CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference released its annual men's basketball preseason poll on Wednesday and defending champion Toledo has been picked to finish third, according to voting from the league's 12 head coaches. In addition, sophomore guard
Ryan Rollins was named to the Preseason All-MAC First Team squad after earning MAC Freshman of the Year honors last year.
The Rockets received 107 points in the poll, trailing only Buffalo (143 pts.) and Ohio (126 pts.). Toledo was one of five different schools to collect votes to capture the MAC Tournament title at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. Buffalo led the way with eight votes the Rockets joining Bowling Green, Kent State and Miami with one vote apiece.
Toledo posted a 21-9 win-loss record and a 15-4 mark in conference play last year and finished two games ahead of second-place Buffalo in the league standings. Rollins averaged 13.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 2.5 apg last year and was the only sophomore to be included on the pre-season all-league squad.
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Toledo's regular season begins when it visits Valparaiso on Tuesday, Nov. 9. The Rockets' home opener will be against Detroit Mercy on Saturday, Nov. 13.
2021-22 MAC PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
- Buffalo – 143 points (11 first place votes)
- Ohio – 126 points
- Toledo – 107 points (1)
- Kent State – 98 points
- Akron – 95 points
- Bowling Green – 93 points
- Miami – 92 points
- Ball State – 54 points
- Western Michigan – 44 points
- Central Michigan – 34 points
- Eastern Michigan – 29 points
- Northern Illinois – 21 points
MAC Tournament Champions:Â Buffalo (8),
Toledo (1), Bowling Green (1), Kent State (1), Miami (1)
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Preseason All-MAC First Team
Ryan Rollins, So., G, Toledo
Daeqwon Plowden, R-Sr., G/F, Bowling Green
Josh Mballa, Sr., F, Buffalo
Jeenathan Williams, Sr., F, Buffalo
Ben Vander Plas, R-Sr., F, Ohio
Preseason All-MAC Second Team
K.J. Walton, Grad., G, Akron
Sincere Carry, R-Jr., G, Kent State
Dae Dae Grant, Jr., G, Miami
Jason Carter R-Sr., F, Ohio
B. Artis White, R-So., G, Western Michigan
