Leaderboard

Thank you very much for the kind words. I think is was roughly 18 years ago that we began ZipsNation.org. Seven of us met outside Porky's Shop and pitched in some money to get the site started. @Zip Watcher did the original heavy lifting to set up the server and work with Invision. He's also the guy that came up with the "ZipsNation.org" name. Now-a-days "XYZ Nation" is everywhere. Back then is was more novel...and pretty perfect. Although he doesn't post much anymore, he continues to help with the server updates and issues. And keeping the domain name valid. And probably some other stuff I'm unaware of. Beyond participating, @ZZZips helps fund the site, paying for the server. This is greatly appreciated. In addition to his stellar photography skills and posts, @Dr Z has taken over the technical side of things, installing the updates to keep the site modern and running smoothly. This is not his specialty...he has learned this side of the internet on his own and the site would not exist if he hadn't stepped up and volunteered to do this. I pay the bi-yearly Invision fees. And I am the "heavy" when things occasionally get out of control, or improper content gets posted. I'm happy that doesn't happen too often anymore. Which ties into the closing thoughts - At the recent March MAC tournament two different people whom I, at best, casually know approached me to say how much they enjoyed the ZipsNation site. And what a great community of members we have. This is a "community"...with are scores of "regulars" that keep the site fresh, informational and interesting. And there are several hundred "lurkers" who check-in daily. Keeping the discussions on a high/professional level is what I want. No "professional" like everyone should write like Grantland Rice, but that everyone should be civil and respectful. The class exhibited by this site's members allowed me and Dr.Z being able to work with UA on the athletics stories and photography up through the COVID era. Several coaches over the years have told me "I don't read ZipsNation, but I have people that do. And they tell me you run a nice site." Of course, when I asked newly-hired Rob Ianello if I could stop by his office and interview him, he stuck his open hand in my face and stated - "We had FIVE fans sites covering us at Notre Dame...FIVE!" In conclusion - thanks to everyone in this community for making the site fun and informational for 18+ years. Who knows how long it will continue, but those of us that fund and run it are grateful that so many of you enjoy it, and contribute to making it great.

Lots of folks b-wording online about diversity and replacing a woman with a man and Jackson got screwed and BLAH BLAH BLAH Today was the first real action toward turning the page and getting back to the winning culture that Kest was able to build for a handful of years. I don’t want any more “atta boy” and “atta girl.” I want to go back to beating Kent once or twice a year—at least. I want to regularly advance in the tournament. I want to play for championships. So little of the discourse is about that. It’s all about feelings and politics and all that nonsense. The nonsense that losers and complainers like to get caught up in. I much prefer discourse about winning, recruiting, play style, etc. For those fans “leaving” that are telling the program to “enjoy not having fans,” well, we have the worst attendance in the league so nothing is changing. Instead of being divisive and whiny, let’s show some TEAMISM and be #1Akron. Go Zips!!!!

This will be my 53rd year as a season ticket holder. I consider my two club seats a bargain. At $500 each I get a parking pass and great club amenities for 5 games. By comparison, I attended a Cavs game recently where a lower level seat went for the same price for one game! Zips athletic events are a bargain.

Garvin Clarke, Kobe Mitchell and Prince Mosengo depart. Zips add Shammah Scott.

I'll be rooting for Garvin wherever he ends up. I get it, and he wasn't my first choice to take the reins next year at PG, but he seemed to be a good kid that worked hard and represented our school well

Its like this board thinks just like the coaching staff. Refreshing for sure. I like Garvin, but probably not a complete and consistent enough player for a program like Akron. Thanks for his contributions and hope he finds success as his new home. At this point, I personally hope we don't lose anyone else. If I had to pick 3 from the roster to look for a better fit, the three who are leaving are it.

Ali Ali

Wife and I renewed ours two seats in section 208 for $198. That’s a great value IMO. We would blow that much going to dinner and a movie. Looking forward to more tailgating next season. Recently purchased a Jeep Gladiator. The bed has an enough room for the Traeger pellet smoker, a cooler, and a couple of chairs 👍🏼. We didn’t get to do any tailgating last year because we were still living out of state and didn’t get to attend many games.

The MAC commissioner just issued a statement that if Buffalo does not keep this within 20 points or if Evan Wilson enters the game, they will be required to add a direction to their name.

