Chippewas finish on sour note, 'had higher expectations'
ATHENS, Ohio – When the preseason polls were released for the Mid-American Conference, Central Michigan was picked to finish fourth in the West Division.
The loss of a dynamic backcourt with Shawn Roundtree Jr. and Larry Austin Jr., the uncertainty of the incoming backcourt and improvement of the other teams in the division were some of the likely reasons the Chippewas were picked to finish in the bottom half of the division.
Coach Keno Davis said when the preseason polls were released, he talked with the team and they all had expectations of finishing higher than fourth in the division. For the first month – they were right.
The Chippewas opened the conference season with a 93-82 win against Miami (Ohio) on Jan. 4 in McGuirk Arena. CMU maintained control in that game while the RedHawks seemed to hang around but couldn't make a run at CMU.
Then, CMU beat Northern Illinois after trailing by as many as 12 points midway through the second half on Jan. 7 in McGuirk Arena. Senior guard Kevin McKay took the game over as he put up 21 points, including the game-winning layup with .2 seconds remaining.
CMU won four of its next six games with a 79-73 loss at Kent State and a 19-point loss to Buffalo at home the only two blemishes in the stretch.
The Chippewas opened the conference season 6-2 and, after knocking off MAC East-leading Bowling Green, had sights set on the regular-season title.
After earning a 10-point win over the Falcons on Feb. 4, CMU endured a nine-game losing streak where it lost five games by single digits.
Over a month after taking down Bowling Green, the Chippewas were able to beat arch rival Western Michigan 85-68 to cap the regular season with a victory.
In the end, CMU finished 14-18, 7-11 MAC –
Fourth in the West.
"Talent-wise, we had higher expectations of what this team could accomplish," Davis said. "But with the injuries and things that we had, as a coach you've been through it enough to know there (are) some things you can't control."
Davis said he would not look at the season as a disappointing one. He said the disappointing years are the ones when the team does not give all it has and leaves all the effort on the court.
This season, Davis said he thought there were very few games where the team did not give its best effort.
"Of course, you're going to be viewed with your wins and losses," Davis said. "But I've had teams that have had 20-plus wins that didn't work as hard as this one. I definitely look back at this group of individuals as have given as much as they could."
Following the Chippewas' 85-65 loss to Ohio in the first round of the MAC Tournament on Monday – the team's 10th loss in 11 games – Davis said his team would not seek a bid in a postseason tournament.
He said the team was worn out both physically and mentally from playing four games of the last six on the road, including three in a row in five days.
"In certain years, the postseason can be really beneficial for the returning guys and the seniors to get them more exposure," Davis said. "But we've been just too banged up to even consider it. Obviously, if it were the NCAA or NIT we would find a way to step up and play."
With the end of the season, the Chippewas will take some time off, heal and recover from the final stretch of the campaign.
"The guys that are seniors that are going to try and play at some level professionally will still take a little time to rest and recover before they get back on the court and those guys that will be returning – same thing.
One of the guys attempting to find a career in professional basketball is senior forward David DiLeo.
DiLeo finished his career with a Mid-American Conference-record 337 made 3-pointers and a career-total of 1,604 points.
"I hope to play professionally for whatever opportunities come up," DiLeo said. "I'm going to graduate in May with a degree in finance and just continue to follow the path God leads me on and hopefully that leads to a professional career."
DiLeo said the support he and the rest of the Chippewa seniors – Kevin McKay, Rob Montgomery, Dallas Morgan, Michael Kemp, Corey Redman and Matty Smith – have felt through their careers has been appreciated.
He said getting out to the Mount Pleasant community and interacting with fans and other supporters of Chippewa basketball was enjoyable for him.
"We do a meet-and-greet with donors before the Maroon and Gold scrimmage and after the Maroon and Gold scrimmage," DiLeo said. "Just getting out in the community has been a great experience and it's been great to have their support for my four years."
As for his fellow seniors, DiLeo said the brotherhood they share transcends the game –
It's for life.
"They mean a lot, they're my teammates," DiLeo said. "The wins, the losses, there's a lot of ups and downs, there are a lot of frustrating moments but they're going to be my brothers for life. The season's over, obviously, but our friendship will never end.
"They know I've got their backs and I know they've got mine."
