[George Thomas]

http://www.ohio.com/blogs/ua-zips/universi...canton-1.297254

[Dave in Green]

On his goals: “We want to win games in the NCAA Tournament. We want to be the first mid-major to win a national championship.”

Didn't someone recently post on here that KD didn't set high enough goals for the team?

[George Thomas]

On his goals: “We want to win games in the NCAA Tournament. We want to be the first mid-major to win a national championship.”

Didn't someone recently post on here that KD didn't set high enough goals for the team?

Yes, they did. No one at UA is tipping their hand on anything related to sports beyond the here and now. But personally, I think there are those in the know and who have power who are looking beyond the MAC. I think they are desperate to have football succeed so they can justify a move to a more prestigious conference. That, for the record, is my opinion.

[Zipmeister]

Yes, they did. No one at UA is tipping their hand on anything related to sports beyond the here and now. But personally, I think there are those in the know and who have power who are looking beyond the MAC. I think they are desperate to have football succeed so they can justify a move to a more prestigious conference. That, for the record, is my opinion.

PAC 12 (or whatever) here we come.

[ZachTheZip]

FS Ohio's Zac Jackson has been tweeting his conversation with Dambrot. Provides a little more context for some of the things. Also, I's pretty sure he's Josh Egner's uncle or something.

[Dave in Green]

Zac Jackson and Todd Porter co-wrote the book, “We Believed ... Lessons Learned from Jackson’s Improbable Run to State Basketball Championship.” So Zac has a special interest in Josh Egner and Zips basketball right now.

The comment about Rico becoming the best guard UA has ever had is one that I had heard from another source close to the team. He's got two seasons left to get it done, and next season is Zeke's final one. A lot of things have to come together to make it happen.

If all the Zips players dedicate themselves to giving everything they have, next season could be pretty special.

[UAZip0510]

Player A (Sophomore): 30 MPG, 10 PPG on 6 FG attempts per game, .457 FG%, .430 3PT%, .818 FT%, 3 RPG, 5 APG, 2 SPG, 2.5 TOPG

Player B (Junior): 32 MPG, 15 PPG on 13 FG attempts per game, .348 FG%, .307 3PT%, .745 FT%, 4 RPG, 6 APG, 2 SPG, 2.8 TOPG


1) Who would you rather have?

2) How close do you feel the two players are in value?

[72 Roo]

Yes, they did. No one at UA is tipping their hand on anything related to sports beyond the here and now. But personally, I think there are those in the know and who have power who are looking beyond the MAC. I think they are desperate to have football succeed so they can justify a move to a more prestigious conference. That, for the record, is my opinion.

George, you are right on the mark from what I've learned. I talked to a head coach who said that two years ago TW talked to the coaches in a meeting about positioning the entire athletic program to move to a higher level. Conference USA was specifically discussed as a benchmark for the budgeting each team must have to be successful at a higher level. Slowly TW has been building each team's budget to allow them to survive the leap when it is appropriate. Having a winning football team that generates revenue is the key. The university wants to position itself to have winning programs across the board that give it options for growth outside the MAC. C-USA may not be our destination but it serves as a good measuring stick in building budgets. If our aspirations lie beyond CUSA we will have to generate even more money.

[zippy5]

Player A (Sophomore): 30 MPG, 10 PPG on 6 FG attempts per game, .457 FG%, .430 3PT%, .818 FT%, 3 RPG, 5 APG, 2 SPG, 2.5 TOPG

Player B (Junior): 32 MPG, 15 PPG on 13 FG attempts per game, .348 FG%, .307 3PT%, .745 FT%, 4 RPG, 6 APG, 2 SPG, 2.8 TOPG
1) Who would you rather have?

2) How close do you feel the two players are in value?

Yes, abreu and cooper are the pretty similar, when you take into account DJ's extra year. Abreu was a great find. Remember when he was just that guy we recruited when humpty left?

[trimmy10]

On his goals: “We want to win games in the NCAA Tournament. We want to be the first mid-major to win a national championship.”

Didn't someone recently post on here that KD didn't set high enough goals for the team?

