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Western Michigan- 2/15/22


clarkwgriswold

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4 hours ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

The year's Zips team is a flawed one.

 

Other than Freeman, who can you bank on? 

 

  • Freeman - double-double every night, brings it on both ends of the floor. Plays within himself. A joy to watch, always.
  • Ali - Too indecisive. He's at his worst when he dribbles too much. If he tries to back someone down in the paint, it's an almost guaranteed turnover. Might score 32...might score 5.
  • Casteneda - shooting 29% over his last 4 games. Formerly a 90% FT shooter, shooting at a 60% clip over his last 7 games.
  • Dawson - Hustles, defends, but he's a role player.
  • Clarke - Slowly improving, but can't be counted for anything other than spot duty night-in-night-out.
  • Aziz - Improving. But still a role-player. 
  • Tribble - He's like Dawson, but less of an offensive threat.
  • Wynn - 8 minute per game role player, at best. 
  • Trimble - sprinkles a few stellar nights of insane 3-point shooting amongst a sea of highly forgettable 2022 efforts. Not a great defender. Can't create his own shot...just looks to hoist it from 24 feet most of the time. 

These are the dog days of the MAC schedule. Driving 5 hours in the snow to play a horrible Bronco team, on a Tuesday night, after a bitter home loss to your rival, can't be a party. But that's part of the deal. The championship teams fight through it.

 

Kent, OU and Toledo are better than the Zips this year. But we can beat them on a given night. We could also lose to Duquesne if we played like we did last night. Man, that was one horrible effort in Kalamazoo.

 

 

Great post!!  We cannot win without X playing well.  If he dishes the ball to Ali on the last possession and Ali makes the 3 I do not believe they would lose to Western.  They played their worst game of the season yesterday.  I still think this team can advance in Cleveland.  Kent beat Toledo at Toledo and the Zips had the opportunity to beat Kent.  This team has some offensive weapons.  They just took the night off yesterday.  Lets see how we do tomorrow. 

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5 hours ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

The year's Zips team is a flawed one.

 

Other than Freeman, who can you bank on? 

 

  • Freeman - double-double every night, brings it on both ends of the floor. Plays within himself. A joy to watch, always.
  • Ali - Too indecisive. He's at his worst when he dribbles too much. If he tries to back someone down in the paint, it's an almost guaranteed turnover. Might score 32...might score 5.
  • Casteneda - shooting 29% over his last 4 games. Formerly a 90% FT shooter, shooting at a 60% clip over his last 7 games.
  • Dawson - Hustles, defends, but he's a role player.
  • Clarke - Slowly improving, but can't be counted for anything other than spot duty night-in-night-out.
  • Aziz - Improving. But still a role-player. 
  • Tribble - He's like Dawson, but less of an offensive threat.
  • Wynn - 8 minute per game role player, at best. 
  • Trimble - sprinkles a few stellar nights of insane 3-point shooting amongst a sea of highly forgettable 2022 efforts. Not a great defender. Can't create his own shot...just looks to hoist it from 24 feet most of the time. 

These are the dog days of the MAC schedule. Driving 5 hours in the snow to play a horrible Bronco team, on a Tuesday night, after a bitter home loss to your rival, can't be a party. But that's part of the deal. The championship teams fight through it.

 

Kent, OU and Toledo are better than the Zips this year. But we can beat them on a given night. We could also lose to Duquesne if we played like we did last night. Man, that was one horrible effort in Kalamazoo.

 

 

This is one of the best analysis of our team this season. I'll add one more point to it though. My point is that Groce knows all this too and he is at his wit's end on how to bring out the full potential of this team. We are at the end of the season. A time when Groce's teams have come together and started playing their best basketball. This team is not doing that. They are probably as good as they are going to get. They know it, Groce knows it and we see it. I don't fault Groce or the staff. They are doing the best they can. It's on the players when we continuously see poor passing, questionable defense, turnovers, launching 24 footers while completely guarded, looking for their own shot, poor foul shooting and lack of growth. Next year will be better. Groce will get the players he needs, but this year is what it is..... we can beat anyone, we can lose to anyone.

