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Showing content with the highest reputation on 03/19/2019 in all areas

  1. I'm optimistic that with a full year under their belts and another full off-season to improve their craft, our offensive base will be much more solid. Throughout the season we saw growth tremendous growth from numerous players - Riak & Cheese were the two most notable - and I trust the individuals on the team will put the work in to improve for the betterment of the team as a whole. It needs to be noted the system Groce has implemented on offense and defense. They are very fundamental. They require personnel that will dedicate themselves to the fundamentals, something AAU has largely killed off. We have lots of movement now when executed properly, and that goes for both sides of the ball. Two factors have led to the exodus - players not buying into the system, and players simply not fitting in. It happens, and it has been magnified by the state of the program when Groce took over. All season I had next year and the year after next circled because those are the seasons that start to feature the core of Groce Ball with the majority being his personnel. Whatever we accomplished these first two seasons would be whatever, and I was simply hoping to see the basics implemented. I've seen that and way, way more. With the departure of Utomi, it accelerates the roster turnover to becoming mostly Groce guys. As I mentioned, a lot of the fundamentals in basketball have been killed off by AAU ball. It was very encouraging to see so many guys this year buy into those fundamentals again, especially on defense. Seeing that gives me a lot of hope this off-season will yield big improvements all the way around. Also, are we forgetting the MAC is about to potentially enter the stage it was at when Dambrot took over? It depends on what Buffalo does; otherwise, it's completely up for grabs. Fret not. Go Zips!
    4 points
  2. Pay to play tourneys for both genders. One step closer to gender equality.
    3 points
  3. We're lucky to have CK and Dr. Z! Appreciate all the info.
    3 points
  4. No reason anyone shouldn't be able to state their position, I just get fed up with griping without solutions. It has been a while, but I recall that UA was among the larger basketball budgets in the MAC. Unfortunately, the citizens bailed on a new arena. It was going to be in an issue to go to the voters and every poll showed it was going down. With each year, I wonder more if the Georgetown model isn't one to consider. Pick your sport and devote your money to it while you let the others exist but on a lesser level. It has recently blown up on Georgetown as the basketball program has slipped and I am not sure a public university is the right place for it, but it is an interesting approach.
    3 points
  5. He only fouled out twice the entire season. That's not bad for a starting C. He picked up some dumb fouls over the course of the season, who doesn't, but I never viewed that as a weakness in his game like I viewed it in Kostelac and E-Man. His weakness has been that his hands have been bricks this year. Even when he does catch it in the low post the ball has been either stripped or he misses a bunny or dunk. I actually like Riak for his defensive presence, but there is no mistaking he needs to work on catching a pass in traffic and finish at the rim.
    2 points
  6. no need to block out when you can jump over everyone
    2 points
  7. Looking forward to getting a warrior in the paint.
    2 points
  8. You might want to look at how many players have transferred out of Duquesne since KD got there. Nature of the beast in a transition period. KD left on his own, was the highest paid coach in the MAC, and might as well have had a lifetime contract. Enough with acting like it was Williams' fault.
    2 points
  9. Here are some photos from this morning.
    1 point
  10. In my opinion, it's the luckiest thing to happen to UCLA men's soccer in years! Jorge was able to bring in great recruits, but unable to win at near the level of his predecessors (though no one could compete with Sigi's record). Look for Nick Varlin-Voigt, the man who recruited for Salcedo for many years to return to Westwood from the University of Portland, where he's been the head coach the past two years.
    1 point
  11. 1 point
  12. By virtue of playing 23 minutes and not fouling out in that Buffalo debacle, he gets that distinction!
    1 point
  13. He did do a nice job of not fouling. Until his senior year, even Zeke was in foul trouble more often than not.
    1 point
  14. When the SVSM/Hoban and state playoff games are your bigger draws in your football stadium, you have a problem.
    1 point
  15. Maybe he can teach the rest of the team how to box out next year.
    1 point
  16. I believe he's trying to say we should have spent money on a new basketball arena instead of a football stadium. So much tax money gets poured into subsidizing the cost of the Knight Center each year. Adding a second convocation center just so Akron could have a shiny new arena would have been a further drain on taxpayers. If we can't muster the fan support to make it profitable for the university to build, which seems to be the case, we should continue to play at the JAR. We should have learned our lesson from the 75% empty football stadium that a build it and they will come philosophy doesn't work.
    1 point
  17. Some very good points Let'sGo, but I did not see notable improvement in Riak. I have no complaints about Riak. He is what he is- a defensively focused, offensively challenged big man who plays hard and leads the defense. However, he was the same guy against Cedarville that he was against Buffalo and the stats show that straight line consistency throughout the season rather than substantial growth.
    1 point
  18. Losing our #1 scorer off a team that finished last in the MAC in offense certainly is going to hurt. Groce is going to need to turn water into wine to make us contenders next year. I don't know how he can do it, but for our sakes I hope he does it. He still has 4 years at 650k per year left on his deal. Like it or not we're pretty much stuck with him for the next 3 seasons as I can't see Akron buying out more than 1 year.
    1 point
  19. Agreed. Also, let me add that Groce will have 2 full classes coming in back to back starting with the Fall signing period (Likely all high school recruits). And he has had more time to recruit these guys and build relationships with them. Consider the normal process takes around 3 years. It doesn't mean every player will work out. But it does mean that Groce has been able to size them up for longer in terms of their skill and temperament. And that usually leads to a much higher retention rate.
