Battling for a bye: How CMU could drop a spot with a win Friday
Chippewas host Broncos for senior night in regular season finale
Teams don't often drop in the standings after winning a game, but there's a possibility it could happen Friday on the last night of Mid-American Conference regular season play.
The Central Michigan men's basketball team enters Friday 10-7 in conference play, in a four-way tie for second place in the MAC. CMU is 3-1 against the other three teams — Kent State, Ohio and Ball State — which is the best record amongst the four teams in head-to-head records.
If CMU wins
If the same four teams are tied after Friday, CMU wins the tiebreaker and earns the second seed.
If Kent State and Ohio lose and CMU and Ball State win, the Cardinals would take the tiebreaker over the Chippewas, courtesy of a better division record (in the MAC West). CMU and BSU split the season series 1-1.
Any other scenario would keep CMU in the second seed if the Chippewas win.
The difference between the second and third seeds is essentially nonexistent this season, with both teams earning a first-round bye in the MAC Tournament. Under last year's format, the top two seeds earned double byes and the third and fourth seeds earned a bye through the first round.
"I don’t know that the bye this year, the way the tournament is structured, is that much of an advantage," said Head Coach Keno Davis. "But it allows you to know you’re going to make it to Cleveland."
Seeds five through eight host seeds nine through 12 in first round games of the tournament on Monday. The quarterfinals begin in Cleveland on Thursday.
A win Friday would also give CMU a share of the MAC West title for the second year in a row. A CMU win paired with a Ball State loss would give the Chippewas the title outright.
If CMU loses
The Chippewas could drop as far as sixth place with a loss in Friday's game against Western Michigan.
The other three 10-7 teams and the 9-8 Buffalo Bulls would hurdle CMU with a win. None of the five teams play each other, Friday.
Buffalo holds the tiebreaker over CMU due to the Bulls' 74-61 win against CMU Jan. 16.
The Chippewas chances at a slice of the MAC West title would rely on Ball State losing on the road to Northern Illinois (19-11, 8-9 MAC).
Scouting the Broncos
The Chippewas are eight-point favorites for the 7 p.m. game at McGuirk Arena, but have lost their past two games to WMU.
The Broncos (12-18, 6-11 MAC) pulled away late to beat CMU 92-85 on Feb. 20 at University Arena. The Chippewas have rallied off three straight wins, since.
Not only will it be a rivalry game and help determine seeding for the MAC Tournament, but Friday is also senior night.
CMU has five seniors — guards Chris Fowler, Rayshawn Simmons and Austin Stewart and forwards John Simons and Blake Hibbitts — although Hibbitts will return next season after sitting this season out after tearing his ACL in the fall.
The group will be honored at 6:45 p.m.
Simons has started all 124 games since walking on campus as a freshman. The only seven Fowler has missed came at the start of this season due to an injury. He said he's just as excited for Friday as he has been for every other game this season.
“I’ve tried to play my whole career like it’s senior night,” Fowler said.