That's the value of a great AD. The AD's that select a coach because he was from Notre Dame (Ianello & Faust)...the son/daughter of a famous coach (Will/Bo Ryan, Bill/Lisa Fitch)...a "NE Ohio" Girl/Guy...those AD's are a dime a dozen. They have no better acumen for selecting a coach that the everyday yutsz that calls sports talk shows all day long. How does Toledo reload year-in-year-out...coach-in-coach-out? Not just in football, but most other sports too. It's because they have high standards and great leadership. At best, that's been hit and miss at UA for the 38 years I've been in Summit County. Professionally - I've sat in on so many group interviews where the job candidate was poorly prepared, or lacked the acumen to do the job for which they were interviewing, and many other interviewers loved the candidate. Because they dressed well...spoke well...were from the same region or college...they never dug deeper than that. And the bums often get the job. AD's are no different. To me the jury's still out on Guthrie. We'll see how this hire goes. If he's a great AD, he asked the right questions in the interviews, called the guy's references and asked them the right questions, and went with a gut feeling based upon those discussions and what he knows are key elements to being a successful head coach at Akron...where your budget isn't big...you have scant NIL potential...and where your fan base is paltry. It seems really simple, but that's pretty much it. You need to be able to identify coaching diamonds in the rough at Akron. Jay Wright or Dawn Staley aren't knocking the door down to coach here. But "The Next Jay Wright or Dawn Staley" is out there and needs his/her break. A great AD will identify them. Then it's lather-rinse-and-repeat when they ultimately get hired away. If your mid-major athletic dept has high standards and great leadership, that's how it goes.

It isn't a discussion thread if someone espouses only their point of view, and won't listen to an alternate thought or perspective.

Does anyone remember a time when this board used to be dead after the season. I think I have seen more posts the last few weeks then I have during some games. Times are changing.

West Virginia Wesleyan?