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2 hours ago, 72 Roo said:

This is one of the best analysis of our team this season. I'll add one more point to it though. My point is that Groce knows all this too and he is at his wit's end on how to bring out the full potential of this team. We are at the end of the season. A time when Groce's teams have come together and started playing their best basketball. This team is not doing that. They are probably as good as they are going to get. They know it, Groce knows it and we see it. I don't fault Groce or the staff. They are doing the best they can. It's on the players when we continuously see poor passing, questionable defense, turnovers, launching 24 footers while completely guarded, looking for their own shot, poor foul shooting and lack of growth. Next year will be better. Groce will get the players he needs, but this year is what it is..... we can beat anyone, we can lose to anyone.

All true ... but underneath all of this is leadership on the court. Really, after Carry, what player does KSU have that Akron would rather have? But it's clear that Carry and that other guard (No. 2) have some gonads to carry that team beyond their apparent limitations. Freeman can't do it all ... and right now he doesn't seem to have the voice of an on-court leader, which seems to be what the Zips might be lacking most. What player is holding other players accountable???

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17 minutes ago, RoyalBlu said:

All true ... but underneath all of this is leadership on the court. Really, after Carry, what player does KSU have that Akron would rather have? But it's clear that Carry and that other guard (No. 2) have some gonads to carry that team beyond their apparent limitations. Freeman can't do it all ... and right now he doesn't seem to have the voice of an on-court leader, which seems to be what the Zips might be lacking most. What player is holding other players accountable???

 

A rising tide indeed lifts all ships. Santiago is the only other player on that team worth a $h*t, but Carry was one of the best guards in the A10 and has torn it up in league play since they played Akron the first time. But Akron's biggest issue has been the lack of a vocal leader. It should be Ali, but he doesn't seem to want it. X is quiet as a church mouse. Freeman is a great big, but it's hard for post players to be leaders in that sense. I think most of this group's issues stem from the mental and leadership side of things. It's collectively a very talented, yet young, team that just doesn't seem to fit together that well. It's a shame.

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9 hours ago, LoyalZIP said:

 

A rising tide indeed lifts all ships. Santiago is the only other player on that team worth a $h*t, but Carry was one of the best guards in the A10 and has torn it up in league play since they played Akron the first time. But Akron's biggest issue has been the lack of a vocal leader. It should be Ali, but he doesn't seem to want it. X is quiet as a church mouse. Freeman is a great big, but it's hard for post players to be leaders in that sense. I think most of this group's issues stem from the mental and leadership side of things. It's collectively a very talented, yet young, team that just doesn't seem to fit together that well. It's a shame.

Malique Jacobs is really solid for them.  He doesn't jump out at you for his offense but contributes substantially in many other statistical categories.

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20 hours ago, RoyalBlu said:

My guess right now is 5th spot on All-MAC first team is down to BVD/Carter, Freeman, Plowden, Sparks, Shumate and Norman. (Sears, Rollins, Carry, JWilliams). And at least one of these guys won't even make second team. For a down year in the MAC, that's amazing.

 

Sears, Rollins, Carry, Freeman, Sparks, Shumate, Norman all return ... if the portal doesn't swallow them up.

 

 

7 hours ago, Reslife4Life said:

That’s what makes this team intriguing to watch. If we have the capability to beat anyone, who says we can’t win 3 in a row in Cleveland? Just because we lost at WMU doesn’t mean this team doesn’t have the potential do go on a run

This team is not unlike Groce's Sweet 16 team at Ohio.  They were slightly above average in league play but caught fire at tournament time.  You never know.

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1 hour ago, clarkwgriswold said:

Malique Jacobs is really solid for them.  He doesn't jump out at you for his offense but contributes substantially in many other statistical categories.

 

I would say he is mostly physically and mentally imposing. He's super athletic and has a good body, and plays his tail off especially on the defensive end. He is what I imagine Mikal Dawson to develop into if he sticks around for his whole career.

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Did anyone else notice how we choked this game.  Not as bad as Western at Akron where they blew and 11 point lead in the last 90 seconds but we blew a six point lead with about 2 minutes left.  It was a team effort. We had some absolutely terrible passes by Trimble, Dawson, and X.  Freeman missed 2 crucial foul shots.  There were some missed shots  and no offense the last 2 minutes except for an X three that was too little and too late.  Teamism at its worse.  I thought prior to this game Akron was playing its best ball of the season.  This team is capable of playing well and we just have to play our best ball in Cleveland.

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