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I realize that this is the college sports world we live in but I am not a fan. That's by no means a criticism of Bud Wentz. I appreciate all he does for the program. I was a believer of the basic principle that a college athlete should be able to make some pocket money by doing things like doing autographs or showing up for a business outing but it has become the wild west in the the absence of any meaningful regulation. It's really refreshing to get some inside insight into the program. I wish this was a weekly show.

I also had limited sympathy for the players when they (the ones primarily in the rich programs) said they needed a piece of the revenue pie. When you look at it players get a full ride covering absolutely everything = $120,000 over four years. On top of that they get tutors, gear, nutritionists, medical care and counseling without waiting for an appointment like the rest of the student body. They get cost of living allowances on average about $2,000 per year. On top of that if they come from disadvantaged backgrounds they can get a Pell Grant up to $9,000 per year. I realize the demand on their time is huge, but so is working two jobs to get thru school like I did while playing soccer. NIL needs some sanity. Is the star running back really worth $000K when the linemen blocking for him get little? The very nature of NIL works against teamwork and everyman counts.

Everything you need to know about TP and Fear The Roo Collective. https://on.soundcloud.com/6HFv9

I'm with you on this one. A couple years ago Chris Spielman was complaining how, back in the 80's he was eating ramen noodles as a staple. But when he went into the stadium on a Saturday he saw giant posters of himself, and stands filled with his #36 jersey and he wasn't allowed to take a penny as the University raked in piles of cash...all for the cost of an in-state scholarship. Chris had a very valid point. But Akron, and most other programs were strapped for cash before the NIL was instituted. Now they have to come up with an additional few hundred thousand dollars (or more) every year to pay the players who're already getting all the benefits you listed above? I hate the portal. I hate the NIL program. I miss the "You play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back of the jersey" mentality. The "old way" wasn't perfect. But it had a lot more plusses, and "team-ism", than today's game. It didn't need to undergo such a drastic abomination.

For those of you that aren't able to get around to listen, I'll list a few takeaways. - Bud says Akron is still looking to add 1, maybe 2 players. - Akron is taking a moneyball approach relying on algorithms to determine players value and who to target. - They are working on developing a system for one-time, quarterly, and monthly donations reoccurring donations. There will be different tiers where you can get t-shirts, hats, courtside seats, attend a practice, etc based off donation size. - Football collective was just recently started with a large donation. I'm sure there are other things that I might have missed.

I was able to attend today's scrimmage. It was offense (blue)/defense (white), just like last week. Below are some notes and pics - #15 Ben Finley continues to impress. Had a couple nice TD tosses. Zips fans will find this kid an absolute breath of fresh air. Unflappable...doesn't get rattled after a bad pass or a WR drop. Accurate. A different level of QB than we've seen in an Akron uniform for a while. You will all love him. Ben can run if needed...but we gotta keep this kid healthy. Ben zips one over the middle. Tahj started the scrimmage. Other than a couple spot appearances by Wassel and Ruggow towards the end of practice, he and Ben split the reps. In the right situations, Tahj is dangerous. He was wearing the "can't hit me" green jersey today, so rushing attempts aren't all that informative...but he obviously is a handful for a defense when he decides to use his feet. Steele got only a series or two, but did toss a TD. Ruggow got one series. He'll definitely benefit from a redshirt. Not a knock on him...he's just got a lot to learn. #22 Charles Kellom had a great day. He looks like he will definitely contribute this year. Two receiving TD's! (this one off a Finley swing pass). Nice TD celebration by Charles & Co. #22 pulled in a 35 yard TD on a 3rd and 18 from Ben Finley. This was Steele's 5 yard TD toss to Adrian Norton. At the 5 yard line, lined up behind redshirt Fr. TE Aiden Diaz, Hester scampered around the left tackle for a rushing TD. Hester had 2 TDs today, and the OL lifted the diminutive RB to the sky. #17 Justin Campbell, a Ball State transfer, had a couple nice grabs, including this one over the middle from Tahj. The defense made some big plays today. Here, #11 Davonte Golden-Nelson jars the ball loose for a turnover. Here you go, @taylormade28 🦾 Big Ben meets with Soph. WR Paul Davis and Charles Kellom after Kellom's long TD reception. Steele Wasel had the "best hair award" last week. Hester nabs the honor this week. Great day for Blake. He got a lot of opportunities, and delivered the goods with a couple TDs. This OL sat out todays scrimmage. A familiar face is again prowling the Akron sideline. The scrimmage concluded with a pick six of Tahj Bullock by #13 Freshman Rodrick Hunter! Joe was as positive as I've ever heard an Akron coach after the practice. He emphasized he felt they got better today. He told the team they should be very pleased with how they executed. Pleased, but not satisfied.

