BobcatAttack.com - For Fans of Ohio University Sports

Welcome Guest!
Create an Account

site search

where to watch

about us

advertise with us

help

BobcatAttack.com Message Board

Ohio Basketball

Topic: RE: How good was the MAC?

Topic: RE: How good was the MAC?

Author

Message

Bobcat1996
General User

Member Since: 1/2/2017
Post Count: 1,002

Status: Offline

RE: How good was the MAC?

Posted: 2/7/2025 7:34:43 AM

And speaking of Antonio Gates. The man just got into the HOF in Canton.

bobcatsquared
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 5,358

Status: Offline

RE: How good was the MAC?

Posted: 2/8/2025 9:53:01 PM

Then there was Eastern Michigan under coach Ben Braun. His 1990-91 Hurons went 26-7, including wins over Mississippi St. and Penn St. in the NCAA tourney. After 3 down years, EMU went 20-10 in 1994-95 with 2 freshmen and future NBA players, the great Earl Boykins (all of 5-5) and Derrick Dial, joining Bryan Tolbert in the backcourt to go along with 6-9 Theron Wilson inside. The Hurons then went 25-6 the next year with a first-round win over Duke in the NCAA tourney.

To quote Alan Swank in the Appy St. game thread, "Man has the MAC fallen big time."

Last Edited: 2/8/2025 9:54:32 PM by bobcatsquared

bobcatsquared
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 5,358

Status: Offline

RE: How good was the MAC?

Posted: 2/9/2025 7:06:00 PM

GraffZ06 wrote:

In the stretch from the 1985-86 season to the 1999-2000 season, stretching 15 years, the MAC had 12 players who would go on to play at least 90 games in the NBA. 14 guys if you want to include out to 2002-03.

Ron Harper - Miami, 1986 - 1009 games
Dan Majerle - CMU, 1988 - 955 games
Grant Long - EMU, 1988 - 1003 games
Kenny Battle - NIU/Illinois, 1989 - 134 games
Snoopy Graham - Ohio, 1989 - 179 games
Dave Jamerson - Ohio, 1990 - 90 games
Gary Trent - Ohio, 1995 - 506 games
Antonio Daniels - BG, 1997 - 871 games
Ira Newble - Miami, 1997 - 380 games
Bonzi Wells - Ball St, 1998 - 591 games
Earl Boykins - EMU, 1998 - 652 games
Wally Szczerbiak - Miami, 1999 - 651 games
Keith McLeod - BG, 2002 - 200 games
Chris Kaman - CMU, 2003 - 735 games

The MAC has had a total of 2 players reach this mark ever since.

Richaun Holmes from BG in 2015 and Abdel Nader from NIU-Iowa St in 2016.

Definitely a golden era for MAC hoops that we're likely never to see again.

Very telling lists. However, Ryan Rollins from UT, joins Holmes and Nader from recent years.

Saw Rollins get minutes for Milwaukee today when I tuned in late for the final game in the long career of the great NBA analyst Hubie Brown, a true national treasure. Brown called his last game at the young age of 91.

Last Edited: 2/9/2025 7:14:47 PM by bobcatsquared

OhioCatFan
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 14,524

Status: Offline

RE: How good was the MAC?

Posted: 2/9/2025 7:28:20 PM

I remember when Manny Newsome of WMU and Howard Komives of BG were fighting all season long for the top scorer in the nation. I don't recall the final standings that year, but throughout most of the season I would look at the scoring stats and they were changing places regularly. Yes, the MAC was much better back then!

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

bobcatsquared
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 5,358

Status: Offline

RE: How good was the MAC?

Posted: 2/10/2025 9:53:03 PM

Add Emoni Bates (if one, uneventful year at EMU counts) to the list. Played 5 minutes tonight for Cleveland.

GraffZ06
General User

Member Since: 1/5/2005
Location: Dayton, OH
Post Count: 2,199

Status: Offline

RE: How good was the MAC?

Posted: 2/11/2025 2:54:33 AM

Oh there have been other MAC guys beyond my list that played (or are playing) in the NBA. I just cut off my list for guys with at least 90 games played or more to represent guys who were so good they had more than a cup of coffee in the league.

Currently in the league are:

Emoni Bates - EMU - Cleveland Cavaliers
RayJ Dennis - Toledo/Baylor - Indiana Pacers
Enrique Freeman - Akron - Indiana Pacers
Richaun Holmes - BG - Washington Wizards
Daeqwon Plowden - BG - Atlanta Hawks
Ryan Rollins - Toledo - Milwaukee Bucks
Nate Williams - Buffalo - Houston Rockets

Rollins is the only one getting consistent PT of the group. Holmes and Freeman get mop up duty here and there, though Holmes has had a 10 year career. Rest have appeared in 6 games or less.

Last Edited: 2/11/2025 2:55:49 AM by GraffZ06

Buckeye to Bobcat
General User

Member Since: 9/10/2013
Post Count: 1,808

Status: Offline

RE: How good was the MAC?

Posted: 2/11/2025 10:50:08 AM

GraffZ06 wrote:

The worst part is the guys you're naming off this list couldn't hold a candle to the 90's era.

I remember as a kid when the MAC frequently had home games with the big boys when they weren't afraid to take em. Can even remember when Casey Shaw and Greg Stempin took out Ohio A&M at Savage Hall back in 98, which I believe was the last time they went on the road voluntarily in Ohio until Holtmann got to O$U. Heck, had to explain to my brothers who went to Fiami (yes, three of them went there, but got one to go to OU for grad school so I did my job showing him the light) that Fiami used to have home-and-home's with Dayton, Cincy, Xavier, and many others would go to Oxford to play. There was a time when that was the norm, and also the norm of stepping out of league play during conference season. Not sure why conferences got so hellbent on scheduling a league-only circuit come winter, but would love to see teams mix it up in February again.

Anyways, point being is only way I see these kind of games happening is if we either commit to building them into football contracts (which financially becomes a problem-see Purdue when we had them here), or the region happens to have a kid from SE Ohio and wants a game back home.

I have said before and will say it again, our best bet of getting the big games is taking them to Columbus to Nationwide Arena for either Big Ten or ACC schools that want to recruit Columbus but can't get a game vs Ohio A&M that season. And again, for enrolling and recruiting kids to Ohio, we should be doing a game up there or in Cleveland properly. But I digress.....

You'll never see that kinda magic happen again in this league, especially after Rick Chryst sent us over the ledge for football which to this day the league is paying for that sin royally.....

Last Edited: 2/11/2025 10:53:10 AM by Buckeye to Bobcat

SBH
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 4,166

Status: Offline

RE: How good was the MAC?

Posted: 2/11/2025 11:37:45 AM

While I wasn't a big fan of Chryst, you need to understand that the commissioner follows the lead of the MAC Presidents Council. A lot of weak leaders there, certainly (goodbye NIU!), but the presidents made the decision to increase football support, presumably reflecting alumni priorities.

Showing Replies:	26 - 33 of 33 Posts
Jump to Page:	< Previous 1 \| 2

View Other 'Ohio Basketball' Topics

There are 345 Active Visitors on BobcatAttack.com

345 Guests
0 Registered Users

There are no other users looking at this page.