I think you are calling me out on this one, DiG, so here I am. I certainly did say those things in the context of setting a goal of being eligible for an NCAA at-large, which means playing to win every OOC game and not using it as a presaeson or expecting / intending to only qualify for the NCAA's by winning the MACC. In the past, this was KD's approach, and I will stand by my assertion but not incessantly argue (yet again) with those who disagree.

To my knowledge, this is the first public buffet-style comment KD has offered for Joe Akron and (Joe NEOH ™). Neither care about Zips Basketball until we start acting like and then playing like an OSWho caliber program. That reality sucks for us die hards. Nonetheless, now that we are talking like BAD A$$ES, let's come out of the gate in the fall playing like it too. Otherwise, we are total chumps and known more as the guy on the playground who runs his mouth rather than a feared opponent.

Kudos to KD for advancing his philosophy commensurate with the direction of the program and potential talent of this team. However, I would have left out the talk about an NCAA Championship until we at least win a few NCAA Tournament games. Get our program to have success like Butler and VCU (both recently by far better than Gonzaga), then the National Championship talk becomes relevant. Is it remotely realistic to go from never having won an NCAA Tournament game in program history to getting to the Final Four (let alone winning a National Championship)?

Instead, I would have preferred KD to have made a statement about being in the conversation for or being granted an NCAA at-large or earning the MAC's best tournament seed in modern history. These are realistic goals.

Win ONE NCAA game next year, and I will be happy. Win TWO, and I will be ecstatic. These are also realistic goals. Anything more than that will garner the interest and support of Joe Akron and Joe NEOH; anything less will likely be just another 20+ win season...and what great shape the program is in if this is a point of complaint. The standards are high. Seriously, way to go, KD, keep it up!

[Hilltopper]

I think you are calling me out on this one, DiG, so here I am. I certainly did say those things in the context of setting a goal of being eligible for an NCAA at-large, which means playing to win every OOC game and not using it as a presaeson or expecting / intending to only qualify for the NCAA's by winning the MACC. In the past, this was KD's approach, and I will stand by my assertion but not incessantly argue (yet again) with those who disagree.

I can agree with everything you are saying except this part. Do you really believe that we don't play to win those out of conference games ? Are we just looking at them as some kind of practice scrimmage?

[Big Zip]

@Hilltopper KD has repeatedly said the Bracket Buster games don't matter if they win because they have to win the conference.

Also, on the radio interview KD did and Trimmy is talking about he was not talking like this interview at all relative to winning NCAA tournament games -- he was talking about the unrealistic expectations of the fans.

Sounds like someone got to him. I'd really like for GT or another writer to listen to the interview he did with Kiley and Booms on 92.3 the fan (it was archived on their website) and ask him why all of a sudden the change from him.

[Zipmeister]

George, you are right on the mark from what I've learned. I talked to a head coach who said that two years ago TW talked to the coaches in a meeting about positioning the entire athletic program to move to a higher level. Conference USA was specifically discussed as a benchmark for the budgeting each team must have to be successful at a higher level. Slowly TW has been building each team's budget to allow them to survive the leap when it is appropriate. Having a winning football team that generates revenue is the key. The university wants to position itself to have winning programs across the board that give it options for growth outside the MAC. C-USA may not be our destination but it serves as a good measuring stick in building budgets. If our aspirations lie beyond CUSA we will have to generate even more money.

Good news; our football team is already generating revenue. Unfortunately, like almost all other college football teams the team's expenses are much larger than the revenue generated.

[Blue & Gold]

Yes, abreu and cooper are the pretty similar, when you take into account DJ's extra year. Abreu was a great find. Remember when he was just that guy we recruited when humpty left?

That does seem like a distant memory. I remember loving Humpty, but hoping we could bring in a taller PG to replace him, then being very disappointed when I learned we were bringing in another 5'9" PG in AA.

[Blue & Gold]

Good news; our football team is already generating revenue. Unfortunately, like almost all other college football teams the team's expenses are much larger than the revenue generated.

This is true. IIRC, I read once that only two NCAA D-1 schools actually turned a profit off football: Texas & Columbus. Every other team in the nation operated at a deficit. I don't know if that's entirely accurate, but schools, as a rule, don't operate in the black. I would suppose that schools basically consider athletics part of their advertising budget - and that would hold true for D-1 through NAIA; I don't think any schools operate in the black.