Using the moneyball approach in college sports is even more proof that it's no different than Major League Baseball. The only difference is that every athlete is on a one-year contract and is free to jump onto the Yankees or Dodgers whenever they want. Our only hope is that we can gather enough 7-9 hitters, back of the rotation or AAA guys from those teams to compete. I was against paying players for this exact reason. I always felt like getting a full ride, 6-figure scholarship should be enough payment. If athletes wanted to get paid they should have given them those funds in cash and let them use it as they'd like. But now we have a free-for-all with no "salary" cap.

This is a good and accurate review of what Bud had to say. As glowing as his comments were about our facilities, development, culture, reputation, etc we must always remember that in this new NIL world any school willing to offer more money will negate all our advantages. Money is the primary factor no matter how disappointing that is. We can be proud of our advantages, but we also need to be realistic. It's a different world.

It's been mentioned by others, but I wish we still did this.

They did say in the interview that Okonkwo wasn't who they were initially targeting. He became suddenly available and was too good to pass up. I wouldn't be surprised if Harris and Wilson played a part in recruiting him.

Other tidbits; Our new practice facility and NBA quality locker room are the best in the MAC and rival most P5 programs. What our staff brings to the table in terms of player development and a winning culture makes Akron an attractive landing spot for players wishing to take the next step. John Groce is highly admired by his peers. It is worth the time to listen.

Holy information. I LOVE Bud Wentz as a spokesperson for the program. He's tremendous. I HIGHLY recommend listening to it. We're not done in the Portal, according to Wentz, and some announcements should be made soon.

see ya'll Saturday

A big physical third guard ... perfect for this team. Defense will be key vs. best perimeter player the opposition has. Very good pickup. Also a good PG backup for inevitable down games from freshman PG, Sharon. (Tavari who?). Adds to the premise this team - w/so many experienced P5 transfers - should be strong right out the gate, capable of winning big (read: P5) games in November and December.

Mikal Dawson to Marshall

Good for Mikal - going home.

Essentially it's an analysis of gains through the Portal by conference. It's still relatively early on, but based on this, the MAC is doing well despite the volume of Portal-goers from the MAC.

Will be interesting to revisit this when all the dust settles.

You get a bonus point for using team-ism.

You are not wrong, IMHO. Not equivalent, but they'll totally destroyed professional golf for the money as well. In person, you have to be an Elite with BIG $$$ to get anywhere near a spot to actually watch the play, and at home, you get to see 5 or 6 golfers who might be in contention, while listening to hours of conversation between a player, his caddy, and the talking heads. And the commercial time is horrendous. Your comments on boxing were spot on, as well. Golf commercials all appeal now to the investment-class, the high-end liquor and beer class, and the sports-betting parlors...

You don't have to like the system, but it's either adapt or be left behind.

I believe so. I might be reading between the lines a bit too.

I don't know what is allowed, but I support an expanded use of the walk-on role if it leads to giving some legit D1 players time to develop. It would also help retain the Akron culture from year to year.

No question. There has to be some middle ground.

