Marshall University Athletics
Herd Favored To Capture MAC Title
10/19/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Herd Favored To Capture MAC Title
10/19/2000
CLEVELAND, Ohio--The Marshall University men's basketball team was picked to win the Eastern Division of the Mid-American Conference, and was also tabbed the preseason favorite to win the MAC Tournament in the annual MAC News Media Association poll that was released on Thursday.
Marshall was selected as the team to beat in the East with 265 points and 29 first-place votes while Kent State was picked second with 229 points and 11 first-place votes. Following the top two teams were Bowling Green with 174 points, Miami with 165, Ohio with 144, Akron with 100 and Buffalo with 43.
Ball State was picked as the favorite to win the West Division with 219 points and 20 first-place votes. Following the Cardinals were Toledo with 213 points and 19 first-place votes, Central Michigan with 133 points and one first-place vote, Eastern Michigan with 122 points, Northern Illinois with 79 points and Western Michigan with 74 points.
Marshall was tabbed to win the MAC tournament with 14 votes while Ball State got 10 votes, Kent State seven and Toledo six. Also receiving single votes were Bowling Green, Central Michigan and Miami.
Marshall fans can get their first look at the 2000-01 Thundering Herd tonight at Thursday Night Thunder, which gets started at the Henderson Center at 7 p.m. Admission to the event is $5 with all proceeds going to the Marshall Tip-Off Club. Juniors Tamar Slay and J.R. VanHoose, both first team pre-season All-MAC selections, lead a veteran Marshall team that is coming off a 21-9 season last year.
The Herd will open play on Nov. 6 with the first of two exhibition game. The season will start for real on Friday, Nov. 17, against the University of Charleston.
Herd fans wishing to purchase season tickets for the 2000-01 Marshall basketball season can come out tonight, starting at 6 p.m., and again on Saturday, from 10 a.m. until noon, for Select-A-Seat. There are plenty of good seats available in the lower chairback areas of the Henderson Center for the coming season, but they will be going fast.
For information on tickets to Marshall basketball, or any other Marshall athletic event, contact the Marshall ticket office at 1-800-THE-HERD or 696-HERD.
MAC News Media Association Men's Basketball Poll
East Division
Team (first-place votes) Points
Marshall (29) 265
Kent State (11) 229
Bowling Green 174
Miami 165
Ohio 144
Akron 100
Buffalo 43
West Division
Team (first-place votes) Points
Ball State (20) 219
Toledo (19) 213
Central Michigan (1) 133
Eastern Michigan 122
Northern Illinois 79
Western Michigan 74
