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A dagger with 9 minutes left might be a stretch

Who's this number 11 for the Zips??

That. Was. F***ing. Awesome. Wow. What an atmosphere, despite so many blue seats open. One day when we’re not so fortunate to be the class of the MAC, this is one I will look back at fondly. Great coaching, great execution on both sides. Lots of talent. Man, what a damn game. That was a program win through and through. We all knew X would heat up eventually. And it was just one of those games where you gotta rely on your starters. Like a tournament game. I am so happy for Sammy. The stories he told on the radio were so cool, his parents hadn’t seen him play in a long time. And he put on an absolute show, at both ends too! Freeman was a beast, X a beast, Clarke with really strong minutes. Hank was good too, despite a Cheatham-esque foul out on senior night. I’m happy for these guys and proud of them. A win Friday would be so sweet, and so on brand for this program. One game at a time, let’s enjoy these guys while we have them. Go Zips!!!!

Three things. 1) What a win. 2) Would love to see Balls have this type of game against Toledo in the semi finals - and come out on top. 3) Michael Lewis looks like David Koechner if all of Koechner's hair left his head, and all I can think about when I see Michael Lewis is this scene from Semi Pro (warning: profanity)

But...that Wednesday night classic against PCCC will be televised to a national audience on ESPN27.

Congratulations to Joshua Bartels and Caleb Borneo for leading the Crew 05 MLS Next team to a commanding win this past weekend Columbus Crew 05/04 MLS NEXT – It was a big day offensively for the Crew’s oldest age group, winning 8-0. Akron commit Joshua Bartels bagged four goals. Brent Adu-Gyamfi, Caleb Borneo and James Lear rounded out the goals.

How's about 23 of 27? 🤷‍♂️

Listen to the post game and Sammy's parents got to see him play for the first time. The guy surely loves his parents. What a performance. He played tough the entire night. Would love to see him play like that every game. Without his play we lose this game. Heard him post game and really a nice guy. Love to see a guy who has had a rough season have a breakout game.

With the win, we are at least the 3 seed. With a win Friday, we move up to 2.

“High level basketball”

You guys are brutal

The video of Joey’s goal from his IG story. What a strike! https://youtube.com/shorts/vJs1Vm5z67s?feature=share

Akron "playing down to competition" is something previously mentioned in this thread. It caught me by surprise, and the poster who wrote it didn't accuse this team of doing so regularly, but it did get me to thinking. In the Groce Era, specifically the contending years, how often does Akron play down to lower competition? By this, I mean losing these games. Many times they can be close, but you can't blow everyone out every night. I based the determination of bad losses on the team's KenPom ranking. The "Contending Era" of John Groce at Akron started in 2020. That team lost 4 conference games. vs. Toledo, vs. Buffalo, @ Kent, @ BG. Technically, the blowout loss at BG was the worst of the losses as they were 168, but the UB and Toledo games were at home. While the Zips did technically play down in those games, I don't consider them to be really bad losses. In the wacky 2021, Akron went 12-6 in MAC play, losing their final 3. Two really bad losses in the early stages of MAC play had us reeling. @EMU and @NIU back to back, with EMU being 289 and NIU 337. Last year, @WMU was 329 and home vs. NIU was 297. Both really bad losses This year, the worst MAC loss by the numbers is @ Ball State, and that is without X. You could say that the Toledo loss at home was one they should have won, same for @ Ohio. But as far as this year's team goes, they have been really good about being consistent and winning when they are supposed to win. What does this all mean? Nothing really, I just find it interesting. In the regular season, this team hasn't really left a whole lot on the table. They were alone at the top of the MAC after 5 weeks and if they come out on top tomorrow, they will finish the season without any head-scratcher losses in MAC play. More numbers for funsies: Groce's final KenPom rankings by year at Akron, ranked: 1. 2020 (82) 2. 2019 (108) 3. 2021 (112) 4. 2022 (126) 5. 2018 (255) Akron currently sits at 104, and was as high as 95 after beating Kent at home. Again, these numbers are largely meaningless, but tell an interesting story about the program, and the conference as a whole. Remember, the 2019 team lost tons of close games, and tended to play good teams really close. The MAC was pretty loaded that year. Close losses at CMU, at Kent, home vs. Buffalo, at Ball State, and at Bowling Green were absolute killers. LCJ shot <30% from three that season, which really is hard to believe.

