Anthony Pritchard is Blue Ribbon's MAC Preseason Player of the Year

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.—Senior guard Anthony Pritchard was named the Mid-American Conference preseason men's basketball player of the year by Blue Ribbon Magazine, the publication announced. Pritchard, who was also named to Blue Ribbon's First Team All-MAC team.

Central Michigan was picked to finish seventh among 12 teams in Blue Ribbon's Forecast. CMU has 10 new players along with five returning players including Pritchard, Cayden Vasko, Shaedon Simpson, Hunter Harding, and Drew Barbee.

Last year, Pritchard was named the MAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-MAC and to the MAC All-Defensive Team, along with NABC All-District 14 Second Team honors. He became the second player in CMU basketball history to earn the MAC Defensive Player of the Year award joining Chris Kaman in 2003 and became the first player since 2017 to earn First Team All-MAC accolades.

Pritchard led the Chippewas in scoring (12.8 ppg., 372 points), assists (4.7 apg., 136), steals (48), field goals made (144) and ranked second in minutes played (957), field goal percentage (45.1), ranked second in rebounding (149). He also averaged 5.1 rebounds per game, hit 15-57 3-pointers and shot 74.2 percent (69-93) on free throws. He earned MAC Player of the Week honors on Jan. 29, 2024 after averaging 20.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 15-26 from the floor and 11-14 from the free throw line at Western Michigan and vs. Miami (OH). He concluded the season with 20 double figure scoring games, four 20-point games, and 16 games with five or more assists, led CMU in scoring 12 times, rebounding six times, and assists 21 times.

In three years, 77 games and 68 starts combining his career at Central Michigan and Tulsa, has scored 677 points, dished out 303 assists and grabbed 281 rebounds … averaged 8.8 points per game in his career.

Central Michigan is coming of a 2023-24 season that saw it finish 12-6 in MAC play, its best league record since the 2014-15 season. The Chippewas also went 18-14 overall, its best season since 2018-19. Barbee became the fifth CMU mentor and first in nearly a decade to earn the MAC Coach of the Year Award. He was also named the National Association of Basketball Coaches District Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year.

Men's Basketball season tickets went on sale on August 21. For more information, click here.

BLUE RIBBON'S PRESEASON ALL-MAC/MAC FORECAST

BLUE RIBBON FORECAST
1. Ohio
2. Akron
3. Toledo
4. Kent State
5. Bowling Green
6. Ball State
7. Central Michigan
8. Miami, Ohio
9. Northern Illinois
10. Western Michigan
11. Eastern Michigan
12. Buffalo

MAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Anthony Pritchard, G, Central Michigan

MAC NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Payton Sparks, C, Ball State

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
F-VonCameron Davis, Sr., Kent State
F-AJ Clayton, Sr., Ohio
C-Payton Sparks, Sr., Ball State
C-Javan Simmons, So., Toledo
G-Anthony Pritchard, Sr., Central Michigan

—CMU—

Players Mentioned

Drew Barbee

Hunter Harding

Anthony Pritchard

Shaedon Simpson

Cayden Vasko

Anthony Pritchard is Blue Ribbon's MAC Preseason Player of the Year

Related Videos