COLUMN: Men's basketball proving it can become championship team
One motto for the 2015-16 Central Michigan men's basketball team has been to play each game like it is a championship game.
Senior guard Chris Fowler and senior forward John Simons have both said this team is taking each game one game at a time.
Saturday felt like a championship game.
In front of 5,629 fans at Savage Arena, the Chippewas defeated Toledo 76-74 to move into sole possession of second place in the Mid-American Conference West Division.
The team has won two straight since last Saturday's 92-85 loss to Western Michigan in Kalamazoo.
After the loss to WMU, senior guard Rayshawn Simmons sent out a group text to the team to forget about the past and move forward.
This team is moving forward.
CMU defeated Northern Illinois at home on Tuesday and topped the Rockets on their home court. If the team wins its last two games of the season — at first-place Ball State on Tuesday and versus WMU on Friday — it will win at least a share of the MAC West title for a second consecutive season.
This team is starting to play like a championship team.
Fowler, who missed the first seven games of the season due to injury, finished with a team-high 20 points after picking up his fourth foul with more than 12 minutes to play. His intelligence and leadership will be vital down the stretch.
His supporting cast in the backcourt are also playing well. Junior guard Braylon Rayson led the team in scoring for the majority of the season, while Simmons is just a leader.
Simons has picked up his offensive production at just the right time. He has combined for 36 points and 17 rebounds in his last two games and his play is indicative of his preseason First Team All-MAC.
Sophomores Luke Meyer and DaRohn Scott are starting to play like upperclassmen. Both players combined for 16 points and contributed to CMU outrebounded the Rockets 34-33. Scott has relished his bench role and hit the game-winner against the Rockets.
Both players are "undersized" and are going up against MAC behemoths such as Toledo's Nathan Boothe (6-foot-9, 250 pounds). They are holding their own.
Sophomore guard Josh Kozinski is one of the best 3-point shooters in the conference. Senior guard Austin Stewart has regressed since last year, but could be an important piece down the stretch with his versatility.
Then there is the coach.
Head Coach Keno Davis received his first technical foul against NIU to give the Huskies the lead, only to see his team fight back to claim its 15th win of the season
Davis has had conversations with the officials more than the players, but it is only because he cares.
He took this program from the bottom of the MAC a few short seasons ago and is five or six games away from leading this team to a coveted MAC Championship.
Saturday's game was not a championship game. There are two games to play before the real championship begins.
But CMU has the pieces to be a championship team. Maybe two weeks from tonight, CMU will win another close game in Ohio, at the MAC Championship game in Cleveland.
But don't bring that up to the Chippewas. They are taking it one game at a time.
