Mid-Major Madness MAC Twitter Space Preview: Rob Senderoff, Jeff Boals, Tod Kowalczyk

We continue our conference previews with the MAC. We have hosted a preview Twitter Space twice a week streaming live from the Mid-Major Madness account (@mid_madness), speaking with media members and coaches throughout the selected league.

For the full MAC Twitter Space, hit the link below:

To open the conversation, Mid-Major Madness writer Nick Lorensen recapped what happened in the MAC last season and so far this offseason.

Akron made its first NCAA Tournament since 2013, although Kent State and Toledo were the best teams in the regular season. All three of those teams return key players and should be toward the top of the MAC again.

In Ypsilanti, former top recruit Emoni Bates transferred to Eastern Michigan.

To open the conversations with coaches, Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff (3:35) joined the program to talk about his preseason favorite Golden Flashes. They return the 2021-22 MAC Player of the Year in Sincere Carry and will look to build off a 14-game winning streak in MAC play.

“That was awesome, man. That’s something in the history of the Mid-American Conference, and I’ve obviously been in this league for a while. There has been one in-league winning streak in the 50 or 60-year history of this league that has been longer than the one we had last year,” Senderoff said. “I think our guys learned how to win, how to compete, how to play for each other.”

That streak ended in the conference tournament title game against Akron. The Golden Flashes will look to get revenge against the Zips on Saturday, Feb. 4.

Following him, Ohio head coach Jeff Boals (35:05) joined to speak about how he has rebuilt his alma mater’s basketball program. The Bobcats went 25-10 last season after winning a game in the 2021 NCAA Tournament against Virginia.

“It’s really cool. When I got into coaching, and I’m starting year 28, my dream was to be the head coach at Ohio,” Boals said. “When I came back, I wanted our guys to experience what I was able to experience. Cutting down nets, hats, and t-shirts, winning championships, seeing your name pop up on selection Sunday. There’s no better feeling.”

The Bobcats were picked fifth in the MAC Preseason Poll.

To close out the conversations with coaches, Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk joined to speak about the program he has built in Glass City. The Rockets have finished in the Top 103 of adjusted offensive rating every season since 2014.

“We have a rule that if they’re shooting 70% or above (from the free throw line) they have the right to tell me to go fly a kite if I talk to them about free throw shooting,” Kowalczyk said. “Our players have been good.”

The Rockets are one of the highest touted programs this preseason and will face another on Friday, November 11th when they face UAB in the Barstool Invitational in Philadelphia.

Roundball Podcast’s Jeff Nadu then joined Nick to preview the rest of the teams in the MAC. To hear about your team, advance the recording to each time stamp.

57:35 — Akron

1:02:35 — Ball State

1:05:55 — Bowling Green

1:09:55 — Buffalo

1:13:50 — Central Michigan

1:18:25 — Eastern Michigan

1:24:15 — Miami (OH)

1:28:00 — Northern Illinois

1:38:50 — Western Michigan

2:02:20 — POTY & Title Prediction