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I don’t know about an official scandal, but definitely some non-public accusations about giving recruits impermissible benefits. Can’t remember the name, but I believe one of the situations was apparently a NE Ohio guy transferring from Missouri.

Did I mention, I hate Toledo!!

Good edition of Zipped Up. https://open.substack.com/pub/akronzippedup/p/zips-mens-basketball-weekly-update-473?r=4gotw8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Willie Jackson of Garfield Heights.

FIFY 🙂

We look like a team that peaked in January. I wouldn't recommend just mailing it in the final week of MAC play. We need to work on making adjustments to get back to firing on all cylinders. Right now in February we're playing like a team that is marginally better than the rest of the MAC. That gives us good, but not great odds of winning in Cleveland. I'd be feeling a whole lot more confident right now if the MAC tournament started the beginning of February instead of March this year.

It truly is the ultimate regular season sacrifice by Kowalchoke. He's all in on pleasing the basketball gods in Cleveland. He never had success in Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, so maybe the combination of sucking during the regular season and arena name change to Rocket Arena will bring him the success he's looking for (probably not). Utah State fans have to be ecstatic they passed on him. Big week for the MAC to nail down the seeding. - Miami is locked into either the 2 or 3 (not quite sure how the tiebreaker would work if they fell into a tie with OU) - Ohio has a one game lead for the 3 seed which would put them on the Miami side of the bracket; with how they're playing and we're playing right now, this is best case scenario for us - Kent is currently the 4 seed, but tied record wise with Toledo; Toledo has Akron and Ohio while Kent has WMU and EMU - EMU and WMU are right on their tails at 8-8, one game back of Kent/Toledo; they do not play each other and both face Kent, so it would be amazing if they could knock Kent down to the 6 seed somehow (Miami's side of the bracket) - Akron's 1st round matchup is still up in the air with Balls & BUGS both at 7-9 (tiebreaker to Balls somehow); CMU is right there at 6-10 Thank goodness we don't have to worry about these final two games and can simply focus on getting right in every facet of the game before Cleveland.

Haven’t heard from zippy-claws in a while …

Great job by Associate AD Samantha Maxwell!

South Alabama ended up getting the #1 seed in the Sun Belt tourney. Looks like they won a 4 way tiebreaker between them, JMU, Troy, and Ark State

UT's always a tough game. And being a road trip immediately following the Kent game, when the schedule came out I had this one down as an almost certain L. But UT's been imploding. A 40-point loss to KSUcks followed up by losing to Buffalo?! I hope we go in there and hammer 'em. Scatter their ashes all over Savage Arena.

https://open.substack.com/pub/akronzippedup/p/zips-mens-basketball-weekly-update-473?r=4gotw8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email Latest summary/commentary/update from ZippedUp.

It looks like the Rockets may have quit on Tod. They got peeled by Buffalo yesterday, 87-74.

Yes, then no.

Are you being sarcastic? I was just curious.

Sullinger caught an OVI in Portage County very early in his time at PCCC.

Toledo lost a trap game. Actually, the last 3 games must have been trap games.

Not looking past Eastern or Western @ 11am on a Thursday. BTW. If there is a betting scandal with EMU, would hope whoever is investigating finds out truth before they take a spot in Cleveland

Harris has been. He even was posting on his Instagram story playing 2k in the team hotel with okonkwo in Muncie

Hardman is great when he has time and squares up. His troubles come when he's drifting right or left in his shooting motion. I've become a fan of Seth Wilson. He had trouble getting on the floor early in the season and I suspected it was because he hadn't bought in. However, in the last month or so he's getting on the floor for loose balls, bodying up and hustling on defense and been actively involved with is teammates. If you saw the pregame video of him in the hallway before the team came out last night you could see him pumping up the team. He's become much more of a contributor than I expected him to be. Sharron appeared to reinjure his knee on the fast break layup when he was fouled and went to the floor. He hobbled to the bench from there. Shamon's steal and basket to end the half was huge. Tavari had two huge plays late with the 3 as three as the shot clock expired and the layup as the clock expired. Amani taking the charge was huge too. Groce stopped in the handshake line and took extra time to talk to Sullinger. I like how he does that. The Beacon/Ohio.com article was odd in that it focused a lot on Mr. Pinky and his thoughts on the game with little or nothing from Groce. Maybe it's because they wanted to get out of there and Groce was busy cutting down nets! I thought Bud was going to get a T last night!

Losing 4 out of the last 5 really surprising. Toledo usually does not start losing until they hit Cleveland. Maybe they are turning things around and playing bad now so they can have success in the tourney.

I hope you get a shirt. Last time I went when they were giving away jerseys to the first 250 or so, they ran out early and there weren't even 250 people there.

Allegedly, around 10% of the student population was at the game. Amazing stuff from the students. If this support were to continue, there needs to be a legitimate conversation about flipping the seating in the JAR. Move the students to the other side of the court so they're always on camera, and move the benches/lower bowl regulars to the near side. Keep winning, showcase Akron as a place that's fun, and the University could really start turning enrollment around.

Biggest crowd of the year and the Zips brought in the Red Panda to entertain the crowd!!! Just kidding. The half time show was not the Red Panda but some guy mopping the floor. He was amazing.

Tahj I’d a athlete no matter what he be fine wherever he goes Well at V tech the head coach that recruited him got fired that same season new coach comes in he’s gonna want his guys respectfully 1st season at Akron came late had to learn playbook late was also behind DJ irons this past season “it was a close battle” at the end but players and parents told people different 🤷🏾‍♂️