My post earlier was worded the way it was because I originally was going to post them then but found some information on one that I decided I needed to check on the rest of them. I probably should have just deleted that post instead of wording it the way I did 🤐 I narrowed my list from 20 names to 12 names due to recent changes (Example: I had Michigan State associate head coach, Dean Lockwood, on my list but he was just named interim head coach as their head coach just retired). I decided to get rid of some other names that may not be as realistic (Notre Dame's Carol Owens, Maryland's Karen Blair, and some others). Some of these below might not be realistic, but I could see any of them (Gandy is the biggest long shot probably, but I decided to keep him on here). Below are names based on three levels of coaching at the moment: - D2/D3/NAIA head coaches that have excelled with their program. - D1 head coach that may consider Akron as not a lateral move and/or has a connection to Guthrie - D1 assistant coach that may consider taking a head coaching position Below I added some highlights from their Bio Profile (I have a link to it under their name) in case you want to read more about any of them. Division II Head Coach Kim Stephens, Glenville State (West Virginia) - Seventh year as the Head Coach at Glenville State. 190-23 overall as the Head Coach of the Lady Pioneers. In her seven seasons at Glenville, the Lady Pioneers have gone (132-12) in conference play - Last season they finished (35-1) overall, (22-0) in the league, and won the 2022 NCAA Division II Championship.. It marked the second time they finished conference play undefeated during her tenure. Stephens was named the WBCA National Coach of the year, MEC Women’s Sports Coach of the Year, and earned the Furfari Award for the State’s top College Coach. - During her first season (2016-17) at the helm of the Lady Pioneers, Stephens led the team to the MEC Regular Season Championship with a (24-6) (18-4) record and a berth in the NCAA DII Tournament. She was named to the WBCA Coaches Thirty Under 30 presented by Marriott Rewards® honorees for the 2016-17 season. - In 2019-20, she and the Lady Pioneers claimed their fourth straight MEC Regular Season Championship and their third straight MEC Tournament Championship as they finished with a 26-5 overall record and went 19-3 in conference play. They also punched their fourth straight ticket to the NCAA Tournament however it would end up being canceled due to COVID-19. - A native of Parkersburg, W.Va., Stephens graduated from Glenville State in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in sport management with a minor in psychology. She earned a Master’s Degree in Education from Ohio Valley University in 2012 and is also a certified personal trainer through the International Sports Science Association. Before her previous stint as an Assistant Coach for the Lady Pioneers, she also spent three seasons at Sacramento State from 2013 to 2016. Kari Pickens, Ashland (Ohio) - Has guided Ashland to a 139-15 record, four conference tournament titles, three conference regular-season championships and five NCAA Division II tournament berths in her first five seasons as head coach. - In her first season leading the Eagles in 2018-19, Pickens went 29-3 overall and 18-2 in the GLIAC, and AU won its fourth consecutive GLIAC Tournament championship and made its fifth consecutive NCAA Division II postseason appearance. - The 2019-20 season saw Ashland finish 31-0 overall and 20-0 in the GLIAC, as the Eagles won both the GLIAC regular-season and tournament championships. Pickens was named the GLIAC Coach of the Year, and Ashland qualified for the NCAA Division II postseason, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. - At River View High School, Pickens was a two-time first-team all-Ohio selection. In 2009, she was the Ohio co-Player of the Year. Pickens was a member of two state-championship teams (2006-07) and a state runner-up (2009). - She succeeded Robyn Fralick, the current Bowling Green head coach. She was an assistant under Fralick for the three seasons Fralick was the head coach at Ashland. NAIA Head Coach Jeff Hans, Thomas More (Kentucky) - 12th season as the head women's basketball coach at Thomas More University with a 320-30 record (.914), eight conference regular season titles, eight conference tournament titles, 11 national tournament berths, including two NCAA Division III National Championships, one NAIA National Championship, and one NAIA National Runner-up. - In his first season (2011-12) on the Thomas More sidelines, Hans led the Saints to a 25-5 overall record and a 17-1 record in the PAC. Along the way, the Saints won their seventh straight PAC regular season title, sixth straight PAC Championship Tournament title and made their sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament, where they advanced to the second round. - In his fifth season (2015-16), Hans who guided the Saints to an undefeated season (33-0) and won National Championship as the team defeated No. 7-ranked Tufts University, 63-51, in the title game in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was named the Division III National Coach of the Year by D3hoops.com and DIII News. - Hans guided the Saints to a 33-0 record his eighth season (2018-19). The team won the American Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) Conference Tournament and won 2019 NCAA Division III National Championship as it defeated third-ranked Bowdoin College, 81-67, in the championship game played in Salem, Virginia. - In his ninth season (2019-20), Hans led the Saints to a 22-10 overall record, including a 9-7 record in Mid-South Conference play, in Thomas More's first season competing in NAIA. The Saints were runners-up in the Mid-South Conference Tournament and received an at-large bid to the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championships prior to the cancellation of the tournament. Thomas More was one of the best-shooting teams in the nation, ranking eighth in three-point percentage (36.3) and ninth in field goal percentage (44.6). The Saints defeated three teams that were ranked in the NAIA Division I Top 25, including a 69-58 victory over No. 2 Campbellsville in the semifinals of the Mid-South Conference Tournament. - In his tenth season (2020-2021), Hans led the Saints to a 32-2 overall record and 19-1 in the conference and was named Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year. The Saints were champions in the Mid-South Conference regular season and the tournament. They were also NAIA National Championship tournament runners-up. Hans led the team to a No. 1 spot in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches' poll two times during the season. - In his 11th season (2021-2022), Hans led the Saints to a 32-4 overall record and 19-2 in the conference and was named Mid-South Conference Women's Basketball Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year, NAIA Women's Basketball National Coach of the Year, and WhoopDirt.com Coach of the Year. The Saints won their first ever NAIA National Tournament Championship and were the first ever Mid-South Conference Women's Basketball Team to win the title. - Hans came to Thomas More from Northern Kentucky University, where he was the top assistant on Nancy Winstel's women's basketball staff for the past three seasons. He assisted in all areas of coaching, scouting and recruiting for the Norse. He spent four years as a head girls basketball coach in Kentucky as he was at Lexington Catholic from 2006-2008 and St. Henry from 2004-2006. In his four years as a high school head coach, he had an 89-34 record and won two district titles and finished as regional runner-up twice. Prior to his four years at the high school level, Hans spent five years as an assistant at the college level. He was an assistant at Division I Indiana State University