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These last four road games, starting with this CMU one, scare me a bit. This will be our toughest stretch of the conference season as we lead up to Cleveland. CMU and BSU have height that we could potentially have trouble handling, especially if we get some foul trouble. The other two games in Toledo and Athens are just really traditionally tough teams in tough environments. Plus, the rival comes into our place within the last stretch too and that can tend to take some focus away from other games. I know Akron is good but these last 7 will show how good, not just from a talent standpoint but from a team mentality and focus standpoint.

HS level coaches, parents and kids need to start being honest in their own assessments. Unless you are a 4-5 star national recruit, you need to go straight to D3-NAIA-JUCO-D2-FCS to a place you can build film, then transfer. If you watch closely, you've seen countless kids who are on the traditional development path get leapfrogged by transfers when it's their turn. Coaches are incentivized to give a transfer every opportunity over a long term recruit. Too many kids are holding on to a dream of a path that doesn't exist anymore, they need to suppress their ego and take the path that is laid our for them. I'm not saying this is right, or doesn't need changing, it just is so they need to adapt.

In hindsight NIU should have just kept Montgomery. Being a middle of the pack MAC program is their ceiling given how little support they get.

Quotes from today's ABJ article: "Us getting 100 points means that we have more than five guys contributing," Akron redshirt junior Nate Johnson said Tuesday. "For our team, that gives us a lot of confidence and it is showing that our coach's game plan is working." "I am lucky," Groce said. "I got like 10 starters. Any of those guys can play starters minutes on any given night and impact the game in a multitude of ways. ... Our team has been prolific offensively shooting the ball." "The best player in the game was Western's point guard," Groce said. "He was terrific. I thought Willis was the best player in the game."

https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/2025/february/13/-for-me-to-be-a-part-of-a-project-like-that--it-s-something-unique-----jonathan-lewis-on-joining-the-reds/

Best wishes to former Zip ....Jonathan Lewis https://burgundywave.com/2025/02/13/colorado-rapids-winger-jonathan-lewis-barnsley/

NIU is a suitcase school with very little campus life.

Thanks!!! I do remember the court storming because it obviously made an impression on me. Is it harder to imagine Norther Illinois beating a ranked team or that there were more than 5 people in the stands or that there was real excitement in the stands at an N. Illinois game. (See video, all 3 are true) It just reminds me that MAC basketball has lost a lot of its fan base. We are undefeated in MAC play, and we struggle to fill half the Jar. Back in 2018-2019 having an undefeated MAC team or ranked team would draw butts in the seats. I will be curious to see the attendance at Central Michigan.

For a little clarity, Buffalo joined in 1998 and we joined in 1992. How long until they overtake us in wins?

Your first paragraph is correct, although it's missing the detail of Abreu's arrest during the last week or so of the season. They regrouped after Kent, beat Jim Christian's Bobcats with Groce's roster by 19 in the title game, then got embarrassed in Auburn Hills with over half the team out due to the flu. Buffalo lost at NIU during the 2018-19 season. I don't remember the court storming, and can only picture all 5 fans in attendance overpowering the security guards to get onto the floor. It wasn't a long winning streak (6 games), but Buffalo was ranked 14th at the time.

Every guy in the Zips Top 10 wants to be playing 30+ minutes per game. And other than Nate, no one is really close. If Harris wouldn't have bowed-out, the disparity would be even worse. You can't bitch about PT when your team is 19-5 and running roughshod over the MAC. You just accept your role and enjoy winning. It's 2025...if you value getting 30 minutes PT over winning, transfer to EMU. No Zip seems to be racing for the portal? Definitely speaks to the culture (overuse word, but it applies here) that Groce has created that so many talented players have embraced a defined role and sacrificed personal stats to win. Can't argue with that. At the MAC level, we have an embarrassment of riches on the offensive side of the ball. True statement. That kid busted his ass...did his best to put the Bronco's on his shoulders.

My superstitious side fears that it is too early to start this conversation. Like Michael Scott, I'm not superstitious, I'm just a little stitious.

I could be completely wrong, but I don't think they technically have. Because they're 7 games ahead of teams currently #7-9. But one of those is CMU who we play again. So if CMU beats us, they could hold a tie breaker. Obviously none of this will matter as we'll win another game and those teams will lose again. 😆

I completely agree. I know you already have the answer, but I will say it anyway. A 2 or 3 win run in the NCAAT will get the attention of every sports-minded person in NEOhio. Do it twice and you’re all of a sudden cool and filling the JAR.

They look so nice in my season scrapbook. 😁

These recaps videos are insanely good.

Guthrie leaves and UA Athletics Marketing begins to flourish? Is this the first signs of growth since Charles' Arby's-inspired revelation?

It makes me so mad that we cant get easy highlights to any ESPN+ games. How hard is it to post clips with audio in a decent quality that YOU OWN

Let me add: yes, anything will help. Do what they can to get more people involved and present. Creating an overall game day experience would only benefit the team and fans. More social media and promotion of these amazing players would help. Comes back to the product. Make people want to see them. They should send out clips of the big plays . Get those up on social media with sound and editing. Something we can share and get some interest.

Of course, the inability to draw a big crowd has everything to do with the cost of sodas and not the 9PM start. I can't imagine how uninterested I would be in going after working my butt off all week, coming home exhausted, having to haul my butt off to dinner, going to a late starting game and then not getting home until almost midnight. I'd probably give my tickets away to someone who actually would use them.