Bulls' Leading Scorer Suspended For Facebook Note: Buffalo's top scorer has been suspended indefinitely in an odd case that further demonstrates that one must be careful with what they put on a social network site. Last week, Robinson posted a message on Facebook that offered to pay someone to read a book and write a paper on questions that were assigned with the book. Another student found the ad and informed the school's newspaper. A junior guard, Robinson averaged 13.4 points per game last season. [4/25/08]
Notre Dame Assistant Crosses Over: Former Notre Dame assistant coach Gene Cross was hired as Toledo's head coach after spending 11 seasons with Notre Dame, DePaul, Virginia and Illinois-Chicago. He is replacing Stan Joplin, who coached the Rockets for 12 seasons. He has his work cut out for him as Toledo has not appeared in the NCAA Tournament since 1980. The Rockets finished with an 11-19 overall record and a 7-8 MAC record this past season.
[4/16/08]
Western Illinois Hires New Coach: Jim Molinari has left Ball State as an assistant coach to be the head coach of Western Illinois. He has 28 years of experience and has been part of many programs, such as Bradley, Minnesota, Northern Illinois and DePaul. He is replacing Derek Thomas who was 40-104 in the past five seasons. [4/13/08]
Ford Moves up at Kent State: Kent State's top assistant coach, Geno Ford, will become the Golden Flashes' next head coach, replacing Jim Christian, who left the team to become TCU's coach. Ford has been an assistant to Christian for the past four seasons, helping the Golden Flashes become a MAC heavyweight. Kent State earned a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament this season as one of the most dominant mid-major teams. Ford received unanimous support from the players. [4/02/08]
Horned Frogs Bring Christian to Texas: TCU has hired Kent State coach Jim Christian to be the Horned Frogs' coach, replacing Neil Dougherty, whom the school fired earlier in March. Christian led Kent State to a 138-58 record in six seasons, and the Golden Flashes won at least 20 games each season, making the NCAA Tournament twice. The Golden Flashes lost to UNLV in the first round this season. TCU has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 1998 and has only one 20-win season in the past six years. [3/31/08]
Midwest Region - First Round: No. 1 Kansas had no troubles handling No. 16 Portland State in an 85-61 first-round victory. The Jayhawks were led by junior guard Brandon Rush, who had 18 points and hit four three-pointers. Kansas was hot from the perimeter, hitting 12-of-25 three-pointers. The Vikings struggled to score against the Jayhawks' defense, shooting only 38.2 percent from the field. After building a 23-point halftime lead, Kansas cruised in the second half. The Jayhawks will play UNLV in the second round.
No. 3 Wisconsin didn't obliterate No. 14 Cal State Fullerton, but the Badgers slowly ground the Titans into submission in a 71-56 victory. Senior center Brian Butch had 14 points and nine rebounds, and the Badgers had 27 more rebounds than the Titans did to outwork Cal State Fullerton for the win. Wisconsin had nearly as many offensive rebounds as the Titans' had total rebounds. Junior guard Josh Akognon, a Washington State transfer, had 31 points for the Titans. The Badgers will play Kansas State next.
Michael Beasley and No. 11 Kansas State won the battle of freshmen phenoms against O.J. Mayo and No. 6 USC. The Wildcats also delivered the first upset of the NCAA Tournament with an 80-67 victory. Beasley finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds despite being saddled with three fouls during the second half. He picked up two fouls in the first four minutes of the game. Mayo played well for the Trojans, finishing with 20 points and five assists. The Trojans couldn't stop Kansas State on the glass as the Wildcats finished with 18 offensive rebounds.
No. 9 Kent State needed 20 minutes to get going on offense, and by the time the Golden Flashes started hitting shots, they were out of the game. Kent State matched an NCAA Tournament record for scoring futility in a half, putting up only 10 points while falling behind by 21 points to UNLV in the first half. The Runnin' Rebels shot better than 50 percent in the 71-58 win, and junior forward Joe Darger led UNLV with 18 points. [3/20/08]
Joplin Goes From MAC Coach of Year to Unemployed: A year after winning the Mid-American Conference coach of the year award, Toledo coach Stan Joplin is looking for a new job. The Rockets fired Joplin after the team finished 11-19 this season and had an unimpressive recruiting class. Joplin ends a 12-year run at Toledo with a 203-155 record. His contract was set to expire at the end of next season. [3/18/08]
Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship: No. 1 Kent State handled its business against No. 3 Akron to win 74-55 and take the MAC championship. The Golden Flashes victory ensures they will be in the NCAA Tournament without the need for an at-large bid. Kent State held the Zips to 30.8 percent shooting from the field. Akron did not help its cause by making only 18-of-33 free throw attempts. Senior forward Haminn Quaintance led the Golden Flashes with 16 points. [3/15/08]
Mid-American Conference Tournament Semifinals: Avenging a regular-season loss to No. 2 Western Michigan, No. 3 Akron easily beat the Broncos 73-62 in the semifinals. The Zips led by double digits for much of the second half. Sophomore forward Chris McKnight scored 16 points to lead the Zips to the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game for the second consecutive season.