Meaningful regulation without enforcement wasn't any better. The likes of Kentucky, Kansas, Ohio State, etc. have been all been doing this stuff - and much worse - prior to NIL. The Indiana and Kansas stories this offseason (paying $1M+ for players) are wrong, but overall the playing field is more level than it was before. The key to what Wentz talked about is that all things financially being equal, Akron is a notch above (minimum) their competition. The reputation of development and winning under Groce & co. is something we should be very proud of as fans and excited about going forward. Wentz confirmed this through networking during the 2nd week of the Tournament. His takeaway was how highly thought of Groce & his staff are in the college basketball community. Regarding the facilities, other schools may have newer buildings, but the amenities our facilities offer is on par with some of the best. The video capabilities in the practice facility sounds incredible (players can take video of their practice session and it's sent to coaches for review/feedback), high end sports medicine on site, and the locker rooms/lounge are top notch. These are where the players spend the most time. Wentz mentioned that a woman's team recruit from a P5 school said our facilities were way better than what she previously had at a P5 school. Wentz was asked his opinion of the roster and what his excitement level was. He was surprisingly hesitant to be excited and said he thinks they need 1-2 more pieces (which is what led into his answer @Hilltopper mentioned about 1-2 more players being added and announcements coming soon). He stated the program is building to be a 2nd weekend team in March Madness. Josiah Harris was targeted over guys that "fans would be surprised to hear." Not surprising based on what WVU fans said about him on Twitter. Incredibly high character and has strong abilities on the court. He, Okonkwo, and Wilson filled the initial 3 needs. Interesting coaching tidbit - Dustin Ford handles the defense while Groce handles the offense. Wentz mentioned there might be a shakeup in the coaching duties, but didn't say what.

But...you know..."Thornton and Scott" and "no serviceable big." 😉

You guys are awfully bullish on Young coming in and contributing significantly as a true freshman. I wish I could say I'm as confident of that... but I hope you guys are right 🙏🤞🙏🤞

Other info from the scrimmage - Kellom was the starting RB. #9 Jordon Simmons (Sr. Michigan State transfer) was the second RB, and broke a nice 35 yard run early in the game. He also started the 2nd half. Blake Hester broke a 30 yarder in addition to his 2 TDs. Starting OL was: TE: Newell LT: James Jayvin LG: Keon Kindred (Maryland transfer) Center: Tyhler Williams RG: Colin Lyons RT: Josh Blanchard (USF Sr. transfer) Next OL was: LT: Nick Stopiak LG: Keylan Davis Center: Max Mobley RG: Jerrod Burrell RT: Jonas Mann Starting 3-man front: Edge: Jon'Trell Mixon Edge: Andre Proffitt Nose: Nathan Kapongo 4-man front #1: Edge: Bennett Adler Interior: Marcus Moore Interior: Lama Lavea Edge: CJ Nunnally 4-man front #2: Edge: Bennett Adler Interior: Andre Proffitt Interior: Lama Lavea Edge: CJ Nunnally Perez missed a 35 yarder. Wiley was on kick offs and was the PK in the second half

Ignore the quote.

Having the 7'1" Big East Defensive POTY is certainly going to help give you an advantage on the boards. Strength & conditioning had nothing to do with Kalkbrenner's height. Want to know what helps more? Defensive rebounding opportunities. Akron had 9 offensive rebounds to Creighton's 5. Akron had 17 defensive rebounds to Creighton's 33. When Creighton doesn't miss, there are going to be fewer opportunities. When we miss a ton, Creighton is gonna have more opportunities. The only thing exposed that game was us sucking eggs shooting wise, and Creighton had an all-time shooting game. Had Creighton shot a solid 40% from 3 (above national average), Akron would've had a good chance at winning that game.

I think there is a psychological aspect to shooting and it’s the reason Groce doesn’t like to talk about it. Talking about it raises doubt and that leads to a spiraling lack of confidence. I think even our good shooters struggled because the pressure to help out Freeman was so intense. Hopefully the additions of Harris and Wilson will lift that pressure and the others can play more carefree and better as a result. Even though this last team was flawed and peaked early they had heart and determination. They grinded their way to that tournament championship. It wasn’t pretty, but they earned it. And even though I agree that Sharron Young is a major draw for the WV transfers, winning the MAC tournament was likely a prerequisite to this rebuild happening. So kudos to the Ali, Freeman and Tribble class of Zips for continuing our upward projection. Future is still bright.

