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2017/2018 End of Season Thoughts


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1 hour ago, dre22era said:

I admit I speak with a little bias on this topic. 

I lived in Richmond Virginia in the mid 90's finishing high school there. 

While I was there VCU was nothing more than a small commuter university serving as the little brother to the University of Richmond down the road. 

I have many friends who are VCU graduates and big time boosters. Watching their basketball program grow from a mediocre Sun Belt Conference team to a relevant Atlantic 10

team has been beyond amazing to me and the credit goes to the fan base that started the movement beginning with the 

Jeff Capel era in 2002. Now in the Colonial Athletic Association joining the conference in 1995 VCU won the Conference Championship 4 times in 10 years with 4 different coaches. 

Jeff Capel left for Oklahoma  after 4 years leading them to a Conference Title, NCAA and NIT bid 

 

Anthony Grant comes in and leads them to a 28-7 record, Conference Title and NCAA Second Round out the gate.

24-8 NIT Bid 

24-10 Conference Title NCAA First Round 

He leaves for Alabama and is now currently at Dayton 

Did VCU Fall off? Nope 

 

The Shaka Smart Era Begins 

27-9 records out the gate. They get screwed by the NCAA and NIT and goes to win the CBI (2009 Champs)

It was then the offers started coming in. The University, Boosters and Fan base rally together and push back at the Colonial Athletic Association for not speaking up and defending the conference. George Mason University who has their historic Final Four run in 2006 is also fed up with the conference. An alliance is formed also with Old Dominion to leave the conference.  

28-12 NCAA Final Four Run

29-7 Conference Champs, NCAA Third Round

Shaka is Dangling one foot out the door. UCLA is calling. Not only does the University, Students and Boosters come together to help Shaka get a raise the AD seals the deal and VCU leaves the 1 Bid Colonial Athletic Association Conference for the Atlantic 10. George Mason and Old Dominion join the following year crippling the Colonial Athletic Association. 

First 2 years in the A10 

27-9/26/9 making it to the conference finals. At Large bids both years 

26-10 and Conference Title NCAA Second Round in Shaka's last year (2014). 

Shaka leaves for Texas

Did VCU fall off? Nope

 

The Will Wade Era Begins 25-11 Conference Final At Large Bid NCAA Third Round out the gate 

Atlantic 10 had 3 Bids that season. (Must be nice)

26-8  Conference Final and NCAA Second Round (2017)

2018 under new coach Mike Rhoades is the first season VCU did not make it to any tournament declining any invites with a 18-15 record. 

 

All it takes is Unity believing in what we have in regards to our worth and Akron can achieve this 

So when I voice my constant frustration in regards to the current state of our program this is the Standard/Formula I am leaning on which I believe we can accomplish too.  

 

 

 

 

 

The main reason VCU was able to jump from the CAA to the A-10 and also the reason we are stuck in the MAC.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/VCU_Rams_football

 

"The VCU Rams football team is a club team that represents Virginia Commonwealth University in football. "

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1 hour ago, skip-zip said:

 

I'd say that reaching deep for an obscure piece of data like the score differentials of NCAA games that Buffalo played in, vs. the score differentials of NCAA games that Akron played in, with no other factors involved, is a clear attempt to accomplish just that.  And that's what was in your post that prompted the reply I posted.  

 

I actually found that data doing a quick search to confirm that this indeed will be Buffalo's third trip to the NCAAs in the last four seasons. It was sitting on the Wikipedia page. I'm not sure what other factors you want to look at. Just thought it was interesting that they seem to be more competitive on that stage than we were during our great run. A jab a Dambrot? Maybe. But hey, facts are facts, right?

 

23 minutes ago, skip-zip said:

 

Yes, absolutely.  I can agree with you on this.  They were playing THEIR best basketball near the end.  

 

Where this thread got "Off The Tracks" was when someone started the ridiculous crap about this team playing better than the previous 2 teams at the end of the year. 

 

You can compare this particular team against themselves, and say that they played some better basketball near the end.  It should end right there.  

 

 

 

26 minutes ago, UAZip0510 said:

 

I can accept that THIS team played its best basketball late.  It's the suggestion that they finished stronger than past year's teams that I find laughable.

 

What's wrong about comparing this particular team against themselves, to previous years against themselves? If this team, with its decimated roster and all, was playing its best basketball at the end of the season, and previous teams weren't playing their best basketball at the end of the season, wouldn't that suggest that this team had a stronger finish? I'm not saying this team would beat those teams, but this team was playing its best basketball in the final month or so of the season. That's a fact. 

Edited by Let'sGoZips94
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18 hours ago, skip-zip said:

Did anyone else watch the Championship Game in the AAC today?

 

I was actually rooting for Houston.  They came within a basket of beating a solid Top-10 Cincinnati team, less than a year after getting knocked off by the Zips....on their home floor...in the NIT.  I think that's interesting to see that we were superior on the road to a team that was about to elevate themselves to the top of that league the following year.   

I also watched the Houston game for the same reason.  I wasn't rooting for the Cougars,  just wanted to see how they had progressed in he last 12 months. 

 

Since the Nation seems to be in a mood of finding fault with the accuracy of statistics and comparisons in this thread,  I just wanted to point out Skip that the NIT game last year was not played on the campus of UH.  I attended the game and it was played at Texas Southern University.  

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13 minutes ago, ZZZips said:

I also watched the Houston game for the same reason.  I wasn't rooting for the Cougars,  just wanted to see how they had progressed in he last 12 months. 

 

Since the Nation seems to be in a mood of finding fault with the accuracy of statistics and comparisons in this thread,  I just wanted to point out Skip that the NIT game last year was not played on the campus of UH.  I attended the game and it was played at Texas Southern University.  

 

Good catch.  Thanks.  I should have said "In Houston" instead.  

 

I'm glad you were able to make that trip.  These postseason short-notice things are impossible for me.  

 

I wanted to see Cincinnati win, but it was definitely interesting to see that Houston had such a fantastic year right after we knocked them off down there.   

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47 minutes ago, skip-zip said:

 

Good catch.  Thanks.  I should have said "In Houston" instead.  

 

I'm glad you were able to make that trip.  These postseason short-notice things are impossible for me.  

 

I wanted to see Cincinnati win, but it was definitely interesting to see that Houston had such a fantastic year right after we knocked them off down there.   

 

1 hour ago, ZZZips said:

I also watched the Houston game for the same reason.  I wasn't rooting for the Cougars,  just wanted to see how they had progressed in he last 12 months. 

 

Since the Nation seems to be in a mood of finding fault with the accuracy of statistics and comparisons in this thread,  I just wanted to point out Skip that the NIT game last year was not played on the campus of UH.  I attended the game and it was played at Texas Southern University.  

Also there was quite a large contingent of Zips fans at that game due to it being a homecoming game of sorts for 4 players on the Zips roster.

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I had this thought when I saw Antino not getting to the NCAA his senior year.  Antino had a great game and led his team in scoring and always played his best basketball in the MAC tournament..  The Zips need players who are going to play their best basketball at the end of the season.  I thought Utomi, Cotton, Parish, and Patten were playing their best basketball at the end of the season.  That bodes well for the future. 

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