I hope this team learns how to box out, during the off season. O, and how to play OFF-Ball defense.

The Zips need to figure out how to use their TO's when there's less then 10 seconds remaining in a game, and they are down 3 points.

Against OU, and now Northwestern, the Zips had a very very very easy chance to set up for late-game three, and both times we allowed the opponent to foul us, sending us to the line for 2 shots.

Against OU, we should NEVER have called the TO after Keeley's 2nd foul shot. A play should have been drawn up during the TO we called after Keeley's 1st shot went in. We needed to get it to half court and quickly then call our final TO. Then we have 5 seconds to get someone to break free off an inbound play. There was no way Abreu was going to make it coast-to-coast without getting fouled.

Tonight we had possession, down 3, with 16 seconds remaining and time outs in our pocket. Diggs inexplicably holds the ball and NW fouls him with 3.7 seconds remaining, eliminating our chance for a 3-pointer. How does that happen twice in a row??!! Why didn't a TO come from the bench?

I was thinking the same exact thing. Perhaps there's something I'm missing, but a time out seems like an obvious choice in that situation.

Here are some thoughts and wishes I have for the players and coaches as they head into the off-season. I’ll start with the 2 senior scholarship players.

• Nikola – I hope you’ve enjoyed your 4 years at UA as much as I have. You’ve always played with such passion, and at times that has gotten the best of you. That never bothered me too much, because I can relate to someone who flies off the handle every now and then. It just means that you care very much about the game. Best of luck back home in Serbia as you and your bride-to-be start off your shared life together. I’ll always remember your patented baseline spin move, once seemingly taken away by MAC officials. Your last one against Northwestern was a thing of beauty with a sweet slam to boot! You are clearly one of a kind, Nik. Don’t forget to visit every now and then.

• Brett – This had to have been an unbelievably difficult year for you, and I wished things had gone much differently for you as a player. But I know you’ll face other difficult patches in life and I hope you continue to work hard through them as well. I choose to remember the brighter moments in your UA career, such as the big shots throughout the 2011-2011 season. I hope you get your wish to continue with the team in some capacity.

• Coach Dambrot – Thanks for your willingness to incorporate a different style of player into the program. I realize this has made your job more difficult, but we’ve all seen the potential and hopefully it will all pay off in the long run. I hope you consider more 2-3 zone in your plans for next season. The typical weakness of the 2-3, rebounding, should be partially offset by having Tree in there for more minutes and having Zeke nearer to the basket. This can be the foundation of a fast-break offense to take full advantage of guys like Chauncey, Quincy, Harney, Walsh, and Egner. I also hope you think about playing some full-court defense as well, considering the numbers that are on Akron’s side.

• Tree – Thanks for all of the scintillating highlights this year! Your leadership in the locker room is greatly appreciated as well. If you continue to work on FTs, ball handling, and defensive positioning, the sky is the limit for you.

• Harney – Who can forget the 1st demolition of K.E.N.T.? You have talents that are unique in this program. I think you realized as the season progressed that good teams will try to take away your strengths. If you can work on recognizing the double (and triple) teams more, this will allow other Zips to score easy baskets and consequently you’ll be seeing less and less double teams.

• Zeke – I can’t tell you how pleased I am with the improvement I’ve seen at the charity stripe. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve turned a weakness into a strength, through dedication and hard work. I have no doubt that if you put the same focus on rebounding, you’ll see similar growth. Keep up the good work and I can’t wait to see you back on the court in November.

• Alex – You’ve made huge strides this year in your ability to run this team. Your leadership is greatly appreciated. Like I’ve said a number of times, I’ll take my chances with you taking the big shot in a key game. You’ll make more than your share. I look forward to seeing you mentor Mr. Betancourt when he arrives from your homeland next year. Great job in 2011-2012!

• Walsh – I had a few friends from Coraopolis when I was in high school, so I laugh every time an announcer screws up the pronunciation. I know you’ll have a hard time forgetting a few misses this year, but I choose to remember the high percentage of makes and your dedication to the finer points of the game. You’re the type of player who makes a team better, and I believe you’ll be key in the next two years and the Zips look to break through.

