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Sounds like they'll be well rested to whack the crap out of Skaljac's hand/wrist.

Best thing that could've happened for Akron. Groce can now use that as a wake up call if there was ever a chance to be asleep for the Buffalo game.

Since the coaches vote on this, the only possible reason I can think of is Akron "fatigue".

The circumstances are that no one cares.

I would also prefer to beat Miami in the championship game but ultimately, as long as we win the tournament, I won't really care who we beat.

Not TP, but according to Verbal Commits we've offered JUCO 6'4" 2G Mason Costello from Indian Hills CC.

That's how the setup was before but they complained it gave Akron too much of an advantage so we adopted the current model. Now that Miami losses the narrative changes.

So I didn't get my Miami loss on a last second bank shot. But the player who stole the ball that pretty much sealed the game is named Banks so I'll take that. 🤣

Really good for clothing companies that make khaki pants though. The amount of crap stains on Sunday as they wait to see if they're in will require all new wardrobes.

This is beautiful. Can I steal this? Lol

MAC player of the Year really stepped up. 10 points. Same number of points as whines.

I'm excited... I have heard from other coaches outside of Akron that he is a great coach, his players love him and he is a great teacher of the game... Coaching break down from Wikipedia if you are interested .... Garrett Mack... Garrett Mack began his college coaching career as a student assistant at Baldwin Wallace University in the spring of 2013, After gaining head coaching experience at Oberlin High School, Mack transitioned to college assistant roles focused on defensive development. In 2017 and 2019, Mack served as the linebackers coach at Oberlin College, where he emphasized player technique and game preparation for the defensive unit. During the 2017 season, he mentored Von Wooding, who led the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) in tackles with 101, earning all-conference honors and highlighting Mack's impact on individual linebacker performance. Over his two seasons at Oberlin, Mack coached three All-NCAC players, contributing to the team's defensive efforts in a competitive conference environment. In 2018 when he joined Baldwin Wallace University as the wide receivers coach and strength and conditioning coordinator, shifting focus to offensive skill positions while maintaining involvement in overall player conditioning to support team defenses indirectly through improved athleticism. From 2020 to 2021, Mack advanced to Notre Dame College (Ohio) as an assistant coach, serving as tight ends coach in 2020 during a 5–0 undefeated season and then as defensive line coach, run game coordinator, and recruiting coordinator in 2021, marking a progression toward specialized defensive front responsibilities in NCAA Division II. In this position, he developed the Falcons' defensive line and contributed to the team's success, including an 11–2 overall record and a No. 9 ranking in the final AFCA Division II poll that year. Garrett Mack was named the fifth head coach in Notre Dame College football program history on February 3, 2022. In his inaugural 2022 season, Mack implemented a philosophy centered on mindfulness and present-focused execution, encapsulated in the team slogan "Only now exists," which encouraged players to prioritize immediate preparation over past achievements. The Falcons compiled a 9–3 overall record, including a dominant 9–1 mark in MEC play that clinched the program's first outright conference championship since 2019. Key to the success was a stout defense under Mack's influence, which led NCAA Division II with six defensive touchdowns and restricted opponents to an 86.73 passing efficiency rating. Garrett Mack joined Duquesne University as the defensive line coach ahead of the 2024 football season, marking his return to an assistant coaching role after serving as head coach at Notre Dame College following the institution's closure in early 2024. In this position, Mack oversees the development of the defensive line unit, integrating defensive schemes tailored to the team's needs, and providing mentorship to players in technique and game preparation. During his inaugural season at Duquesne in 2024, Mack's coaching contributed to significant improvements in the defensive line's performance, with the unit recording 27 sacks—17 of which came in conference play, ranking second in the Northeast Conference (NEC)—while forcing four fumbles and recovering three. He guided three defensive linemen to all-conference honors: A.J. Ackerman and Jack Dunkley earned first-team selections, and Jason Patterson received second-team recognition. Dunkley's standout season included 12.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, tying for the NEC lead and ranking 12th nationally in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in sacks per game. These efforts helped Duquesne achieve an 8-3 overall record and a 5-1 mark in NEC play, sharing the conference regular-season title, while establishing the top-ranked defenses in the NEC for red-zone efficiency, first downs allowed, and third-down conversions. In 2025, Mack has expanded his responsibilities to include recruiting coordinator and special teams coordinator, building on his prior experience in these areas from earlier coaching stops.

