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Great ender here. John Groce is such a blessing to this program. Every season we are never out of it. So endlessly grateful for how fun his teams are to watch.

I’ll continue to update this thread as new signings occur. AKRON 16 HS/JUCO Signees - NR National, 7th in MAC Top HS/JUCO Players to Know: 3 ⭐️ - QB Steele Wasel (OK) 3 ⭐️ - WR Paul Davis (GA) 3 ⭐️ - DE Kameron Cheatom (PA) 3 ⭐️ - S David Jester (FL) Portal Signees: 3 ⭐️ - RB Lorenzo Lingard = Florida 3 ⭐️ - DT Terray Jones = Tennessee State 2 ⭐️ - CB Joey Hunter = South Carolina NR - WR Dakota Thomas = Western Kentucky NR - DE Ahmad Rabah = American International NR - S Judson Tallandier = Pittsburgh NR - S Terence Thomas = Purdue NR - OT Ben Frank = Hobart College Key Departures: 3 ⭐️ - CB Charles Amankwaa = Rutgers NR - TE Tristian Brank = N/A N/A - WR Shocky Jacques-Louis = Grad N/A - IOL Anthony Whigan = Grad N/A - DE Victor Jones = Grad N/A - DE Zach Morton = Grad N/A - DT Curtis Harper = Grad N/A - LB Tim Terry = Grad BALL STATE 17 HS/JUCO Signees - NR National, 9th in MAC Top HS/JUCO Players to Know: 3 ⭐️ - RB TJ Horton (KY) 3 ⭐️ - WR RJ Mukes (OH) 2 ⭐️ - WR Isaiah Thacker (IN) 2 ⭐️ - CB Derek Fields Jr. (MO) Portal Signees: 2 ⭐️ - QB Layne Hatcher = Texas State 2 ⭐️ - CB Demond “DD” Snyder = Illinois 2 ⭐️ - CB Damion Charity = Old Dominion 2 ⭐️ - S Aljareek Malry = VMI NR - RB Charlie Spegal = Indiana NR - RB Marquez Cooper = Kent State NR - IOL Jon Mucciolo = Sacred Heart NR - OT Luke Wiginton = Indiana NR - DE Mikhari Sibblis = Lehigh NR - LS Tucker Dunn = Colgate Key Departures: 3 ⭐️ - RB Carson Steele = UCLA NR - QB John Paddock = N/A NR - DT Justen Ramsey = Indiana State N/A - WR Jayshon Jackson = Grad N/A - WR Yo’Heinz Tyler = Grad N/A - CB Amechi Uzodinma = Grad N/A - S Jaquan Amos = Grad N/A - S Malcolm Lee = Grad BOWLING GREEN 18 HS/JUCO Signees - NR National, 11th in MAC Top HS/JUCO Players to Know: 3 ⭐️ - WR Shawn Thigpen (OH) 3 ⭐️ - DE Alijah Williams (GA) 3 ⭐️ - S Tracy Revels (TX) NR - David Afogho (MA) Portal Signees: 3 ⭐️ - QB Connor Bazelak = Indiana 2 ⭐️ - QB Daelen Menard = Boston College 2 ⭐️ - IOL Armon Bethea = Arizona State NR - WR Dom Grguric = Valparaiso NR - WR Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim = Alabama A&M NR - LB Marquette Harris = Ventura College Key Departures: 3 ⭐️ - WR Tyrone Broden = Arkansas 3 ⭐️ - IOL Jalen Grant = Purdue 3 ⭐️ - LB JB Brown = Kansas 3 ⭐️ - S Jordan Anderson = UCLA NR - K Mason Lawler = N/A N/A - QB Matt McDonald = Grad N/A - WR CJ Lewis = Grad N/A - TE Christian Sims = Grad N/A - IOL Jakari Robinson = Grad N/A - DE Bryce Brand = Grad N/A - DT Walter Haire = Grad N/A - DT Karl Brooks = Grad N/A - LB DJ Taylor = Grad N/A - S Chris Bacon = Grad BUFFALO 24 HS/JUCO Signees - #84 National, 1st in MAC Top HS/JUCO Players to Know: 3 ⭐️ - RB Lamar Sperling (OH) 3 ⭐️ - WR Micah Woods (KA) (JUCO) 3 ⭐️ - DE Devonyal Lofton (MS) (JUCO) 3 ⭐️ - LB Dion Crawford (GA) Portal Signees: NR - WR Darrell Harding = Duke NR - TE Zion Carter = Dartmouth NR - IOL Nick Beans = Notre Dame College NR - LB Joe Andreessen = Bryant NR - CB D’Andre Greeley = Colorado State NR - S Demetrius Harris = Colgate Key Departures: NR - WR Jamari Gassett = Florida A&M NR - TE Trevor Borland = Western Kentucky NR - IOL Jack Hasz = UNLV NR - CB