Let'sGoZips94

Ohio lost by 23 to George Mason. If anyone is sad about the loss to Yale, go get a pick-me-up by reading BobcatAttack. They're in shambles. Rumor has it Athens isn't sure if it has enough beer to endure the season. Buffalo beat VMI to remain undefeated. Bowling Green beat our future opponent Bucknell 71-66. EMU got plastered by Louisville.

Oddly enough, the half court adjustment is what cost us the game. It took us most of the first half to figure out how to play in a half court offense, and that's where we saw the 4 turnover differential decide the game. We ultimately could never fully recover, although a large part of all of this is Yale never missing to allow for Akron runouts. Ce la vie. Just an incredible basketball game.

We gave up the wide open 3s because the game plan was to go with a zone that especially focused on doubling Townsend. Yale was smart enough to go baseline and find the open man in the corner. They made 75% of those 3s as a result which is absurd. Virtually the only fault of Groce this offseason was not finding a true big to backfill Okonkwo's spot. We will essentially always have matchup problems in the paint with teams that have athletic bigs and/or can drive to the basket. Yale was flawless in exploiting the matchup down low and always having a guy slashing to the basket when the double came on Townsend. The defensive game plan and execution gave up 97 points, but I'm really not sure there was a legitimate solution. We needed Yale to shoot 55% from the field instead of 63% or shoot 42% from 3 instead of 47% or make 80% of their free throws instead of 100% or turn it over a couple more times like we did; they didn't do any of those things. Groce, as a coach, has to harp on the defense - I get it - but his failure to bring in a legit big for games like this is why we ultimately had to rely on Yale to be imperfect. He didn't have the right game plan or the right pieces to truly stop Yale defensively. Credit to Yale for essentially getting a basketball 4.0 - nerds. Akron proved yesterday that no matter the interior matchup advantage an opponent may have (aside from Purdue who builds their entire front court with fully grown redwood trees they chopped down themselves in California and hauled to West Lafayette, IN), the opponent still has to be nearly perfect to beat Akron (as long as Akron doesn't have a historically bad shooting night). Our system works. This team has an incredibly high ceiling. I've never felt this good after a loss to an unranked team.

Which is fine and expected, but Yale still had to make their shots and they did. Easy to fault Akron's defense and as a coach he should, but it was just one of those nights where the opponent was perfect.

Milwaukee, Murray St, and Tulane will all be solid opportunities, plus the 2nd SBC game. If we only have a few losses come March and 2 of them are this game vs Yale and the Purdue game, that's a heck of a resume.

If anybody gets extras, let me know. I'm working at my local sports card shop and can't attend. I can transfer a ticket to the game in exchange for the cards, too. Send me a PM if interested.

If you haven't yet, go look at the box score. Absurd. We may never see a game like that again. Took a literal perfect game from Yale to beat us. We are legit.

This might be the college basketball game of the year preformed wise.

FIFY

Is this the greatest shooting game of all time?

Textbook continuation. Foul, didn't dribble again, made the layup.

TIE GAME!

This is such a good game.

8 pt game, 4 less turnover by Yale, 60% FG% for Yale. TOs are the difference.

Someone tell Yale their parents will still love them if they miss and get an A-.

Ask and you shall receive.

We couldn't get a stop before so this is at least better than it being a 20 pt game.

The refs missed an obvious travel/up and down/double dribble, and that's also a classic hook and hold.

The issue is I wasn't mistaken. He's not exactly Chitwood. He's what you'd get if Aaron Craft and Jimmy Chitwood had a baby.

Townsend is a modern day Jimmy Chitwood.

You mean "yells" that. I swear he cranks his microphone up to 11 before talking.

Zone by the Zips was half assed and slow on the rotation. Killed by a 3.

Get Lyles out. He's asleep, slow, and soft right now.

Quit. Doubling.

It's Yale. They are going to be like the Jedi Order of fundamentals.