Make your picks and we will see where our confidence levels are at. As always, no criticism allowed unless you post picks of your own.

11/4 @ James Madison -
11/9 vs UNC Asheville -
11/12 @ Illinois St -
11/15 @ Memphis -
11/21 vs Middle Tenn St -
11/22 vs TBD (either S Florida or Portland) -
11/24 vs TBD (1 of Bradley, Tx State, Princeton or Wright St) -
11/30 vs Robert Morris -
12/7 vs Morehead St -
12/14 @ Marshall -
11/18 vs Austin Peay -
12/30 vs Muskingum - W
1/4 @ Central Mich -
1/7 @ Buffalo -
1/11 vs Northern Ill -
1/14 vs Ball State -
1/17 @ Akron -
1/21 @ Eastern Mich -
1/24 vs Kent State -
1/28 vs Toledo -
2/1 @ Miami -
2/4 vs Western Mich -
2/8 vs Sun Belt TBD -
2/11 @ Bowling Green -
2/15 @ Kent State -
2/18 vs Central Mich -
2/22 vs Akron -
2/25 @ Western Mich -
3/1 vs Miami -
3/4 vs Eastern Mich -
3/7 @ Toledo -

MAC Tourney (top 8 make it) -
Postseason -

MAC Record (18 gms) -
Overall Record (31 gms + postseason) -

11/4 @ James Madison - W
11/9 vs UNC Asheville - W
11/12 @ Illinois St - W
11/15 @ Memphis - L
11/21 vs Middle Tenn St - W
11/22 vs TBD (either S Florida or Portland) - L (This will probably be South Florida)
11/24 vs TBD (1 of Bradley, Tx State, Princeton or Wright St) - W
11/30 vs Robert Morris - W
12/7 vs Morehead St - W
12/14 @ Marshall - W
11/18 vs Austin Peay - W
12/30 vs Muskingum - W
1/4 @ Central Mich - L
1/7 @ Buffalo - W
1/11 vs Northern Ill - W
1/14 vs Ball State - W
1/17 @ Akron - L
1/21 @ Eastern Mich - W
1/24 vs Kent State - W
1/28 vs Toledo - L
2/1 @ Miami - W
2/4 vs Western Mich - W
2/8 vs Sun Belt TBD - L
2/11 @ Bowling Green - L
2/15 @ Kent State - L
2/18 vs Central Mich - W
2/22 vs Akron - W
2/25 @ Western Mich - W
3/1 vs Miami - W
3/4 vs Eastern Mich - W
3/7 @ Toledo - L

MAC Tourney (top 8 make it) - 2nd
Postseason - NCAA Tournament Round of 64

MAC Record (18 gms) - 13-5
Overall Record (31 gms + postseason) - 23-8

Slow start. Great finish.

11/4 @ James Madison - L
11/9 vs UNC Asheville - W
11/12 @ Illinois St - L
11/15 @ Memphis - L
11/21 vs Middle Tenn St - W
11/22 vs TBD (either S Florida or Portland) - L
11/24 vs TBD (1 of Bradley, Tx State, Princeton or Wright St) - W
11/30 vs Robert Morris - W
12/7 vs Morehead St - W
12/14 @ Marshall - L
11/18 vs Austin Peay - W
12/30 vs Muskingum - W
1/4 @ Central Mich - W
1/7 @ Buffalo - W
1/11 vs Northern Ill - W
1/14 vs Ball State - W
1/17 @ Akron - L
1/21 @ Eastern Mich - W
1/24 vs Kent State - W
1/28 vs Toledo - W
2/1 @ Miami - W
2/4 vs Western Mich - W
2/8 vs Sun Belt TBD - L
2/11 @ Bowling Green - W
2/15 @ Kent State - L
2/18 vs Central Mich - W
2/22 vs Akron - W
2/25 @ Western Mich - W
3/1 vs Miami - W
3/4 vs Eastern Mich - W
3/7 @ Toledo - L

MAC Tourney (top 8 make it) - Tourney Champs
Postseason - NCAA 0-1 First round exit

MAC Record (18 gms) - 15-3
All Games: 21-9


Overall Record (31 gms + postseason)

To win the regular season title, IMO, Bobcats (or any MAC team) needs:

1) To sweep at least 2 of Toledo, Akron, Miami, Kent and split with the others.

2) Avoid a road loss at NIU, WMU, UB, EMU, CMU.

3) Win one game you should have lost.

4) Suffer no injury longer than 2/3 games.

