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6'5" center transfer from Illinois.

I think Memphis should draft Emoni. I think JA Morant would be a good mentor.

More good news to come.

Until ISO Ali starts crossover dribbling between his legs for 30 seconds and tossing up fadeaway 20 footers or losing the ball off his leg... If he returns, hopefully he's more humble, mature, and buys into the Groce-Teamism thing better than the first time around.

Were all of those players elite MAC-level basketball players before they got to Akron? Hell to the no. Even in LCJ’s first year, he was not good. Ali was every bit the Akron Zip they were up until he left. And the questions of attitude and defense just don’t make any sense. Nor does the “hero ball” stuff. It’s almost like that team never won the 2022 MAC title sometimes. He was an elite defender and always played his tail off. And if Groce didn’t want him to do the “hero ball” that he has been accused of, he wouldn’t have done it. In re-living some of the 2022 postseason threads recently, @Illini Zip explained the Ali back to the basketball strategy as well as anyone. Basically, it wasn’t sexy and didn’t always work, but considering the circumstances that roster was put through, they somehow miraculously went on one of the best runs in program history with Ali Ali as the leading scorer and one of the 3 most impactful players on the roster. His play at the end of the UCLA game was awful. So was the decision to not call a timeout and let it play out like it did. Had Ali not gone portaling, he would have in all likelihood surpassed 1000 points in his career at Akron, been All-MAC, and been part of one of the best 3-headed monsters to return after winning a championship that the league has seen. I get that he left here and it was a stupid BS move. Easy to see from the moment it happened. But retroactively killing the guy and pretending like we weren’t salivating at the prospect of him being part of the core that was supposed to return for 22-23 is just…weird to read.

Wherever he ends up, I hope he finds true happiness. #Foreverazip...#ForeveraBulldog...#Foreverintheportal

https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/bracketology/ncaa-bracketology-2024-march-madness-men-field-predictions Kent lands a huge transfer who shot 32% from the floor for a sub-300 MAC team, and it propels them into the projected 2024 tournament field, booting the Zips. How will we ever recover? I've had about enough of this John Groce character.

That's huge! With the addition on Lanae we're going to have the best front court in the MAC 💪💪💪

On my phone so can’t post tweet, but Lanae Riley is transferring home! #GoZips

2025 VERBAL COMMITMENTS TP - Amarie Archer, OL, 6-3, 300, transfer from ECU SIGNED: Markus Boswell, LB, 6-1, 230, Jireh Prep HS via Lake Travis, TX TP - Alex Branch, DB, 6-0, 190, Twinsburg HS, Twinsburg, OH transfer from KSUcks TP - Aamii Branch, DB, 5-10, 185, Forney, TX, transfer from Kilgore College SIGNED: Cibastian Broughton, QB, 6-0 175, Fleming Island HS, Fleming Island, FL TP - Chase Brown, DE, 6-2, 226, Cincinnati, OH, transfer from Dayton SIGNED: Jaiden Brown-Demery, OL, 6-3, 300, West Mifflin Area HS, PA SIGNED: Taven Curry, RB, 6-0, 225, Loxley, AL transfer from UL-Monroe SIGNED: Tairan Davis, S, 5-11, 185, Ursuline HS, Youngstown, OH TP - Jake Dennis, LS, 6-2, 220, Omaha, NE, transfer from Colorado State TP - Israel Duncan, DL, 6-3, 250, Vancouver, WA, transfer from Pasadena City College TP - Cyrus Durham, DL, 6-3, 250, Redwood City, CA transfer from Arizona TP - Mehki Flowers, S, 6-0, 200, Harrisburg, PA, transfer from Penn State TP - Jordan Gant, RB, 5-10, 205, transfer from Tennessee State TP - Chris Gee, RB, 5-11, 215, Fort Worth, TX, transfer from Colgate SIGNED: Jon Gould, OL, 6-5, 270, Maize HS, Maize, KS TP - Tim Grear, WR, 6-0, 190, transfer from Fresno St. TP - Bebe Hills, WR, 5-10, 175, transfer from Washington St. SIGNED: Gavin James, LB, 5-11, 205, Lincoln HS, Tallahassee, FL TP - Allen Jones, OL, 6-4, 310, transfer from West Alabama JUCO TP - Darrell Johnson Jr., OL, 6-4, 300, Indianapolis, IN, transfer from WKU TP - Michael Johnson Jr., QB, 6-3, 225, San Jose, CA, transfer from Syracuse TP - Ben Kamara, CB, 6-3, 205, Philadelphia, PA, transfer from Upper Iowa University SIGNED: Vann Kavals, DE, 6-4, 250, OLSH HS, Coraopolis, PA SIGNED: Maasai King, OL, 6-3, 300, JUCO: Lackawanna CC, originally from Scranton, PA TP - Julien Laventure, DL, 6-2, 285, Upper Darby, PA, transfer from Pennsylvania Western U. SIGNED: Kenneth McManus, OL, 6-2, 305, St. John's College HS, Washington DC TP - Cam Monteiro, WR, 6-1, 180, Brockton, MA, transfer from Pitt TP - Javirea Moore, OL, 6-5, 300, Lancaster, TX, transfer from East Texas A&M TP - Jayme Motley-Simmons, OL, 6-5, 315, transfer from University of North Alabama TP - Nehemiah Musika, DL, 6-1, 315, Milpitas, CA transfer from San Mateo College SIGNED: Devin Reeves, LB, 5-11, 220, Hayfield Secondary School, Woodbridge, VA TP - Adam Samaha, K, 5-11, 185, Ypsilanti, MI, transfer from North Carolina Gavin Schieler, LS, 6-3, 235, Normal Community HS, Normal, Illinois SIGNED: Luke Sivon, WR, 6-0, 195, Perry HS, Perry, OH TP - Jamari Somerville, S, 5-11, 190, Indian Head, MD, transfer from James Madison TP - DJ Stepney, DB, 5-11, 200, Macomb, MI, transfer from Marshall TP - Jamall Thompson, DL, 6-3, 250, Sarasota, FL, transfer from Samford TP - Eddie Vega, DL, 6-3, 285, Dinuba, CA, transfer from Reedy College SIGNED: Ty Watkins, DE, 6-3, 230, Mt. Healthy HS, Cincinnati, OH TP - Marcel Williams, WR, 6-0, 200, Hollywood, FL, transfer from Marshall CLASS BREAKDOWN Total Commits: 41 Offense: 19 QB: 2 (Broughton, Johnson Jr.) RB: 3 (Curry, Gant, Gee) WR: 5 (Grear, Hills, Monteiro, Sivon, Williams) OL: 9 (Archer, Brown-Demery, Gould, Johnson, Jones, King, McManus, Moore, Motley-Simmons) Defense: 19 DL: 8 (Brown, Duncan, Durham, Kavals, Laventure, Musika, Thompson, Vega, Watkins) LB: 3 (Boswell, James, Reeves) DB: 7 (Branch, Branch, Davis, Flowers, Kamara, Somerville, Stepney) Specialists: 3 K: 1 (Samaha) LS: 2 (Dennis, Schieler)

