575-76 Northern Illinois vs. Kent State
Play: Kent State -11

Kent State has been okay, but certainly not what they were expected to be prior to the season. I think the coaching change has to be partly responsible for this, and that's not terrible surprising as good teams frequently slip a bit when the coach who recruited them leaves for supposedly greener pastures. In any event, the Golden Flashes get a clean slate as the MAC Tourney gets underway. I'm not picking them to win this tournament, but they're definitely talented enough to run the table. And they should not have a problem today. Northern Illinois gave Kent State a huge battle in their one regular season meeting, as the Golden Flashes needed two OT's to get the win. But that was in Rockford, and the Huskies have been terrible on the road. Kent State should have good focus here and they're good enough to win this big, so I'll lean Kent State's way for the Tuesday free opinion.