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Who on this year's Zips team would start ahead of Xerius Williams, Christian-Jackson, Cheese and Banks? No one. Freeman would start over Riak. Record-wise, this Zips team is right where it should be considering its talent level. It's a good team. Not a great one.

that job as Rhegi's sidekick couldn't have paid much more than a few hundred bucks per game. It's a real loss. But someone with her talent and personality was bound to move on to better things. So much change lately.

I know a little bit more about basketball than I do football (which is nothing). So here goes: (just kidding)

The team is flawed and is certainly missing a few key pieces to make it a truly great team. Right now, it's a good team playing okay. They played a pretty good game against Kent, two of their worst performances of the year, and then one of their most impressive defensive performances in a TCB win. Akron's roster right now is made up of some of the best role players in the league plus the best big in the league. But there's no floor general to bring it all together, so a good team is all this really is. It's been frustrating to watch, but I still feel just as good about the program moving forward as I have for years now. You don't need to be a top 2-3 seed in the tournament every year to do something, and clinging on every win or loss for at-large talk or the NIT bid is tiring to me as an Akron fan. I haven't been thrilled with how this season has played out, but if any other team in the league loses their most talented and experienced player after three games and then gets a no-show from their lone sharpshooter for nearly the whole season, I don't know that they would be so fortunate to be in this same position. To make a long story short, this team is a ball-dominant playmaking slasher PG guy away from being really really good, and if you throw in a 3-and-D guy like Banks, they would probably be the favorite in Cleveland. Assuming players continue to progress as they do in this program and the dead weight leaves and the new crop of guys is as good as it should be, UA will be in the championship race once again in 2023. But for now? Just beat BG.

Groce has been coaching his butt off this season. But... it's his fault he's had to coach so hard this season because of some lackluster recruiting over the past few years. The best teams don't require a ton of coaching. Busts who transferred down: Tre Edwards Jermaine Marshall Taylor Currie Quite flawed players on current roster: Tribble - can't shoot a lick Clarke - can't shoot a lick Trimble - usually can't shoot a lick Wynn - apparently a head case? Idk. And the thing I can't keep from grinding my gears is that our best player wasn't even recruited. Have mercy, what would this team be right now without Freeman? Is Freeman saving Groce's job? Groce & Co. have to do a better job of recruiting. Hopefully this next class of G's can right the ship.

On the flip side, we looked pretty good with him at OSU. Maybe he was just checked out at that point.

Freeman and Carry on the floor together would have been unstoppable

Did you see how bad we looked in Florida with Walton? I think we would even be worse with him. Teams would be able to freely double team Freeman anytime he received a pass in the low post and would be able to pack the paint to cutoff any dribble penetration. Walton makes Tribble look like an elite 3 point shooter. Someone like Carry who could help space the floor and create offense for others certainly would have helped.

Project management is a big thing these days. I won't post it on here but Tracey Ullman does a hilarious skit in which she interviews to be a project manager. You can find it on youtube.

Good for Jacki. She is a talent beyond ESPN+ announcing. Always insightful and informative. She and her knowledge will be missed. I am curious to see who ends up in the seat.

Project manager is my guess.

I love armchair coaching because it allows me to make judgements about coaches who know vastly more about their jobs than I do from the comfort of my house. I'm guessing the reason they are losing is because the other teams are scoring more point than them.

Bummer, I thought she did a really nice job with MAC games

12th & 23rd place finishes for Hemric, Haley, and Kaulig Racing. Very solid. Side note: Great driving by #2 at the end. Car became 4-lanes-wide and he gave zero craps about keeping the car clean. Beautiful.

Hemric ends up with a 12th place finish.

They got a nice W today to salvage the series. 1-2 now

What a breath of fresh air-

Stoked for this race. We finally have skin in the game. Boogity boogity boogity boys! Let's go racin'!

Good luck to Matt's drivers in today's Daytona 500.

Groce had DJ Cooper. We don't have anyone like that on this team. At best we are the 5 seed and could be lower. If we were to make it to Saturday, it would likely mean that we would be playing 3 of the top 4 teams. We are 1-4 against them. I don't see us winning three games in a row against the top teams. I like everyone's optimism, but I don't see it happening.

Oh how quickly this went to $h!+.

At this juncture, they are what their record says they are- a middle of the pack MAC team. The MAC preseason poll ranked them as the 5th team in the MAC and so far that's right where they are.

I think Groce's in game coaching has been fine but this team has just not come together. It happens to the best of programs. Other than Freeman, there's not a superior individual talent on this team. It is made up of a bunch of 6's and 7's on a 10 point MAC talent scale and no one has emerged as a leader. Ultimately, that lack of talent falls at the feet of Groce and his staff in recruiting. With the transient nature of today's athletes and the transfer portal a quick fix is possible but this season appears to be lost. I will continue to trust Groce as I believe him to be a good man and a good coach and recognize we've been spoiled a little in the past couple of decades but this year has been a huge disappointment.

I know Matt personally. Such a good dude. He's at every game when he's not flying his jet to the races. Payed for all of the new unis 2 years ago. One of the nicest guys.