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Game 19—Ohio University


clarkwgriswold

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9-9 OU comes into the JAR Tuesday night to renew one of the MAC's biggest rivalries, fresh off of a 72-66 win at EMU.  They are 2-4 in the MAC, having beaten NUI and EMU and losing to PCCC, Ball State, Toledo and CMU.   They are led by 6-5 senior guard Mike Laster at 15.9 ppg and 6-9 junior forward Doug Taylor at 7.2 rpg.  Ellet's A.J. Gareri is playing 6 minutes a game as a freshman for the snobcats. 

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19 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

9-9 OU comes into the JAR Tuesday night to renew one of the MAC's biggest rivalries, fresh off of a 72-66 win at EMU.  They are 2-4 in the MAC, having beaten NUI and EMU and losing to PCCC, Ball State, Toledo and CMU.   They are led by 6-5 senior guard Mike Laster at 15.9 ppg and 6-9 junior forward Doug Taylor at 7.2 rpg.  Ellet's A.J. Gareri is playing 6 minutes a game as a freshman for the snobcats. 

 

@Illini Zip I figured I'd get ahead of the question, "What's PCCC?" PCCC stands for Portage County Community College. Portage County is where Can't State is located. It's just another rivalry-driven derogatory name for our main rival. 

 

9 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

http://www.bobcatattack.com/messageboard/topic.asp?FromPage=1&ForumPID=1&PID=253444

 

Decent read.  John Groce and the eyeglasses.  He took them to the promised land.  Really excited for this game.

 

The original poster got a lot right in his post, but I thought he underestimated or missed Duvivier's ability to get to the basket. 

 

This is going to be a great game. I really wish Sayles was going to be healthy for this one. Kostelac is going to be a key factor I think, since he'll be the tallest player on the floor for once (although Doug Taylor at 264 lbs will give him all he can handle); don't leave your feet, Mark!

 

Go Zips! Beat the Bobkittens!

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Big game on Tuesday.  If we win we are 3-4 in the MAC, gives us a winning record, and puts us in the middle of the pack.  I think there is a reason to be optimistic.  We are rebounding much better.  A highlight in yesterdays game was a defensive rebound by 3 zips.  This team needs to understand that they need to go for every rebound because we need to outhustle every team we play.

 

Utomi came out of his shooting slump.  He is a key to our offensive scheme.  Plus Cotten is also shooting the ball very well.  This team has already played the class of the league, Toledo and Buffalo early.  Although we got killed by Buffalo at home, we stayed with Toledo on the road.  That is a good sign.  We are getting production from our center.  K is getting more confidant.  That will only help his game.  Finally, this is a very young team.  The more experience they get this season, the better they may get.  We have already seen Cotten and Klac make big jumps in their play.  Who knows what the ceiling is for this team at the end of the season.

 

The one thing I disliked about last years team and many of the recent teams with Dambrot, was our reliance on the 3 ball.  Here we have a new coach, new players, new system, and we once again are relying on the 3 ball with about 30 per game.  When we shoot the 3 ball well, we win.  If not, it can get ugly.  Looking forward to the game, go zips!!

 

 

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31 minutes ago, 1981 grad said:

The one thing I disliked about last years team and many of the recent teams with Dambrot, was our reliance on the 3 ball.  Here we have a new coach, new players, new system, and we once again are relying on the 3 ball with about 30 per game.  When we shoot the 3 ball well, we win.  If not, it can get ugly.  Looking forward to the game, go zips!!

 

 

This year we may HAVE to rely on the 3 with our lack of inside presence and problems with the zone.  Over the years we've had a long string of 3 point marksmen (McNees, Roberts, Kretzer, McAdams, Noah, Antino...and occasionally Kwan.)  They were all pretty much given the green light to shoot, but they would go from hot to cold in the course of a week.  Buffalo beat us handily this year and had a really low percentage from 3.

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6 hours ago, 1981 grad said:

Big game on Tuesday.  If we win we are 3-4 in the MAC, gives us a winning record, and puts us in the middle of the pack.  I think there is a reason to be optimistic.  We are rebounding much better.  A highlight in yesterdays game was a defensive rebound by 3 zips.  This team needs to understand that they need to go for every rebound because we need to outhustle every team we play.

 

Utomi came out of his shooting slump.  He is a key to our offensive scheme.  Plus Cotten is also shooting the ball very well.  This team has already played the class of the league, Toledo and Buffalo early.  Although we got killed by Buffalo at home, we stayed with Toledo on the road.  That is a good sign.  We are getting production from our center.  K is getting more confidant.  That will only help his game.  Finally, this is a very young team.  The more experience they get this season, the better they may get.  We have already seen Cotten and Klac make big jumps in their play.  Who knows what the ceiling is for this team at the end of the season.

 

The one thing I disliked about last years team and many of the recent teams with Dambrot, was our reliance on the 3 ball.  Here we have a new coach, new players, new system, and we once again are relying on the 3 ball with about 30 per game.  When we shoot the 3 ball well, we win.  If not, it can get ugly.  Looking forward to the game, go zips!!

 

 

 

I know nothing about the Dambrot offense, but this conversation about the proper timing and amount of 3 point shooting in an offense is fair and rather common. I will just tell you that if you were coached up like myself to work the ball around until you can get a high percentage shot like a lay up or dunk, this in not that offense. The only times I have seen Groce angry about a 3 point shot attempt is when someone who isn't proven shoots one or when it's a contested shot-clock bail out attempt. Guys like Utomi, Ivey and Duvivier who are strong and capable are free to take shots from NBA range. Jackson, Cotton and Hester have work to do in the weight room, but in time they too will be hurling bombs. This pulls the defense out, creating room to drive the lane. Now this is not in anyway an excuse for players standing around or just passing it back and forth up top then chucking it, which unfortunately happens at times.

