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I think the NCAA is having a BOGO transfer portal deal on D2 and D3 players.

I know things can change quickly in today's college hoops world, but I'm going to assume the players with eligibility remaining who aren't in the portal are returning. Returnees who saw the floor last season would include MMK, Halligan, and Barre with Head, Henderson, and Perkins returning as well. I'll also assume for now that Jones, Ladd, and Christion will stay and redshirt. MMK and Halligan are both culture guys, and I think they'll bring a lot of value in making sure the Akron culture Groce/Ford built continues forward under Ford. I think MMK in particular can be a valuable rotation player if he continues to add strength and develops more offensive ability. Halligan is going to give you defense and energy, ideally off the bench, and will hopefully improve his spot-up shooting from the outside further over the summer. Barre is a bit of an enigma - he's shown the ability to be an impact player in small samples here and during his time at Duquesne, but there were also times where he looked lost. I'm hoping a (hopefully) fully healthy offseason + time with our big man whisperer in Coach Ford will at a minimum give us a Barre who can rebound and provide interior defense. He certainly has the size and athleticism to do it, and everything I've heard of him is that he is an excellent young man who works hard. Head was fantastic at Lipscomb as a freshman and I think, at a minimum, can be a solid contributor. I was surprised he redshirted last season, but hopefully a year in our system as a redshirt will help him hit the ground running next fall. I'm excited to see Henderson and Perkins, and think they'll both contribute as redshirt freshmen.

And the same amount of MAC championships

https://gozips.com/Watch

"Ooo that's a cool place to go." I know it's an amazing concept around here for the program to actually try and build its fanbase, but Kent is showing ways to actually go and work on it. And the reply around here is "haha that's dumb, we shouldn't do anything"

Following @Zippy87's strategy, here are a few not mentioned that Ford follows on X... Luke McEldon (6'10" F from Mount Saint Mary's) Kelvin Amoako (6'11" F from UIndy) Davion Hill (6'2" G from Balls) Derek Goodman (6'4" G from Ohio Dominican)

I agree with everything you said, and I also think MMK showed a ton of hustle on defense and rebounding ability both offensively and defensively.

I guess if you want to bring in students who think bouncy houses are cool, Kent is your place.

If they win games, the public will know. Winning is the end all be all solution. Miami OH averaged 2k or less in average attendance for basketball prior to this past season. They won and the people showed up. Al Davis said it best: Just Win Baby Win.

Ogden Stankovic and the football Spring game are the most popular topics in Akron sports. Who'd a thunk it

Probably a bit off topic, but I saw there is something like 1,400 in the women's portal. I found this a bit surprising. I get it with men's hoops as even between a CSU and UMass the pay difference for a starter is substantial. Maybe $75k-$100k difference, perhaps more for an all-conference caliber contribtutor. In the women's game those same wages aren't available. I read that UConn men's roster is $8-10 million spend while the women's is $1.6-$2.5 million. Don't get me wrong that's a good chunk of money, but that's comparable to what Utah State is spending on mens. Now if you take into account UConn is probably at or near the top in women's spending, that would mean most mid-majors are likely at $300k or less. Now mind you that's split across a roster of 15 players. It would seem to me a lot are entering the portal and end up making pretty much a similar amount unless they're going to one of the top ~50 programs that are investing heavily into women's hoops. It begs the question is it really worth making an extra $5k-10k if it disrupts you obtaining a degree because you're on your 3rd school in 4 years?

FWIW 247 has Eric as the #138th ranked portal player. Guys around him have committed to Bama, Miss St, Oregon State, Wake Sharron is not ranked in their top 247 Neither was Gillespie, so that may answer the "FWIW" part of this post now that I am typing this out 😆

The 2026 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Softball Championship will be held at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio. [1, 2] The tournament is scheduled to take place from May 6 to May 9, 2026. The top six teams from the conference regular season will qualify for the championship. [1, 2] Firestone Stadium Akron, OH Event Details Location: Firestone Stadium, Akron, OH. Dates: Wednesday, May 6 – Saturday, May 9, 2026. Format: Double-elimination tournament featuring the top six conference teams. Tickets: Championship passes and daily tickets are typically available through HomeTown Ticketing. [1, 2, 3, 4] Firestone Stadium has been a long-term partner for the event, having hosted the championship from 2002–2005, 2008–2019, and consistently since 2024 following significant facility renovations. [1, 2]

That's why Kent made it "kids day" and had activities for the kids with the football players being involved with the kids. Yeah, it was bad football...but I bet they made a couple fans for life because they actually tried to.

Finished with 13 points (career high) and 7 rebounds in 26 minutes.

It looked almost completely empty. Spring games are bad football. I don't see how exposing people to bad football will make them want to come back for more.