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It's nice they extended that graciousness to Huggins; I hope he's finding a better path forward for himself.

Arkansas Pine Bluff must have already been booked?

This looks to be quite the get. 21 offers including some solid P5s and upper echelon G5s.

A few thoughts on last night's basketball celebration and reunion. The event was the brainchild of Karl Schwarzinger, former 70's player and huge supporter of Zip basketball. The night sold out. Tickets were $100 each plus fees. Approximately 220 were sold, but not attended. It was a class event. I asked if the proceeds were going to NIL. Karl said no, but they would go to the program. The team showed up. They are a great group of guys. Groce once said if you go to Akron you have to buy into our culture because we don't change for you. These players have bought in. They are very athletic and because of that, and no dominant low post player, for now, Groce said they will play faster and emphasize transition. All have bought into defense. Josiah Harris came over and introduced himself. He is very personable. I asked him how he liked the team and he was very optimistic they will keep Akron at the top of the MAC. I asked him why he came to Akron. He said he liked the program, Groce, the tradition and it got him closer to home (Canton). He loves the new practice facility. He thought it was equal to what he had at WVU. Tressel was there. You could not get to him as all the old, deep pocket supporters were always surrounding him. When he spoke he was typical Tressel. Joe Dunn asked him to comment on the changing world of college athletics. His answer was 5 minutes long and he said zero. My friend leaned over to me and said "that is why the media in Columbus called him the senator. He talked and talked and said nothing concrete." Huggins was asked to describe how he built Akron by Joe Dunn. Hugs answered he got guys who wanted to get better and would play defense. That's it. He has lost weight, but he now looks like a recluse or hermit: beard, long hair, slicked back. At my table were three players who played for him. To a man they all loved him as a coach and said he made them better every day. Bud Wentz talked. I thought he and Len Paul were the best speakers of the evening. Bud said he is having more fun with Akron basketball than any other time in his life. He said our NIL will aid in retaining players, not poaching them. Akron was one of the first schools to set up a collective. Bud contacted the lawyer who set up the first collective he knew about, for Arkansas baseball, and learned all he could about doing it right. His enthusiasm for the program, the coach and our future are very high. Len Paul, perhaps the best player to ever play for UA, spoke more from the heart. He said if he had it to do all over again he would still go to Akron. He loved Wyatt Webb and his teammates. Brian Westover, a 6'8" center on one of Len's teams told his wife that the reunion with his teammates was one of the best moments in his life. Len actually left a school in Texas to come to Akron. When Wyatt called him he was already in Texas but said send me a ticket and I'll be on your team. The rest is history. Guthrie was very circumspect about leading an athletic dept in these changing times. He noted he is talking more with lawyers that anyone else. He believes the MAC is the best place for UA. Our focus would be conference championships, not trying to find a seat with the big boys. He noted the AD's and presidents do not want to get into player bidding wars, which we will not win. Instead Akron needs to focus on retaining players thru offering a place that cares about them, builds personal relationships, gives them great facilities and educates them. He told me later NIL will play little role at Akron. Football has little, if any, NIL money to offer. Basketball has what it needs to hold our players. Finally, other administrators feel we need to be ready for a G5 championship. This was not said in any remarks by the speakers. There were many other speakers like Steve McNeese, Eric Mclaughlin, Dr. Climon Lee and Enrique Freeman. All talked glowingly about their time at Akron. Thru the eyes of these former players you realized we have a special place at UA, despite all its challenges. The last speaker was Groce. He captured the crowd. His thoughts on continuous improvement got you excited for the future. We were listening to someone who was ready to move the program still higher. And he knows how to do it. Another night like this is already scheduled for the last weekend in July 2025. The focus on using this weekend for all teams to reunite will be emphasized.

https://x.com/roccomiller8/status/1818368709528109428?s=46

A lot of offers but in the end it was us, Cincinnati, and Syracuse. Syracuse dropped off a bit though.

