Well our 3rd team seems to have drawn some attention. That’s pretty neat. If you didn’t see the 3rd team please check it out, as it details the criteria we used for selection. We’ll post this link on some message boards and humbly ask a favor of our readers. Readers, could you please, if you think it would be interesting, post this wherever MAC basketball is being discussed? You don’t have to, of course, but we could not find some MAC school’s message boards. Maybe you fine folks know where they are and could post this link as something of a goodwill gesture towards our fellow MAC enthusiasts. With that being said, let’s get on with the list, huh!
PG: D.J. Cooper (Ohio, Last Season: 2013)
When he wasn’t busy allegedly threatening to guck (sic) other people’s girls, D.J. Cooper was the John Stockton of the MAC. He finished first all-time (page 88 in link) in career assists and second all-time in career steals. He led Ohio to a memorable sweet sixteen run in 2012. We took particularly joy in his team’s reminding Michigan that there is in fact a school called “Ohio,” and it is not in Columbus. One might reasonably criticize D.J. for not shooting above 40% until his senior season, but we feel that we would need his passing ability and his defense to assemble the (2nd) best team possible.
SG: Derrick Dial (Eastern Michigan, Last Season: 1998(
In 1998, Eastern was led by Derrick Dial and Earl Boykins. Both were seniors. We aren’t currently in the business of ranking the best backcourts of the last 20 years, but we are having a hard time imagining a better tandem than those two guys. Both spent time in the NBA. Dial was taken late in the 2nd round by the San Antonio Spurs. Dial didn’t catch on in the Association quite like Earl did, but he was good enough to average 20 and make our 2nd team, we suspect he will remember the latter forever as his crowning achievement and happiest moment.
SF: Bonzi Wells (Ball State, Last Season: 1998)
We’re so sorry, Bonzi. You gotta forgive us. This is a pick that will likely receive criticism. Bonzi Wells is the MAC’s all-time leading scorer for Christ’s sake. We would like to say we left him off the 1st team because of his defense, but nope, he is also the MAC’s all-time leader in steals. There’s a reason the Pistons drafted Wells 11th overall in the ’98 draft. Bonzi is a MAC legend, and we understand if you hate us for this. All we ask is that you wait until you see the 1st team before you skewer us. We also love the story of the Muncie native staying home for college, and we also miss the MAC being really good at basketball.
PF: Brandon Hunter (Ohio, Last Season: 2003)
Brandon Hunter’s senior year was played for a sub-.500 Tim O’Shea team. Perhaps his numbers are a bit inflated because he wasn’t on a good team. But they are pretty great numbers. That season he averaged 21.5 points, 12.6 rebounds, and more than a block a game. His 378 rebounds that season make it the 15th best rebounding season anyone in the MAC has had. That’s really saying something because apparently dudes got tons of boards in the 50’s and 60’s. Anyway, Hunter was good enough to get snagged late in the second round by the Celtics before fizzling out in the NBA.
C: John Edwards (Kent State, Last Season: 2004)
John Edwards is a man of many talents. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004. He can see the future. And at his peak, though it took him a while to get to his peak, he was a very good MAC center. The thing he adds to our team most is rim protection. He averaged 2.7 blocks per game his senior season. There have been MAC centers with better numbers (e.g. John Bowler, Joe Reitz, probably one of the Pollitzes) but this list is about assembling a team that could win games, and we are prioritizing Edwards’ defense in this decision.
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