Let'sGoZips94

I also think Groce has a bond with his players - especially the group of Freeman, Tribble, Dawson, and Ali - that not many coaches are able to build.

I struggle with looking at any depth chart predictions for next year not because it isn't fun to play keyboard coach, but because there is a decent chance we have more scholarships open than we do at this moment and like @clarkwgriswold, we'll most likely see some impactful talent come in from the Portal. I think Baker, Johnson, and Dawson are locks for the starting lineup. However, the spots for Lyles and Tavari are up for grabs as far as I'm concerned. I don't know if either player will be here next year, although their playing time recently is encouraging. I'm interested to see what happens with Prather - does he stay or does he leave? We need shooters and a bonafide big in my opinion. It'll be fun to see what Groce can come up with.

Imagine if he never had Preston or if the transfer portal was more wide open like it is today and Preston would've left.

It was an awful product for the fan of the team getting the short end of the stick. That's a 15+ pt win with even semi fair officiating. The end goal was to have an exciting finish, which they did, but how many people were still tuned in after Akron was up by 20? It was a 10 pt game at the half only because of a BS technical on Ali Ali and weak fouls on Akron. Akron ran an 8 man lineup last night, and for most of the 2nd half, we had 3 guys with 4 fouls, and an additional ~3 guys with 3 fouls. Someone else mentioned that Kent made adjustments and came out more physical, but the only way to stop physicality is with physicality. If you have 7 of your 8 players in foul trouble, you can't be physical. It drastically changed how we could counteract their physical game plan in the 2nd half. @NWAkron claims I have Kent Derangement Syndrome. I don't, but I do loathe PCCC. Yes, we won. But it's Kent. If we have the opportunity to pulverize them, I want to. I want them to feel embarrassed that they exist as a "university". That opportunity was stripped by screwy officiating in my opinion.

Even if that's the only post he makes weekly, it would be a positive contribution to the board. It's 11:50am and...

For those who didn't watch, the game became close when the refs controlled which team was able to play care-free, lockdown defense, and which team had to play smart, non-physical defense due to foul trouble. It was a 20-9 advantage in fouls at one point in favor of Kent. There were 2 very weak technically on Akron, zero on Kent. This led to Kent being able to penetrate the paint more easily, which Akron then had to somewhat collapse towards, which led to wide open 3s. To PCCC's credit, they made a huge chunk of those 3s in the 2nd half, especially late, but those are more contested with potentially different outcomes if the refs don't completely alter the game and throw Kent a bunch of life preservers. It's frowned upon to complain about the officiating, but this was an instance where it was physically visible how the officiating discrepancy affected the game. Abhorrent officiating. I also don't understand how any school that claims to have an ounce of dignity could be proud of Pinky. Winningest coach in PCCC history, yet he has a worse winning percentage than Groce at Akron despite never going through the type of rebuild Groce had to when he took over the program. Pinky's program year in and year out is an embarrassment. Although I guess that is the true embodiment of We Are Kent State. From the Akron Diss Track that was proceeded by a 20 of ass whooping in the MAC Championship game, to the altercation between his plays and the Rowdies at the JAR, to Payton's public claims in the ABJ that were proceeded by an absolute no show by him and pure domination by Freeman. This is a school whose students twice held up signs to the Rowdies that read We Suck and Felons R Us, and Pinky has been at the helm for some of Kent's most embarrassing moments. Nevertheless, we prevailed (without Tribble and Nate to boot). Kent sucks eggs.

Quite a few possessions where it was either Freeman or Ali who simply did their thing. Freeman might have missed 1 hook shot the entire game, and Ali Ali was pretty good with the midrange jumper he has.

I wouldn't hold your breath. Probably not much brain capacity left to think about you after "Left foot, right foot, breathe... left foot, right foot... left foot, right foot... wait, breathe breathe!"

Out of reactions myself as well. Let it be known that all posts tonight would have received a like from me.

Win the next round in Akron, and the all-time series is tied up at 82 a piece.

Kowalchoke special and it's not even March.

YEEESSSS!!!!! WE'RE GOING TO SURVIVE THE HIGHWAY ROBBERY ATTEMPT! F KENT!!!!

8 seconds to go and we aren't even in the double bonus.

Move over Saddam. Kent's new #1 fan.

RIQUE! WHAT A BLOCK!

This is criminal.

They just called a T on Tavari after he made an and 1? Wtf am I watching? These refs are garbage.

Oh he's not a Kent grad? Had me fooled.

20-9 in fouls - favoring Kent. Unreal.

Exactly.

Go buy a lottery ticket.

Imagine publicly stating that you're better than Enrique Freeman. Then playing him and getting clinically schooled.

After they let UFC occur for the first 10 minutes of the game.

If I'm not mistaken, one of the first possessions by Kent included Bass standing over one of our guys and talking to him. No T.