Yes. Simply because this team will most likely have a true PG and be able to shoot at a much higher clip. "Bigs" Okonkwo will most likely be Freeman-lite; a little bit bigger, maybe more athletic, but not as versatile (no outside shot to my knowledge). Lyles is hopefully able to take that next step. He has the size and I think he has the athleticism. The question for me is can he become more decisive and make quicker decisions? We will see. Baker is a versatile post player. He's maybe a bit bigger than Freeman was, but he has a jump shot like Freeman IIRC. He was nominated to be a McDonald's All American in high school IIRC and had a nice offer list after being a 1st Team All State player and top 10 prospect in the senior class for the state of Illinois. He'll push Lyles for solid PT this year after his redshirt year last season. Brisco is a redshirt candidate for me. He's Freeman size, but listed as a Center on his recruiting profiles. He had offers from TCU & Nebraska in high school, with additional interest from Pitt, Penn State, Pitino's Iona, etc. (no idea if he was offered). There isn't much out there on him except some nice dunk highlights. He's strong but looks to be still growing into his body. A year of development for him could really make him a formidable "big" as a redshirt freshman. If he doesn't redshirt, I could see Amani Lyles type minutes for him. Forwards Josiah Harris will lead the group of forwards in production this year most likely. A high percentage 3P shooter with good size (6'7"), he is our Ali Ali replacement and very similar to Xeryius Williams (better shooter most likely). He was also WVU's rebounds per game leader last season (4+ RPG - and people wonder why WVU was 9-23 last season haha). Legitimately expecting 15 PPG from Mr. Harris. Musiime-Kamali will be an interesting player to watch. There isn't much out there on him, but he looked quite good in his summer AAU highlights. Someone who has seen him practice can probably provide a more realistic analysis and expectation for him, but he has the potential to be a solid contributor. Athletic with potentially a jump shot? 6'6" and long. Played against really good competition in high school/AAU and averaged double digits. Guards Loaded group. Sharron Young is who I believe will be the starting PG this upcoming season. The entire WVU transfer class revolves around Sharron coming to Akron. This kid is special and can do it all. Look for him to be in the running for MAC Freshman of the Year and All MAC in general. Tavari is most likely his direct backup. Tavari needs to make great strides in his game this offseason. He needs to lock in his shot, defense, and decision making. He could be a very special guard, but mental defenses and a lack of effort have held him back. Seth will most likely be the starting SG. His off-the-ball shooting percentage is much much better than his on-ball production. He's big, plays good defense (comes from Huggins' system so of course), and will be a leader on this team. Shammah is going to be one of the first off the bench most likely. There's a chance he pushes for PG minutes, too, but we saw him mostly in off-the-ball guard situations last year. He needs to lock in his shot more, but he really came in at the end of this last season. Nate is most likely our starting 3G/SF. Really looking forward to having Nate healthy all season. If his shot is as good as it was before he got hurt last season, look out. Nate has All MAC potential. Prather Jr is the lone sophomore on this team, and I'm looking forward to seeing him healthy this year. He was held back by the early season injuries last year, but when he eventually played, he flashed moments of being a great shooter. His defense will need to improve, but he could become a better-shooting Chanel Banks. Mahaffey is the other redshirt candidate for me on this roster. Quite frankly, we're just loaded at guard. I think a year to develop after his recent growth spurt would also be good for him. By my count, there are 7-8 guys on this roster that should be able to shoot the ball quite well. There were maybe 5-6 guys last year that shot decently well, and even less that us fans actually wanted to shoot the ball. We also lacked a true PG, which we'll have at least one, hopefully 2+ (Tavari's development being key) next season. We had 3 players averaging double digit scoring last season; I think there's a chance 4-5 guys average 10+ PPG. I think our bench is deeper next season, especially from a scoring perspective. The scoring floor with this team should be higher than last season. Defensively, all 3 transfers were recruited by Huggins - defense shouldn't be a problem next season. This team is very much built like Groce's 2010 & 2012 Ohio teams. We know what happened at the end of those seasons. Just saying. Really really excited for next year.