Keyshawn Cobb = West Virginia N/A - RB Ron Cook = Grad N/A - WR Justin Marshall = Grad N/A - WR Quian Williams = Grad N/A - TE Robbie Mangas = Grad N/A - TE Ray Embry = Grad N/A - IOL Gabe Wallace = Grad N/A - OT Desmond Bessent = Grad N/A - DE Damian Jackson = Grad N/A - DT Daymond Williams = Grad N/A - LB James Patterson = Grad N/A - S Jasmine Muse = Grad N/A - K Alex McNulty = Grad CENTRAL MICHIGAN 22 HS/JUCO Signees - #94 National, 2nd in MAC Top HS/JUCO Players to Know: 3 ⭐️ - QB Tyler Jefferson (FL) 3 ⭐️ - WR Javorian Wimberly (FL) 3 ⭐️ - S Mark-Allen Gay (FL) 2 ⭐️ - DE Keshawn Hayden (IL) Portal Signees: NR - WR Stephen Bracey = Wisconsin NR - P Jake Walrath = Tarleton State Key Departures: 2 ⭐️ - QB Daniel Richardson = FAU 2 ⭐️ - IOL Tyden Farris = Georgia State NR - P Luke Elzinga = Oklahoma N/A - WR Carlos Carriere = Grad N/A - IOL Jamezz Kimbrough = Grad N/A - DE Thomas Incoom = Grad N/A - DT John Wesley Whiteside = Grad N/A - DT Robi Stuart = Grad N/A - CB Ronald Kent = Grad EASTERN MICHIGAN 22 HS/JUCO Signees - NR National, 5th in MAC Top HS/JUCO Players to Know: 3 ⭐️ - WR Joe Walker (IN) 3 ⭐️ - WR Makhail Wood (GA) 3 ⭐️ - DE Messiah Blair (MI) 3 ⭐️ - CB Daiquan White (GA) Portal Signees: 3 ⭐️ - WR Javon Swinton = Indiana 3 ⭐️ - IOL Chris Mayo = West Virginia NR - WR Terry Lockett = Michigan State NR - OT Owen Snively = Colorado State NR - IOL Dan Sunderman = Central Missouri Key Departures: 3 ⭐️ - OT Marcellus Johnson = Missouri N/A - QB Taylor Powell = Grad N/A - WR Hassan Beydoun = Grad N/A - WR Dylan Drummond = Grad N/A - TE Gunnar Oakes = Grad N/A - IOL Richard Bates = Grad N/A - IOL Sidy Sow = Grad N/A - DE Grant Trueman = Grad N/A - DE Jose Ramirez = Grad N/A - DT Jordan Crawford = Grad N/A - S Russell Vaden = Grad KENT STATE 18 HS/JUCO Signees - NR National, 12th in MAC Top HS/JUCO Players to Know: 3 ⭐️ - WR Dash Dorsey (IL) 2 ⭐️ - RB Marques Hicks (NJ) 2 ⭐️ - DT Kaden Beatty (VA) NR - S Tevin Tucker (NC) Portal Signees: 3 ⭐️ - RB Ky Thomas = Kansas 3 ⭐️ - S Jalani Williams = Missouri 2 ⭐️ - WR Ali Fisher = Buffalo 2 ⭐️ - DE Tyler Baylor = Maryland 2 ⭐️ - DT Javier Duran = Tarleton State 2 ⭐️ - LB Nick Giacolone = New Mexico State 2 ⭐️ - S Dallas Craddieth = Iowa NR - QB Jaren Lewis = Kansas State NR - RB Jaylen Reed = Western Illinois NR - DE Mattheus Carroll = Virginia Tech NR - DE Marcus Winfield = Delaware State NR - LB Devin Nicholson = Missouri NR - CB Lem Watley-Neely = Indiana NR - CB Naim Muhammad = West Virginia Key Departures: 4 ⭐️ - WR Dante Cephas = Penn State 3 ⭐️ - WR Devontez Walker = North Carolina 3 ⭐️ - CB Montre Miller = West Virginia 2 ⭐️ - OT Marcellus Marshall = UCF 2 ⭐️ - S Jojo Evans = FIU NR - QB Collin Schlee = UCLA NR - RB Marquez Cooper = Kent State NR - WR Ja’Shaun Poke = West Virginia NR - OT Savion Washington = Colorado N/A - WR Raymond James = Grad N/A - TE Kris Leach = Grad N/A - IOL Sam Allen = Grad N/A - IOL Elijah Ratliff = Grad N/A - DE Kesean Gamble = Grad N/A - DE Antoine Cook = Grad N/A - DE Zayin West = Grad N/A - DE Saivon Taylor-Davis = Grad N/A - LB Juan Wallace = Grad N/A - LB Marvin Pierre = Grad N/A - S Nico Bolden = Grad N/A - S Antoine Richardson = Grad MIAMI (OH) 16 HS/JUCO Signees - NR National, 4th in MAC Top HS/JUCO Players to Know: 3 ⭐️ - WR Ryan Sims (IL) 3 ⭐️ - DE Ethan McDowell (GA) 3 ⭐️ - CB Daisjuan Mercer (KY) 