Larry Williams can be reached at the AD office at the University of San Francisco for these awful non conference schedules lately. Better things are coming.

Kent on a wednesday is a crime

Unlikely. His right hand was in a cast a couple of weeks ago on the Friday night game. I believe the middle finger thru pinky were enclosed, at least the last two fingers. I think the announcer said he was done for the year.

Santiago hasn't played since the Akron game.

Akron is now TSDTR on the Kent U. Website Game time now 6pm. In addition, the game is specified to be played “inside the M.A.C. Center”? Was there some sort of Frozen Five outdoor event previously scheduled?

Nice little gem at the end of the article lol

I’m curious to see if he makes a leap his senior year. Long definitely has the physical attributes with a big arm and fluid throwing motion. Although, we’ve also offered instate prospect Ethan Grunkemeyer who I think is a better prospect despite not having a rating, yet. Long is just in the our backyard. I know Illinois is interested in Long, but they want to see him play in person before offering.

Nice article by Beaven in the Beacon along with some gracious comments from Ball State's coach. I'm not sure GT even knows where there visitors' locker room is located. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/college/zips/2023/02/28/akron-zips-basketball-score-ball-state-xavier-castaneda-sammy-hunter-enrique-freeman-john-groce-mac/69949794007/

Does inSincere skip to center court for senior night? 3 in a row against Rootstown Junior College would be sweet, especially heading into Cleveland. If you are going to the game, please be respectful. Remember, they are the choir boys of the MAC. Their program is sin-less; always has been, always will be. They do no wrong, and they simply want there to be a nice, spirited competition between two basketball teams. F em. Give em hell. Also, side note. Since they are Ohio State wannabes and used TTDTR when referring to Akron on their website, are they going to X out all A's this week?

Couldn't ask for a better final home game at the JAR. I watched replay and the technical got the Ball State lead down to 9 and Trendan's only 3 points were huge and took the lead down to 6. While he had a bad night, he made a huge basket. I think we were all correct in how this was a replay of the Toledo game. The differences were many, of course, but simply Ball State isn't as good a a team as Toledo and Akron could over take them. Helluva game by Ball State on the road. And despite the protests at Over the Pylon, I thought the ESPN guys gave the Cardinals plenty of credit.

I mentioned (in another thread?) how I was surprised Jacqai was ranked so high nationally as he is. He's really not very good. At all. Teams didn't have to fear what Jacqai could do at all last year and could stuff the box trying in vain (mostly) to stop Lamar Sperling. Jacqai has a nice arm but doesn't seem to be able to read defenses well. Coach Terrell rarely even tried to throw downfield last year (and Hoban always has a handful of great athletes playing WR).

Never doubted Zips would win. Will never understand why ticket holders skip these games or can't come unless they are playing Rootstown.

So a win on Friday or a Toledo win on Friday secures a potential semi final matchup with Rootstown Junior College?

We needed every one of those free throws down the stretch.

Todd Packer!

Nice win. D needs to tighten up and we need more out of the supporting cast, however.

Bad game to bet the under

In the words of Robert Murtaug “I’m getting too old for this snit!!!”

Garvin Clarke has played well dispite low scoring

Sammy, X, and Enrique combine for 72/79 points. Insane

What an entertaining second half.

X is money!

Enrique might be my favorite Zips basketball player of all time (with all due respect to Joe Jakubick, who is a friend).

I'm not sure if it's a matter of effort or teams have learned how to attack the Zips defense, but we've regressed considerably on that end of the floor. We're giving away too many open looks. Edit: We use to have an identity of being a tough, gritty defense. Now we don't have much of an identity.

