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2017/2018 End of Season Thoughts


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I expected an up and down season this year and that is what we saw. We hired a new coach, had a depleted roster coming into the season and had to rely on Freshman way more than any team would like to. That being said, I think the future is bright. Lot's of experience for the young players and a year of learning the system for all the transfers that came in. Looking forward to the next few seasons for sure!

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  • blueandgold changed the title to 2017/2018 End of Season Thoughts

I feel good about the Team, and the program. I have zero expertise. I am just an Alum and a fan.  I yearn for the day we can win an NCAA tournament game!  And be in the Saturday night game at the Q consistently.  Thanks Guys!  Looking forward to next Season!!!

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This season wasn't great.  We haven't experienced Akron basketball not being a MAC Title contender for a long time.  I still expected us to be middle of the pack, but the injuries to Olojakpoke and Sayles made that a tough ask.  Couple that with a new coaching staff, 5 players exiting via transfer, and the crazy amount of youth we had, and it was a perfect, awful storm.  I think Groce did well given all of this, despite the record and finish.  

 

Next year, though, I expect to be a MAC contender again.  Anything less is not acceptable or excusable.  And I think we will be, which is exciting.  

Edited by UAZip0510
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Some random thoughts:

 

By and large, I was pleased with the coaching staff. I was concerned and mid-season that the staff may be losing the team, but they rallied and the kids bought in and played harder and harder through the last month of the season. I was also impressed by Dustin Ford's interaction with the team.

 

I think we were all lured into a false sense of the team based upon their early success against the out of conference schedule.

 

In other seasons, some of the kids we saw on the floor this year would have been redshirted or otherwise not seen significant time. Kostelac may have benefited from a redshirt season, settling into the game and refining his skills before being thrust on to the court. We have to hope that the actual on-court experience will help him long-term.

 

Malcolm often seemed to be playing out of position. He looks like a linebacker and plays like a shooting guard which would appear to be his more natural position.  He did fine, but I would have preferred to see him at shooting guard and running off of picks, but the roster didn't allow that.

 

Virshon was very much a pleasant surprise.  He certainly has the potential to be one of the better players in the MAC. I hope that he matures with age and is a 4 year Zip.

 

Lucas Smith was the unsung hero of the season. While certainly not a star in any regard, I can't imagine where the team would have been without him after the losses of E-man and Sayles.

 

Parrish drove me to distraction the first half of the season with his regular lapses. As the season wore down however, he really seemed to come into his own and show glimpses of the player he can become.

 

Early on, I thought this was a .500 team. With the losses of the two big men I can't be disappointed with coming up just a little short of that. I look forward to what next season holds.

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This was a very up and down season.  Toward the end of the season Groce had these guys playing good basketball, especially on the defensive end.  But I was surprised to listen on the post game last night where he indicated he had some issues with the character of some of his players.  I thought we were beyond that.  Groce needs to figure out what players he considers to be problems and make a decision whether it is immuaturity that can be fixed on something else that cannot be fixed.  I certainly do not want to hear about coachability next year.  It is tough enough to win with guys who want to play for the coach.   

 

I think being down to our third string center hurt us all year and the last 2 minutes of the game certainly was an example of that problem.   That should not be an issue last year.   I think next year will be better.    

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5 minutes ago, 1981 grad said:

 But I was surprised to listen on the post game last night where he indicated he had some issues with the character of some of his players.  

 

I'm not.  

 

37 minutes ago, UAZip0510 said:

I think Groce did well given all of this, despite the record and finish.  

 

I think around the 2nd week of February, this season was headed for complete disaster after that string of blowout losses.  He deserves credit for getting them to play the rest of the way.  We even got a couple of wins here at the end to give everyone something to get excited about before it was over.  I was just hoping that this season didn't leave us with the task of fighting our way up from last place going into 2018-2019.  

 

  

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Why do you think he still had problems?  After the win on Monday and the competitive game they played last night that was the last thing I expected.  I did not see anything on the floor that looked like a bad attitude.  The refs slowed down the game, we slowed down the game.  And it caught up to us when they started hitting their shots and we could not make a basket.  Not sure what you saw or heard.