3 ⭐️ - S Mychal Yharbrough (MI) Portal Signees: 4 ⭐️ - OT John Young = Kentucky 2 ⭐️ - QB Maddox Kopp = Colorado 2 ⭐️ - RB Rashad Amos = South Carolina 2 ⭐️ - WR Joe Wilkins = Notre Dame NR - WR Gage Larvadain = Hammond Key Departures: 3 ⭐️ - IOL Caleb Shaffer = Oklahoma 3 ⭐️ - CB John Saunders Jr. = Ole Miss NR - RB Tyre Shelton = Louisiana Tech NR - IOL Rusty Feth = Iowa N/A - WR Jalen Walker = Grad N/A - WR MAC Hippenhammer = Grad N/A - TE Matt Bjorson = Grad N/A - IOL John Brekke = Grad N/A - LB Ryan McWood = Grad OHIO 17 HS/JUCO Signees - NR National, 10th in MAC Top HS/JUCO Players to Know: 3 ⭐️ - RB Rickey Hunt (OK) 3 ⭐️ - WR Chase Hendricks (MO) 3 ⭐️ - DE Kobi Gorman (OH) 2 ⭐️ - LB Andrew Marshall (OH) Portal Signees: 3 ⭐️ - CB Walter Reynolds = Holy Cross NR - OT Ches Jackson = Colorado State Key Departures: 2 ⭐️ - DT Denzel Daxon = Illinois 2 ⭐️ - K Nathaniel Vakos = Wisconsin NR - DT Kylen McCracken = Marshall NR - LB Cannon Blauser = South Dakota NR - LB Kyle Kelly = N/A N/A - WR James Bostic = Grad N/A - IOL Hagen Meservy = Grad N/A - IOL Bryce Ramer = Grad N/A - DE Jack McCrory = Grad N/A - DT Kai Caesar = Grad N/A - DT Bryce Dugan = Grad N/A - CB Zack Sanders = Grad N/A - S Tariq Drake = Grad NORTHERN ILLINOIS 30 HS/JUCO Signees - #NR National, 5th in MAC Top HS/JUCO Players to Know: 3 ⭐️ - OT Michael Jimmar (IL) 3 ⭐️ - OT Thomas Paasch (WI) 2 ⭐️ - LB Chase Hutchinson (IA) 2 ⭐️ - ATH Kyle Thomas (IL) Portal Signees: NR - RB Gavin Williams = Iowa NR - WR Davis Patterson = Notre Dame College NR - LB Tyler Jackson = Incarnate Word NR - CB Gabriel Amegatcher = Nebraska-Kearney NR - CB Shaad Dabney = Kansas Key Departures: 3 ⭐️ - OT Marques Cox = Kentucky 3 ⭐️ - CB Eric Rogers = Rutgers 2 ⭐️ - RB Harrison Waylee = Wyoming NR - CB Jordan Gandy = N/A N/A - WR Cole Tucker = Grad N/A - TE Liam Soraghan = Grad N/A - DE Izayah Green-May = Grad N/A - DE Michael Kennedy = Grad N/A - LB Kyle Pugh = Grad TOLEDO 18 HS/JUCO Signees - #100 National, 4th in MAC Top HS/JUCO Players to Know: 3 ⭐️ - WR Julian Allen (FL) 3 ⭐️ - DT Wayne Peart (FL) 2 ⭐️ - OT Mason Ludwig (OH) 2 ⭐️ - CB Micah Cherry (MS) (JUCO) Portal Signees: 3 ⭐️ - WR Shawn Munnerlyn = Rutgers 3 ⭐️ - OT Rod Orr = Florida State 3 ⭐️ - DE Travion Ford = Missouri 2 ⭐️ - OT David Nwaogwugwu = Rutgers Key Departures: NR - WR DeMeer Blankumsee = Memphis NR - OT Lavel Dumont = N/A N/A - TE Jamal Turner = Grad N/A - OT Mitchell Berg = Grad N/A - OT Kelvin Ateman = Grad N/A - DE Jamal Hines = Grad N/A - DE Nate Givhan = Grad N/A - DT Desjuan Johnson = Grad N/A - LB Dyontae Johnson = Grad WESTERN MICHIGAN 19 HS/JUCO Signees - NR National, 8th in MAC Top HS/JUCO Players to Know: 3 ⭐️ - WR Logan Lester (IL) 3 ⭐️ - TE Brennan Wooten (IN) 3 ⭐️ - DT Sid Kaba (OH) NR - RB Tre Hartwell (TN) Portal Signees: 3 ⭐️ - OT Chad Schuster = Syracuse 2 ⭐️ - CB Bilhal Kone = Indiana State 2 ⭐️ - S Tate Hallock = Michigan State Key Departures: 3 ⭐️ - RB Sean Tyler = Minnesota 3 ⭐️ - WR Corey Crooms = Minnesota 3 ⭐️ - DE Marshawn Kneeland = Colorado 3 ⭐️ - DE Andre Carter = Indiana 3 ⭐️ - DT Braden Fiske = Florida State 3 ⭐️ - LB Ryan Selig = Minnesota N/A - OT Dylan Deatherage = Grad N/A - DT Warren Dabney = Grad N/A - LB Corvin Moment = Grad N/A - LB Zaire Barnes = Grad N/A - CB Dorian Jackson = Grad N/A - S Bricen Garner = Grad N/A - S Delano Ware = Grad

