March Madness is here in NCAA college basketball! All the work each team has done each day through practices, shootarounds, and games is all on the line as the top teams in each conference battle for the opportunity to win their conference championship to punch their ticket to the NCAA National Tournament.
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) returns to the renamed Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, for the Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship from March 13-15, 2025. All eyes will be on the top eight teams from the MAC, looking to see which team will punch their individual ticket to the big dance.
Mid-American Conference Teams
#8 Bowling Green Falcons
Record: 14-17 (8-10 MAC)
Head Coach Todd Simons
Quarterfinals Game 1: #8 Bowling Green vs #1 Akron – March 13th, 11:00 A.M.
Summary: Bowling Green comes into the MAC Tournament riding a bit of a hot streak as they went 8-2 in their last ten games, including a handful of notable late wins. During the ten-game stretch, their most notable win came by one point over the Toledo Rockets on the road 69-68. They did drop their final regular season game at home against the Western Michigan Broncos in a crushing 64-63 loss. The Falcons have been led by a historical season for their 6’2″ junior guard Javontae Campbell, who was named to the All-MAC Third Team and All-MAC Defensive Team after breaking the program record with the most steals in a single season at 86 at 2.77 per game. They are also led by 6’10” redshirt freshman forward Jamai Felt, who was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team with a 62.7 FG% in his first year. Bowling Green will also be led by their 6’7″ senior Marcus Johnson, who averaged 15.8 PPG in the regular season for the Falcons. This defensive-minded team will look for another first-round upset like last year against No. 4 Central Michigan, taking on the red-hot No. 1 Akron Zips in the Quarterfinals game tomorrow inside Rocket Arena.
#7 Eastern Michigan Eagles
Record: 16-15 (9-9 MAC)
Head Coach: Stan Heath
Quarterfinals Game 3: #7 Eastern Michigan vs #2 Miami (OH) – March 13th, 4:00 P.M.
Summary: The Eastern Michigan Eagles are set to make their first appearance back in the MAC Tournament since the 2019-20 campaign. They enter the MAC Tournament after going 6-4 in their last ten; this span includes a 10-point 76-66 win over the RedHawks at home on February 18th. They are led by an upperclassmen group where four of the five starters average over 10 PPG. Senior 6’0″ guard Jalen Terry leads the Eagles at 16.5 PPG and shoots a stellar 87.5 FT% and 37.9 3P% from deep. The sharpshooter had a career-high 38 points in their 80-73 win versus Toledo on February 15th and was named to Second Team All-MAC along with his senior teammate, 6’8″ forward Da’Sean Nelson, who averages 16.0 PPG. The Eagle’s elite combination of Terry’s shooting and Nelson’s inside rebounding and overall presence will make for an interesting matchup in the Quarterfinals matchup with the RedHawks. Despite coming in after a close six-point loss to Kent State last Friday, the Eagles are refocused and have the goal of an early upset in the first round.
#6 Western Michigan Broncos
Record: 12-19 (9-9 MAC)
Head Coach: Dwayne Stephens
Quarterfinals Game 4: #6 Western Michigan vs #3 Kent State – March 13th, 6:30 P.M.
Summary: The Western Michigan Broncos return to Cleveland for the MAC Tournament for the second year in a row. Last year, their time in Cleveland was short with the 82-55 loss to the Ohio Bobcats in the first round. With the goal of putting that loss behind them, they return as the sixth seed looking for a first-round upset. Western Michigan earned its berth in the MAC Tournament, coming off the narrow 64-63 win at Bowling Green. The Broncos are led by 6’2″ junior guard Chansey Willis Jr., who averages 17.0 PPG and 5.8 APG, earning him to the All-MAC Second Team. Next to Willis Jr. is his backcourt teammate Javaughn Hannah, who averages 12.3 PPG per game and is coming off an 18-point game in the win at Bowling Green. Willis Jr. and Hannah will lead the underdog Broncos into their matchup against Kent State, looking to carry the momentum from the Bowling Green win into the MAC Tournament.
#5 Ohio Bobcats
Record: 16-15 (10-8 MAC)
Head Coach: Jeff Boals
Quarterfinals Game 2: #5 Ohio vs #4 Toledo – March 13th, 1:30 P.M.
Summary: The Bobcats had an up-and-down season as they struggled midseason to gain significant momentum to earn a higher seed in the 2025 MAC Tournament. They stumble into the tournament, having lost their last two games against MAC Tournament opponents in Eastern Michigan and Toledo. The highlight of their season so far has been the stunning 84-67 win in Athens, where they handed the No. 1 seed Akron Zips their only MAC loss of the season and snapped their nation-long 14-game winning streak. The Bobcats are led by a talented group of players, with five averaging over 10 PPG. Despite multiple reports of being out indefinitely for the season, the Bobcats have been led by their 6’8″ senior forward AJ Clayton. The Third-Team All-MAC honoree has been greatly helped by 6’2″ junior guard Jackson Paveletzke, who also earned a Third-Team All-MAC honor averaging 13.4 PPG on 51.2 FG%. Paveletzke eclipsed the 1,000-point scoring mark as a junior and works alongside graduate guard Shereef Mitchell, who earned All-MAC Honorable Mention and was named to the All-Defensive team, averaging just 13.2 PPG and 1.8 steals per game. The Bobcats will look to ride the production of their experienced backcourt of Paveletzke and Mitchell with the shooting of Clayton as they look for an upset against the No. 5 ranked Toledo Rockets.