• Chauncey – You’re not the only one who was disappointed in your playing time this year, as I’ve seen enough to believe you could have been a greater factor with increased minutes. I really enjoyed the acrobatics and solid shooting from outside. I believe you’ll get more opportunities in 2012-2013 and I look forward to seeing your production skyrocket.

• Quincy – Thanks again for your willingness to come off the bench when it’s obvious you’d be a 1st or 2nd option as a starter for most MAC teams. Your play against Northwestern was terrific, and I hope this serves as a springboard for consistently high levels of performance heading into next season. I see no reason why you can’t claim the MAC 6th man of the year once again, if this is the role you’re assigned.

• Egner – Keep working, because I believe the red-shirt year will pay off for you in the long run. If the Zips can raise the tempo of the offense a little, I believe we’ll finally get to enjoy you’re high-flying talents at the JAR.

Go Zips!!!!

I hope Quincy isn't a 6th man next year, he should only be off the court to rest. One of the reasons we were so far behind last night is because Q was watching the beginning of the game from the bench.

Tighten up the minutes altogether, get our best players on the floor more often.

I definitely agree with the bold print. But between Quincy, Walsh, and Chauncey, who would you like to see coming off the bench?

Brian Walsh, MAC 6th Man of the Year? Sounds good to me.

PG: Abreu / Mello
W: Gilliam / Walsh
W: Q / Walsh
P: Tree / Harney
P: Zeke / Harney

Given those choices, I'll select Walsh for now. But I'll wait until I see a few games next season to answer intelligently. Long off season, we'll see who progresses and who doesn't between now and then. My point was Q is too talented to be a role player. How many times were we down early this year?

Continuing with the "hopes, dreams, doubts and fears" subject. My biggest hope is that Harney becomes the hardest worker on the off season. I think the payoff will be the greatest.

Good luck to the team this off season. Next year is the year I had circled on my calendar as the year we can win a game in the NCAAs. It should also be the most entertaining team we have seen in a long time in the JAR.

Nothing personal, but I'll look at the '12-'13 roster as addition through subtraction

Quincy played 26 minutes last night and averaged 25 minutes per game this season. Only Zeke, Abreu, and Nik played more. I like him off the bench after the first few minutes. The initial energy from the start of the game is re-ignited when he steps on the floor. As long as he's on the court in crunch time - which he is - I'm fine with him repeating as 6th Man of the Year.

The talent is there. The coaching is there. We have a team capable of not only winning the MAC, but also making some noise as an at-large contender.

My biggest worry going into next season is this team coming together.

None of the players have openly complained about anything in public. That hasn't stopped it from getting out though - either on here, other places online, or just word of mouth. We have players who don't think they get the ball enough. We have players who don't think they are used the right way. We now apparently have players who don't feel they're appreciated enough. And that's just what we know...who knows what else is happening behind closed doors.

This team needs to come together this offseason. The players need to stop just worrying about themselves and start doing what the team needs them to do to be successful.

I agree 100% with your biggest concern. If things get out of hand, it won't matter how much talent the Zips have. This is KD's biggest challenge in the off-season.

Q's first jumper was 12 minuets into the game, we were down by 10 (14-24).

Usually he gets in much earlier.

He played 26 minutes and was on the floor for crunch time. Isn't that what matters most?

Only Zeke, Abreu, and Cvetinovic averaged more time on the floor this year.

Walsh is an absolute complete player. Best 3 point shooter in the MAC, sure handed, flys for rebounds, and makes layups on impossible drives.
The thing we don't know about him is whether he was playing at his true potential or if there is more to come.
I see him as a starter, and Gilliam was on fire last night. I am seeing him as a starter too.

For Next Year:

My first hope is that someone from ZipsNation does not come on here in the middle of the summer saying that they have seen us practice, and that we are one of the top 10 to 20 teams in the nation. First of all, many of our current players are not good practice players anyway. Secondly, it makes me get upset about every early loss. And I don't want to do that again.

As for the questions about calling late timeouts when down 3 points:
That would have been the best idea. Only because it's much easier to get a 3-point look off of an inbounds play rather than running up the court, when the opponent is trying to foul you to prevent a 3-point shot. Some coaches simply like to run the ball up, hoping that the defense is not organized. I prefer the timeout and a set play.

Q first subbed in 4 minutes, 47 seconds into the game with the Zips down by 2 (10-12).

Facts are the ruination of many otherwise strong arguments.

