CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference released its 2017-18 Men's Basketball Preseason Poll on Thursday with Western Michigan picked to win the MAC West and MAC Tournament Championship.
As voted on by the leagues' head coaches and media, the Broncos are the favorite to claim the MAC Tournament Championship with 10 votes, followed by Buffalo with nine and Ball State with five. WMU received 22 of 30 first-place votes to repeat as MAC West champions. Buffalo was picked to win the MAC East with 24 first-place votes.
Senior guard Thomas Wilder was named to the Preseason All-MAC West Team after averaging 19.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game a year ago en route to First Team All-MAC honors. Earlier this month, Wilder was named to the Preseason All-High Major Third Team by College Sports Madness.
Wilder scored in double figures in 31 of the 32 contests last season and heads into the 2017-18 campaign ranking 10th at WMU in career scoring with 1,437 points, fifth in career FTs made (416), seventh in FT attempts (522) and 11th in career assists (275).
The Broncos return 10 letter winners and four starters from last season's squad that finished 16-16 overall and 11-7 in conference play. WMU won eight games in a row to end the regular season and claimed the program's ninth MAC West title. It was the second longest MAC winning streak in school history.
Head coach Steve Hawkins returns for his 15th season at the helm of the Western Michigan men's basketball program, the longest-tenured head coach in the conference. Hawkins has guided the Broncos to seven of the program's 10 postseason appearances with NCAA Tournament berths in 2004 and 2014.
WMU opens up the season with exhibition games against Lourdes University on Oct. 29 and Kalamazoo College on Nov.4. Both contests are set for 2:00 p.m. The Broncos begin the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 2:00 p.m. versus Siena Heights inside University Arena.
MAC West Division Preseason Poll (first place votes)
1. Western Michigan – 169 points (22)
2. Ball State – 156 points (8)
3. Toledo – 107 points
4. Eastern Michigan – 103 points
5. Northern Illinois – 57 points
6. Central Michigan – 38 points
MAC East Division Preseason Poll (first place votes)
1. Buffalo – 166 points (24)
2. Kent State – 139 points (2)
3. Ohio – 127 points (3)
4. Akron – 84 points (1)
5. Bowling Green – 82 points
6. Miami – 32 points
MAC Tournament Champion: Western Michigan (10), Buffalo (9), Ball State (5), Kent State (2), Toledo (2), Bowling Green (1), Miami (1)
MAC West Preseason All-MAC Team
Thomas Wilder – WMU
James Thompson IV – Eastern Michigan
Tayler Persons – Ball State
Jaelan Sanford – Toledo
Eugene German – Northern Illinois
MAC East Preseason All-MAC Team
C.J. Massinburg – Buffalo
Nick Perkins – Buffalo
Jaylin Walker – Kent State
Jordan Dartis – Ohio
Jason Carter – Ohio