from 2002-2004, graduate assistant at NKU from 2001-2002 and an assistant at Wilmington College from 1999-2001. Hans, a 1999 graduate from Wilmington College helped his teams go a combined 168-67 (.714) in his eight years as an assistant at the collegiate level. Division I Head Coach Megan Griffith, Columbia - Seventh season as head coach of the Columbia women's basketball program. Her six-year tenure as head coach have combined to be the winningest six-year stretch in the NCAA Division I history of the program. Over that time, the Lions have earned seven power-conference wins, including their first victories over opponents from the ACC and Big East. Columbia has also qualified for the Ivy League Tournament in each of its last two seasons, playing in the championship game in 2021-22 before accepting the program's first bid to the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). - The 2021-22 season was a landmark year for Griffith and the Lions. Griffith coached Columbia to its winningest season in program history, going 25-7 overall with a 12-2 Ivy League record. The Lions shattered several team records and accomplished many program firsts throughout the season, which included starting the season 5-0, defeating an ACC opponent on the road (Clemson), winning a program-record eight consecutive games, starting Ivy League play 7-0, competing in and winning its first postseason game in 36 years, competing in its first Ivy League Tournament, advancing to the tournament championship game, and advancing to the quarterfinals of its first WNIT. Columbia’s run to the WNIT quarterfinals is the deepest by any team and Ivy League history, and included victories over Patriot League champion Holy Cross, Old Dominion and Boston College. The Lions came back from as many as 17 points down to defeat the Eagles on March 24 at Levien Gymnasium, marking the largest comeback to win a game in program history. - At the Women's Final Four in Minneapolis, Griffith was named the 2021-22 CBB Analytics Women's Basketball Coach of the Year by the Asian Coaches Association. Griffith was honored with the award at the Association's Women's Basketball Coaches Conference. - Prior to her return to Columbia, Griffith spent six seasons at Princeton, including her last four as an assistant coach and the team’s recruiting coordinator. She also served as the Tigers’ director of basketball operations from 2010-12. The last two years, Griffith has helped Princeton make back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament. During that span, the Tigers posted a 54-7 overall record, including an undefeated 30-0 regular season in 2014-15, and a 26-2 mark in Ivy League play. Kevin Borseth, UW-Green Bay - 36th season as a head coach in 2022-23, and 20th overall with the Green Bay Phoenix. He owns one of the best records in all of college basketball at 778-306. Borseth ranks 16th all-time among NCAA women's basketball coaches in total wins and sixth among active coaches. - Borseth's overall record at Green Bay stands at 466-136 and 264-39 in the Horizon League. In 25 seasons as a Division I head coach with stops at Green Bay and the University of Michigan, Borseth is 553-209. - He returned to Green Bay in the spring of 2012 after spending five seasons as the head coach at the University of Michigan, where he compiled an 87-73 record in five seasons. He took over a program that had won just 21 games in the prior three seasons combined, and led the Wolverines to 19 wins and a postseason berth in his first season in 2007-08. Borseth led the Wolverines to three postseasons, including a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2012, the program's first since 2000-01. - In Borseth's second stint with Green Bay, they had six regular season championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in five of its seven postseason appearances. All told, the 36-year head coaching veteran has an impressive record of 776-306 in his stints at Michigan Tech (1987-1998), Green Bay (1998-2007, 2012-pres.), and Michigan (2007-2012). During his time at Green Bay, Borseth was named the conference coach of the year seven times and led the program to its first two NCAA Tournament victories with wins over Washington in 2003 and New Mexico in 2007. Ayla Guzzardo, SE Louisiana - In her five seasons at the helm of the Southeastern program, the Lady Lions have increased their overall winning percentage each season. Guzzardo led SLU to back-to-back winning seasons in 2020-21 and 2021-22 - the first time the program has accomplished that feat since the 1994-95 and 1995-96 campaigns. - In her first season as the head coach at Southeastern, the Lady Lions posted their highest win total in both overall games and conference games since the 2013-14 season. The Lady Lions topped their overall win total again in 2018-19. - In 2019-20, Guzzardo led her squad back to the Southland Conference Tournament for the first time since the 2011-12 season. The 2020-21 Lady Lions enjoyed their best season under Guzzardo, posting an 11-8 overall record and a 10-5 mark in Southland Conference play - the program's best marks in both overall and in league action since 2008-09. SLU earned a best-ever second-place finish in the Southland standings and earned a berth in the Southland Conference Tournament semifinals. - The 2021-22 Southeastern squad took a further step forward, finishing 16-11 overall and 10-4 in conference play. SLU picked up their first two wins in Southland Conference Tournament play since the 2001-02 season and advanced to the SLC Tournament championship game for the first time in school history. - The Hammond, Louisiana native began representing her hometown university after spending four seasons on the staff at Akron. During her time with the Zips, Guzzardo worked with the point guards and coached Kasie Cassell, who led the nation with 7.8 assists per game in 2012-13. Guzzardo also worked with four 1,000-point career scorers during her time in Akron. In her last season with Akron, Guzzardo was a member of head coach Jodi Kest's staff that helped the team to its first-ever MAC Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. The 2013-14 Zips ranked among the national leaders in scoring offense (13th) and assists (7th), while Hanna Luburgh (22.2 ppg) and Rachel Tecca (22.1 ppg) was the nation's top scoring tandem. Tracy Sanders, Southern Utah - Fifth year as head coach of the Southern Utah University women's basketball team with 78-66 overall record and 51-38 conference record. Southern Utah was 3-27 overall, 2-16 in conference play the year prior to being hired. Their records since then have been 8-23 (4-16), 18-13 (11-9), 11-9 (6-5), 18-12 (14-6), and currently 23-9 (16-2) with an NCAA Tournament berth. - During her first season at the helm of the program the team won eight games, improving their previous season total by more than double. Their eight total wins and four conference wins were the most the team had had since 2014-15. They picked up huge wins over BYU, the University of San Diego, and Utah Valley during their non-conference schedule and also won their first Big Sky Championship Tournament game since 2013-14 taking down Montana in the first round - The 2019-20 team saw major improvements and put together one of the best seasons in recent memory. They won 18 total games and 11 conference games, the most since the 2013-14 season when they won a share of the Big Sky title. They also had their second-best all-time scoring season with 2,186 points scored, and set a new record for three-pointers made in a season with 197.They also finished the 2019-20 academic year with a team GPA of 3.742, good enough for No. 5 in the country. - The 2021-22 season was one of the best in Southern Utah's Division I history. Sanders led SUU to an 18-12 overall record and 14-6 mark in Big Sky play. The 14 conference victories were the second most in SUU program history, as