While my main focus since becoming a writer for this website last January has been Big Ten basketball, I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to write about other conferences. And when it comes to writing about other conferences, I definitely enjoy writing about non-BCS ones. Just before the start of the Big Chief drafts started about ten days ago, we snuck in a second Tier 1 mock draft. This is because not as many people know about the Horizon League, MAC, or Summit League. So by researching these teams and players, not only am I sharing valuable information for fantasy owners but also learning a great deal myself. So when someone casually asks about a mid-major school, I can confidently answer which is something I previously was unable to do. I also look forward to seeing how my predictions and highlighted players from my articles play this season. So without further ado, here are my preseason All Conference teams for both the MAC and Summit League.
Trey Zeigler, guard, Central Michigan Chippewas
We'll start with Zeigler, the son of head coach Ernie Zeigler. Trey Zeigler finished third in scoring in the MAC last season as a freshman, and is the leading returning scorer in the conference. Zeigler is a consistent scoring option, who scored in double figures in all but five games last season and was good for a 16.3-point average. He also contributes in the two other major categories, assists and rebounds. Although he is primarily a scoring guard, with his 6-foot-5 frame, he also dished out 2.1 assists per game last year along with grabbing 5.4 rebounds. The Chippewas struggled as a team though last year, going 7-9 in conference play and 10-21 overall. Zeigler needs to cut down on his 3.3 turnover per game average of last season, for CMU to improve. Road trips to Minnesota, Iowa State, and Nebraska highlight the nonconference slate for Central Michigan.
D.J. Cooper, guard, Ohio Bobcats
Cooper finished fourth in the MAC in scoring a season ago, while also being the conference's leader in assists. On top of that, he also finished second in steals. Cooper's 16.2-point, 7.5-assist, and 5.1-rebound averages from last season make him the best player in the conference in my opinion. Cooper dropped a career-high 43 points in a quadruple overtime loss to St. Bonaventure last season. He also had eight rebounds, eight steals, and 13 assists in that game, while shooting 17-for-41 from the field. Cooper got Ohio into the Big Dance two seasons ago, by winning the MAC Conference Championship as a freshman. The Bobcats went on to beat #3 seed Georgetown in the first round as well. Ohio takes on Louisville in late November, but other than that could hypothetically win all of their other nonconference games. Cooper needs another season like the past two to get Ohio back in the NCAA Tournament.
Zeke Marshall, center, Akron Zips
At 7-feet and weighing only 235 pounds, Marshall definitely lacks bulk. But what he lacks in physical size, he makes up for in shot blocking ability. Marshall easily led the MAC in blocked shots last season with 2.5 per game. He also averaged 8.6 points and 4.8 rebounds during his sophomore season. Marshall helped the Zips win the MAC Conference Tournament last season with a near triple-double effort in a win over Kent State. Marshall scored nine points, blocked nine shots, and grabbed 13 points in this vital game. Akron went on to lose to #2 seeded Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Akron finished last season with 23 wins, even though they were only 9-7 during conference play. Trips to Mississippi State and West Virginia are important games for Akron before league play begins. Don't be surprised to see the Zips back in the NCAA Tournament this upcoming March.
Justin Greene, forward, Kent State Golden Flashes
Kent State was the regular season champions a year ago in the MAC, but fell in the conference tournament to Akron, which meant no NCAA Tournament for them. Greene returns for his senior season after averaging 15.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists last season. While he finished second in the conference in rebounding, he was third in blocked shots with 1.5 per game. Greene was consistent on offense, scoring in double figures in all but three games. Kent State also plays West Virginia to open the season, along with games against Cleveland State, UAB, and Utah State as pre-MAC games. The Golden Flashes bring back most of last year's 25-win team, so a trip to the NCAA Tournament or NIT would not be a surprise.
Demetrius Ward, guard, Western Michigan Broncos
After only averaging 3.2 points as a sophomore, Ward made a huge improvement by averaging 13.8 points last season. Any more improvement could make Ward one of the top players and scorers in the league this season. Western Michigan won the West Division of the MAC last season, which was definitely the less competitive division of the two. As usual, Western Michigan will play a few highly touted teams during nonconference play. This includes Temple, Purdue, Gonzaga, Detroit, and Duke. Flenard Whitfield also returns for the Broncos. He and fellow senior Ward were the only two players on last year's team to average in double figures for scoring. Juwan Howard Jr. also decided to leave Western Michigan for Detroit, which is worth noting.