My expectations next year are that we'll crack into the Top 25 at some point.

Thank you.

My point was that Q should not be taking his first shot of the game 12 minutes in. Being a starter, this is less likely to happen when we need offense like we did at the beginning of the game last night. He is instant offense when he is asked. I'm pretty sure nothing will stop him from starting next season. He took one "for the team" this season.

PS I wrote "shot (first jumper)", not "sub". I would appreciate some not trying to change the meaning of my post with their word play.

No more than 5 losses next year. As someone else alluded to, the only thing that really can derail this team is it NOT coming together as a TEAM. Stay out of trouble, hit the books, practice your game, come together as a team...at-large next year.

No "word play" intended. You commented on when Q took his first shot. I merely pointed out when he went into the game. The two are related, and neither changes the meaning of the other.

In order to win, a team must first put itself in a position to win.

There's a lot of evidence that the Zips under KD have learned how to put themselves in a position to win. One example would be making it to the MAC tournament championship game 6 years in a row. Another example would be that the Zips put themselves in a position to win most of their games this season, and most of their losses were close ones that came in the last minute or two of play.

So I think the next step to moving up to the next level is focusing on what needs to be done in the last minute or two of close games. Some teams that are successful at this rely on star players who are hard to stop even when everyone knows they're going to get the ball, and some teams do it with teamwork that creates easy shots for any of the players on the floor.

The Zips will have 7 of their best players back next season, all of whom have shown the ability at various times to step up and knock down big shots. Some teams don't even go beyond a 7-player rotation. So even in the unlikely event that no other Zips players manage to work their way into the rotation, the Zips still have the potential to be a better team next season than this one.

At times the Zips showed flashes of great teamwork during this season. But that was often in the middle of games and not in crunch time. Maybe it comes down to practice. Maybe regular drills could be run during scrimmages with 1 or 2 minutes on the clock and the Zips behind by several points. Focus on creating a mentality among all the players to have a sense of urgency and purpose when the game is on the line. Reward team play that results in closing out those 1- or 2-minute drills. Build up ther confidence that they own the last couple of minutes of every game.

I really want to see next season's edition of the Zips close out close games against their toughest opponents.

You've just described every team in every sport ever played. The Zips are not unique in having friction about playing time and other things relating to coaching decisions. There's always some parent who is sure their kid is the most talented, who knows more than the coach etc. etc.....

Re: New Years, Hopes, Doubts and Fears
Thank you. Here where I live, we celebrate Thai New Years on April 13. Sabai de ru?

Good post.

Lots of things hurt teams, but these two seemed to really hurt the Zips this year.
1. Slow starts
2. Gaps in quality play

The Zips had both last night. Getting Q in the game will help prevent slow starts.

I'm not sure what to do about gaps in quality play. The Zips went through five minutes last night in the middle of the first half where they looked helter skelter and just plain bad. Every team goes through that, but not letting it get out of hand is the key. Against the Central Michigans of the world, a team can recover. Against good teams, if the spell lasts too long, it is difficult to recover. One team that has a different type of five minutes, and I wish the Zips could do it, is Duke. Duke almost never plays poorly. They always play right with the other team and for about five minutes during the game, they turn it up and get leads the other team can't catch.

The reason I am commenting about this post is because so many people on here have always been naive about this subject. I've probably read hundreds of posts along the lines of, "we're winning games, so they don't care if they aren't getting as much playing time....they buy into KDs system, and understand that coming in.....blah blah blah".

If what you are saying is true, it doesn't surprise me at all. It happens everywhere. Please folks, don't be naive.

But to this extent? I agree it exists in some fashion, but not as much as we have seen this season.

Absolutely. See WMU or UCLA for examples of much worse. I have 3 kids who have participated in every kind of sport and have seen this on every team they have been on. Its just human nature.

Have we ever had this many really good players on the same team at the same time? I don't think so.

Having a lot of really good players is a nice problem to have, if you ask me.

As I recall, we've had family advocates for individual players on ZN.o in the past. Two that come to mind were relatives of Nick Goddard and Steve Swiech, who campaigned relentlessly on this forum to get more PT for their kids. It was mostly laughed off here because it was generally recognized that neither player had the talent to be productive regular contributors.