You guys need to learn to just enjoy the moment. Whether Rique stays or goes is a subject for after the season. I'll tell you this, he loves playing so close to home.

A "balanced attack" is what we've all been hoping for. It was very top-two heavy for the first half of the season. We'll see how the MAC opponents adjust now that the word is out that Hunter is starting to consistently bury the open 3. Seems like Hankerson might have found his comfort zone as the wing that can drain lot of open looks when opponents double down on Freeman. Tavari still seems to be playing at 78 rpm. Still pressing, and lacking confidence. Hoping it "clicks" for him sometime soon. His development timetable, and getting some serviceable play from someone in the post aside from Freeman, are the two keys to this group reaching their max potential. Great road win last night. Fun to watch the team develop, as it always is with Groce's teams.

My thoughts- Heath should be fired tonight. He should find his own way back to Ypsalanti. The effort his team put forth tonight was criminal. The preparation his staff put forth tonight was criminal. I can’t recall in my 38 years as a Zips fan, even the worst Coleman Crawford coached team quit trying. So early. Bates is worthless. He’s the poster child for the Stars Don’t Matter movement. His effort was embarrassing. His shot selection was abhorrent. His accolades are farcical. Give me Farrakhan any day of the week. I’d dance a jig if he was our next MAC transfer to follow Walton and Hankerson. EMU’s other 12 players…I hope they have great grades because they have no hope of a basketball career. Concord put up a better fight. California Baptist women’s team would put up a better fight against the UConn women. If there was one EMU basketball fan left, they have to have quit on their alma mater tonight. Great effort by the Zips tonight. Teams of lesser caliber would have got caught up in EMU’s selfish play and started getting “their” numbers when then lead got appreciable. Instead, the Zips played as a team and poured it on until the final buzzer. They didn’t play down to the level of the opponent.