Alex Young, guard/forward, IUPUI Jaguars
Scoring 1,633 points career points is quite an accomplishment. To do it in three seasons is even more remarkable, and that's what Young has done. Young averaged 10.8 points as a freshman, 18.3 as a sophomore, and 19.7 last season. Young should eclipse the 2,000-point mark during the middle of this season. Young is homegrown, from Indianapolis, and could be another George Hill in the making. Hill, who went to IUPUI, now plays on the Indiana Pacers after being drafted in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs in 2008. Young also averaged 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists a season ago. The only game that Young did not score in double figures was a two-point loss to Oral Roberts last season. He made up for that by dropping 20 points at Ohio State, where IUPUI only lost by 11 points because of Jared Sullinger's 40-point effort. IUPUI's only nonconference game of note comes against Louisville, but is nonetheless my early pick to win the Summit League.
Reggie Hamilton, guard, Oakland Golden Grizzlies
A 25-win season, which included a first round NCAA Tournament loss to Texas, was a great accomplishment for Oakland last season. Keith Benson was selected in the NBA Draft, while Will Hudson and Larry Wright also graduated. For the Golden Grizzlies to go back to the Big Dance, Hamilton will need a huge season. Hamilton averaged 17.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in his junior season, although it was his first year at Oakland. He previously played at UMKC, another Summit League school. While Oakland's nonconference schedule is not as strong as last year, they still play at Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan, Arizona, and host Tennessee who they beat last season. Sophomore Travis Bader also returns for the Golden Grizzlies, after averaging 10.5 points as a freshman. Despite all their losses to graduation, Oakland should remain competitive atop the Summit League although another 17-1 conference season seems unlikely.
Nate Wolters, guard, South Dakota State Jackrabbits
The Summit League's second leading scorer also returns this season in Wolters, who averaged 19.5 points last year. Somehow Wolters also led the conference in assists, with 6.1 per contest. On top of this, the junior also averaged 4.6 rebounds a year ago. He shot 45% from the field, 41% from three-point range, and 80% from the charity stripe. So basically, Wolters is the engine that makes the Jackrabbits run. Wolters is a triple-double waiting to happen, and had two point/assist double-doubles last season. South Dakota State finished fifth in the Summit League last season, but are poised to improve upon their 19-win campaign from a year ago. Minnesota, Georgia, Nebraska, and Washington are all destinations for the Jackrabbits for their pre-January games.
Dominique Morrison, forward, Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
After Young and Wolters, Morrison was the next best scorer in the Summit League last season averaging 19.4 points. Morrison has 1,406 career points and could hit the 2,000 mark with another solid season. Oral Roberts finished second in the Summit League last season, behind Oakland, and finished 13-5 in league play. Morrison is an undersized forward who can score inside and outside. He shot 51% from the floor, 40% from deep, and 78% from the foul line in 2010-2011. He also averaged 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Morrison scored in double figures in all but one game last season and scored a season-high 32 points against Oakland last December. The Golden Eagles nonconference schedule includes games against West Virginia, Oklahoma, Gonzaga, and Xavier among others.
Frank Gaines, guard, IPFW Mastodons
Gaines led the Mastodons in scoring last season with his 14.8-point average. This was a 10.6-point jump from his redshirt freshman season the year before. He also averaged 6.2 rebounds during his 27.4 minutes of playing time. Gaines should play more minutes this season, as he was very efficient offensively. IPFW finished 11-7 in league play last year, good for fourth place. Games at Xavier, Iowa, and Purdue are the highlights of their non-Summit League games. Gaines scored in double figures in IPFW's final 12 games of the season, including a 27-point effort on 10-for-18 shooting against Oakland. Gaines picked up four fouls on nine occasions last season while fouling out once, which was a reason for his reduced playing time some games. He also needs to improve upon last season's 32% shooting from three-point land.