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Worth noting just 71 players have filed as early entry candidates for NBA Draft 2026, the lowest total in over 20 years. With the player pool much smaller than usual, maybe there's a shot? I would think a summer camp invite, at least.

The Zips could play a little Ten team on the Road.

I am about as big of a soccer fan as there is, and my enthusiasm for the World Cup is modest, at best. I initially intended to go to several games in at least two different cities; Now, I won't be attending any. Politics have ruined it for most people already. I think the residual enthusiasm for the program from the Elite 8 is more significant.

We're done now aside from a walk-on.

https://akronzippedup.substack.com/?utm_campaign=pub&utm_medium=web A superb edition of Zipped Up! Lots of good stuff. Clears up a few things for me.

Hopefully, coming off the World Cup and the Zips Elite 8 run last year, there will be some decent crowds.

According to this most recent scholarship chart, I'm assuming we can really get one more portal signing before being done.

And they will be playing on a beautiful grass pitch. And some of them in decent weather 😄

I suspect the brakes on anything happening with Bowen will be on until the NCAA grants him another year of eligibility.

I was on a Caribbean cruise last week. There was a large group of passengers at the pool one day who were wearing outfits that had both the US and Canadian flags intertwined. Everyone at the pool ended up loudly singing both countries national anthem. It was a fun afternoon.

Thank you as always @Illini Zip

Zips add Buddy Hammer Jr.

The nuts shrivel every time they think of playing Zips Men's Soccer, especially in Akron.

Could still be added. He said they were still finalizing some dates!

I think it's possible to be argued that we can become as good or better in March, but I'm with you we will almost certainly take a step back during the regular season, particularly November/December. It will take us some time to be firing on all cylinders. Last season it just took us 1 half of basketball to work out the kinks. That's not going to happen this year.

I don't have a negative outlook at all. It would be pretty hard to not take a step back from a 29-win team who went 17-1 in conference. I think we'll be good. I think we'll contend in the MAC. But I don't expect a team as good as last year, and that's OK.

TJ, Amani, and Scott all deserve flowers. They are all timers. I think we assembled a good roster of guys. Now it will be up to Ford and the staff to Gel the team and build an offensive identity. As there is no clear order of who will be the leaders. I assume that will get worked out in summer works outs

I do believe that the team in Columbus.......is still recovering from the beatdown last fall.

I won't stand for TJ slander

Basketball 101 says points isn't the most important statistic for a PG. How does he set up the offense? How does he get his teammates involved? Does the ball move around when he's the floor general or does it die in his hands? When you take the most shots in the entire conference, you should score a lot of points. Now, him being 4th all time in assists is a better measuring stick, but all too often we saw him go LeBron/MJ iso on offense or take ill-advised shots in the paint, especially the second half of the season. Once we went away from All Gas No Brakes, his game shifted and the offense sputtered. Hard to say if last year happens if he's not here. The what if game can be played all day. Fact is he was and we 3Peated. Now he's not here and we will see who steps up into what roles. Prior to 2025-26, nobody knew if TJ was capable of being an All MAC PG. A lot of those question marks are surrounding this team right now with so many new pieces. I do not understand the negative outlook on next season. We won the MAC in 2024, lost an NBA player to the NBA draft, proceeded to win another MAC Title, lost the MAC POTY to Kansas State, and proceeded to win yet another MAC Title. Whatever formula Wentz & the staff have cooking deserves our trust. They've earned it. Ford hasn't been the HC but he has been the right hand man the entire time. For as many games as we won last season, there were a lot of complaints about our lapses and weaknesses, particularly on defense and in the post. We've solved those on paper. We're much, MUCH taller and deeper at the taller positions. Can we execute? We shall see, but the blueprint is in place to be a top, if not THE top team in the MAC again and our size/athleticism should match up better with out of conference opponents. Trust Ford, his staff, and Wentz. 2 of those guys especially have earned it. Go Zips.

Eliminate conference tournaments. Regular season winners get automatic bids. Let AI decide who gets in after that. Watching AI decide will be about as exciting as watching the P4 tournaments.

They love college sports. It is allowing them to get rich at the cost of destroying their employers institutions. It's not what they hate, it's who they hate. They hate fans of college athletics. They have made what used to be a simple trip to a game an all day affair that is way too expensive and time consuming.

I am a tad disappointed that there are no Little Ten teams on there to beat up on.

Since joining the MAC, LCJ is the only guard who scored more points in a Zips uniform than Tavari. TJ is also 4th all-time in assists. Part of three MAC Champions, and last year doesn't happen if he follows Nate in the portal. I agree his last game was disappointing, but he had a major impact as a Zip.