Tweets can once again be embedded. 🦘💪

As an update on the tweet embedding issue - we continue to work on it. It seems like a server issue, but we are working with Invision as well. We will give everyone a free February as compensation for the disturbance. After that, rates will return to normal.

Tavari is going to mold into a great player, but man you can tell the D1 game is still a little too fast for him. He seems to make 2-3 mistakes per game that make you wonder what was he even thinking. There really is no solution for it other than playing through it and learning as he goes.

It looks like X is an active participant in practice. Good sign

Nothing that I can see in the ABJ discussing tonight's game, but I do know now that the Tallmadge girls are rolling and OSU's coach was ejected for the second time. And theh ABJ has audacity to post "6 reasons why you should subscribe."

How many guys have even left? A DL coach and a recruiting coordinator? I feel like this is probably not more turnover than the average program

Some of my favorite memories of UA basketball were simply driving home and listening to him on the post game with Frenchy and Joe Dunn, preferably after wins of course. I could listen to an archive of those all day long. They had some real chemistry.

There was a stretch in the 2nd half last night where the Zips would normally pull alway from teams. The inside-out game was working to perfection, creating all kinds of open looks. Hank and Kobe were hitting, as was X. The bigger issue was at the defensive end. They did not execute and Miami was able to match them basket for basket in the 2nd half in crunch time. That’s far more glaring an issue than the shooters having an off night, as they’ve had many recently. Last night was the first time X began to really remind me of LCJ. Any small window he had to fire up an open shot, he did. And he made them. He willed us to that win. He’s a special player, a fierce competitor.

The road warrior Zips are back at it this week with a pair in Michigan. Any MAC win is a big win, and not many will be easy. I wouldn't expect these two to be easy at all. After two weeks, I would rank the MAC as follows: 1. Kent (4-0)--Not much to be said. They've shown a lot more vulnerability in MAC play than I was expecting, but they get the job done when it counts. 2. Ball State (3-1)--Their first MAC loss comes on the road against OU. Always admirable. They then crushed Miami at home to maintain their perfect home record. They are for real, I don't know exactly how real, but they will no longer be a doormat. 3. Akron (3-1)--If if if if. We can all agree that this team should be 4-0, but that doesn't matter. The difference that X makes is enormous. I don't consider that an indictment on the rest of the team, either. Ball State is a top MAC team and the short-handed Zips had a good chance at them in the dying minutes, even without making a single shot the final quarter of the game. Plug in #13, and the team looked entirely different just a few days later, against another tough opponent. Keep it rolling. 4. Toledo (2-2)--After a couple years of dominating the regular season, the Rockets are beginning to look human. They went 17-3 in MAC play last year, and are 0-3 against Kent since last year. They lost to Ball State at home last week. Things don't get much easier as they host OU and go to Buffalo this week. 5. WMU (2-2)--They opened MAC play with a valiant effort at Kent, followed by a blowout at Toledo. This week, there's much more confidence after wins against EMU and BG. They were down big early to BG but wound up putting 69 points on the board in the 2nd half. This is a dangerous team, and the Zips will have their hands full on Saturday. 6. CMU (2-2)--Their two losses came on the road to the worst teams in the league, but they were short-handed so I will give them the benefit of the doubt. They willed their way to the win over Buffalo on Saturday. They've got some talented guards, and will present a tough matchup for Akron tomorrow. Tony Barbee is a solid coach. 7. Buffalo (2-2)--After opening league play with a pair of home wins, the Bulls go on the road and drop both this week, to Miami and CMU. That's an awfully tough week on the schedule. The Bulls are pretty athletic and have some skill, but they lack a big bruiser big/rebounder. They are still winless on the road this season amid a rebuild. 8. Ohio (1-3)--Tough decision here between them and BG, but I simply trust OU more. They've lost 3 MAC games by fewer than 10 points, and are Ball State's only MAC loss. This team is no slouch, and could very easily claw back into the top 4. Their achilles heel, like many other MAC teams, is going on the road. Just 2-6 this year. They also showed some great will against Kent, taking big punches and still keeping themselves alive. 9. BGSU (2-2)--The beauty of power rankings is that the records don't necessarily matter. Week 2 looked like a regression to the mean for BG. They were arguably the better team on Tuesday for about 30 minutes, but Akron locked in when necessary and stole one in the Stroh. Then the Falcons put up an abysmal effort at WMU (still scored 92 though). BG fans really beginning to question Huger once again, rightfully so. 10. Miami (1-3)--They're still pretty bad, but have put up a few good fights in MAC play. They beat Buffalo fairly handily this week, before becoming Ball State's next victim. As mentioned last week, they had Kent on the ropes pretty late. They will beat some teams, but have a huge uphill battle ahead to make the top 8. 11. NIU (1-3)--Just one week ago, I would have bet that NIU would never escape the bottom spot of my definitive rankings, but here we are. They did their job and beat a short-handed CMU team before getting smacked by Toledo. They're on the road to Miami and EMU this week. 12. EMU (1-3)--I wish there were 40 teams in the MAC so I could put them at 40. They are a disgrace to the game of basketball. The Bates situation has completely ruined this once promising team from a year ago. They don't play hard, they're selfish, they lack skill just about everywhere. Just atrocious. Kent could name the score against them tomorrow. As I say this, I will be incredibly worried they will beat Akron when the Zips play the return game.

