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As NWAkron’s unofficial PR manager, I believe he means that Prince Mosengo, Kobe Mitchell, and Garvin Clarke were turned into Kaleb Thornton, Shammah Scott, and Ali Ali. That is certainly an impressive upgrade.

Like the one against Ohio State? what the hell does that mean? 3 points is 3 points. counts the same if 7 minutes left in first half or at the buzzer.

Dambrot is a victim of his own success. If you could teleport back to 2004 and tell any Akron fan at the time of his hiring that he'd lead Akron to 3 NCAA tournaments and 9 MAC title games in a 13 year span, every single person would say sign them up. That's a level of consistent success that I doubt I'll ever see at Akron again during my lifetime. This whole if you're not first, you're last mentality that people try to argue in sports these days is just absurd. It's better to go to the MAC championship game and lose then lose in the semi or quarter finals.

If I was good at photoshop, I'd photoshop Ali in this. A day later and I'm still stoked. Akron is returning 4 out of their top 5 scorers from a team that was 2 minutes away from knocking off a really great UCLA team. Castaneda is gone, but Freeman is a more polished post scorer than he was then. This team also has significantly more depth so I think we'll see a much more aggressive style of defensive play. I'm not sure I've ever been this hyped in the offseason for an Akron team.

I know it is only May, but I have never been that excited about a Zips team since Zeke Marshall's senior year. If things go well, this team is built for winning NCAA games.

Thank you, yes. was thousands (?) of players in the portal, a coach could start throwing darts. This is a cultivated group filling out the roster. @LoyalZIPsaid it much better.

I’m sorry, but as a program that routinely makes deep runs in the NCAA tournament, we just can’t afford to keep guys like Ali around. He cost us a tournament win for God’s sakes. There are dozens if not hundreds of higher quality players in the portal that would be happy to come to Akron for that final roster spot!

Offer to Purdue DE Tristan Cox. Former 3 star ILB that looks to have grown into a DE.

I know the transfer portal will be part of this, but 2024 will be one of the most important recruiting classes in the history of the program. 5 open scholarships + any additional departures. The health of the program going forward depends on the 2023-24 season results & 2024 recruiting class. OU and Buffalo are the cautionary tales.

Nice size already and still has a year of HS remaining, I can't wait to see him after a year in the Akron weight room. I really like how he has great instincts and a nose for the ball. He diagnoses plays well.

You must have a helluva time taking questions at the t-shirt cannon convention. "NWAkron is a t-shirt cannon survivor. He is living proof that you can stare down these weapons of sports marketing war, and not be deterred from sporting events. Bud Light's Real Men of Genius recognized the inventor of the t-shirt cannon, but it's people like NWAkron who are the Real Men."

I admire the level of care taken to bring in these 3 players. Laser focused.

Been a strange day on ZN.o. I guess if the biggest knock on the guy is his performance in the NCAA tournament it’s a good sign?

Offer to Louisiana Tech DT Keveionta Spears.

Zips Nation you are welcome! It is painfully obvious that my hunger strike was the tipping point that brought this young man back into the fold. Groce is so grateful to me that I now have a seat on the bench next to Bud Wentz. Rest assured I am staying humble about my unselfish sacrifice. Yet my wife is disappointed Ali did not delay longer. She wanted to see a slimmer version of 72Roo. Can't keep everyone happy.

2026. I'm just now getting the chance to add it to the list as well as another one today.

Just as significant I'd say is that he forsook an incredible comfort level at Akron. At Akron he had a familiarity with his teammates, familiarity with his coaches, familiarity with the offensive and defensive schemes, not to mention a comfort level with the U as a whole. Additionally, at Akron, Groce had given him a perpetual green light to shoot as well as an incredibly long leash. None of which he would have enjoyed at Butler.

Our non-conference schedules haven't looked much different to me under Groce. Also not sure how a program that played in its conference championship game 7 straight seasons and 9 out of 11 underachieved.

Five seniors, those are teams that go far

Never appreciated the excuses for his failure to take us to the next level. Did not appreciate the state he left the program in. Did not appreciate the ceiling he put on Akron when he left for Duquesne. Absolutely appreciate the level to which he elevated Akron basketball, but the way he spoke (bitching about the JAR, MAC 1-bid league, fans, etc.) made it seem like Akron had the ceiling instead of Dambrot. Time is proving that the ceiling was actually over Dambrot, not Akron.

Zips add Kaleb Thornton.