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Because the New York/Philly area doesn't have a whole lot of basketball talent? Seriously - Congrats to Jeff. He was always a class act during his UA tenure, and very helpful to the content of ZipsNation. Good to see good things happen to good people.

Before we hold any ticker-tape parades....he's missed the entire 2010, 2012 and 2015 seasons due to catastrophic injuries. Like everyone else, I'm hoping this 7th year senior has an all-MAC season....but Lazarus' storied comeback was against lesser odds.

It all started in 2008 with second team preseason All-MAC Iowa transfer Ryan Bain. So many memories.

I hope so. Part of the reason Pierce is transferring is because he wants more playing time (meaning he is probably looking toward a Mid Major program). Akron fits the bill there and it's the hometown team, who will just so happen to have an opening at center when he would be eligible in 2017. Getting to go up against Big Dog in practice in his sit-out year could also be huge for his development, since Big Dog is going to be one of the top college big men in the nation next season. This team is going to severely lack any sort of height once Big Dog and Kwan leave after next season. Pierce could come in and at least give Forsythe-type production, which would be needed as the other big men so far in the fold are in the 6-6 to 6-8 range, with absolutely zero college experience, collectively. That could get you by in the MAC, but I thought this program was looking "bigger" than that. Plus, Pierce seems like a guy who also could've been a developmental player at an ACC school. He did shoot 51 percent (51/100) and 67 percent from the line (29/43) in his limited playing time as a freshman/sophomore at Va. Tech. Looking at his game log from this past year, I'm not sure why he didn't see more time. But he saw a decent amount of minutes in six games: (five against high majors .. Northwestern, West Virginia, Wake Forest, North Carolina and Syracuse). The other game he saw double-digit minutes was against our personal favorite Arkansas Cream-Puff. So, it doesn't appear that his albeit limited stats, were the product of feasting upon the low-to-mid-majors on VT's schedule then not playing at all against the better teams. His freshman numbers are far more encouraging: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/gamelog/_/id/3147502/year/2015/satchel-pierce Not sure what happened this year, other than VT wanting to play smaller, that meant such a decrease in minutes. His freshman, ACC-only numbers looked like this: Games played: 20 Minutes: 319 (15.95 per game) Points: 68 (3.4 per game) Rebounds: 51 (2.6 per game) Assists: 11 (.6 per game) Blocks: 16 (.8 per game) Turnovers: 29 (1.5 per game) FG%: .509 (28/55) FT%: .600 (12/20) That looks like pretty solid production for a freshman playing in arguably the best conference in college basketball (7 of those 20 games against top 20 teams). I know you can't extrapolate stats in a vacuum, but for shits and gigs, I'll do it here. Per 30 minutes, as a freshman, in only ACC games, here is how Pierce's per game production looked: PPG: 6.4 RPG: 4.9 APG: 1.1 BPG: 1.5 TPG: 2.8 To me, seems like the kid can play in the ACC. So, he can definitely play in the MAC. Hopefully, KD can sell him on not just coming home, but going up against a potential NBA big-man prospect in Big Dog for a year in practice, then putting him in the lineup after that and letting him see what he can do in 25-30 minutes per game in the MAC, with what will be a very experienced backcourt by that time (including playing with another Barberton/SVSM guy in Josh Williams). Maybe we should rename this thread "Jalen Hudson/Satchel Pierce". ... Since both guys are ex-Virginia Tech guys (with some Akron ties) who are looking for new homes. To bring it back to Hudson, if he wants to come here, you make room for him, for sure, just don't see that happening. But if somehow Akron is able to get both, man, would the 2017-18 season look promising, even with the losses of Big Dog and Kwan.

Bowden has done a remarkable job in general with keeping players out of trouble. The only incident I can recall was the McDonalds situation a couple years ago, and the players involved were all Ianello recruits, and it wasn't that big of a situation either when compared to the stuff most football programs have had to deal with. Hopefully, this string of good fortune continues.

Hey Guys, go back to that link again above. It was updated this evening with a video interview with Mayock, and he talks extensively about Jatavis.

UA Football: Transfer WR JoJo Natson hoping to make most of second chance with Zips http://www.ohio.com/sports/zips/ua-football-transfer-wide-receiver-jojo-natson-hoping-to-make-most-of-second-chance-with-zips-1.674558

No idea where he will end up, but he is from Richmond, Va., and transferred into SVSM as a junior, so its not like going to Akron would be going home, which is why it was no shock he ended up at Va. Tech to begin with. With that being said, his Va. Tech bio does say he was born in Akron, and he has a history of transferring from a Virginia school to an Akron school after his sophomore season ... With that being said, I imagine he will end up at another high major. He isn't leaving an ACC school because it's above his head. He'll have plenty of options. However, fellow Va. Tech teammate Satchel Pierce is also transferring. He is from Barberton (also played at SVSM). He's a 7 footer, who put up OK numbers as a freshman ... 3.2 ppg, 2.4. rpg, .5 apg and .7 bpg in 13.8 minutes a game. Last year, he seemed to fall out of the rotation for whatever reason. He would be a solid replacement for Big Dog in 2017, and would have two years remaining. I'd take them both for sure, but of the two Pierce seems more realistic, IMO, if there is even room for him scholarship wise.

Ouch. Maybe there shouldn't even be an "athletics" budget. It should be lumped in with advertising. That's what these sports teams are for any university.