CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference released its annual men's basketball preseason poll on Thursday with Toledo being tabbed to finish sixth out of 12 teams, according to voting from the league's 12 head coaches. This season will mark the first time since the 1996-97 campaign that the MAC will not have divisional play for basketball. 

Senior guard Marreon Jackson earned a spot on the Preseason All-MAC First Team squad after ranking second in the conference with 19.8 ppg and 5.4 apg last year. He also set a school record with 99 three-point field goals made.

The Rockets received 93 points, while Bowling Green (132 pts.) was selected to win the MAC's regular-season title. Ohio (117) and Akron (115) were slated to finish in second and third place.

Toledo was one of eight different schools to collect votes to capture the MAC Tournament title at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. Bowling Green led the way with four votes followed by Akron with two and Ball State, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami and the Rockets with one apiece.
 
Toledo's regular season begins with the Xavier Invitational on Wednesday-Friday, Nov. 25-27 at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

2020-21 MAC PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
1. Bowling Green (8).......... 132
2. Ohio (1)............................ 117
3. Akron (2).......................... 115
4. Buffalo.............................. 109
5. Ball State......................... 104
6. TOLEDO (1)...................... 93
7. Kent State.......................... 65
8. Eastern Michigan............. 57
9. Miami.................................. 48
10. Northern Illinois.............. 43
11. Central Michigan........... 40
12. Western Michigan......... 13
 (1st-place votes in parentheses)

MAC Tournament Winner: Bowling Green (4), Akron (2), Toledo [1], Ball State (1), Buffalo (1), Eastern Michigan (1), Kent State (1), Miami (1).

Preseason All-MAC First Team
Loren Cristian Jackson, Senior, G, Akron
Justin Turner, Grad, G, Bowling Green
Jayvon Graves, Senior, G, Buffalo
Jason Preston, Junior, G, Ohio
Marreon Jackson, Senior, G, Toledo

Preseason All-MAC Second Team
Ishmael El-Amin, Senior, G, Ball State
Daeqwon Plowden, Senior, F, Bowling Green
Josh Mballa, Junior, F, Buffalo
Danny Pippen, Senior, F, Kent State
Ben Vander Plas, R-Junior, F, Ohio