Rocket men get a home game in MAC basketball tournament

The Rockets are on track to do what we never thought they would do this year: finish above .500 overall and make a run at the MAC West title, and maybe even the MAC tournament title. The last one in the previous sentence is very unlikely, because the best teams in the MAC are in the East: Akron, Ohio U., Kent State and Buffalo. Getting past them and winning the MAC tournament won’t happen until next year or 2014, but the Rockets have made substantial progress this year that cannot be denied.

Their victory over Western Michigan on Saturday was great, and I hope I am not jinxing them by saying this: It may have been their best game of the season. Not because they shot 48% from the field and 77% free-throw line, played tough defense on a Bronco team that whacked them last month in Kalamazoo, or showed guts that heretofore were not visible. The reason they won the game was buried in the daily newspaper's account. Turnovers, specifically, only 5 of them. TU gave the Broncos only five extra chances to score. Usually, the Rockets give every team they play at least 14 extra opportunities for points. In the dark ages of the past four years, the Rockets were always giving their opposition 20 or more extra chances to score. That’s the improvement they need to win. Ball-handling is the most important part of the game next to knocking down shots. Don’t give the other team any more chances to score than they deserve. Not to downplay good defense, but defense is usually takes care of itself when you limit the other team’s possessions.

Unfortunatley for the Rockets, they won't finish 8-8 in the West. They kicked away a sure win against an inferior Northern Illinois team on Wednesday in DeKalb and a chance to tie Eastern Michigan for the West title. A 7-9 record will still give the Rockets a home game to start the MAC tournament next Monday, which could be against Miami or Ball State. No matter who it is, the Rockets ought to win that game. The top four seeds getting byes will be all from the East: Akron, Ohio U., Kent State and Buffalo. Seeding is done by winning percentage, regardless of division first-place finishes.

The UT play their first MAC tournament game in Cleveland, skipping home court.

Good luck to the UT men and women in the MAC Tournament. Go Rockets!