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2022 Mid-American Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Basics

Dates

Thursday, March 10 (quarterfinals); Friday, March 11 (semifinals); Saturday, March 12 (championship)

Format

Traditional bracket

Site

The entire tournament is set for the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in downtown Cleveland.

TV/Streaming Info

ESPN2 has the final on Selection Saturday night with CBSSN airing both semifinals Friday and ESPN+ streaming Thursday’s quarterfinal quadruple-header.

Participants

For the second year in a row, only the top eight teams in the MAC standings traveled to Cleveland, eliminating the four on-campus first-round games that were employed up until 2020. That means Bowling Green (13-18, 6-14, t-9th), Northern Illinois (9-21, 6-14, t-9th), Eastern Michigan (10-21, 5-15, 11th), and Western Michigan (8-23, 4-16, 12th) have all concluded their seasons.

Downloadable Bracket

Schedule

Quarterfinals (Thurs., March 10)

Game 1: (8) Central Michigan (7-23, 6-12) 71, (1) Toledo 72
Game 2: (5) Buffalo (19-11, 13-6) 68, (4) Akron 70
Game 3: (7) Miami (Ohio) (14-18, 8-12) 75, (2) Kent State 85
Game 4: (6) Ball State (14-17, 9-10) 67, (3) Ohio 77

Semifinals (Fri., March 11)

Game 5: (4) Akron 70, (1) Toledo (26-7, 17-3) 62
Game 6: (3) Ohio (23-9, 14-6) 61, (2) Kent State 67

Championship (Sat., March 12)

Game 7: (4) AKRON (24-9, 14-6) 75, (2) Kent State (23-10, 16-4) 55

Mayhem Potential

Data originally posted by Bob Vetrone Jr. on Twitter in 2020 with my own additions for 2021 and 2022.

Since 2011, one of the MAC’s top two seeds has won the automatic bid just five times. After Buffalo won the tournament as the No. 1 seed in 2018 and 2019, Ohio claimed the title as a 5 when the event resumed in 2021. Note that the 2010 event was the last won by a team that wouldn’t qualify for today’s eight-team field—and that was a ninth-seeded Bobcat team that ended up stunning Georgetown in a 14-over-3 upset. With the No. 1 seed dominating the third-seed team this year but also struggling against the second, who knows what’s going to happen in 2022.

• 1 seed (4): 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019
• 3 seed (2): 2012, 2016
• 6 seed (2): 2011, 2017
• 2 seed (1): 2015
• 5 seed (1): 2021

NCAA Seeding Record Since 2011

Years with an NCAA win are in bold.

• 12 seed (2): 2013, 2015
• 13 seed (3); 2012, 2018, 2021
• 14 seed (3): 2014, 2016, 2017
• 6 seed (1): 2019
• 15 seed (1): 2011

The last three MAC 13 seeds have won a game in the tournament, with 2012 Ohio reaching the Sweet 16. However, it’s the Bobcats and Buffalo who are responsible for all of the victories noted above.

The top of the MAC is quite good this year, so I would expect any of the top 5 seeds would end up as a 13 (maybe a 14 if the 4 or 5 seed wins) in the final bracket.

Last NCAA Tournament Appearances

Ohio: 2021 (13 seed, 2nd Round)
Buffalo: 2019 (6 seed, 2nd Round)
Kent State: 2017 (14 seed, 1st Round)
Western Michigan: 2014 (14 seed, Round of 64)
Akron: 2013 (12 seed, Round of 64)
Miami: 2007 (14 seed, 1st Round)
Central Michigan: 2003 (11 seed, 2nd Round)
Ball State: 2000 (11 seed, 1st Round)
Eastern Michigan: 1998 (13 seed, 1st Round)
Northern Illinois: 1996 (14 seed, 1st Round, MCC (Horizon) member)
Toledo: 1980 (9 seed, 1st Round)
Bowling Green: 1968 (unseeded, 1st Round)

While every MAC member has participated in March Madness at least once, NIU has yet to do so as a conference member, while Toledo’s last appearance came in a 48-team field and Bowling Green took part in the unseeded era.