# 2016 MAC men's basketball tournament

The 2016 Mid-American Conference men's basketball tournament was the post-season men's basketball tournament for the Mid-American Conference (MAC) 2015–16 college basketball season. Tournament first-round games were held on campus sites at the higher seed on March 7. The remaining rounds were held at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland between March 10–12. Buffalo won the tournament and received the conference's automatic bid into the 2016 NCAA tournament where they lost to Miami (FL) in the first round.

## Format

In 2016, the tournament reverted to its original structure with the top four seeds receiving just one bye into the quarterfinals. From 2012 to 2015, the top two seeds received byes into the semifinals while the third and fourth seeds received a bye to the quarterfinals.

## Seeds

| Seed | School | Conference record | Division | Tiebreaker |
| 1 † | Akron | 13–5 | East | |
| 2 † | Ohio | 11–7 | East | |
| 3 † | Buffalo | 10–8 | East | No. 1: 4–0 vs. tied teams (2–0 vs. KSU, 1–0 vs. BSU, 1–0 vs. CMU) |
| 4 † | Central Michigan | 10–8 | West | No. 1: 2–2 vs. tied teams (0–1 vs. Buffalo, 1–0 vs. KSU, 1–1 vs. BSU) No. 2: 2–1 vs. tied teams (1–0 vs. KSU, 1–1 vs. BSU) |
| 5 | Kent State | 10–8 | East | No. 1: 1–3 vs. tied teams (0–2 vs. Buffalo, 1–0 vs. BSU, 0–1 vs. CMU) No. 2: 1–1 vs. tied teams (1–0 vs. BSU, 0–1 vs. CMU) No. 3: 1–0 vs. BSU |
| 6 | Ball State | 10–8 | West | No. 1: 1–3 vs. tied teams (0–1 vs. Buffalo, 0–1 vs. Kent State, 1–1 vs. CMU) No. 2: 1–2 vs. tied teams (0–1 vs. KSU, 1–1 vs. CMU) No. 3: 0–1 vs. KSU |
| 7 | Northern Illinois | 9–9 | West | No. 1: 1–1 vs. EMU No. 2: 1–1 vs. No. 1 Akron |
| 8 | Eastern Michigan | 9–9 | West | No. 1: 1–1 vs. NIU No. 2: 0–1 vs. No. 1 Akron |
| 9 | Toledo | 8–10 | West | |
| 10 | Western Michigan | 7–11 | West | |
| 11 | Miami (OH) | 6–12 | East | |
| 12 | Bowling Green | 5–13 | East | |
| † Received a bye to quarterfinals |||||

## Schedule

| Game | Time | Matchup$^#$ | Television |
| First round – Monday March 7 ||||
| 1 | 7:00 pm | No. 12 Bowling Green 70 at No. 5 Kent State 69 | ESPN3 |
| 2 | 7:00 pm | No. 11 Miami (OH) 49 at No. 6 Ball State 47 | ESPN3 |
| 3 | 7:30 pm | No. 9 Toledo 60 at No. 8 Eastern Michigan 69 | ESPN3 |
| 4 | 8:00 pm | No. 10 Western Michigan 50 at No. 7 Northern Illinois 56 | ESPN3 |
| Quarterfinals – Thursday March 10 ||||
| 5 | Noon | No. 8 Eastern Michigan 63 vs. No. 1 Akron 65 | TWC SportsChannel OH/BCSN ESPN3 |
| 6 | 2:30 pm | No. 12 Bowling Green 62 vs. No. 4 Central Michigan 59 | TWC SportsChannel OH/BCSN ESPN3 |
| 7 | 6:30 pm | No. 7 Northern Illinois 62 vs. No. 2 Ohio 79 | TWC SportsChannel OH/BCSN ESPN3 |
| 8 | 9:00 pm | No. 11 Miami (OH) 81 vs. No. 3 Buffalo 94 | TWC SportsChannel OH/BCSN ESPN3 |
| Semifinals – Friday March 11 ||||
| 9 | 6:30 pm | No. 12 Bowling Green 66 vs. No. 1 Akron 80 | TWC SportsChannel OH/BCSN ESPN3 |
| 10 | 9:00 pm | No. 3 Buffalo 88 vs. No. 2 Ohio 74 | TWC SportsChannel OH/BCSN ESPN3 |
| Championship – Saturday March 12 ||||
| 11 | 7:30 pm | No. 3 Buffalo 64 vs. No. 1 Akron 61 | ESPN2 |
| * Game times in ET. # Rankings denote tournament seed ||||

## Bracket

| First round Monday, March 7 | First round Monday, March 7 | First round Monday, March 7 | Quarterfinals Thursday, March 10 | Quarterfinals Thursday, March 10 | Quarterfinals Thursday, March 10 | Semifinals Friday, March 11 | Semifinals Friday, March 11 | Semifinals Friday, March 11 | Championship Saturday, March 12 | Championship Saturday, March 12 | Championship Saturday, March 12 |
| | | | 2 | Ohio | 79 | | | | | | |
| | | | 7 | Northern Illinois | 62 | | | | | | |
| 7 | Northern Illinois | 56 | 7 | Northern Illinois | 62 | | | | | | |
| 10 | Western Michigan | 50 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Western Michigan | 50 | | | | 2 | Ohio | 74 | | | |
| | | | | | | 3 | Buffalo | 88 | | | |
| | | | 3 | Buffalo | 94 | | | | | | |
| | | | 11 | Miami (OH) | 81 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Ball State | 47 | 11 | Miami (OH) | 81 | | | | | | |
| 11 | Miami (OH) | 49 | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Miami (OH) | 49 | | | | | | | 3 | Buffalo | 64 |
| | | | | | | | | | 1 | Akron | 61 |
| | | | 1 | Akron | 65 | | | | | | |
| | | | 8 | Eastern Michigan | 63 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Eastern Michigan | 69 | 8 | Eastern Michigan | 63 | | | | | | |
| 9 | Toledo | 60 | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Toledo | 60 | | | | 1 | Akron | 80 | | | |
| | | | | | | 12 | Bowling Green | 66 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Central Michigan | 59 | | | | | | |
| | | | 12 | Bowling Green | 62 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Kent State | 69 | 12 | Bowling Green | 62 | | | | | | |
| 12 | Bowling Green | 70 | | | | | | | | | |
First round games at campus sites of lower-numbered seeds

## All-Tournament Team

Tournament MVP – Willie Conner, Buffalo
| Player | Team |
| Isaiah Johnson | Akron |
| Antonio Campbell | Ohio |
| Lamonte Bearden | Buffalo |
| Willie Conner | Buffalo |
| C.J. Massinburg | Buffalo |