Men's Basketball Picked Second in MAC East in MAC Media Poll

October 30 | Men's Basketball

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CLEVELAND – The University of Akron men's basketball was picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference East Division while Zeke Marshall was named preseason All-MAC as the league office unveiled it preseason media poll on Tuesday.

The Zips received 122 total points and five first-place votes, trailing only Ohio (141 points, 19 first-place votes) in the division. Ohio (18) and Akron (6) were the only two programs to receive votes as the favorites to win the FirstEnergy MAC Men's Basketball Tournament next March.

Akron has been picked first or second in the MAC East in every major college basketball publication. Lindy's and The Blue Ribbon Report tabbed UA as the favorites in the MAC while Rivals.com, Athlon Sports and CBSSports.com picked the squad to finish second in the East Division.

Akron returns eight letterwinners and four starters from last year's squad, led by Marshall, the reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year. UA also returns starts Alex Abreu (Second-Team All-MAC), Chauncey Gilliam and Brian Walsh.

The Zips also return a lot of depth in Josh Egner, Nick Harney, Deji Ibitayo and Demetrius "Tree" Treadwell. Luke Avsec, Carmelo Betancourt, Pat Forsythe, Blake Justice, Jake Kretzer and Reggie McAdams will provide Akron with added depth at all five positions.

The Zips enter the 2012-13 season as the defending MAC Regular Season champions for the first time since joining the league in 1992 and advanced to a league-record sixth-straight MAC Tournament title game (second-longest active streak in the nation). UA appeared in the NIT for the fifth time in program history, the third under Dambrot, and played in the postseason for the fifth-straight season, falling 76-74 at Northwestern on March 13.

UA is just one of seven teams to have posted at least 22 victories in each of the last seven seasons, joined by the likes of Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Utah State. Over the last eight seasons, all under Dambrot, the Zips have posted 184 victories, tied for 31st nationally among all Division I teams.

Season tickets are now on sale and single-game tickets for the Tiffin contest will go on sale Tuesday. Tickets can be purchased online at ZipsTickets.com, by phone at 1-888-99-AKRON (25766) or in person at The C.P. and Cornelia S. Chima Athletics Ticket Office at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field (located at 375 E. Exchange Street, near Gate 1 at the southwest corner of the venue, at the intersection of E. Exchange and S. Union streets), Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The Rhodes Arena ticket office will open at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

2012-13 East Division Predicted Order of Finish
1. Ohio – 141 Votes (19 first place votes)
2. Akron – 122 Votes (5)
3. Kent State – 89 Votes
4. Buffalo – 68 Votes
5. Bowling Green – 53 Votes
6. Miami – 31 Votes

2012-13 East Division Preseason All-MAC Team
Zeke Marshall, Akron
A'uston Calhoun, Bowling Green
Javon McCrea, Buffalo
Walter Offutt, Ohio
D.J. Cooper, Ohio

2012-13 West Division Predicted Order of Finish
1. Toledo – 143 Votes (20 first place votes)
2. Eastern Michigan – 118 Votes (4)
3. Western Michigan – 88 Votes
4. Ball State – 74 Votes
5. Northern Illinois – 46 Votes
6. Central Michigan – 35 Votes

2012-13 West Division Preseason All-MAC Team
Jesse Berry, Ball State
Abdel Nader, Northern Illinois
Rian Pearson, Toledo
Julius Brown, Toledo
Nate Hutcheson, Western Michigan

FirstEnergy MAC Men's Basketball Tournament Winner: Ohio (18), Akron (6)