Top Matchups to Watch in the MAC-SBC Challenge

The MAC-SBC Challenge returns for the second leg of the season, this time hosted by Sun Belt schools across the conference. On opening night of the 2025-26 season, the MAC won nine of 13 matchups in the first leg of the challenge, and the Sun Belt will look to bounce back on Feb. 7. Here’s a look at some of the top matchups in this year’s MAC-SBC Challenge.

Miami (OH) at Marshall

The game everyone will be talking about features nationally ranked Miami (OH) traveling to Huntington, West Virginia, to take on Marshall. The RedHawks are one of two remaining undefeated teams in the country and have won four of their last five games by six points or fewer. Marshall enters the matchup coming off two single-digit wins of its own.

THE MIAMI REDHAWKS ARE 23-0!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/4xS5DHBUM6

— Chatterbox Sports (@CBoxSports) February 4, 2026

In Miami’s 87-72 opening-night victory over Old Dominion, guard Brent Byers led the team with 18 points and now leads the RedHawks in scoring on the season at 15.2 points per game. That game reflected the team’s overall identity, as Miami had five players score in double figures. On the season, the RedHawks have six players averaging double-digit points, though guard Evan Ipsaro has been sidelined since December. As a team, Miami averages more than 17 assists per game, shoots over 50 percent from the field and nearly 40 percent from three-point range, with the shooting percentages at or near the top nationally.

Marshall counters with a trio of scorers averaging 14 or more points per game in Wyatt Fricks, Jalen Speer and Noah Otshudi. Fricks, a 6-foot-10 athletic forward, is coming off a 25-point performance against Southern Miss and could present matchup problems. Speer and Otshudi have each flashed scoring upside with 25-point performances this season. Rebounding could also be key for the Herd, led by 7-foot-4 center Matt Van Komen, as Marshall averages roughly three more rebounds per game than its opponents.

Tipoff: 4 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN+

Akron at Troy

Troy will host the only nationally televised game of the challenge, as the Akron Zips visit the Sun Belt-leading Troy Trojans. Troy defeated Kent State in an overtime thriller on opening night, while Akron took care of James Madison.

Despite losing two of its last three games, Troy enters the matchup atop the Sun Belt standings. The Trojans are led by Thomas Dowd and Victor Valdes, two of the top 10 scorers in the conference. Dowd is averaging 15 points and more than 10 rebounds per game, making him one of just 13 players nationally averaging a double-double. Valdes leads the team at 15.8 points per game in his first season as a starter. Brothers Cobi and Cooper Campbell have also delivered several big performances out of the backcourt.

Akron enters on a nine-game winning streak, with its last loss coming against Miami (OH). Guard Tavari Johnson leads the MAC in scoring at 20.1 points per game and has multiple 30-point performances this season, including a 35-point outing against Yale. Shooting could be a deciding factor, as the Zips shoot nearly 38 percent from three as a team. This matchup has the makings of a high-scoring affair, with both teams near the top of their conferences in points per game.

Tipoff: 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT)

TV: ESPN2

Buffalo at South Alabama

Buffalo makes the long trip south to face South Alabama and one of the most unique zone defenses in the country. The Bulls opened the season by defeating Southern Miss and starting 8-0 but have dropped their last two games. South Alabama won three straight before falling to App State in its most recent outing.

Mardi Gras at The Mitch 🎭#LSF | #BurnTheBoats pic.twitter.com/ItXUn38U7z

— South Alabama Men’s Basketball 🏀 (@SouthAlabamaMBB) February 6, 2026

Buffalo features two of the MAC’s top five scorers in guards Daniel Freitag and Ryan Sabol. Freitag averages 20 points per game while adding 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists. Sabol scores 18 points per game and shoots 40 percent from beyond the arc. As a team, Buffalo shoots 39 percent from three and will need to maintain that, as South Alabama’s zone defense forces more three-point attempts than any team in the country.

Chaze Harris leads the Jaguars with 17.7 points, 4.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game, doing most of his damage inside the arc. On the perimeter, Adam Olsen provides a different threat. The stretch forward has attempted 173 three-pointers this season, nearly 80 more than any other Jaguar. Like in many wins for South Alabama this season, keeping the game low-scoring and uncomfortable will be key to their success.

Tipoff: 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT)

TV: ESPN+