Coming off a fourth-place finish in the Mid-American Conference in 2023, Central Michigan is looking to build off its best season under fourth-year head coach Tony Barbee. However, after adding eight players from the transfer portal, the Chippewas will be filled with fresh faces this season. CMU was picked to finish eighth in the conference in the recent preseason coaches poll. If this new group can gel, the Chippewas may find success in the conference yet again.
Here are some keys to help CMU compete in the MAC this season:
Defense
Central Michigan was among the top defenses in the MAC in 2023, led by Co-Defensive Player of the Year Anthony Pritchard. The Chippewas allowed the fourth-fewest points to conference opponents last season, at 70.1 points per game. CMU was also one of the most stout defenses in the country in opponent field goal and 3-point percentage. They held MAC opponents to 41% from the field, which was the best in the conference and 29th in Division I. The Chippewas finished third in the MAC in 3-point defense, allowing 31% of 3s to drop. With the reigning conference DPOY returning in Pritchard, CMU should be a tough test for opposing offenses. What was a key component of Central Michigan’s success last season? Defense will be important if the Chippewa hope to compete in the conference again.
Shooting
The Chippewas struggled to score efficiently in 2023 from the floor and beyond the arc. CMU finished 12th in field goal percentage and 10th in 3-point percentage in the MAC and was among the worst in scoring offense last season. Barbee made moves in the offseason in hopes of adding shooting to a team that lacked it in 2023. Jakobi Heady and Damarion Bonds shot over 32% from beyond the arc last season and could provide that spark this year for CMU. If the Chippewas could get more consistency from returning guards Pritchard and Cayden Vasko, the team would pose a strong threat to conference foes. An improvement in both categories could help propel Central Michigan to the top of the conference for a second straight season. In their recent exhibition game against Hillsdale (Mich.) College, the Chippewas shot 48% from the 3-point line.Â
Cohesion
The final key cannot be defined by stats. In the era of the transfer portal, it is hard to predict how new additions will fit. With eight new transfer players, the way the new faces gel together will play a pivotal role in the Chippewas’ success this upcoming season. How well do the new guys fit into the culture in place? How well will the new pieces fit on the floor in their first season together? These questions are hard to predict before the season starts, but they will be an important piece for CMU in 2024. If the new faces can fit well together, the Chippewas should see similar success this season