Evan Wilson has doubled Emoni's point total for the night. If Evan Wilson gets into a game against a MAC opponent, that team should be immediately relegated to the Horizon League.

Does make you wonder how much of a difference X would have made at Ball St.

Not any different than any other coaches contract. Even though he was not making the same $$ he made at OSU, the $95k we were paying him made the 4th highest paid coach in the MAC. Guthrie has put a lot of effort into the baseball program. We are now back to the full scholarship level and the silly rule about only recruiting from Ohio has been dropped. Beals knew exactly what he was signing up for when he put his name on that contract. He and the Marshall AD are just scumbags. At the end of the day UA is financially better off than when he got here after he pays the buyout.

This is so absolutely laughable!!! How embarrassing that this poor soul believes this crap. No mention of the innocent little incident by the Kent TEAM rushing our student section after the JAR gam last year, knocking over "seasoned" citizens sitting in the expensive seats? Yeah, I can see Dr. Miller or AD Guthrie grabbing the mic and talking to the fans....really!!?? What a complete absolute loser Mr. anti-zip is. And did anti-zip sit in the stands at last night's women's game and here the ugliness coming from their fans, almost all of which were adults, not students, by the way? Maybe Mr. anti-zip was one of them?

This is definitely a tough matchup, I would not expect the Zips to come out and shoot their way to an easy win. Every shot will be contested. Every passing lane challenged. They will need to match the intensity that Kent brings. Now that the incompetent Pinky has a babysitter in Christian to help him wipe his own a** when things get tough, it will be that much more challenging for Akron to come out on top. The biggest concern here is the emergence of Payton. He's a high-flyer and is the extra burst of energy that team needed as they began to play some of their worst basketball of the season. Freeman will have his hands full with him. If he can't stay in front to keep him from exploding to the basket, he will be in foul trouble quickly and the Zips will be screwed. At the other end of the floor, Freeman could get him into foul trouble if he's patient and smart. He leaves his feet like it's his day job, and he racks up blocked shots on guys who aren't playing smart. The Zips must also avoid Thomas and Santiago getting hot. At the JAR last year, Santiago's shooting kept Kent ahead the entire way whenever Akron got the game close. He's a stud. Thomas has a bit of that Whitford attitude in him, so if you keep him from getting going early, he will fold like a Card. And as for the star of Dancing with the MAC Stars--Sincere Carry. He was having a dreadful shooting year before Akron played them over at the tool shed center in Brimfield last year. The Zips sagged off on the perimeter, and he got hot...all the way up to March 12, 2022. Anybody know what happened that day? Anyway, his shooting numbers are down, but he's become one of the best ball distributors in the game. As dangerous as ever. Shot-making, as in the name of the game, will also be critical. Last year at the JAR, we relied on Trimble to try to shoot us back into the game way too much. This team has done a stellar job of taking what the defense gives them. What happens when you go up against a defense that doesn't give much? Great question. If Sammy bricks his first two, I may not be able to take the pain and agony of what we have to watch from there. Let's hope I'm wrong. Also, if history serves correctly, the moment will be awfully big for Tavari. He really struggles with great on-ball perimeter defense. It must be a point of emphasis to not turn the damn ball over. The biggest key is what @NWAkron has been saying for weeks. Focus. We saw how excellent the Zips were shooting the ball on Tuesday, but as soon as they strung together a few small mistakes on each end, a 12-point lead quickly felt like a 6-point lead. This isn't Buffalo coming into the JAR. These guys are going to do all they can to pop the Zips in the mouth. The room for error is nearly nonexistent. I've grown to trust the Zips more over the last 3 weeks or so. I'm not sure if I trust them enough to think they will win this game. Should be a fun one, remember to enjoy!