they claimed a second-place finish in the regular season conference standings. The conclusion of the 2021-22 season marked the first time since 1993-96 that Southern Utah compiled three consecutive winning seasons. Division I Assistant Coach Justine Raterman, Marquette - The 2022-23 campaign marks the fourth year at Marquette University for Justine Raterman, who joined head coach Megan Duffy's staff in April of 2019. She serves as recruiting coordinator for the Golden Eagles and excels in post player development - Before coming to Marquette, Raterman served as an assistant coach for the Miami Redhawks in the 2018-2019 campaign. She was on the sidelines as Miami posted back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since the 1980’s, earning two WNIT berths along the way. The Redhawks reached the MAC Tournament semifinals in two consecutive years, while a 44-20 record over the span was the winningest record in the MAC. In her first year as an assistant coach for Miami, Raterman saw a trio of players selected to the All-MAC squad. With the RedHawks, Justine’s responsibilities included guard and post player development, recruiting, scouting, and liaison with academic services. - Before arriving at Miami, Raterman spent the previous three years as an operations research analyst at Booz Allen Hamilton where she worked at the Air Force Research Laboratory as part of the modeling, simulation and analysis team. She helped create files that formed tools that parse, organize and visualize large data sets so clients were better able to use the data. Calamity McEntire, Illinois - Calamity McEntire enters her first season as associate head coach for the Fighting Illini women's basketball program in 2022-23. - McEntire, who brings more than 16 years of Division I coaching experience, most recently served as an assistant coach at the University of Texas. At Illinois, she will serve her second stint alongside Green after previously working as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator on her staff for four seasons at Dayton - During the 2021-22 season at Texas, McEntire’s impact was immediately felt as the Longhorns posted a 29-7 record and claimed the Big 12 Tournament Championship en route to an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight. UT reached as high as No. 6 in the national rankings and the program’s 29 victories marked its most in six seasons, while the team’s championship run was the first for the Longhorns since 2003. - Prior to her time at Dayton, McEntire spent one season at Hawai’i (2016-17) and four seasons at Arizona (2012-16) where she served as the Wildcats’ recruiting coordinator. There, she helped the Wildcats sign a top-25 class in 2014, the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history at the time. - She also gained a wealth of knowledge from legendary coach Pat Summit while she worked as a manager at Tennessee from 2001-03. Glenn Box, Indiana - Glenn Box begins his seventh season and third as associate head coach with Indiana Women’s Basketball in 2022-23. - He helped the Hoosiers to a historic season during his first year in 2016-17, advancing to the WNIT quarterfinals and a program-record 23 wins. It marked the first time in school history that IU has posted back-to-back 20-win seasons and the first back-to-back winning seasons since 2007-08 and 2008-09 - Box was instrumental in the Hoosiers success in 2020-21, helping to lead the program to an NCAA Elite Eight appearance for the first time in school history and in the process knocking off top seeded North Carolina State. Indiana went on to finish 21-6 overall for its sixth-consecutive 20-win season and won a program record 16 games in Big Ten play to earn its highest finish in school history with a No. 2 seed. The program also spent every week of the regular season in the Top 25 and finished a program-high No. 12 in the AP poll and No. 10 in the coaches poll. - The 2021-22 Hoosiers continued its upward trajectory as it finished with an overall record of 24-9 and second-straight NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance. The Hoosiers advanced to its first Big Ten Tournament championship game in 20 years and earned its highest ever seed in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed while hosting first and second games in Bloomington. Indiana also spent the entire 2021-22 season ranked in the Top 25 national polls rising as high as No. 4 in the Associated Press and No. 5 in the USA Today/WBCA coaches poll. - In 2015-16, Box helped SLU set program records for overall wins (26-8), conference wins (13-3), overall winning percentage (.765), conference winning percentage (.813), home wins (24) and road victories (10) as the Billikens won a share of the program’s first ever Atlantic 10 Conference championship. Saint Louis was the No. 2 seed for the A-10 Championship, its highest seed ever, and SLU reached the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time in school history. - Prior to his second stint at Saint Louis, Box coached two years at Akron in 2012-13 and 2013-14. During his tenure, the Zips played in the 2014 NCAA Tournament after winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship in 2014. In 2012-13, Akron won the East Division of the MAC going 14-4 in conference play. Carla Morrow, Ohio State - Morrow began her Ohio State coaching career in September of 2019 following a three-year run as an assistant coach for the WNBA’s Chicago Sky. She was promoted to associate head coach in August of 2021. - The 2019-20 season was a good first season for Morrow and the Buckeyes from a development standpoint. The team welcomed in seven new players to the roster, and while there were ups and downs, the team was playing its best basketball down the stretch. The Buckeyes won six in-a-row in February, 10 out of their final 13 overall and made a run to the Big Ten Tournament Championship game. They were projected as anywhere from a five, six or seven seed in the NCAA Tournament before the COVID-19 outbreak put a halt to the sports world. Overall, they were 21-12 and finished fifth in the Big Ten at 11-7. - The Buckeyes won a share of the Big Ten regular season championship in 2021-22, finishing the conference schedule with a 14-4 record. Ohio State did not lose to an unranked team during Big Ten play. OSU went on to earn a six-seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017. OSU earned three ranked wins during the 2021-22 season, first beating No. 12/11 Maryland at home before taking care of business at No. 21/24 Iowa. The Buckeyes' most convincing ranked win came in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at No. 8/9 LSU by a 79-64 margin. - Morrow also served as an assistant coach for McGuff for four seasons at Xavier from 2007-11. They captured six A-10 Championships (regular season & tournament) and advanced to four NCAA Tournaments highlighted by an Elite Eight appearance with McGuff in 2010. Winston Gandy, Duke - Joined the Duke women’s basketball staff as an assistant coach in July of 2020. He was elevated to associate head coach on July 1, 2022. - Before arriving in Durham, Gandy spent three years on the Rice University women’s basketball staff, helping guide the Owls to three straight 20-win seasons, including one NCAA Tournament appearance and one Conference USA Championship. - Part of one of the best stretches in Rice women’s basketball history, Gandy helped the Owls to a 72-22 overall record and a 42-8 mark in Conference USA action over that three-year period. In 2018-19, the Owls won a school single-season record 28 games that featured an appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the school’s first Conference USA Tournament title. - Prior to his coaching stint at Rice, Gandy spent three years in the NBA - one season as an assistant coach and two years as the coordinator of player development with the Washington Wizards.

