With the snap of Kenny Hayes' right wrist last month, competition in the MAC snapped wide open.
Coaches picked Kent State to win the conference. After a 68-54 home loss to Akron, the Golden Flashes fell to 1-4 in MAC play and now sit in last. Coaches picked Miami to finish second. After a 76-64 home loss to Buffalo, the RedHawks fell out of first.
Right now, with the exception of Miami's second-place position, the MAC east standings are essentially reversed from what they are supposed to be. There is no dominant team and the league title is there for the taking.
I still think Miami is the class of the conference, but Buffalo proved to a packed Millett Hall of nearly 4,000 just how debatable that opinion is right now.
For the entire first half Saturday, the Bulls manhandled the 'Hawks. Miami shot 25 percent in the first 20 minutes while Buffalo hit over 51 percent of its attempts. Meanwhile, down on the boards the Bulls out rebounded the RedHawks 23-13 on their way to building an 18-point halftime lead. All this was done without Calvin Betts, the team's leading rebounder and second leading scorer.
When Hayes is healthy, this year's version of the RedHawks is truly special. It had defense, depth and athleticism.
Considering the current state of the MAC, it was no stretch of the imagination to envision the 'Hawks cruising through their conference schedule and even making noise in the NCAA tournament.
Saturday's result, however, served as another painful reminder of Hayes' absence. His injury doesn't just scratch 14 points per game from the line up; it profoundly changes how the team functions.
The main weapon Hayes brings is dribble penetration. Since William Hatcher graduated in 2006, no player sporting a Miami uniform has possessed the ability to cut through defenses the way Hayes does. Once on the move, he can then take the rock to the rack with an athletic finish or dish it out to Bramos on the wing for a trey.
Without Hayes, Miami must rely on inlet passes to its forwards as the primary form of establishing any paint presence. This makes the offense incredibly predictable, leaving it with only two legitimate scoring options.
Hayes also possesses a deadly three-point shot of his own, averaging 53 percent from behind the arc this season. With both Bramos and Hayes on the court, Miami featured a dynamic duo from downtown, forcing opposing defenses out of their quadruple coverage of No. 24.
Needless to say, Bramos isn't the same player without his counterpart. If you haven't already noticed, the stats speak for themselves. Pre-Hayes injury, Bramos shot 50 percent from three-land in eight games. Post-Hayes injury, Bramos is 23 percent from behind the arc and 18 percent in the two games before Saturday.
Coles continues to search for a replacement at point guard. Carl Richburg still isn't 100 percent as noted by limited playing time. Kramer Soderberg can't carry a full load as a freshman. And let's be honest, defensive-minded Eric Pollitz just isn't quite cut from the position's fold.
But while it may be unreasonable to expect the same production from an endlessly swinging carousel at point guard, Miami may have found a replacement for Hayes' athleticism and shot-making ability elsewhere.
In the past four contests, Antonio Ballard averaged 12.3 points per game and eight rebounds per game. He also nailed three huge three-pointers Saturday, two of which came back-to-back and brought Miami within one point of the Bulls.
If Ballard can continue to be a force from both the boards and perimeter like he was in the second half against Buffalo, Miami has a clear edge to win its conference. Ohio won't get 35 points from Jerome Tillman every time they face the 'Hawks and Buffalo won't start every game against Miami on a 25-8 run. These mark Miami's only two MAC losses, games the Red and White would have otherwise dominated without such rare performances.
With Ballard stepping into Hayes' role, the RedHawks showed just how dangerous they really are. They erased an 18-point deficit against the MAC's top team in less than 13 minutes. Bramos shook off his slump to shoot 66 percent on his second-half three's and Miami out rebounded Buffalo 17-9 in the period.
What else is there to say but "oh snap."