Trailers don't have basements.

Yes, PWO on the kickers. They are both on campus right now attending school and training.

X & Freeman will go down as one of the best 1-2 punches in Akron basketball history.

I'm sorry i've been off of here but Jester is a nice pick up him and Zayden knows each other and played 7 on 7 this pass season this pass year

Bobcat meltdowns are the best. Definitely entertaining. There is an element of truth in what is said though. Our budget is driven by enrollment which has fallen as noted by near 50%. We have used this as an opportunity to get rid of underperforming faculty, which is a plus. So we took lemons and made lemonade. I don't mind the criticism about adjunct faculty. We do have too many. That shouldn't take away from the strong academics we have in the majority of our programs. Our focus has always been to offer quality education to students who can't afford to go away to school. At the same time we offer a residential college experience for those who want it. I'm proud of our students, graduates and fanatics. If OU is so superior they are failing miserably when we compete. Denigrate us all you want, maybe that makes OU fans feel better. I like the rivalry.

Triston McKenzie in the house tonight at the court side club

And with no fanfare it seems Nyeem Wartman is officially the DL coach.

I liked how Miami mixed up defending Enrique last night. Sometimes they ran the double immediately at him and sometimes they didn't. By mixing it up, they made it a little tougher for the Zips. After 20 games, I still can't see much of a reason for any opponent to not focus their defensive efforts on X and Enrique. No one else has stepped up enough that I would do anything other than send double teams at Enrique and put my best perimeter defender on X, deny him the ball and trap him whenever possible.

DeKalb is the Bermuda Triangle of MAC basketball.

KSUCKS LOSES BY 10 AT NIU! fInAl FoUr TeAm

A paintball incident just sounds like a young kid doing dumb stuff. I wouldn't read too much into it. If he had an illegal fire arm, drug charge, or something of that nature I'd be concerned.

After failing to get it going in the air, Caldwell called upon 6′4″ 290 lb. guard and defensive tackle Delvin Morris, who took the snap in the wildcat and carried three defenders with him into the endzone. The Hornets went back to Morris on the two point conversion, and again it was successful as the Hornets cut the lead to six. The Fridge

Nope. KSUcks men's basketball has developed a long and illustrious tradition of dickheadery. At KSUcks that tradition apparently never graduates, it just reloads. Could anyone imagine high-character guys like Enrique, Sammy, Tribble, or Hankerson... just to mention a few... on the KSU team?! They'd be absolutely miserable. Thank God for Groce. Something about his character attracts a distinctly different caliber of person than whatever is wrong with the dysfunctional (I won't say degenerate) culture over at PCCC.

LCJ had a child to take care of.

Lalalalalalalalalala....I'm not listening, I'm not listening (hands over ears).

Saving a more detailed overview for some timethis summer, I'd say that 4-8 would be a pretty disappointing season. We were essentially 3.9-7.1 in 2022...improbable blunders at game's end cost us wins vs. Buffalo and CMU. 2023 is essentially Joe's team. 80% of the Arth players are gone. We should be at least a 6-win team this season.

I'd hope the Zips wouldn't take anyone for granted, particularly on the road. We were a few bounces away from losing to an equally as bad BGSU. In the MAC anyone can beat anyone on a given night.