In order to have effective practices you need multiple players at every position. You don't want your key players banging on each other day after day. Coaches bring in guys with potential to fill the role of practice opponents. Often these guys have attributes like size or speed but are not very polished. Sometimes these players seize this opportunity and impress the coaches enough to warrant future playing time. Sometimes they never progress. This is the way we got Freeman.

Any discussion on KD needs to look at Akron KD vs KD now. KD built Akron's program with four-year players. His staff would find diamonds in the rough and develop them into really good players. Romeo Travis, Dru Joyce, Jeremiah Wood, Isaiah Johnson, Nikola Cvetinovic, Steve McNees, the McKnight brothers, etc - none of them were highly recruited out of HS. And they were so good at this that they reached the MAC Championship in 9 out of 11 years (and 7 straight) while reaching The Dance three times. "20 wins and that's it" is utter nonsense. He was a great coach here. But the college basketball landscape has changed over the last few years. With the transfer portal filled up every summer, 4-year players at mid-majors are becoming less and less common. NIL money is drawing players away from mid-majors even more now. His intense style probably isn't well-suited for an atmosphere where you have to re-recruit your entire roster every year either. I think, like many great coaches before him, the game has evolved beyond him. That doesn't mean he wasn't a great coach for us - he was - he revived Akron basketball. It's possible to be appreciative of his time here and wish him the best while simultaneously being excited for what Groce is building.