Dagger. Complete replay of Toledo.

Rough way to end the season. Owned by the MAC West at home.

Toledo game at the JAR all over again

Like I said; I jumped to my feet. Well done!

I think it's Ball State that plays to level of their opponent.

Ref missed that goal tending.

Have a game Sammy.

I don’t like this at all

Ball State hitting every open three.

If Akron beats Ball State, Ball State beats Toledo at home, and Kent beats Ohio and Akron at home, Kent has the #1 seed. Toledo and Akron would be 2 and 3 setting up a possible rematch of last year's semis. Western Michigan has two home games and if they win both and Eastern loses one of their away games, Western can sneak in as the 8th seed. Western has the easiest two games this week. If Miami wins both of their away games (one at Buffalo and other at Western) they can get a 7th seed and drop Buffalo to 8. There's even a scenario in which Central and Miami are in and Buffalo is out. Another that has Eastern and Central in and Buffalo and Miami out. And that's not the end of the possibilities.

I don't disagree that things could be freshened up some. However, our current facilities are not keeping us from winning. Of course, prior to The Big Dialer and fieldhouse the facilities were nothing short of horrible. We have to move past facilities being an excuse at this point. Someone is always going to have something more new and shiny as what we may have in comparison. We need to win with what we have. It's good enough and they need to get winning. Coaching is the key right now. I really believe in JoMo and those who think its now or never may in fact... be correct. Joe is the Dave Clawson (Wake Forest) of the MAC as he is the perfect fit for the program. Joe has a specific vision for the team which centers around our identity. I'm certain we have never had a coach with this clear of a vision for the program and a history of success to feel confident in his abilities. Why Dave Clawson as a comparison? The identity and vision are the two main reasons for me. Like JoMo, he has an offense he believes in and is a fit for his school. Joe understands who to recruit at Akron just like Clawson understands Wake is a very niche fit for his players. Joe had a much bigger name and history of success than Clawson did, so that alone is very encouraging. Clawson's first two years at Wake were both 3-9 seasons. They were absolutely terrible. Since then, they have had seven straight bowl seasons and one trip to the ACC Championship with some time in the Top 10 early last season before finishing the regular season 2-4. What does 7 straight bowls mean at Wake? Wake has been to 17 bowl games in their history. They first started to play football in 1888. They didn't make their first bowl game until 1945 when Coach Peahead Walker took them to the Gator Bowl. Wake is a historic bottom feeder in the ACC. Recent success has come with a stadium not as nice as The Big Dialer and facilities on par with what Akron has. I think CK used the word ineptitude to describe our football history. I would use the term Intellectually Lazy. Maybe one leads to the other. Issues such as culture and identity don't seem to have ever been considered when making a football head coaching hire. They made one with KD in MBB and it worked out great. I don't know much about Dr. Miller or our AD, but the little I do know is they seem to have a clear vision for the University and Athletic Department based upon the identity of the school itself. They brought in a coach who's opinions align with theirs. It's going to work because when this happens, it works out even for a bottom feeder like Wake. The expectation of a 5-6 win season next year is not unreasonable. Clawson took Wake from 3-9 to 6-6 in year three and a bowl win finishing the season 7-6. I would bet those with a clear vision at the University have the same expectation. Guys like Joe don't take baby steps. It's year two and the fans should be beyond baby steps as well. In fact, the idea of baby steps disguised as the "building process" has been part of the low expectations for Zips fans for too long. Getting to six wins shouldn't be nearly as difficult as we seem to make it. It's a mystery to me why we can't make it happen annually. If Wake can do it in the ACC, we can do it in the MAC.

The inexplicable CMU and Buffalo losses hid the progress the 2022 Zips made in the eyes of Joe Akron. A lot of people just read the box scores, or subscribe to the "You are what your record says you are" mentality. We need to get some more mature bodies signed up after the Spring game. Especially on defense. And we really need 5-6 wins, at minimum, next season. Then the progress is undeniable.