Miami (OH)’s undefeated regular season and 31-game winning streak were the story of the year in the Mid-American Conference, but another impressive streak is taking shape.
Second-seed Akron will face No. 4 Toledo in the MAC Tournament championship game on Saturday. The Zips (28-5, 17-1 MAC) are playing for their third-straight tournament title and their fourth in the past five years.
Toledo (19-14, 11-7) won four-straight regular-season titles between 2020 and 2024, but the Rockets haven’t won the MAC Tournament championship since 1980.
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Top-seeded Miami (OH)’s historic run came to an end in an 87-83 loss to No. 8 UMass in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The Redhawks are very much on the NCAA Tournament bubble because of a weak schedule, which included no games against Quad 1 teams and just two from Quad 2. They’re No. 64 in the latest NET rankings.
The Minutemen’s MAC Tournament run ended with a 77-67 loss to Toledo in the semifinals on Friday. The Rockets barely escaped the quarterfinals with a 77-76 win over No. 5 Bowling Green.
Toledo is led by two of the MAC’s top-10 scorers. Six-foot-1 junior Sonny Wilson ranks No. 7 in the league with 17.3 points a game and is tied with MAC Freshman of the Year Leroy Blyden Jr. with a team-high 147 assists. Blyden is No. 9 in the conference with 16.3 points a night and leads the team with 57 steals.
Wilson shot 8-for-9 from the floor and led the way with 18 points against UMass. Six-foot-3 sophomore Mynor Strong added 17 points, while 6-foot-7 forward Sean Craig finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Blyden chipped in with 12 points, seven assists, and four rebounds.
Akron survived a scare of its own with a 73-70 win over No. 7 Buffalo in the quarterfinals. The Zips knocked off No. 3 Kent State, 75-68, in the semifinals.
Akron, which is No. 54 in the NET rankings, is led by the MAC’s top scorer, six-foot senior Tavari Johnson, who is putting up 20.3 points a game. He’s shooting 51 percent on the season, and he leads the team with 165 assists.
Johnson and Wichita State transfer Shammah Scott both scored a team-high 18 points against Kent State, while 6-foot-6 guard Evan Mahaffey added 16 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks.
Akron vs. Toledo Odds
Akron is a 7.5-point college basketball betting odds favorite to win the MAC Tournament championship on BetMGM as of this writing. The Over/Under is 158.5 points.
The Moneyline is at -295 for the Zips and +230 for Toledo.
Toledo leads the all-time series 42-34, but Akron won the only meeting between the rivals this season, 91-81.
Akron vs. Toledo On TV
The Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game between No. 2 Akron and No. 4 Toledo will be televised on ESPN2.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
Akron vs. Toledo Prediction
I predict Akron wins the MAC Tournament Championship game, 82-77, and steals an NCAA Tournament bid. I also predict Miami (OH) finds itself playing in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.
Toledo has a nasty one-two punch in Wilson and Blyden, and the Rockets can light up the scoreboard, but Akron may be the most complete team in the MAC.
The Zips rank in the top three in the conference in just about every statistical category. They’re No. 2 with 88.6 points a game, 38.1 rebounds a game, and a +2.55 turnover margin.
Johnson is the most talented scorer in the league. Six-foot-9, 240-pound senior Amani Lyles is averaging 14.5 points a game, and he’s tied for No. 3 in the MAC with 7.8 rebounds a game.
Mahaffey has done a little bit of everything for the Zips. He’s putting up 10.3 points and 5.5 rebounds a game, leads the team with 57 steals, and ranks No. 2 with 114 assists.
Akron has won the MAC Tournament title six times since 2009.