I'm a huge fan of Whitesell and what he's doing at Buffalo. They should give him a lifetime contract.

**** Shaka Smart and the horse he road in on.

QUARTERBACK Redshirt senior DJ Irons landed on the All-MAC 3rd team despite missing several games in 2022. Senior Jeff Undercuffler filled in admirably in DJI’s absence. Redshirt sophomore Ryan Jankowski, redshirt freshman Dijon Jennings, and true freshman Steele Wasel will compete for snaps, but probably will not see much playing time this season. RUNNING BACK Last year, redshirt juniors Cam Wiley and CJ Price split time and neither back was able to separate himself from the pack. Former 5 star (and current 3 star) Florida grad transfer Lorenzo Lingard has entered the fold. Best bet is Lingard will earn the starting spot by the time the season rolls around. What role does redshirt freshman Charles Kellom play? He exhibited a subtle shiftiness and the ability to quickly change gears during limited playing time, which was hard to detect from his high school film. WIDE RECEIVER 1st Team All-MAC junior Alex Adams has the slot locked down and is backed by sophomore Bobby Golden. Redshirt senior Daniel George was curiously left off an all-conference team last season. George was backed by junior Caleb Anderson who may have a chance to compete for SJL’s old role. Although, Western Kentucky transfer redshirt junior Dakota Thomas will probably have first crack. Redshirt sophomore Jasaiah Gathings flashed early in 2022 before an injury derailed his season. This may be redshirt sophomore Myles Walker and redshirt junior Anthony Williams last chance to make an impact. TIGHT END Snaps were split almost evenly last season between redshirt senior TJ Banks and former Zip Tristan Brank. Redshirt sophomore Caden Clark and redshirt freshman Marquell Darnell are the likely candidates to push Banks for time. OFFENSIVE LINE Gauging by the recent outgoing offers, it is pretty clear that the staff is still searching for interior OL help. Sophomore Ka’Marii Landers and junior Nate Williams have the left and right tackles locked down. Junior Ronan Chambers is the top backup at the tackle spots. Redshirt juniors Tony Georges and Alex Robarge, along with redshirt sophomore Brian Kilbane are the current leaders on the interior. That being said, expect some push from redshirt freshmen Tyhler Williams and Keylen Davis. Redshirt sophomore Colin Lyons returns from injury and redshirt freshman Jourden Hale-Frater may be ready to contribute. Freshman Jayvin James is on campus, but is probably not ready to compete for significant minutes. DEFENSIVE TACKLE Redshirt senior Ravontae Holt should finally be at full strength. He was a wrecking ball late last year when he was close to fully healthy. Holt will likely be joined by grad transfer Terray Jones. Jones was a multi-year all conference player at Tennessee State. Redshirt seniors Kyle Thomas and Devon Robinson had their moments in 2022. Redshirt freshman Kiawan Murphy may be ready to take the next step and contribute in 2023. DEFENSIVE END Senior Ryan Johnson has the size and athletic ability to become a complete player at one DE spot. 3 star grad transfer Ahmad Rabah will likely fill the other end position. Depth behind them is a concern. Freshman Bruno Dall has plenty of upside potential, but will he be ready in year 1? Expect Julian Richardson to play some DE. Corey Thomas may also be shifted back down for depth purposes during the spring. LINEBACKER All-MAC 1st Team Bubba Arslanian returns for what seems like his 10th year. He will be joined by hard hitting sophomore Bryan McCoy. Junior Antavious Fish has the physical tools, but struggled at times last year. Fish and sophomore Jaharon Griffin will have every opportunity to claim meaningful minutes and display just how far this group has come since coach Moorhead arrived. CORNERBACK/NICKEL South Carolina transfer redshirt junior Joey Hunter and Purdue transfer redshirt freshman Terence Thomas were brought in from the portal and immediately upgrade the talent level. Redshirt sophomores Devonte Golden-Nelson, Cam Threatt, and Darrian Lewis return, as do juniors Tyson Durant and Rishad Hence. There is a good chance that Hunter and Golden-Nelson are manning the CB positions, with Thomas at Nickel, by the time the season arrives. This position must show improvement during the spring. SAFETY Safety turned out to be an area of strength by the end of 2022. Redshirt senior Nate Thompson, senior KJ Martin, and redshirt junior Jaden Woods were playing at a high level. They will be joined by Pittsburgh grad transfer Judson Tallandier who could also play some Nickel. Talented freshmen will arrive after the spring, so where does that leave younger players like redshirt sophomores Noel Roach, DiMarco Johnson, and MyJaden Horton? There is the distinct possibility that the Zips field one of the best safety positions in the MAC this coming year. SPECIAL TEAMS Field goals past 39 yards, consistently flipping the field on punts, and touchbacks on kickoffs were a struggle last season. Freshmen Owen Wiley and Joey Castle were brought in to help remedy some of those issues.

For those of you interested or may have missed it, Melissa tweeted a picture of her new baby girl Cameron Jaye Jackson. Unfortunately, she also has tweeted that her father passed away around the 18th. Wide range of emotions going on in the Jackson household I guess.

I've never understood those type of people's logic. True equality is the best person gets the job regardless of race, gender, religion, etc. If you're refusing to hire someone because they're a man even though they're the best candidate, that's reverse discrimination.

The first trickle of information

I dont want to get into a debate. I'll just simply say: Theres a lot about the transfer portal that I just dont like. Looking at how some schools are decimated after one good season just kind of sucks.

Well, that beats any newspaper in town. 🤷‍♂️

Rob Senderoff. Indiana. Chuckle. The committee has a sense of humor.

Emoni Bates got to know him pretty well

Take this with a grain of salt but me and a friend saw Mikal Dawson and Sammy today and asked them if they will be back next season. Dawson replied “we will be back. I think everyone is sticking around” That most likely will change but overall a good sign that no one is itching to get out

This is a good group of guys and I'd enjoy the chance to watch them play again.

