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I have no doubt after this weekend that Sharron and Eric will be ready to lead this team next year. We will need to use the open roster spots on immediate-impact transfers, but the path is there again for this team to reload and contend for 4 in a row. My biggest question is who fills Amani's role. The coaching staff seemed to lose faith in Barre, and Brisco wasn't able to push for any meaningful minutes this season. Quality portal bigs seem much more difficult to land, though.

A city the size of Akron should have a decent arena, plain and simple. Even completely ignoring the Zips there's no reason that the JAR is the only thing that exists in the decades since the Coliseum closed and it's seen no significant renovations. It's a joke. Both the city and UA deserve better. It's controversial, but a portion of the Ohio unclaimed funds should be going to Akron. If the Billionaires up in Cleveland get a big chunk, why can't we? If UA wants to keep Groce around they need to make some moves.

The Zips had the easiest path to a championship that I can remember and made it as difficult as possible. Three stressful games that shouldn't have been stressful at all. But in the end, the best team in the conference rose to the top.

Penn beats Yale in OT. Penn goes 100% from the FT line. The key to success in the Ivy League is never miss a free throw

3-Peat hats are now available. https://www.feartheroocollective.com/category/all-products

ESPN has us vs Kansas in OKC. Bring on the local kid.

USA Today has us playing Alabama in Philly with Miami as a play-in. There should be a pool to guess the selection bracket 😄

Very nice, thank you!

Too bad, Yale. Mullin choked at the end

It definitely fits true to size. I haven't washed my hoodie so I can't really say anything about that. It's made by New Era and what I've read online is they use shrink resistant materials.

Anyone know if the Fear the Roo Collective gear fits true to size or if the sweatshirt shrinks much in the wash? I’m about to have a whole new wardrobe.

I don't think the JAR is necessarily a dump. Nonetheless - if I were a player I'd rather play in a "dump" with a bag than a new arena without one. I don't think UA can pat their head and rub their stomach and do both with all the recent financial problems. Like someone else said, there is just better ROI in NIL.

Penn v Yale. Penn player has 40. made two 3s to force OT

They need NIL. Not an arena

Note differences in Groce post game Toledos. Ignore W vs L

Coach Groce and this program deserve a new arena. We could actually be special in Bball if we gave them some love. The JAR is a dump. I don't know how he has been so successful recruiting with it.

UMBC athletic department is savage.

https://open.substack.com/pub/akronzippedup/p/akron-zips-mens-basketball-weekly-1ad?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email Excellent summary of tournament from Zipped Up.

My biggest complaint about NET is it doesn't take into account things like injuries. For example any team that beat Buffalo in December and January beat a pretty good mid-major team. With Frietag out UB was objectively below average to bad mid-major. In the eyes of the metric it views December UB being equal to late February UB, but in reality those teams are night and day different.

The biggest problem with the net is that Kent on the road was borderline Q2 or Q3 all year. We beat them so bad on the road that it dropped them down and they were never able to recover enough for that win to make it a Q2 win for us

agree on st John's being worst

CBS Sports has Yale drawing St. John's and us vs. Wisconsin.

I wore mine yesterday and it's probably my favorite piece of Zips gear I own because of both its comfort and versatility. Can easily layer it during the winter and its still breathable enough to wear during spring/fall.

FWIW the new Academy Sports store is supposed to be opening this weekend at the N. Canton Strip. It's outside Akron city limits so not sure if they will have any Zips gear 🫤

I mostly follow mid-major basketball so I asked chatGBT who Akron is most likely to face in round 1 and which of those opponents presents the most favorable matchup. ChatGBT didn't mention it but UNC NBA draft lottery player is out for the year. Best Matchups for Akron 1. Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball Why it favors Akron: Plays a slower, more half-court style Defense is usually solid but not overwhelming athletically Akron’s disciplined offense could operate comfortably Upset profile: Teams like Vanderbilt historically lose more 5-vs-12 games because they don’t overwhelm opponents physically. 2. North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball Why it could be manageable: Fast tempo but sometimes inconsistent shooting If Akron controls pace and limits transition, it becomes a half-court game UNC teams seeded around 5 sometimes have defensive lapses Risk: rebounding disadvantage. Tougher Matchups 3. Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball Why it’s difficult: Extremely athletic SEC roster Pressure defense and transition scoring Can overwhelm mid-majors physically Arkansas-type teams are usually under-seeded on the 5 line, making them dangerous. Worst Matchup St. John's Red Storm men's basketball Why it’s the hardest draw: Elite defensive pressure Forces turnovers and speeds teams up Physical rebounding team For a MAC champion like Akron, this is the exact style that causes problems—constant pressure and athletic depth. ✅ Best → Worst matchup order Vanderbilt (best) North Carolina Arkansas St. John’s (worst)