While the East Division Mid-American Conference standings look almost identical to last year's final standings, the West Division seems to have been flipped completely upside down.
The usual suspects are once again atop the East standings with Kent State and Miami trouncing opponents, and, of course, the cellar dwelling regulars like Ohio and UB are reprising their roles at the bottom while providing little to no excitement for their fans.
But it's a whole different story in the West. Last year's MAC Champions, Central Michigan are struggling without first round NBA pick Chris Kaman. In their place atop the west are Western Michigan and Toledo. WMU finished third in the West last season, while Toledo finished dead last.
The top teams are beating who they are supposed to beat, with the exception of the MU RedHawks knocking off the KSU Flashes, and the bottom teams are doing what they do best, losing. However, there is a nice group of teams in the middle of the pack like Marshall, Ball State and Bowling Green, but for them to do any serious damage they'll need to knock off their division leaders.
Who's Hot
No surprise here with Kent State. The Golden Flashes went 4-0 in league play before bowing out to Miami (Ohio), 74-65. That 4-0 start was the first for the Golden Flashes in the 52 years of MAC play.
The Western Michigan Broncos are on a 10-game winning streak and are not looking to slow down either with teams like Eastern Michigan, Ball State and Ohio on the upcoming schedule. This team isn't just winning, it's torching its opponents. In its last three victories, the team has averaged a 27 point differential against their victims. However, the real test for WMU will be on Jan. 21 when they travel to KSU. At 11-1 and with an Rating Percentage Index of 14, it's only a matter of time before the Broncos get some recognition in the top 25 polls, something that they surely deserve. Look for the Bronco's to run away with the West Division crown and No. 1 seed in the MAC tournament.
Toledo has won three of its last four and has improved its record to 10-3 (4-1 MAC) and has garnered the same attention as the Flashes in ESPN's notables in the Mid-Major Poll. Led by senior guard Keith Triplett (20 points per game) the Rockets should contend with the Golden Flashes for the top spot in the East the rest of the season.
The RedHawks are coming off an impressive win against KSU and at 7-5 (3-1 MAC) are sitting a half a game behind the Golden Flashes. MU won five of its last six, which includes a current three-game winning streak. Miami plays next against Ball State, (6-6, 3-1 MAC) which is coming off of a convincing 90-75 win over Central Michigan.
Who's Not
This space should be reserved for Buffalo (five-game losing streak), but Ohio and Central Michigan are more deserving than the Bulls.
Sitting at 4-10 (1-3 MAC) and coming off a home win against the nostalgic Bulls, Ohio is at the bottom of the MAC East and it won't get any easier for the Bobcats. The team is shooting a cold .400 from the field and that is good enough for last in the MAC. While the team's scoring defense (62 opponent points per game) is third in the MAC, its lack of consistency in its schedule is its Achilles heels.
It seems hard to believe that Central Michigan is the same team that made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament last year. However, CMU (3-11, 0-4 MAC) is proving that there actually is an "I" in "team" after riding the success and failure of one player, Chris Kaman. Kaman bolted for the NBA draft after his junior year and left the Chippewas in the dust, literally.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