Toledo, Akron, Kent and OU. Just feels right on Friday on Cleveland

I don't get the need to s*** on Dambrot. This thread doesn't have to be a Dambrot vs Groce thread. One can appreciate the foundation Dambrot built for the program while also enjoying what Groce is achieving. After all, without Dambrot showing that Akron could be a winning program, Groce probably doesn't risk his reputation as a coach to come here.

FOY: Bass from CMU 6thPOY: Sullinger from Kent DPOY: Malique Jacobs POY: RayJ Dennis COY: Tod First Team: RayJ Dennis, JT Shumate, Sincere Carry, Xavier Castaneda, Enrique Freeman

We have better ball movement w/o Ali. I'm sure that is a big part of X's development this season. I certainly do not miss the Ali Ali Dribble-Dribble-Dribble-Dribble-Turnover/Forced Shot offense. Once in a while Ali could get hot. Those were fun games to watch, but were too few and far between and were at the detriment of team-ism. And sometimes Ali couldn't throw it into the ocean. But Ali was a very versatile defender & having a 6-8 ball handler was pretty great. As has already been mentioned, I believe losing Dawson was the biggest gut punch. He's our junkyard dog, someone you simply can't punk, a tenacious defender who's pretty capable of hitting from 3. Hope he comes back next season fully recovered from his achilles injury 🤞🙏 Speaking of Tenacious D

This board has given Sincere Carry a lot of criticism this year but he clearly outplayed X yesterday and his defense was exemplary. Also, I did not see him dancing a great deal and just a little mugging for the camera. The sportsmanship on the court was very good for both teams and I would be upset over the fathom call at the end of the game so I will give the Kent coach a pass on the T. I am hoping the 2 teams meet in Cleveland for round 3 between 2 very good guards and hope that X gets the better of him the next game.

My biggest hopes for the tournament lie in the fact that coaching makes a big difference this time of year and the Zips have the best head coach in the MAC.

Great call!

I'm a long-time season ticket holder to FB and MBB but had never gone to WBB games in the past. My daughter is now playing travel ball, so we went to 4 or 5 WBB games. I was amazed that Camp as a Sr. point guard could be so out of control and so sloppy with the ball. Not only the TO's but the pull up jumpers with no rebounders in place, lazy defense in transition and the inability to make good crisp passes drove me crazy. The poor, poor point guard play with no consistent scoring from the 2 guard really killed any chance to have what could have been a really good season. It wasted the talent of the 4 quality bigs on the roster. I do not have enough knowledge or insight to say if it was a good or bad move to let the coach go, but with a slightly over .500 career record, losing 4 starters and having an AD that did not hire her, the writing was on the wall. Getting housed by 40 plus at Can't did not help. Hopefully they can get hot at the right time and make some noise in the MACC. Go Zips!

I always wondered what PWO stood for. Now I believe it may stand for Pretty Worn Out.

I think Boals was enjoying his St. Patrick’s Day a little too much

Two schollys open so far. With several MAC rivals losing key players to graduation or the portal, this is a huge opportunity for the Zips. A scoring guard who can create his own shot and be a playmaker for others is a must. A big who can rebound and block/change shots would be #2 on my wishlist. If you can't find that, get me another wing who can shoot. Both players have to be immediate impact...no HS players.

Maybe the 27K is going to the Enrique Fund

I really wish they would just expand the NIT to 64 teams, like how the women's is set up, then eliminate these third rate tournaments.

I want to eliminate Carry so bad. One of the cockiest Kent players I can remember.

My undergrad was during the Coach I years. It's literally impossible to get any of my friends to the games. Every year my friend group will go to the alumni tailgate for homecoming, but instead of making the short walk from lot 9 to inside the stadium at kickoff, they would rather just go to Euro Gyro to reminisce. That's what ~20 years of being a perennial 0-5 win team does to a fan base. You have a whole generation of alumni who are indifferent to Zips football. I can get many of these same friends to go to Zips basketball games or to the MAC tournament in Cleveland. Zips football likely needs to consistently win 8-10 games per year to make people interested.

I went ahead and added full classes and not just “players to know.” Only 4 high school commits and 10 JUCOs still need ratings for the entire MAC. I’m still pushing for those and think we’ll be able to get all the prep players rated, but the JUCOs are not as likely. The transfer portal is a different beast and I know all the players in the portal will not receive ratings.

Official graphic.

Can't feel great if you're a Trailer Park U fan, knowing you played a near perfect game and limited the MAC's top scorer to a near season low (maybe a season low?) and still needed OT to win at home on Senior Night.

This is exceptional. Props to whoever put it together!