Five MAC Men's Games Slated For This Evening

• With a win over Toledo, Akron’s 7-1 start will tie the program record for best start to a MAC season through eight games (2006-07, 2005-06, 1999-2000). The Zips have won 10 of their last 11 games against MAC opponents dating back to the start of last season’s league tournament...Toledo is coming off a 77-61 home loss to Kent State on Jan. 28.  UT has gone 2-2 in its last four conference games and is 5-5 on the road this season. The Rockets have four players averaging double figures in the scoring column, including Rian Pearson (16.4 ppg), Curtis Dennis (12.6 ppg), Julius Brown (11.2 ppg) and Dominique Buckley (11.0 ppg).  Pearson is the team’s leading rebounder at 7.9 rpg.

• Miami Freshman guard Brian Sullivan has broken into double-figures in scoring, averaging 10.3 ppg. If he can maintain his double-digit scoring average, Sullivan would be the first freshman since Damon Frierson, who scored 11.1 ppg in 1995-96, to average double-figures in scoring. Sullivan is averaging 13.9 ppg in MAC play, which ties for eight among conference leaders and are the most by a freshman...The Eagles have won four of their last five games, including a 55-50 win over Bowling Green on Saturday. Darrell Lampley, who is averaging a team-leading 13.3 points per game, ranks eighth in the MAC in scoring.

• The Bulls will look to make it five straight wins when they host Ball State at Alumni Arena on Wednesday night. Buffalo is coming off a 74-59 win over Eastern Michigan on Saturday.  The Bulls were led by Javon McCrea had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Zach Filzen added 12 points on four threepointers. The Bulls are looking to win five straight conference games for just the third time since joining the MAC (2004 [6] & 2009 [9])...Ball State is coming off a 59-55 loss at Ohio on Saturday.  The Cardinals are led by Jarrod Jones who is averaging 17.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. He ranks second in the MAC in both scoring and rebounding.

• BGSU’s A’uston Calhoun is averaging just shy of a double-double over the past three games with 18.3 points and 9.3 rebounds. Calhoun scored a career-high 29 against Buffalo and had his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds against Central Michigan. Bowling Green has shot 50 percent or better in a game eight times this year, including four of the last seven contests. The Falcons are 5-3 when reaching that percentage...Western Michigan is an undefeated 9-0 at home this year. The Broncos are a hard-nosed rebounding team, ranking in the top 35 in the country with a +5.7 rebound margin. Matt Stainbrook leads the team inside with team-highs 12.8 points and 6.8 rebounds, while blocking 22 shots. Flenard Whitfield averages 6.7 rebounds alongside him and is one of four players scoring in double-figures. 

• Ohio has three players averaging in double figures with junior guard D.J. Cooper leading the way at 14.0 points per game. Junior guard Walter Offutt is averaging 11.5 points per game  and junior forward Ivo Baltic is chipping in 11.3 points per game for the Bobcats. Ohio is also excelling in turning its opponents over, ranking No. 1 in the nation in turnover percentage according to KenPom’s national standings (27.4%). The Bobcats are sixth in the nation in turnover margin (+5.4) and 10th in the nation in steals per contest (9.2)...Northern Illinois was led by freshman wing Abdel Nader but fell to Buffalo, 74-59, on Saturday afternoon at the NIU Convocation Center. Despite holding Buffalo to just 39.6 percent (21-of-53) shooting, NIU shot just 28.1 percent (16-of-57) from the field. Nader currently tops the Huskies in scoring, averaging 10.4 points per contest.