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If I'm to be honest I'm not sure there is much college basketball could do to grow in popularity. March Madness does extend into April already. The Final Four this year extends from April 4-6. If they pushed it to start in April then you would be competing directly with the Masters (April 6th-12th), NFL Draft (April 23rd-25th), NBA Playoffs (starts April 18th), and MLB opening day (it already overlaps slightly here but bulk of tournament is over beforehand). IMO March Madness wouldn't be what it is today if it had to directly compete with those other events that I mentioned. You might disagree and that's okay. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

From Nate Ulrich of the ABJ: Groce 'not even thinking about' job market after loss "In a one-on-one interview after Akron was eliminated from March Madness, the Beacon Journal asked Groce whether he plans to interview elsewhere this offseason. "What I would tell you is right now I'm not even thinking about that," Groce said. "I don't answer those questions, obviously, especially today when today's the day about our five seniors. This whole deal should be all about them and all about the team and the success that we've had. So, that's my comment at this time.""

If Groce left, I think they'd offer it to Dustin. He'd then have to decide how much he wants to be a head coach. He could be the head coach at UA or head assistant at a P5 where he's likely get paid better than as HC at UA.

He had a year at OSU where he played 17 minutes. That's the year they're trying to get disregarded.

In the postgame yesterday, the radio guys said they may petition for one more year for Bowen. I didn’t realize that might be a thing.

What is interesting is that Groce seems to prefer the fast pace style, but our closest shot at winning an NCAA Tournament game was playing at a slower pace - the final score of the UCLA game was 57-53. But maybe that was our closest shot because we had a future NBA player on the roster.

I'm not opposed to this, but it doesn't address the major problem college basketball is having. Basically, it's like crapping your pants then changing your shirt. The problem CBB is having is the regular season is getting squeezed out by the college football playoff and NFL playoffs on the front end leaving less time for regular fans to pay close attention so everything becomes about March Madness. My questions are these. Why does it have to be March Madness? Why couldn't it be April Madness? Could it be May Madness? Could the season be pushed back to starting a month later and have more time for fan interest to grow? Is it easier for fans in many parts of the country to get to regular season games in January/February or March/April? Now that the players are professionals, school doesn't matter so play whenever it makes it possible for people to be more interested in the sport.

Exactly.

Not only is it hard to exert maximum effort on both ends of the court, by playing fast you are increasing the number of possessions for both you and your opponent.

Everything hinges on if Groce stays or leaves. Assuming he stays, Sharron and Eric are the obvious top retention targets. What's unique is Groce & Co. will essentially have a blank slate to work with. If Eric and Sharron return, that doesn't lock the program into any specific style of play. If they want to return to a slower style, they can get Portal guys to fit. If they want to maintain a faster style, they can get Portal guys to fit. It's a very malleable roster right now and that's exciting.

I definitely think Sharron and Eric have the capability of getting offers, but would be shocked if they get something we can’t compete with. They are primed to be focal points of the team next year and we’re just role players this season. Good at times, ok at other times. The time to be concerned about them will be after next season IMO. I have high hopes for Oggie and hope he doesn’t leave. To me he looked the part in his limited playing time. Probably time for Briscoe to move on.

We need to remember that the pace at which the Zips play on offense detracts from their defense. You can't play at 100% on both ends of the floor. The highest scoring teams generally also give up the highest number of points. The Zips also make some choices in the defense they play. If you pay attention, you see them sag off on the side away from the ball to play help defense if necessary. That's great for helping in the post and on penetration but can be exploited at times on the perimeter. The team also has some players that just don't have the physical skills or size to be great defenders. Despite all of that they were 4th in average points surrendered in the MAC so it wasn't all bad.

You beat me to it @Zippy87! I think the big school vultures may come for Evan and Sharron. I have to hope that the way the Zips have treated the Mahaffeys this season will get him to stay. Sharron will be a junior and has been shown a lot of love and you have to hope that sways him. They're certainly the top returners (with Bowen if he gets another year). As for exits, I don't see a role going forward for Briscoe. I could also see Oggie being disenchanted with his role and moving on. Cody Head and the red-shirt freshman should contribute next year. Groce had a negative big school experience and I have to hope his very positive experience here and being the king of his kingdom is enough for him to resist approaches from other schools. They'll contend. They have the best staff and the best financial support in the MAC. Those alone will keep them in the mix.

Another fun season in the books which saw Akron make history as the first team to win three straight MAC Tournament titles. Now comes a pivotal offseason for the program. Does Groce stay? Which players stay/go? Can Akron rebuild on the fly and contend again next year?

I have a whole new appreciation for this guy.

What's clear is that Amy Acton now has a place to live rent-free.

He would've signed that extension if he was 100% staying.

Steele doesn't sound like a coach planning to leave.

Terry Pluto: Groce could be a hot name for several openings, such as Butler, where he once was an assistant. His mentor is Thad Matta, who is retiring as Butler’s head coach – but he will be part of the group looking for a replacement. But Groce also has been very content at Akron. He never seems to be looking for another job. He has something very special with the Zips and seems to know it. He will have to rebuild, as key players Lyles, Johnson, Scott and Evan Mahaffey are out of eligibility. Groce will probably figure it out and add players to keep Akron among the MAC’s elite programs. That’s something to remember on this day when the Zips’ season ended.

Jarrod Calhoun seems like the favorite at Cincinnati. Ronald Nored is the name most mentioned for Butler, although Groce and Steele would certainly be candidates there. Boston College has been mentioned for Groce, too. Butler is the job I am worried about the most. Like you said, this is going to move fairly quickly.

I thought we needed a game like we had at Kent where the 3 ball was being shot at a high percentage. This team when it is shooting the 3 ball at 40% or above can hang with the big boys but that just did not happen today. It was not the defense because we had the open looks and we made some tough 3 balls. It is just playing at your best in the NCAA tourney. The Zips did not play their best in Cleveland and we were able to win. Not going to happen today.