena featured an 80–70 Ohio victory over the Indiana Hoosiers on December 3, 1968.The Convocation Center,...
. Five Ohio players reached double-digits in scoring, led by Ivo Baltic who had 20 points in that game. Ball State
2009–10 Ball State Cardinals men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Ball State University Cardinals basketball team represent Ball State University in the college basketball season of 2009–10. The team is coached by Billy Taylor and play their homes game in John E. Worthen Arena.-Roster Changes:...
was also able to begin the season with a victory, theirs over Horizon League
Horizon League
The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States....
opponent Valparaiso
2009–10 Valparaiso Crusaders men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Valparaiso Crusaders men's basketball team was a NCAA Division I college basketball team who competed in the Horizon League representing Valparaiso University...
. Six players from Ball State were able to score over ten points, which is the first time in over ten years that it has been accomplished by a team. The Cardinals won by a score of 88–78. Finally, Kent State
2009–10 Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball team represented Kent State University in the 2009–10 college basketball season. The team was coached by Geno Ford and played their home games in the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center. They are members of the Mid-American Conference...
began their season by hosting a version of the 2009 Hispanic College Fund
Hispanic College Fund
Hispanic College Fund, Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to prepare the next generation of Hispanic professionals. It serves primarily high school and college students.The Hispanic College Fund PipelineHigh School Programs:...
Classic. Their first match-up in that tournament was against the Samford Bulldogs
Samford Bulldogs
Samford University fields 17 varsity teams . The Bulldogs have done well in recent years in both football and men's basketball, participating in the 1999 and 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The women's basketball team made its initial NCAA tournament appearance in the 2011 NCAA...
. The Golden Flashes snuck out a win in that game, 69–66, to keep their home opener streak at 13 games.
BracketBusters
For the eighth year, ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
organized an event that's known as the BracketBusters, which features teams from Mid-Major Conferences which face each other in order to improve their strength of schedule. The matchups will be announced on February 1 with the teams facing each other on February 19 or 20, 2010. The MAC is tied with the most teams in the event, with them and the Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
having 12 teams each featured in the field.
Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Kent State, Miami, and Ohio will all host games in their venues, while Akron, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo, and Western Michigan travelling to opponents' arenas.
Post-season tournaments
All-MAC Preseason Team
As a part of the Preseason Media Poll, the members also voted on the Preseason All-MAC East and West Division teams. Akron and Eastern Michigan had two players in the East and West Division polls, respectively.
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All-MAC Teams
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