#4 Toledo Rockets
Record: 17-14 (10-8 MAC)
Heach Coach: Tod Kowalczyk
Quarterfinals Game 2: #4 Toledo vs #5 Ohio – March 13th, 1:30 P.M.
Summary: The Rockets come into the 2025 MAC Tournament after going 4-6 in their last ten games. They do have the momentum, having just beaten the Bobcats a week ago at home 96-82. Toledo is led by their four starters, who all average over 10 PPG. Sophomore 6’6″ guard Sam Lewis leads the Rockets in scoring at 15.9 PPG, having just earned a Second-Team All-MAC honor along with his sophomore guard mate 6’1″ Sonny Wilson, who averages 15.3 PPG on an efficient 51.9 FG%. The two guards are assisted by their young 6’7″ sophomore forward Javan Simmons, who earned All-MAC Honorable Mention honor as well with his 12.4 PPG and 6.6 RPG on over 50% field goal efficiency. Last year, the Toledo Rockets were knocked out early by No. 8 Kent State in the Quarterfinals, upset 67-59. They will look to rebound after the tough first-round exit they had a year ago as they look to take down the No. 5 Ohio Bobcats in the Quarterfinals.
#3 Kent State Golden Flashes
Record: 21-10 (11-7 MAC)
Head Coach: Rob Sendroff
Quarterfinals Game 4: #3 Kent State vs #6 Western Michigan – March 13th, 6:30 P.M.
Summary: Kent State Golden Flashes return to the MAC Tournament after an impressive run last year as the No. 8 seed, upsetting the No. 1 seed Toledo Rockets in the first round and making the unlikely run all the way to the MAC Championship versus Akron, losing by just one 62-61. Coach Rob Sendroff returned much of the same team as he had a year ago, which gives the now No. 3 seed Golden Flashes hope their experience can lead them to a MAC Championship. The Golden Flashes are led by 6’5″ redshirt senior VonCameron Davis, who averaged just above 15 PPG for Kent State and earned All-MAC First-Team honors. The versatile wing plays with his guardmate 5’10” senior Jalen Sullinger, who received All-MAC Second-Team honors averaging just a hair over 15 PPG. The Golden Flashes lock down the paint with their big 6’9″ center, Cli’Ron Hornbeak, who averages 1.3 blocks per game, earning him MAC All-Defensive Team honors. Kent State is dangerous with Sullinger’s microwave offense and Davis’s defensive versatility, which creates matchup problems for whoever they face, as we saw last year in the tournament. They will have a first-round meeting with the No. 6 seed Western Michigan in the quarterfinals as they look to make another big MAC Tournament run here in 2025.
#2 Miami (OH) RedHawks:
Record: 23-8 (14-4 MAC)
Head Coach: Travis Steele
Quarterfinals Game 3: #2 Miami (OH) vs #7 Eastern Michigan – March 13th, 4:00 P.M.
Summary: Coach Steele has turned this program around in four seasons to become a 20-win team and looks to shock many with the RedHawks look for their first NCAA National Tournament appearance since 2007. The RedHawks went an impressive 7-3 in their last 10 games of MAC play, including the impressive 96-92 OT win at Kent State back on February 21st. They are led by 6’5″ junior guard Peter Suder and 6’6″ sophomore forward Cam Kraft, who both lead the team averaging just over 13 PPG. They also get solid contributions from 6’6″ sophomore guard Eian Elmer, who adds 11.5 PPG while shooting a respectable 41.2 3P% from behind the arch for the RedHawks. Suder earned First-Team All-MAC honors along with Kam Craft earning Third-Team All-MAC honors, and 6’8″ freshman forward Brant Byers earned MAC Freshman of the Year and a spot on All-MAC Freshman Team. With Coach Steele’s experience and a balanced attack of experience and talented youth, the RedHawks look to make a significant run as the No. 2 seed in the 2025 MAC Tournament.
#1 Akron Zips:
Record: 25-6 (17-1 MAC)
Head Coach: John Groce
Quarterfinals Game 1: #1 Akron vs #8 Bowling Green – March 13th, 11:00 A.M.
Summary: The Akron Zips return to the MAC Tournament looking stronger than ever as the 2025 MAC Regular Season Champions look to win the whole tournament and make it back-to-back MAC Tournament Champions and back to the NCAA National Tournament. The Zips were one of the hottest teams in all of college basketball this year, led by MAC Coach of the Year John Groce. The Zips went undefeated at home at 16-0 and posted a 14-game winning streak during conference play. They also had a program-best 25 wins and a program-best 17-1 in MAC conference play. Akron is led by their depth, claiming five All-MAC players led by All-MAC First Team guards junior Tavari Johnson and MAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year redshirt junior Nate Johnson. The Zips flex their depth by also having graduate student guard Isaiah Gray, who was named to the All-MAC Honorable Mention, Six Man of the Year senior guard Shammah Scott, and All-MAC Freshman Team guard Sharron Young. Coach Groce has created the recipe to make a huge run here in the MAC Tournament and even give the selection committee consideration for a national bid even if they don’t win the MAC Championship. The first test for the Zips will come against the No. 8 seed, the Bowling Green Falcons, in the Quarterfinals on their quest to make it back-to-back MAC Championships.
The winner of the Mid-American Conference Tournament will have earned an auto-bid to the 2025 NCAA National Tournament. Last year’s winners were the Akron Zips with their narrow 62-61 in a classic win over the Kent State Golden Flashes. Who will be hoisting the MAC Championship trophy in Rocket Arena on Saturday night this year?
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