Central Michigan at UT

1/7/2004

Time: 7 p.m.

Radio: 1370 AM.

Records: CMU is 3-8, 0-1 in MAC; Toledo is 8-2, 2-0.

Last game: UT d. Buffalo 88-83; CMU lost to Marshall 72-63.

Outlook: The Chippewas last season won the MAC regular season and tournament championships. They lost 7-footer Chris Kaman a year early to the NBA, and four rugged seniors also are gone. Central is led by forward Gerrit Brigitha at 14.5 points per game.

Time: 7 p.m.

Radio: 1230 AM.

Records: Bowling Green is 5-7, 1-1 in MAC; Ball State is 3-6, 0-1.

Last game: BG d. Eastern Michigan 84-68; Ball State lost to Kent State 70-67.

Outlook: The Cardinals have lost five in a row, their second-longest losing skid in 17 seasons. Junior Dennis Trammell leads the Cardinals in scoring with 13.8 ppg and made six 3-pointers against the Golden Flashes. The Falcons enter the game with a two-game win streak, thanks in part to 59 points from John Reimold. But Reimold doesn t completely explain BG s recent success. “I think Steven Wright has been much better in our last couple of games, said coach Dan Dakich.

Time: 7 p.m.

Radio: 88.3 FM, 97.3 FM.

Records: UT is 4-7, 0-0 in MAC; Central Michigan is 4-7, 0-0.

Last games: UT lost to Loyola 61-59 in OT; Central lost 71-61 at IUPUI.

Outlook: The Rockets start the MAC season in the midst of a five-game swoon, the longest in the nine-year career of UT head coach Mark Ehlen. The five-game losing streak is also the longest for the program since the 1986-87 season. During the current skid, the Rockets are shooting just 36.2 percent from the field. The Chippewas have won two of their last three games, and have been led by Casey Manning, a 5-9 sophomore guard, with 11 ppg.

When: 7 p.m.

Radio: 88.1 FM.

Records: Ball State is 6-6, 1-0 in MAC; Bowling Green is 7-4, 0-0.

Last game: Ball State d. Marshall 71-63; BG d. Cleveland State 82-67.

Outlook: The Falcons open the MAC schedule with a tough Cardinal team that went 21-10 last season and shared the West Division title with a 12-4 mark. Junior Kate Endress leads the league in scoring with 20.0 points per game and senior Johna Goff is 11th at 12.8. BG s biggest challenge will be on defense.