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1 hour ago, 1981 grad said:

Why do you think he still had problems?  After the win on Monday and the competitive game they played last night that was the last thing I expected.  I did not see anything on the floor that looked like a bad attitude.  The refs slowed down the game, we slowed down the game.  And it caught up to us when they started hitting their shots and we could not make a basket.  Not sure what you saw or heard.

 

I think most of this has been addressed already, and most of it very recently in other threads.  But even if it may not be visible to you, I think you can get some idea by looking at the game thread, and this one.  Things such people questioning why a certain player didn't play more last night, especially down the stretch.  And how someone likely turned the game because of a lack-of-emotional-control technical foul.  

 

1 hour ago, 1981 grad said:

 Groce needs to figure out what players he considers to be problems and make a decision whether it is immuaturity that can be fixed on something else that cannot be fixed.  I certainly do not want to hear about coachability next year.

 

I probably should have commented on this earlier.  I think your suggested approach to this situation is exactly what needs to happen.  I said almost these exact words about a week ago.  Decisions need to be made now, rather than later. 

 

However, we might not agree on how easily these these types of things are even "fixable".   I think too often it can only be fixed via the exit door.  

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1 hour ago, 1981 grad said:

The refs slowed down the game, we slowed down the game.  And it caught up to us when they started hitting their shots and we could not make a basket.

This thread has some really good commentary.  What 1981 says above is exactly what caused the problems last night.  However, I think next year with a full roster the Zips wont need to run out the clock in order to win.

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14 minutes ago, skip-zip said:

 

I think most of this has been addressed already, and most of it very recently in other threads.  But even if it may not be visible to you, I think you can get some idea by looking at the game thread, and this one.  Things such people questioning why a certain player didn't play more last night, especially down the stretch.  And how someone likely turned the game because of a lack-of-emotional-control technical foul.  

 

 

I probably should have commented on this earlier.  I think your suggested approach to this situation is exactly what needs to happen.  I said almost these exact words about a week ago.  Decisions need to be made now, rather than later. 

 

However, we might not agree on how easily these these types of things are even "fixable".   I think too often it can only be fixed via the exit door.  

I did not read that much into the T because in my opinion I thought all 4 techs did not have to be called.  The coach got a T when his back was to the ref, Jimond for bouncing a ball hard and the Easter Michigan Ts were also weak.   I still see Jimond separating the coach from the refs at the Buffalo game.  I thought they were good.  I trust Groce will get this under control since he will have the players he wants.    

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Figured this 'End of season ...' thread might be a good place to post this ... PCCC's De La Rosa leaves semi-final game against Buffalo in garbage time (1:50-something to go) with possible knee injury. Just sat for quite a while under the basket not wanting to get up. Walked off under own power but was in noticeable pain and appeared to be very worried about just how serious the injury might be. Stay tuned on that one as it may impact PCCC heading into next season.

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I'm laughing when I say this, but Kent was a real disappointment this year.  They should have contended, and they didn't.  Yes, I realize that Hall was a big part of their recent success, but they still laid a major egg by only going 9-9 in conference play.  

 

Pinky should be on the chopping block.     

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15 hours ago, ZippyRulz said:

Best wishes to Malcolm and thanks for being a Zip! :bow:

 

I'm right with ya on this.  I'd like to thank Malcolm personally for (whatever reason - how DID Groce get him to come here???) his massive contribution to this years team.  His calmness during games helped this young team tremendously.  I'd hate to think of this years team playing a couple more frosh in place of Malcolm.  I hope his decision to play for the Zips is compensated by allowing him to get his Masters from Akron.

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12 hours ago, GoZips88 said:

Figured this 'End of season ...' thread might be a good place to post this ... PCCC's De La Rosa leaves semi-final game against Buffalo in garbage time (1:50-something to go) with possible knee injury. Just sat for quite a while under the basket not wanting to get up. Walked off under own power but was in noticeable pain and appeared to be very worried about just how serious the injury might be. Stay tuned on that one as it may impact PCCC heading into next season.

I think De La Rosa is a punk.  What happened at the end of the half at Kent and after the Zips beat them at the JAR proves it. 

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