Mid-American Conference Tournament Quarterfinals: No. 2 Western Michigan led from start to finish in beating No. 7 Eastern Michigan 70-61. The Broncos built a 16-point first-half lead, and Eastern Michigan whittled it down to three in the second half before Western Michigan pulled away in the final 10 minutes. Sophomore guard David Kool led the Broncos with 24 points.
Mid-American Conference Tournament Opening Round: No. 7 Eastern Michigan beat No. 10 Ball State 59-55 to move into the semifinals against No. 2 Western Michigan. Sophomore forward Justin Dobbins led the Eagles with 21 points, including a put-back that gave them a 45-44 lead and sparked an 8-0 run to pull away from the Cardinals.
Coles Will Take Time Off to Recover: Miami, Ohio, coach Charlie Coles will miss the rest of the season while recovering from an illness he came down with last week. The 66-year-old coach missed the RedHawks' past two games. Miami plays Bowling Green in the regular-season finale before moving into the Mid-American Conference Tournament next week. Assistant coach Jermaine Henderson will be the interim head coach in Coles' absence. [3/08/08]
Miami, Ohio, Coach Misses Second Game: Miami, Ohio, coach Charlie Coles, 66, missed Tuesday night's match up vs. Kent State because of illness. Coles, who has a history of heart problems, stayed in Oxford to get some tests done. He also missed the Redhawks' 73-48 win Saturday against Ohio. Associate coach Jermaine Henderson filled in for him.
[3/06/08]
Central Michigan's Winningest Coach Dies at 84: Central Michigan's winningest coach, Ted Kholhede, died Feb. 24 at his Mount Pleasant home. He was 84. Kholhede helped the Chippewas become a Division I team and join the Mid-American Conference. He won 216 games in 15 seasons with them dating back to 1956. He became the school's athletic director in 1972 and retired in 1984.
[2/27/08]
Northern Illinois Returns to the Hardwood: Northern Illinois played the first athletic game on campus Tuesday night against Western Michigan since a gunman killed five students in a lecture hall Feb. 14 before killing himself. The Huskies lost 56-49 to Western Michigan, but the coaches and players said the game's meaning was deeper than a win or loss. Before the game, players from both teams locked arms at center court to observe a moment of silence. Northern Illinois led by six in the second half before the Broncos clamped down on defense to end the game on an 18-5 run. [2/27/08]
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Akron Zips Akron, Ohio Coach: Keith Dambrot  Ball State Cardinals Muncie, Indiana Coach: Billy Taylor Bowling Green Falcons Bowling Green, Ohio Coach: Luis Orr Buffalo Bulls Buffalo, New York Coach: Reggie Witherspoon Central Michigan Chippewas Mount Pleasant, Michigan Coach: Ernie Zeigler Eastern Michigan Eagles Ypsilanti, Michigan Coach: Charles Ramsey Kent State Golden Flashes Kent, Ohio Coach: Jim Christian Miami RedHawks Oxford, Ohio Coach: Charlie Coles Northern Illinois Huskies DeKalb, Illinois Coach: Ricardo Patton Ohio Bobcats Athens, Ohio Coach: Tim O'Shea Toledo Rockets Toledo, Ohio Coach: Stan Joplin Western Michigan Broncos Kalamazoo, Michigan Coach: Steve Hawkins |
| More Info: MAC Official Site |
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Bill looks at the MAC Tournament semifinals, with a little revenge and a close call going the other way. |
Bill recaps the MAC Tournament final, where Kent State knocked off a nearby rival going away. |
Bill looks back at a busy day two of the MAC Tournament, where three of four seeds held true to form. |
We preview the MAC, where the two divisions each offer different strengths, and the Broncos looks to be the best. |
Bill Kintner recaps the MAC final, which came right down to the final seconds in a photo finish. |
Bill Kintner recaps the quarterfinals, where a top seed fell and the third time wasn't the charm. |
Bill Kintner recaps the quarterfinals, which included what may be one coach's final game at his school. |
Bill Kintner recaps the opening round of the MAC Tournament, with plenty of games on tap at a new site. |
A recent MAC game got Bill thinking about the conference's standing in the world of mid-majors. |
Joe Speranza previews the Mid-American, where Ohio teams could rule the fierce competition. |
Matthew Moll recaps the MAC Tournament, with surprises in the semifinals and a photo finish in the final. |
Ryan Lyle Commings has some good early action in the MAC, with surprises in Toledo and Miami and Kent State starting out strong. |