Bulls Picked To Win Mid-American Conference; Two Bulls Named Preseason All-MAC
11/3/2021 10:14:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo men's basketball team has been named as the preseason favorite to win the Mid-American Conference Championship as the Bulls received 11 of 12 possible first place votes. UB is also the favorite to win the Mid-American Conference Championship while Jeenathan Williams and Josh Mballa were preseason All-MAC First Team selections.
Buffalo returns the majority of the team from last year that finished 16-9, making an appearance in the Mid-American Conference Championship game and earning an at-large bid into the National Invitation Tournament.
11 players on the Buffalo roster were on last year's squad, including second-team All-MAC selections Jeenathan Williams and Josh Mballa. This year's squad features nine seniors, making the team one of the most veteran squads in the nation.
The Bulls received 11 first place votes and 143 of 144 possible points. Ohio was picked to finish second, while Toledo was picked third, receiving the other first place vote.
UB received eight of the 12 votes to win the 2022 MAC Championship, with Bowling Green, Kent State, Miami, and Toledo all receiving one.
Mballa and Williams were both honored as preseason All-Conference selections, earning two of the five spots on the first team.
Mballa was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and a second-team All-league selection last year. He had 50 rebounds over three games at the MAC Tournament, the most rebounds in one tournament in MAC history. He averaged 16.7 boards per game, including 20 in UB's semifinal win over Akron. For the year, Mballa finished second on the team in scoring at 15.3 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per contest.
Williams was UB's leading scorer all season last year at 17.6 points per game and he was second in rebounding at 6.8 per contest. Williams was one of three Bulls named to the All-MAC Second Team last year. He had a career high five threes in the MAC Quarterfinal win over Miami, finishing with 20 points. Williams led UB with 26 points against Akron his second straight 20-point performance in the MAC Tournament. Williams was named to the All-MAC Tournament Team.
Williams and Mballa are joined on the first team by Daeqwon Plowden from Bowling Green, Ryan Rollins of Toledo, and Ohio's Ben Vander Plas.
A complete list of the MAC Coaches Preseason Coaches Poll and All-League Team can be found below.
2021-22 MAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Preseason All-MAC First Team
Daeqwon Plowden, 5th-Sr., G/F, Bowling Green
Josh Mballa, Sr., F, Buffalo
Jeenathan Williams, Sr., F, Buffalo
Ben Vander Plas, R-Sr., F, Ohio
Ryan Rollins, So., G, Toledo
Preseason All-MAC Second Team
K.J. Walton, Grad., G, Akron
Sincere Carry, R-Jr., G, Kent State
Dae Dae Grant, Jr., G, Miami
Jason Carter 5th-Sr., F, Ohio
B. Artis White, So., G, Western Michigan
Buffalo returns the majority of the team from last year that finished 16-9, making an appearance in the Mid-American Conference Championship game and earning an at-large bid into the National Invitation Tournament.
11 players on the Buffalo roster were on last year's squad, including second-team All-MAC selections Jeenathan Williams and Josh Mballa. This year's squad features nine seniors, making the team one of the most veteran squads in the nation.
The Bulls received 11 first place votes and 143 of 144 possible points. Ohio was picked to finish second, while Toledo was picked third, receiving the other first place vote.
UB received eight of the 12 votes to win the 2022 MAC Championship, with Bowling Green, Kent State, Miami, and Toledo all receiving one.
Mballa and Williams were both honored as preseason All-Conference selections, earning two of the five spots on the first team.
Mballa was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and a second-team All-league selection last year. He had 50 rebounds over three games at the MAC Tournament, the most rebounds in one tournament in MAC history. He averaged 16.7 boards per game, including 20 in UB's semifinal win over Akron. For the year, Mballa finished second on the team in scoring at 15.3 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per contest.
Williams was UB's leading scorer all season last year at 17.6 points per game and he was second in rebounding at 6.8 per contest. Williams was one of three Bulls named to the All-MAC Second Team last year. He had a career high five threes in the MAC Quarterfinal win over Miami, finishing with 20 points. Williams led UB with 26 points against Akron his second straight 20-point performance in the MAC Tournament. Williams was named to the All-MAC Tournament Team.
Williams and Mballa are joined on the first team by Daeqwon Plowden from Bowling Green, Ryan Rollins of Toledo, and Ohio's Ben Vander Plas.
A complete list of the MAC Coaches Preseason Coaches Poll and All-League Team can be found below.
2021-22 MAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
- Buffalo – 143 points (11 first place votes)
- Ohio – 126 points
- Toledo – 107 points (1)
- Kent State – 98 points
- Akron – 95 points
- Bowling Green – 93 points
- Miami – 92 points
- Ball State – 54 points
- Western Michigan – 44 points
- Central Michigan – 34 points
- Eastern Michigan – 29 points
- Northern Illinois – 21 points
Preseason All-MAC First Team
Daeqwon Plowden, 5th-Sr., G/F, Bowling Green
Josh Mballa, Sr., F, Buffalo
Jeenathan Williams, Sr., F, Buffalo
Ben Vander Plas, R-Sr., F, Ohio
Ryan Rollins, So., G, Toledo
Preseason All-MAC Second Team
K.J. Walton, Grad., G, Akron
Sincere Carry, R-Jr., G, Kent State
Dae Dae Grant, Jr., G, Miami
Jason Carter 5th-Sr., F, Ohio
B. Artis White, So., G, Western Michigan
Players Mentioned
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