Definitely a good one. McManus showed out at a recent Rivals camp. Hence his (5.6) 3 star rating. He’s viewed as already having solid technique with excellent athleticism and a high upside. Cincinnati was the other main player in his recruitment.

It was nice to see that Grizzly Adams made it!

That's good stuff.

Link to Ohio.com photos from the reunion- https://www.beaconjournal.com/picture-gallery/sports/college/zips/2024/07/28/photos-akron-zips-mens-basketball-reunion-bob-huggins-enrique-freeman-indiana-pacers/74578692007/

Any other player evaluations and/or observations out there? Beuller?

I think it's gross.

There were several panel discussions at the reunion dinner tonight. One of them featured Len Paul, Steve McNeese, Eric McLaughlin and Bob Huggins. There was another group that included Jim Tressel, Bud Wentz and Charles Guthrie. The final group was John Groce and Enrique Freeman. Joe Dunn was the moderator and interviewed the panelists. There will be another reunion on July 26, 2025. Mark your calendars now.

We all understand why this is happening, but we don't have to agree with it. Everything good about college football can't always be measured in dollars and cents. The top 35 programs are doing all they can to ruin the game in their unquenchable thirst for more and more money. A champion from the Big Ten and SEC is not a national champion. Just the richest.

They had a short scrimmage. Harris looked great. Young will give Tavari a good push for the point guard spot. Gray is a bull of a basketball player.

The dinner tomorrow night will feature many former players and coaches. Bob Huggins, Jim Tressel and Enrique Freeman just to name a few. Several players are flying in from overseas to attend. Keith Dambrot will hopefully be there if he can clear a few items off his schedule. This event is being run by alumni, not the athletic department. Guthrie agreed to help the organizers with some marketing and to secure the venue. The only official athletic department event is today's ribbon cutting ceremony for the new practice facility that starts at 3:30 pm. There are currently 220 people registered for tomorrow night's dinner. There is also a reception being held tonight at Prime Vine Winery. Please RSVP before arriving. Again, other than the ribbon cutting, all events are being run by alumni, not athletics.

Last night I had a dream.... nightmare, really... that Finley sustained a season-ending injury on the 2nd play from scrimmage versus OSUcks. I woke up hoping we mostly hold Finley out versus OSUcks & let Bullock take the lumps. But that probably means we lose 70-0... instead of 42-10(?). Should we play to win (i.e., start Finley) versus OSUcks or not? I'm leaning towards not. I feel like a loser not wanting to play to win vs. OSUcks. Maybe I'm just getting old. But if Finley gets injured I'm afraid we could go 0-fer. Ugh. I simply hate this year's schedule.

if the coaches can begin coaching on August 6th, captain's practice should start soon I think that Dyson, Malik and Jonas are still playing for the Flint City Bucks in USL 2. On Sunday July 21, Flint City def. Ft Wayne 2-1 in the USL 2 central conference semis Google shows that Dyson, Malik and Jonas and their teammates play Peoria Friday night at 8:30 in USL 2 central conference title game sounds like Jonas had an assist in win over Ft. Wayne https://www.instagram.com/p/C9tgRGzsFrE/?hl=en&img_index=1 Key Dates: August 5 (team photo/team meetings) August 6 (first official training day) August 11 (first exhibition vs Michigan) August 16 (second exhibition vs Pitt) August 22 (season opener @ Notre Dame) August 25 (home opener vs Ohio State)

Zips will have a winger/forward from Germany...on this team ...this fall Fall 2024 Newcomers (10): First, we welcome Connor Filsinger (Winger/Forward) from Frankfurt, Germany. Connor’s international experience and technical skills are sure to add a dynamic edge to our gameplay.

Ka’Marrii Landers recruitment has heated up lately. Offers from Arkansas and South Carolina in the past few days. Hope he does well, but frustrating as he would have likely been a 4 year starter at LT for us.