    1 point
  20. You're just afraid of Otterbein and Muskingum.
    1 point
  21. If for no other reason than to keep fan interest. This isn't Kentucky where there's turnover every year. Fans need to connect with players over time and that connection is built over seasons. I went up to JImond's dad on senior night congratulated him and told him how much the Zips fans had enjoyed watching his son grow up at UA. You don't get that connection with one and two year players.
    1 point
  22. Even I have to admit that this is quite the list of departures. And if this rate continues long-term it would be impossible to create stability and a winning culture. That said, each of these cases fall into their own camp. I really wish Parrish worked out, he has tons of potential. And Lord knows we could use another center next year. Others were either not talented enough, had attitude issues and in the case of Utomi not the best fit for the system (though I can't say that's why he's leaving). I agree with LZlp that a lot of this is the nature of a program in transition, but attrition happens regularly anyway. Also, I would like to add that it is my opinion that coaches are now much quicker to part ways with players. I am witnessing it with the rebuild at Illinois as well. Right or wrong, new recruits may very well only have a single season to show their potential. The exodus should slow down, it will need to.
    1 point
  23. Keep LCJ and Cheese and get rid of the rest. Recruit a great freshman class. Expect to take our lumps but build a team. The first two years of Groce have built NOTHING and aside from the two players mentioned above the roster is a joke. NOTHING built for the future.
    1 point
  24. The ultimate pay to play experience!
    1 point
  25. We Homers gather on Thursday nights to provide fellowship and support through a 12 step program. Remember, admitting it is half the battle.
    1 point
  26. Scrolling through Dr Z's photos, one thing that sticks out is the youth of this staff compared to Bowden's. Some of these guys are 30...40 years younger than some of those in the Bowden/Amato crew. There's a different form of engagement with the players during the drills, and a different level of energy. When I watch a practice I try to look at things from the Coach's perspective and see who really stands out. In one drill there were 20 guys running through cones, then tackling a dummy. Maybe 15 of them looked identical. A few showed techniques and speed that stood out, and a couple guys...probably won't be bucking for a starting position this fall. Guys like Alvin Davis, Josh Ward, Boogie and Bubba can be fun to watch, even in drills, because their technique stands out. If you are looking for a great stock to buy low, with huge upside, get in early on Freshman fullback Abe Alce (ALL-cee). With Deltron Sands and Keyondre White sitting out, Abe got a lot of reps. He's big, fast (for his size) and consistently shows soft hands when pulling in those almost-out-of-reach swing passes. I expect he's going to be a big part of our offense this upcoming season. Saturday was the first time the kickers were showcased under rush conditions. Cory Smigel is a tiny kid with a big leg. His ball gets in the air quickly, and in the difficult-to-gauge environment of the indoor practice facility, showed good accuracy from 40 yards-in. Sophomore Jonah Wieland (Hudson) also had a couple nice kicks, but had one blocked. Keyondre White and Andy Jean-Baptiste didn't play. Likewise, no Reggie Corner was seen in the secondary. Redshirt Freshman Jaylen Hooks (Warren Harding) got some reps at cornerback. Another redshirt Freshman, Rich Hall, got some reps in the secondary. Physically, Hall looks like he can step in and play immediately. In scrimmage situations, Kato gets the "first team" reps. As of March 16th, Robbie Kelly seems to be the leading candidate for the #2 QB position. @Dr Z mentioned Kelvon Blackmon as a player who tried-out as a walk on and was given a roster spot. Another is 5' 6" 165 lb Brandon Lee. Brandon played WR last week, this week he was in the backfield. He's REALLY tiny, and REALLY fast. It will be interesting to see if he can find his way on to the playing field this upcoming season. Liking what I've seen from Bubba Arslanian at LB thus far. He's a strong kid with a nose for the ball. He runs all his drills with great technique, and at high speed. Yet another guy that will be fun to chronicle once the tackling begins (all drills and scrimmage situations thus far are non-contact). It was nice to see so many high school kids attending the practice. The Ignatius HC and Maple Heights HC were there. Probably also several HC's that I didn't recognize.
    1 point
  27. A couple of things I noticed from yesterday's practice. Practice is so up tempo and organized. I am amazed at how smooth and quick everything seems to run with coach Arth being in his first year. Coach Arth is very hands on. I see him running defensive routes while teaching receivers how to get out of their breaks, I see him teaching defensive players hand technique. He distributes his time all over the practice field. You can actually see how much he enjoys the teaching process. I’m starting to believe the "we are going to keep local kids local." It was junior day yesterday, I have never seen so many high school kids and coaches at a practice. They gave everyone a presentation on a big screen after practice. Coach Arth is not going to get out worked. I was told Kelvon Blackmon is new (walk on) to the roster. I saw Wofley and Alce make nice one hand catches on swing pass out of the backfield. I can't see why both won't play a part in any offense that the Zips run. For those that like the 3-4 defense, I can see the versatility that some on this roster have to offer in the scheme. Lots of different players rushing the QB from different angles. It seems like this scheme has the ability to pressure a QB with athletic ability and confusion. A sidelined Keyondre White and Deltron Sands gave Devanier Floyd a chance to run the ball, he sure was shifty in the open field. If I’m a QB, one of the first things I do when I get to line, is find #1 on defense, he still has the uncanny ability to get his hands on the ball. I thought Kato and Rob looked good many times today. Some quick decisions were being made in the seven on seven drills. I'm sorry to say I will be out of town for the spring game, I am depending on some good ZipNation reports to catch me up. I think ZipsNation will enjoy watching these guys. The buzz around practice is that the players are very excited about the staff, and have enjoyed #OurWay thus far.
    1 point
  28. 1 point
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