As the regular season comes to an end, the Ashland University men’s basketball team is gearing up for a playoff run. The Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) tournament will have lots of talented teams fighting for a championship here in 2026, and the Eagles are right in the mix. Going into the final week of the regular season, Ashland is 19-7 overall and 13-5 in the G-MAC, which has them tied with Lake Erie for the second seed.
The top spot in the standings has been held by the Walsh Cavaliers all season long. Walsh has won 22 of their 25 games, going 15-3 in conference play. Their next game will be in Ashland against the Eagles on Feb. 26. Tipoff from Kates Gymnasium is at 7:30 p.m. for the key showdown between the Eagles and the Cavaliers. Walsh has been well-balanced all season long, with six players averaging nine or more points. Their leading scorer is 6-foot-4 sophomore guard Quintero Barnett, who averages 15.2 points per contest and has had seven games this season with at least 20 points. Walsh hangstheir hat on the defensive end, as well as on the glass, where they grab an average of 7.8 more rebounds than their opponents, which leads the G-MAC.
Ashland is two games behind Walsh heading into this final week. They have been led by reigning G-MAC Player of the Year Maceo Williams, the 6-foot-7 redshirt senior. Williams averages 18.5 points (second in the G-MAC) and 8.2 rebounds (first), while shooting 60.9 percent from the field (second). The Eagles also have the best playmaker in the conference, with redshirt Jordan Edwards dishing out 5.2 assists per night.
Tied with the Eagles are the Lake Erie Storm, with a 13-5 conference record. Lake Erie plays a unique style, with a full court press for the entirety of their games. They substitute frequently, with their starters and second unit swapping in and out every four to five minutes. The Storm are the hottest team in the G-MAC, winners of their last seven games. Five players score in double figures on average, led by junior guard Amari Williams, who has had seven 20-plus point performances against conference foes. Lake Erie also has the best three-point shooter in the G-MAC, with junior forward Gavin Welch. Welch has nailed 71 triples at a 43.8 percent clip, which are both top two ranks in the conference. The Storm won both matchups against the Eagles earlier in the season, so if both teams finishwith the same record, Lake Erie would have the head-to-head tiebreaker, meaning they would finish higher in the standings.
One game behind Lake Erie and Ashland is Ohio Dominican, with a 12-6 conference record and 18-8 overall. The Panthers have been a dominant home team (14-2 in Columbus, Oh., but just 4-4 on the road). They have one of the best duos in the G-MAC, with redshirt senior center Elijah Hinton putting up 15.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, and sophomore guard Derek Goodman averaging 15.5 points, shooting 43.4 percent from deep.
The bottom half of the bracket is made up of teams that have been looking to find a consistent rhythm all season. The Findlay Oilers and Northwood Timberwolves have an identical 9-9 conference record. Findlay had the top G-MAC record all last season, but have simply not been able to knock down their three-pointers at the level they did in 2025. Northwood, similar to Ohio Dominican, have played differently whether they are at home or on the road. The Timberwolves are 12-3 at home in Midland, Mi., but just a perplexing 3-8 on the road.
Kentucky Wesleyan holds the seventh seed currently, with three teams below them fighting for the eighth and final spot in the standings. Those three include the Malone Pioneers, Cedarville Yellow Jackets and Hillsdale Chargers. The Pioneers are the reigning G-MAC champions from 2025, winning the title despite being the seventh seed in the standings.
The first round of the G-MAC tournament begins on Mar. 2, with the top four teams hosting their matchups. The semifinals occur on Mar. 6 and the conference championship on Mar. 7, with the games taking place at the home court of the highest seed remaining after the first round.
