CLEVELAND — The Bowling Green men’s basketball team was picked to finish fifth in the Mid-American
Conference East in a preseason poll. Bowling Green is the defending MAC regular season champions and
advanced to the National Invitation Tournament last season.
The Falcons will be without four of their top players from a year ago when the team was 19-14 overall and
11-5 in the MAC.
“We’ve got a great group of guys. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but they are fun to work with,” said BG
head coach Louis Orr during the MAC teleconference Wednesday. “We do have four senior captains, Marc
Larson, Erik Marschall, and Otis Polk along with Matt Karaffa. We have a junior point-guard who has
started for the last two years in Joe Jakubowski and we have two sophomores in Scott Thomas, who played
a lot of minutes late (in the season) and Dee Brown.
“I like our attitude first and foremost and our work ethic,” Orr continued. “I like our talent level. I
think we’ve got decent talent and our perimeter guys, I like our athleticism. I think we could be a team
that can go up and down the court. We have good speed. We have good shooters. And our big guys are
seniors.
“It’s a team that is trying to find its identity, but it’s a great opportunity.”
Akron was picked to win the MAC East with 190 total points and 19 of 24 first place votes. Kent State was
second with 108 points and three first place votes. Buffalo was third, Miami fourth, Bowling Green
fifth, and Ohio sixth. Buffalo and Bowling Green each received one first place vote.
In the MAC West, Central Michigan was a slight favorite to win the division with 113 points and 10 first
place votes. Northern Illinois was second with 102 points and four first place votes. Eastern Michigan
was third, followed by Ball State, Western Michigan and Toledo. Western Michigan had four first place
votes, while Eastern Michigan and Ball State had three each.
Akron received 19 votes as the favorite to win the league tournament. Buffalo earned two votes to win the
MAC Tournament and Northern Illinois, Kent State and Bowling Green each had one vote.
Bowling Green opens the regular season on Nov. 17 at home against Wayne State starting at 1 p.m. — CARLE