This season we have several family advocates actively posting on behalf of good players who are major contributors to the team. They're understandably focused on what's best for their family members, and they also believe that what's best for their family members is best for the team. If things aren't going as they like, their observations can become pretty negative.

Under these circumstances, there's certainly an appearance of more friction on the team. The question is whether there is more actual friction than normal or if this is just a byproduct of social networking magnifying what has always existed behind the scenes.

The information I've gotten from a couple of different inside team sources suggests that any friction among the players themselves was nothing beyond the normal. But I'm not sure there's any way any of us can know for sure without having actually been a part of the team for several years. Otherwise it's all he said, she said.

Nationally:

With the schedule that we already have figured out, especially home schedule, I expect us to be in the top 25 at some point, if not RIGHT on the edge of cracking it. I think at-large hopes are a possibility.

MAC:

I also think we should take care of business in the MAC. If Groce leaves, so will some of his players (or at least I can pray for that to happen), leaving the MAC open for the Zips to just man-handle. The Flushes are done. They graduated their team this year. They have some decent freshman, but I think we will sweep them again. Toledo and BGSU will also be in contention to beat us, but I think we stand alone at the top of the MAC. Maybe 1 or 2 losses in conference. Domination.

Play Style:

Fast paced. Run our opponent to death. I'm looking for more movement off the ball, along with a lot of back cuts for slams. Defensively, I'm looking for more zone to keep our big men closer to the rim, AKA Rejection City. Man to man will be used the most, as always.

Goal:

NCAA tournament win. That has to be the goal, if not more than that. I think we will have as much talent as any mid major next year, and should look to compete with the best of them.

I'm excited. This season next season is going to be a fun one, especially following a hopefully great fall sports season with football and soccer. Go Zips!

Patience. Butler didn't win an NCAA Tournament game until their 4th attempt. It takes time and we need to stay the course.

Butler

1997: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 1st Round to Cincinnati (86-69)
1998: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 1st Round to New Mexico (79-62)
1999: NIT Tournament - Lost in Quarterfinals
2000: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 1st Round to Florida (69-68)
2001: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 2nd Round to Arizona (73-52) after defeating Wake Forest (79-63) in the 1st Round
2002: NIT Tournament - Lost in 2nd Round
2003: NCAA Tournament - Lost in Sweet Sixteen
2004: No Postseason Tournament
2005: No Postseason Tournament
2006: No Postseason Tournament
2007: NCAA Tournament - Lost in Sweet Sixteen
2008: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 2nd Round
2009: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 1st Round
2010: NCAA Tournament - Lost in Championship
2011: NCAA Tournament - Lost in Championship

Akron

2009: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 1st Round to Gonzaga (77-64)
2010: CBI Tournament - Lost in 1st Round
2011: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 1st Round to Notre Dame
2012: NIT Tournament - Lost in 1st Round
2013: ?

You forgot quite a bit, some being very recent:
NCAA 1st Round in 1986
NIT 2nd Round in 2006
NIT 2nd Round in 2008

But, if we do happen to follow Butler's pattern, the next NCAA appearance will be our 4th one

I was looking at recent history only...sorry, I should have explained that in the original post. Butler made it one other time too, in the 60's maybe?

My biggest fear is that the players get in some trouble in the offseason and lose the chemistry they developed over the year since the first round of suspensions. Hoping they work hard and realize how special this team can be if they want it.

I think this whole issue of off the court personality problems is not much of an issue. If it was, we would have seen the results on the floor in a huge way. From what I saw, there was never a time during this season when the Zips weren't at least trying to do the right things on the court. There is a difference between trying and doing. They had trouble with the doing part so I write off personality problems when I see that. The effort was there. They need to channel their effort better.

If you put a group of college kids together for six months, personality problems are going to come out. It's only natural. I didn't see that manifest itself on the floor.

That's ok. I figured you might have been looking at recent history, but you traced Butler all the way back to 1997, but only showed Akron's history back to 2009.

Just wanted to make sure you were aware of a couple of other postseason appearances, in case you didn't know.

Butler also made the NCAA's in 1962 (and a few other NITs when that tournament meant a little more than it does now).

As an aside, who here thinks Todd Lickliter has a shot to be the next Miami University HC? The successful ex-Butler HC and not-so-successful ex-Iowa HC was an assitant for the Redhawks this past season.