Eastern Michigan Eagles men's basketball 2018-19 season preview

Overview: Within the Mid-American Conference, the Eagles are a solid team. Last year, they lost in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament by one point and will be looking to avenge that loss this season. Many of Eastern Michigan's strongest players have returned this year, looking to build on their performances from last season. One player to watch is senior James Thompson IV, who averaged 14.5 points and 11.2 rebounds last year. The 6-foot-10 Baton Rouge, La., native has been improving every year, concluding last season shooting 67.2 percent from the field.

One of the Eagles' key players from last season is 6-foot-9 forward Elijah Minnie. Minnie transferred from Robert Morris prior to his junior year and hit the ground running, averaging a team-high 16.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last year season. The Pittsburgh native was added to the Julius Erving Award watch list last month.

One area of weakness for the team was its offensive efficiency. Without players who were skilled at creating their own shot, the Eagles suffered. This year, Ken Pomeroy has Eastern Michigan ranked at 124th in defensive efficiency, up from 218th last year.

One thing that needs to go right: The team is able to improve its shooting on the perimeter, led by McAdoo, who shot 38.6 percent from 3-point range in limited action last season.