 

Our stable is low on horses this season, but if we are healthy next season I expect to see a running Zips team. Groce's offense when at full strength is designed to put stress on the opponent immediately and potentially for the full 30 seconds forcing them to guard the whole court on breaks and then as much of the half-court as possible. All five Zip players who will differ in size, strength and athleticism (for defensive reasons) will ideally be able to shoot and score from all 3 levels and drive on their defender. This includes E-man, Sayles, Riak and Kostelac believe it or not. Bottomline, expect 3 point shots early on during fast breaks. And if a 3 point shooter is open and takes one in stride, that is considered a quality possession at anytime. *

 

* The exception that comes to mind is time and possession considerations at the end of a close game.

 

 

Edited by Illini Zip
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If I'm obnoxious in anyway, please just ignore me. I find you all to be a lot more fun than my other team's fan base and great therapy. The Fighting Illini are brutal to watch and now they are talking about another complete rebuild...idiots! Call me in 4 years. Just when Groce was about to turn the corner from all of those injuries with an awesome recruiting class they fire him. FYI, Illini Nation thinks Groce can't coach himself out of a wet paper bag. My money is on Groce and Akron making a run deep into the tourney before them.

 

The following is what Groce's inside game looks like. I hope Kostelac develops faster than Illinois' Maverick Morgan. Morgan didn't have the luxury of red-shirting either. It took him until halfway through his junior year for things to really start clicking.

 

Maverick Morgan

Springboro, Ohio

6'-10"

245 lbs

3 star recruit out of high school and absolutely worthless his Freshman year. Constant foul trouble, sound familiar.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Illini Zip
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This was my introduction to Groce as the Illinois coach with some fun, wide open, run and gun basketball. These clips against USC are from the same Maui Tourney Akron attended, but back in 2012. Illinois had junior and senior guards, but a very thin front court so talking about living by the three and dying by the three. I wouldn't bother watching too many other clips from Groce's tenure at Illinois because his rosters were always blown up. But the games against Gonzaga and Indiana his first year (2012-2013) were good and can be found on YouTube. The Miami game in the NCAA Tourney was also really good, but unfortunately not on YouTube.

 

Go Zips, the future is bright!

 

 

 

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Kostelac showed some athleticism in the last two games that we never saw from Zeke Marshall or Pat Forsythe.  The funny thing about having a thin bench is that it makes the rotations a lot easier for the coach.   Live or die with what we have.  There's no mysterious combination of players that is going to miraculously save the day.  

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3 hours ago, NWAkron said:

Kostelac showed some athleticism in the last two games that we never saw from Zeke Marshall or Pat Forsythe.  The funny thing about having a thin bench is that it makes the rotations a lot easier for the coach.   Live or die with what we have.  There's no mysterious combination of players that is going to miraculously save the day.  

If you compare frosh years, I would agree that Klac is showing some athleticism around the basket.  I also thought that in his last game that Klac looked a little winded at times playing all those minutes.  That is also something that he shares with Zeke when he was a frosh. 

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Sorting through OU's schedule, it's tough to get much of a feel for what to expect.  Some decent wins or close losses and some real thumpings on the other end.  It is very strange having these teams play each other as middle of the MAC squads.  Hopefully, they will soon change (FOR THE ZIPS).

 

This is just the type of game the Zips have to win to maintain a reasonable record in the MAC.

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18 minutes ago, skip-zip said:

 

Huh?  These two teams are tied for Last Place.  And one team is going to be in sole possession of that spot after tonight.  Lets hope it's not us in the cellar.  

 

I'm going on gut in the land of overall (not East/West) MAC parity.  From what I've seen, there are 2 or 3 teams at the top, two or three at the bottom (two of which the Zips have beaten) and a huge mass in the middle including the Zips.  They may be  the bottom of the middle.    Even if they are at the bottom, it's still damn odd to see them not playing each other at the top of the conference.

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I would think every poster on here is acutely aware of the Zips record and their placement in the standings.  Unlike Buffalo (who has some games to give like we did last year), the Zips' backs are against the wall in each game until the bottom 2/3 of the conference settles out.  I'm sure the team's goals are higher, but my wish for them is that they can get us a home game in the first round.

 

Tonight's season ticket has a pic of Coach Groce on it.  Doubt that was a coincidence.

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1 hour ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

I'm going on gut in the land of overall (not East/West) MAC parity.  From what I've seen, there are 2 or 3 teams at the top, two or three at the bottom (two of which the Zips have beaten) and a huge mass in the middle including the Zips.  They may be  the bottom of the middle.    Even if they are at the bottom, it's still damn odd to see them not playing each other at the top of the conference.

 

I like seeing Clark's optimism shine through. The bottom of the middle does sound better than the top of the bottom, right?!    ;)

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52 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

I would think every poster on here is acutely aware of the Zips record and their placement in the standings.  Unlike Buffalo (who has some games to give like we did last year), the Zips' backs are against the wall in each game until the bottom 2/3 of the conference settles out.  I'm sure the team's goals are higher, but my wish for them is that they can get us a home game in the first round.

 

Tonight's season ticket has a pic of Coach Groce on it.  Doubt that was a coincidence.

We're one game back from a bye. That should be the goal. Go Zips!

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