That usually means the MAC Champ finishes something like 15-3, 14-4. If the league is balanced, particularly at the top, then 13-5 wins via tiebreakers.

#4 is so key. We finished second last year with basically no AJB and Elmore. EJ was never the same when he got back from injury and ineffective. Want to see an entire season of a healthy AJB and Elmore.

I definitely agree that 25 wins is within grasp. Hard to guess with only 31 known games and a couple tourneys in there, but I still think we split the usuals Kent, Akron, Toledo - and will drop a random road game at Buffalo or something that shouldn't happen...

14-4 in the MAC. Final Answer. Boals gets his regular season title.

Of the last 26 years, someone has won with 3+ losses 22 times. 3.5 average losses.

Non-Con:

10-3

24-7... depending on how the tournaments go.. I think we win some games there, so potentially something like 26-9.

*edit*
I just went back and most seem to think 14-4, so now I feel like I should take the contrarian view lol

If we win 35 games and are ranked as high as 12, I will name my first born Jeff, even if its a girl.

11/4 @ James Madison - W 1-0
11/9 vs UNC Asheville - W 2-0
11/12 @ Illinois St - L 2-1
11/15 @ Memphis - L 2-2
11/21 vs Middle Tenn St - W 3-2
11/22 vs TBD (either S Florida or Portland) - W 4-2
11/24 vs TBD (1 of Bradley, Tx State, Princeton or Wright St) - L 4-3
11/30 vs Robert Morris - W 5-3
12/7 vs Morehead St - W 6-3
12/14 @ Marshall - L 6-4
11/18 vs Austin Peay - W 7-4
12/30 vs Muskingum - W 8-4
1/4 @ Central Mich - W 9-4 (1-0)
1/7 @ Buffalo - W 10-4 (2-0)
1/11 vs Northern Ill - W 11-4 (3-0)
1/14 vs Ball State - W 12-4(4-0)
1/17 @ Akron - L 12-5 (4-1)
1/21 @ Eastern Mich - W 13-5(5-1)
1/24 vs Kent State - W 14-5(6-1)
1/28 vs Toledo - W 15-5(7-1)
2/1 @ Miami - W 16-5(8-1)
2/4 vs Western Mich - W 17-5(9-1)
2/8 vs Sun Belt TBD - L 17-6
2/11 @ Bowling Green L 17-7(9-2)
2/15 @ Kent State - L 17-8(9-3)
2/18 vs Central Mich - W18-8(10-3)
2/22 vs Akron - W 19-8(11-3)
2/25 @ Western Mich - W 20-8(12-3)
3/1 vs Miami - W 21-8(13-3)
3/4 vs Eastern Mich - W 22-8(14-3)
3/7 @ Toledo - W 23-8(15-3)

MAC Tourney (top 8 make it) - W 3
Postseason - 2-1

MAC Record (18 gms) - 15-3
Overall Record (31 gms + postseason) - sweet 16

11/4 @ James Madison - W
11/9 vs UNC Asheville - W
11/12 @ Illinois St - W
11/15 @ Memphis - L
11/21 vs Middle Tenn St - W
11/22 vs TBD (either S Florida or Portland) - L
11/24 vs TBD (1 of Bradley, Tx State, Princeton or Wright St) - W
11/30 vs Robert Morris - W
12/7 vs Morehead St - W
12/14 @ Marshall - W
11/18 vs Austin Peay - W
12/30 vs Muskingum - W
1/4 @ Central Mich - L
1/7 @ Buffalo - W
1/11 vs Northern Ill - W
1/14 vs Ball State - W
1/17 @ Akron - L
1/21 @ Eastern Mich - W
1/24 vs Kent State - W
1/28 vs Toledo - W
2/1 @ Miami - W
2/4 vs Western Mich - W
2/8 vs Sun Belt TBD - L
2/11 @ Bowling Green - L
2/15 @ Kent State - L
2/18 vs Central Mich W-
2/22 vs Akron - W
2/25 @ Western Mich - W
3/1 vs Miami - W
3/4 vs Eastern Mich - W
3/7 @ Toledo - W
MAC Tourney (top 8 make it) - Champs
Postseason - NCAA First round

MAC Record (18 gms) - 14 - 4
Overall Record (31 gms + postseason) - 27 - 7

I appreciate the optimism. Many predictions aren't far off. However, that is one heck of a (Mid-Major) pre-season schedule.. Being a realist, If we lose half of those games we might make the NIT. I am ready for some basketball. go Cats

