One year the MAC will get multiple bids again. I guarantee it; its just unknown when it will happen. The parity in the MAC makes every season incredibly interesting and always very nebulous with the predictions. This season, Kent State led the pack with a 13-3 conference record and an overall mark of 28-7. They fended off challengers Ohio and Akron inside their own Eastern division to capture the MAC's automatic bid. Before getting pummeled by UNLV 71-58 in the first round of the NCAAs, the Golden Flashes were considered by many to be the most underrated mid-major team in the tournament. After an impressive BracketBuster win AT Saint Mary's, Kent State entered the top 25 for the first time since their elite 8 performance in 2001. Kent was led by standout guard Al Fisher, who averaged 13.9 PPG and 4.0 APG and earned honorable mention All-American honors.
Fisher was the enigne that made this well-oiled Flash engine run; he did everything for them and a well-deserved All-American honor for an outstanding season. Akron was figured to be the team following Kent State all the way, and to get an at-large bid to the tournament. Unfortunately, the Zips saw stud forward Jeremiah Wood go down to injury in late January, and they dropped five of eight before making a late-season surge to capture second in the MAC. Wood averaged 14 and 7 for Akron, and was believed to be player of the year had he not gotten injured. Ohio also had an exciting year capped off with victories over tourney teams Kent State and George Mason. The Bobcats appeared in the CBI, but were dropped in the opening round to Bradley.2007-2008 MAC Grade: C
The MAC has a tremendous track record as a successful mid-major conference always featuring multiple teams with 20+ wins. This season it was Western Michigan, Kent State, Ohio and Akron. Although the bottom is incredibly empty and lacking any sort of star power, the top of both divisions at the MAC prove their worth year in and year out. The shift of power is always evident in this conference, no more indication than 2007 league champion Miami of Ohio finishing fourth in their division and sixth overall in the league going 17-16. Look for another team to bust out of obscurity next season and make some noise in the MAC. It always happens.
MEAC
Imgine during a basketball season that on February 2nd you are sitting at 4-19, and 1-8 in the conference. Visions of March, postseason, multiple victories, any sort of success are simply miles away. Eh, you might as well get hot, win 12 out of 13 and go to the NCAA Tournament. No sweat. This is what Coppin State did this season in the MEAC. Coppin showed no signs of life all year, but they decided to start ballin when they needed to and they showed the conference that the first few months do not mean squat. The Golden Eagles reached the NCAAs for the first time since 1997 when they defeated South Carolina as a 15 seed.
This Golden Eagles team ran out of their luck when they met Mount St. Mary in the opening round game, but an incredible run just to even fathom the NCAA Tournament. Morgan State led the league all season long and captured the regular season title. The Bears went 22-11, and 14-2 in the league and were defeated by Coppin in the league title game by a last second jumper. The Bears featured three players on the first-team all-conference, and received their first bid ever to the NIT where they were defeated by Virginia Tech in the first round. The MEAC has showed no signs of improvement in the last five seasons. Still with only three teams over .500 overall, there is no signs that point to a dynasty forming in this league filled with HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). Coppin certainly did not help matters by being the second under .500 team ever to be in field of 65, and the impression of this league nationwide is that of embarrasment.2007-2008 MEAC Grade: D
I want to enjoy this league. They have all sorts of history, talent, and pageantry, but the teams are all just terrible. Morgan State had a great season and should be applauded for their great MEAC mark, but everyone else in this league was terrible. Coppin State did not even look like they wanted to play basketball until league play opened up, and that is truly unfortunate. Occasionally, these MEAC schools spring upsets on bigger mid-majors or even majors, but they are often returns for guarantee games; and most of the time when they are playing a major they are down by 50 in November just appearing to get a check. The budgets for these schools are so pathetic that none of them will ever manage to continue to be successful. I hope the MEAC gets better, but odds point to another play-in game loss next season.
The Valley
There should be no argument here- down year for the Valley. A league that the last four seasons has featured a Sweet 16 squad, only managed to squeak one time into the NCAA Tournament, and it was a good one in Drake. The Bulldogs were picked to finish 9th in the preseason poll; shows how much the "experts" know. They went 28-5 under first year head man Keno Davis point guard Adam Emmenecker and scorer Josh Young and started the conference season 13-0 before dropping one at Southern Illinois.
Emmenecker was named the Larry Bird MVC player of the year, and the senior earned it averaging close to six assists per game. Outside of Drake this season, there was no national success for the Valley to speak of. Southern Illinois started out in the AP top 20, but fizzled out by December struggling to recapture the form that took them to the Sweet 16 last season. Illinois State managed success going 25-10, and reaching the second round of the NIT. Creighton and Bradley were figured to be atop the MVC along with the Salukis, but Creighton struggled to find their swag in the middle of the Valley, dropping five out of eight at the end of January. Bradley had chemistry issues all season, and could not run everything together until the postseason in the CBI. Underachieving all season, the Braves lost 8 of 9 in the non-conference, but were the only team in the Valley to win in Des Moines all season. The disappointment of the year belonged to Wichita State. Ta-State and new coach Gregg Marshall (Winthrop) managed an 11-20 record and an embarrasing 4-14 in Valley play. Although in just his first season, Marshall cannot expect too high regard from Wheatshocker fans if he continues those perfomances.2007-2008 Valley Grade: C+
My favorite conference in all the land. I am always partial to whoever wins the MVC when they are featured in the NCAA Tournament. In a standard year in the Valley, there are seven or eight teams that could legitimately capture the title of Arch Madness. This year, it just was not happening with Drake the clear cut cream of the crop all season. The Valley did send five teams to the postseason, an amazing accomplishment for a mid-major league. However I expect more than just one NCAA team out of this conference, and the fact that Drake came from nowhere to win the league shows that there was no real powerhouses to be heard from. I liked Bradley and Creighton both this season, but the way they just played uninspired ball throughout the whole season showed that the face of the Valley may be beginning to change. Regardless, I look for the Valley to come back stronger next season with three bids to the tournament, or else some coaches will severely be on the hot seat.
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