Mid-American (MAC)
Top 2
Akron look to defend their MAC title and go for a third consecutive tournament championship. Of the 9 Zips from last year’s team who appeared in 34 and averaged at least 15 minutes of play, five return. The Zips were one of the most prolific offenses last year but only had two players average double digits. All 9 of their 34 gamers put together at least 6.3 points and 1 rebound and all of them shot at least 40% from the field. Tavari Johnson, senior, put up 13 points per game behind 45.9% from the field, 39% from the arc, and 91.2% from the line. Akron has a road trip to Purdue and another to Tulane, but home games against James Madison, Princeton, and Murray State could bolster their end of season resume.
Miami (OH) returns two of their top 3 scorers from last year’s 25 win team, including Preseason All-MAC First Team Peter Suder. Suder is coming off back to back years averaging double digits, 13.7 in ’24, and he shot 49.7% from the field and added 35.1% from deep. He is joined by fellow All-MAC member, Eian Elmer who put up 11 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Elmer also shot the ball well at 47.3% from the field and 40% from three. The Redhawks return six of the nine players who appeared in 30+ games for them. Their non-conference slate figures to be fairly easy, although they do have a four game set on the road from December 10-20.
Player Spotlight
Tavari Johnson
Mid-Eastern Athletic
Top 2
Norfolk State earned the team’s third MEAC tournament title in five years with their 66-65 win over co-regular season champ, SC State. The Spartans will have to completely rebuild, as the only returning player to appear in at least 23 games is Dramane Camara, who posted 2 ppg on 29.6% shooting. UNC Wilmington senior transfer, Elijah Jamison, is coming off an injury-shortened stint that saw him play only four games last year. His freshman and sophomore numbers, however, suggest he could be a mainstay for the Spartans. Fellow senior transfer Anthony McComb III, New Hampshire, is coming into Norfolk State after appearing in 32 games last year and putting up 12.9 points per game on 37.7% shooting. An easy early-season slate will not last long, as the Spartans head to Arizona before the end of November and continue playing on the road at James Madison and Baylor to start their December.
Howard, coming off a dismal 12-20 season, was picked to finish second in the conference, even garnering 4 first place votes, and this is after the Bison lost MEAC Player of the Year Blake Harper to Creighton. The Bison will be looking to Bryce Harris to return to his ’23 form, where he averaged 16.6 points on 54.7% shooting and 7.5 rebounds. Harris was sidelined after only 7 games last year with an injury. Transfers Cam Gillus, Lehigh, and Ed Holland, Penn, figure to be two of the team’s leading men, as Howard lost all eight of their players who appeared in at least 24 games, only Calvin Robins Jr. appeared in more than 20.
Player Spotlight
Jayden Johnson- SC State Sophomore Guard
Missouri Valley
Top 2
Illinois State, 22-14 and 10-10 in the MVC last season, have been picked to win the conference this year. The Redbirds bring back two top scorers in Juniors Chase Walker and Johnny Kinziger. Both averaged at least 14.6 points while Walker shot 58% from the field and collected 6.2 rebounds per game. Kinziger shot 43.8% from the field and 38.6% from beyond the arc while also averaging almost 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game. Illinois State returns four players who appeared in at least 35 games last year, each shooting above 43% from the field. An early trip to LA for the Hall of Fame Series against USC will be a good litmus test for the Redbirds.
UNI will host American hopeful Wichita State and travel to Saint Mary’s in their December slate, but look to improve on their 20-13 season from last year. They’ll have to do it without their top two scorers from last season, with a lot of the workload going to seniors Trey Campbell (11.3 ppg/41.5% FG%/42.9% from three), Ben Schwieger (9.9 ppg on 49.2%) and junior Leon Bond III (9.6 ppg on 55.6% in 23 games).
Player Spotlight
Chase Walker
Mountain West
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San Diego State is projected to dominate the Mountain West, as they bring back four starters from last season’s 21-10/14-6 team. The returners are highlighted by junior guard Miles Byrd who averaged 12.3 points on 38.1% from the field along with 4.4 boards, 2.7 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 2.1 steals per game. In 26 games last season, sophomore Magoon Gwath put up 8.5 points on 50.6% shooting while also blocking 2.6 shots and recovering 5.2 rebounds. Senior Reese Dixon-Waters, who missed last season with injury, originally transferred from USC and in back-to-back years put up 9.6 points on at least 40% shooting. The Aztecs will feature in the Players Era Festival in Vegas with games against Michigan and Oregon, before a late December game in the Hall of Fame Series in Phoenix against Arizona.
Player Spotlight
Miles Byrd
Northeast
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LIU returns one of the most prolific scorers in the country as the Sharks return senior guard Malachi Davis after he averaged 17.7 points last season on 40.8% from the field. The Sharks also return another solid shooting threat in Jamal Fuller. Fuller put up 12.5 points on 49% from the field and 36.7% from beyond the arc. Early tests against Notre Dame and Illinois will test the mettle of this year’s squad and a late December pair of games in SEC country at Mississippi State and Georgia will round out their non-conference.
Player Spotlight
Malachi Davis
Ohio Valley
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Little Rock will feature Preseason Player of the Year KK Robinson in an attempt to build on their 19-14 performance from last year. Robinson will be returning from an injury that kept him out of the lineup the entirety of last season, after a ’23-’24 campaign saw him put up 15.8 points on 41.7% shooting. Robinson is joined by fellow First Team selection Jonathan Lawson who filled in nicely for him last year as he amassed 15.4 points on 43.9% from the field and daggered 42.9% from deep. The Trojans will play 8 of their 10 non-conference games on the road, including trips to Marquette and West Virginia.
Player Spotlight
KK Robinson
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