11/4 @ James Madison - L
11/9 vs UNC Asheville - W
11/12 @ Illinois St - L
11/15 @ Memphis - L
11/21 vs Middle Tenn St - W
11/22 vs TBD (either S Florida or Portland) - L
11/24 vs TBD (1 of Bradley, Tx State, Princeton or Wright St) - W
11/30 vs Robert Morris - W
12/7 vs Morehead St - W
12/14 @ Marshall - W
11/18 vs Austin Peay - W
12/30 vs Muskingum - W
1/4 @ Central Mich - W
1/7 @ Buffalo - W
1/11 vs Northern Ill - W
1/14 vs Ball State - W
1/17 @ Akron - L
1/21 @ Eastern Mich - W
1/24 vs Kent State - W
1/28 vs Toledo - W
2/1 @ Miami - W
2/4 vs Western Mich - W
2/8 vs Sun Belt TBD - W
2/11 @ Bowling Green - W
2/15 @ Kent State - L
2/18 vs Central Mich - W
2/22 vs Akron - W
2/25 @ Western Mich - W
3/1 vs Miami - W
3/4 vs Eastern Mich - W
3/7 @ Toledo - L

MAC Tourney (top 8 make it) - Win it (3-0)
Postseason - 1st Rd Exit

MAC Record (18 gms) - 15-3
Overall Record (31 gms + postseason) - 27-8

Slow start to OOC but end up decent, then work thru the MAC pretty nicely. There are a lot of really bad teams in the MAC making for a lot less touchy road games. We will be double digit road favorites in several games.

Let me just say not only for me but everyone else coming off optimistic...when doing the game by game predictions, it lends itself to more extreme predictions so when you're the favorite you end up with a really high predicted record. I do not think we are going to go undefeated at home, but I can't point to any game that I feel like is a loss. I have predicted 27-8 here on the game by game basis, I would probably actually predict about 24-11 on a macro level.

Something to keep in mind when people want to poo poo the optimism in these predictions.

11/4 @ James Madison - L
11/9 vs UNC Asheville - W
11/12 @ Illinois St - W
11/15 @ Memphis - L
11/21 vs Middle Tenn St - W
11/22 vs TBD (S Florida) - W
11/24 vs TBD (Bradley) - L
11/30 vs Robert Morris - W
12/7 vs Morehead St - W
12/14 @ Marshall - W
11/18 vs Austin Peay -
12/30 vs Muskingum - W
1/4 @ Central Mich - W
1/7 @ Buffalo - W
1/11 vs Northern Ill - W
1/14 vs Ball State - W
1/17 @ Akron - L
1/21 @ Eastern Mich - W
1/24 vs Kent State - W
1/28 vs Toledo - W
2/1 @ Miami - W
2/4 vs Western Mich - W
2/8 vs Sun Belt TBD (Arkansas State) - W
2/11 @ Bowling Green - W
2/15 @ Kent State - L
2/18 vs Central Mich - W
2/22 vs Akron - W
2/25 @ Western Mich - W
3/1 vs Miami - W
3/4 vs Eastern Mich - W
3/7 @ Toledo - L

MAC Tourney (top 8 make it) -
(#8 Central Michigan) - W
(#4 Kent State) - W
(#3 Toledo) - L
Postseason -
NIT - (I won't try to guess) - L

MAC Record (18 gms) - 15-3
Overall Record (31 gms + postseason) - 27-8

I picked a win in every regular season game I though we have a 50/50 or better chance to win. As I say with every prediction like this, that doesn't mean I think 25-6 is the most likely regular season record. I think in this case it is substantially less than that. We have many more chances to be upset than to pull upsets. I get more like 21-10 as the most likely record entering the MAC tournament so maybe 23-12 is the most likely overall record. We might be the best chance to win the MAC tournament, but with everything that can happen in a one and done tournament you have to be far and away the best team to have a better than 50/50 chance to win it. So even though I might pick us to barely beat Toledo on a neutral court I sort of randomly picked a loss here in an above 50/50 chance game. To Toledo because, even though I don't believe in being "due", Akron and Kent have won recently so why not?

7pm eastern on ESPN+ --> APSU vs Morehead tonight

Two upcoming Bobcat opponents.

Agree.

I have noticed Reef very active on the bench and engaged with the players during game and during timeouts. Obviously, he's missed just for his play on the court.

AJB brings the hustle and teamwork every game.

I think Captain Chaos has intangibles to be a leader as well.

But right now..this team is a hot mess.