Happy MAC Tourney Opening Day! For those heading up today, enjoy what is easily the best Thursday slate of games maybe ever.

Yeah, they probably lost their 10-seed 😅

This always happens during tournament time. @Dr Zany chance we can get more reactions per day?

Funny, I was just getting on to type "Ding dong the witch is dead."

Great for Akron, sad for Cleveland hotels/bars. A lot of Miami fans about to cancel 2 nights of hotel stays and make that sad, silent 4 hour drive to Cincinnati. Perhaps calling their boss and letting them know they can cancel their PTO request for tomorrow.

Okay, now we gotta focus on our business!

MAC tournament tickets about to get much cheaper on the secondary market.

Welcome to the MAC Umass

I don't need any bad karma, so I'm not going to say what we all are thinking. Time for the Zips to take care of business.

LOLOLOLOL! Byers leans into the defender and gets the whistle on the 3. Unbelievable. To be fair, low IQ play by UMass.

🎼🎶 Under pressure bearing down you... The only thing I can think of is that the referees got MU and UM mixed up.

By way of numbers, and to put things in perspective, Miami has shot 191 more free throws this season that the Zips.

People tried to downplay the free throw attempt analysis I did last week. +125 FTA advantage for Miami OH in MAC play. It matters and really explains their success/Luck rating.

The script is so predictable it's nauseating.

Here come the fouls

Wasn't that the same scenario when Big Dog made a three pointer to win the game several years ago? The Mass Coach is yelling at his player. If I am the coach I tell him to throw the ball into the nearest player and screw the shot. Bad coaching.

Every time I watch this team, I come away stunned that they are undefeated. Steele is almost always whining to the referees. His players follow suit. They don't seem mentally tough at all.

Dat wascawwy Weghi.

Are we sure the award wasn't just for most offensive player?

The best part of the first day or the tournament is Michael reghi calling all 4 games

Keys to the Weekend: Play disciplined: Stay under 10 turnovers a game Shooters Shoot: We have the best guard tandem in the MAC. If 3/4 are hitting (Tavari, Bowen, Shammah, Sharron) then we will blow teams out. Doesn’t have to be the same 3 every game but that’s a nice number to have a 90 point day Get to the bench early: if you can get 10 deep on day 1 and 2 you’re feeling great. Avoid overtime at any means necessary Physicality: let Amani and the Mahaffeys wear down our opponents and feast on turnovers.

Crying Bobby out at ASU, icymi. 😭

Am I the only one that wishes the Miami game and the Akron game were back to back?

The Akron/Notre Dame pipeline continues...😀 Seems like this is a good one. 37 years old, and a local/Ohio guy (Brunswick). It's never a bad thing to have former HC's on your staff. We have 2 now, in Brookhart and Mack.

Well, they gave it to the most ball dominant guy on the first place team.

Or it was quietly discussed to make sure Miami OH has the best player to help their image. By the way, coaches who are canned in the days following their season's end shouldn't be allowed to vote. What in the world do they know about talent? Not enough to keep their job. Even if Miami OH loses 1st round, I'm half expecting the tourney MVP to be Suder still. We will be so lucky just to breathe the same Rocket Arena air as him.

The former #1 team in kenpom luck, Liberty. Loses in the CUSA quarterfinals to 16-17 Missouri state

The B12 is multiple steps behind the P2. It's also at the very least a half step ahead of the ACC.

I feel you could make a decent fan committee from just this forum. We have people from all walks of life. Some former players. Many die-hard 30+ year fans. Some more recent grads. Many Akron alumni and a few who weren't that still want to support the local team. Just take 10 people from this board and mix in 2-3 current students and there you go, you have your committee. No need to do a further search.

This might be sacrilegious to say, but I don't think Suder should even be the 2nd choice. Gillespie IMO was the 2nd best player in the MAC this season. I can see Suder at #3.

Nate was also MAC player of the year. Eric is currently the fourth or fifth option on a very good team.

12 titles in 13 years

Congrats to the T&F team!

Dwight Smith had a Super Bowl interception TD, Chase Blackburn has 2 Super Bowls, and Domenik Hixon has 2 Super Bowls and was a major reason why Fryer and Getsy had great stats. Hixon should honestly get the statue. I was in college during his years, even cheered a football season when Frye and Hixon played together. Hixon was a beast. Statue worthy for sure.