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1. Kent State (20-8, 10-3) (1): Quietly closing in on a 25-win season.  The Flashes dont overwhelm you, but they are playing the conferences best defense (.883 points per defensive possession in conference play) and rebounding better than anyone (73.2% of opponent missed shots are rebounded by Kent).  When youre not allowing your opponents to shoot well (39.6 field goal against percentage), not giving them second chances, or not even allowing them to shoot (forcing turnovers in 22% of opponent possessions, best in the conference), youre giving yourself the chance to win.  It doesnt hurt the Flashes are fourth in offensive efficiency and second in effective field goal percentage.  In other words: This is the MACs best team, no question.
This week: @Bowling Green (Wednesday), Miami (Saturday)

2. Akron (20-8, 10-3) (2): Same overall and conference record, yet theres a big gap between #1 and #2.  In an interesting quirk, the Zips are grabbing offensive rebounds at the highest rate in the conference (37.9%) and defensive rebounds at the lowest (63.8%).  Akron is a middling shooting team, but all those second chances are allowing them to produce points at the second-most efficient clip in the MAC.  The schedule sets up well for a winner-take-all showdown with Kent at seasons end.
This week: Buffalo (Wednesday), @Bowling Green (Saturday)

3. Ball State (15-11, 8-5) (5): In the drivers seat of the West.  On the face, its kind of amazing a team getting outscored in MAC play can manage an 8-5 record, but the Cardinals have been as good as anyone in close games.  There might be some luck involved, but BSU is playing excellent defense, holding opponents to 38.2%  from the field, the best mark in the conference.
This week: Eastern Michigan (Wednesday), @Toledo (Saturday)

4. Buffalo (16-9, 8-5) (6): The offensive hot streak was cooled off at St. Peters, but the Bulls managed to win anyway.  UB is now the conferences best shooting team and tops in offensive efficiency, which probably comes as a surprise to some of the teams followers.  The reason?  Ball movement.  Buffalo is leading the MAC in assisted basket percentage, assist-to-turnover ratio and assists.  Finding the open man has also resulted in leading the conference in effective field goal percentage and points per weighted shot.  They need all that to compensate for that sieve of a defense and lack of rebounding prowess.  The schedule does them no favors the rest of the way.
This week: @Akron (Wednesday), Ohio (Saturday)

5. Miami (12-15, 8-5) (3): Miamis schedule is only slightly better, but they do host UB in the season finale.  Remember Bizarro Miami at the outset of MAC play?  Equilibrium has been restored to an extent; shooting percentages have dipped while defensive efficiency has improved.
This week: @Ohio (Wednesday), @Kent State (Saturday)

6. Central Michigan (13-13, 7-6) (4): Robbie Harman is making a serious late-season push for All-MAC consideration, bouncing back from a bad night in Muncie to hit 4 of 10 from deep against Tennessee State.  Hes scoring pretty efficiently, rating 11th in the MAC in true shooting, tied for 8th in PPWS, and 5th in eFG%.
This week: @Northern Illinois (Wednesday), Western Michigan (Saturday)

7. Bowling Green (14-12, 6-7) (7): This team seems made for this spot.  The Falcons are the weeks most interesting team, hosting KSU and Akron.  BG loves to be the rain on Kents parade.  Spoiler potential is huge.  Dee Brown has been on fire, shooting 52% from the field and 13-16 from the line in the last five games.
This week: Kent State (Wednesday), Akron (Saturday)

8. Eastern Michigan (14-13, 6-7) (8): The Eagles couldve won in Detroit had they shot even decently at the charity stripe.  EMU has exactly two road wins this year and none since November, so its fair to predict they need a home game for the first round of the tournament if they want to make it to Cleveland.  Fortunately for them, two of the last three are in Ypsilanti.
This week: @Ball State (Wednesday), Northern Illinois (Saturday)

9. Ohio (15-13, 5-8) (9): The Bobcats have the lowest turnover rate in the MAC and fifth-best opponent turnover rate.  Theyre getting a lot more fast breaks than their opponents, which helps them hide their lack of halfcourt prowess.  It would probably help if there was any sort of clue which Devaughn Washington will show up in a given game and if Reggie Keely had any help in the post.
This week: Miami (Wednesday), @Buffalo (Saturday)

10. Western Michigan (14-13, 6-7) (10): After another trashing, this time at the hands of Southern Illinois, the Broncos havent been competitive against any team with a pulse since a surprising win against Bowling Green.  David Kools effectiveness has taken a serious dive in the last couple weeks.  Is he pressing or are defenses throwing double and triple teams at him knowing nobody else can help him?  A little of both.
This week: @Toledo (Wednesday), @Central Michigan (Saturday)

11. Northern Illinois (8-18, 4-9) (11): Can you believe this team started 4-0?  Seems like years ago.  The last five losses have all been by single digits, but this does not look like a team that wants to compete.
This week: Central Michigan (Wednesday), @Eastern Michigan (Saturday)

12. Toledo (3-23, 0-13) (12): When fans are talking about being down 1 at the half to Cleveland State as a best-case scenario, theres no need to pile on.
This week: Western Michigan (Wednesday), Ball State (Saturday)