@LZIp, that last sentence is saying: “I would only take him if: 1. He could play immediately 2. No other recruits have his talent, and 3. He really wants to come here.”

The MAC, not good enough, the Big East, too good, maybe KD can find him a roster spot and he can play in the A 10, just right? (LOL)

I am on the fence on this one. I still remember the one Butler game I watched where he punched a guy on a break away and was called for a flagrant foul. I also recall a couple of techs he had when he played for Akron. I would only take him if he could play immediately, no other recruits have his talent and he really want to come here.

Yeah, this is a strange take a few people have had. When he announced he was leaving, there was a feeling of despondence. If he announced a return, I’m sure we’ll see some despondence. In reality, he is the definition of John Groce basketball at Akron. Superb athlete that was completely homegrown. Far from perfect with plenty of flaws, but he was as imperative to the championship run as everyone. Sign me up for an Ali Ali who has had his eyes opened to the horrors of what some other “grass is greener” programs have to offer. Sometimes home is where the heart is. I hope that if he finds home in the MAC, it’s at Akron.

A starting 5 of PG - Thornton W - Dawson W - Ali F - Sammy F - Freeman would be killer.

No clue what will happen with Ali. He made his decision to leave Akron so its on him, but its unfortunate it didn't work out for him at a bigger school. Transferring up isn't always the best move, as evidenced here and for many other players.

I'd welcome him back if he bought into our intense Zeefence, shared the ball, upped his physical play and was not a cancer in the locker room. We have something incredible coming next year.

Will UA give him a LeBron-style "Coming Home" party at InfoCision if it happens?

Once the coaching changes & transfer portal calms down, this site will have a scholarship chart for every D1 women's basketball program. Right now, it got ripped down to a minimum with all the changes. It's the best centralized site for college women's basketball in my opinion. It says it can't be found right now, but once it gets uploaded, this should be the link to Akron's scholarship and recruiting news. https://wbbblog.com/akron-womens-basketball-recruiting/

HUGE! Can't wait to see what this new group can do!

This team starts 3 freshmen (IIRC) and our best hitter, Lexi Campbell, is a sophomore 👀👀🔥 Just like we keep saying with football, there is so much HS talent in the area. If we can only become a destination... 🙏

Another Zip playing in Akron this summer. 🔥🔥🔥

Now let’s get some interviews and highlights!

This past week Walsh Jesuit HS baseball played the top ranked team from Michigan & the game was broadcast for free on YouTube. The production was fantastic w/ 3-4 different camera angles & competent announcers. It was produced by a Michigan company (the announcers were slight homers for the Michigan team but nothing egregious). It was free. It was high school. I watched it on my 64" smart tv w/out a hitch. With stuff like this Idk how much longer ESPN is going to be relevant... or even a viable business model at all. Looks like sports production is really beginning to filter down to grass roots.

Is he a grad transfer? I wonder if Balls is a landing spot for him. Stay close to home, their coach saw him first hand in the tourney (even though he no-showed), and he'd get instant PT.