Back in 2016 (I believe...maybe it was '17) I was watching the NHL finals. At a game in Pittsburgh the camera was following a Penguins player up the ice and you could plainly see an older guy with a short, white beard wearing an "A" Roo baseball cap. I rewound and paused it, and took a picture of the screen shot, but I can't find that picture for the life of me! 🤬 Who would wear a Zips hat to the NHL finals (aside from most people on this board)? And, it was someone that could pay for 1st row seats? Guthrie needs to find that guy and have him build us a basketball arena.

Word from some players is Nyeem Wartman-White is the new Defensive line coach. He was at New Hampshire the last two years and he was at Mississippi State as a grad. assistant under Coach Joe Moorhead. The team seems to be excited with the Butkus finalist when he was Penn State.

It's nice to see some depth scoring emerging

Podcast with Coach Embick https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-soccer-dad-pod/id1650809235?i=1000594513929 Some 2023 Out of Conference opponents mentioned… Notre Dame FIU Vermont Michigan Jared ...'all my starters are back.' in reference to the upcoming 2023 season.

Groce was ALL ABOUT Tribble on the post-game show. Clearly, the coach's favorite. Tribble and Hankerson. From ABJ: Tribble reaching double figures was of particular note considering his defensive responsibilities. At different points this season, he's learned and then played every position except center, and he's often been tasked with guarding the opponent's best scorer. "The dude is just a stud in terms of intelligence," Groce said. "If you needed him to play center he could do it, probably. … He's just so versatile both defensively and offensively, and is willing to sacrifice for the team. I have great appreciation for Greg."

Was in the student section. Bate’s brother came to the section to started a scene because of the “Jail” chants coming from the from of the crowd. His brother flipped a pizza and was escorted back to his seat. Got very heated for a bit there until the employees told the students to stop that chant. Electric night but almost got scary

we played Prep in baseball once (gd it gets cold and windy up there in April) and one of your players squared to bunt and fouled it off his face and broke his nose unrelated but that's always the first thing I think of when I think of Erie Prep

As an Ohio fan, I can tell you our team has been wildly inconsistent. We are prone to scoring droughts, like the one last night that landed us in a 14 point 1st half hole to Ball St. One game we're blown out by Detroit then take Michigan to OT in the Crisler Center (a game we should have won) the next time out. Players transferred out that are key contributors to ACC and SEC teams and guys that transferred in have been inconsistent or just straight bad. As people say on our board, we can beat anybody in the MAC and we can lose to anybody in the MAC. Friday night will be a good measuring stick with Kent coming in.

Our Cheese/Banks/LCJ back court is the gold standard. Casteneda can be mentioned in the same conversation as those above. I hoped Hankerson could be too...but he still doesn't seem comfortable or assertive enough. The season's half over, so it's probably not going to happen. TJ needs some swagger. Once he gets confidence he'll be fine. Hope it happens this season. Who's our 2023 Xerius Williams? Offensively, Hunter is closer to Maishe than Xerius. And he's a poor defender. I don't think anyone else is in the conversation? I still hold faith that Groce will have the Zips playing their best basketball at year's end. Under his watch, they always do. Eventually some cream will rise to the top and we'll be as big a threat as anyone to cut down the nets in CLE.

How poorly written was Greg Beals contract that this could happen?

David Jester (FL) is coming in for an official visit this weekend. Rivals has him rated as a 3 star WR, but he played S his senior year. He’d be a great pickup on either side of the ball. Hudl film linked.

Beals isn't listed on Marshall's website. He hasn't even been approved yet by the BOG. There is a special meeting 1/5/23 at 9AM though, most likely to address this and probably approve a contract. I hate this is happening to Akron. If you've ever seen my posts I post 99% of the soccer portion of the board and should know Ive always rooted for the Zips in soccer except for when playing the Herd. I do hope all of those who have committed to Akron stays a commit. Ive always hated seeing someone follow a coach somewhere when a coach moves even though most kids commit to the coach and not the school. You should be in good hands with Coach Donnelly he was at Marshall as an asst for 10 years from 2006 TO 2016 and recruited a lot of Marshall's best players in that time.

The resilient old man moves the Dukes to 13-4, taking down a 10-4 VCU team 79-70 tonight in Pittsburgh.