NWAkron

somewhat surprising. Despite no divisions this year, sure looks like the finish to every other regular season when the Zips must run the gauntlet of the superior East Division (apart from PCCC this time).

There are other MAC schools that have tourney runs over the years including that team up the road in Brimfield. Eastern Michigan beat Duke in first round! The difference here is that those coaches stayed or didn't come back and coach at your rival school. Most of them failed apart from the guys who left Canada one after the other. The Akron/OU rivalry heated up with Groce and Dambrot. In the tourney Groce got lucky or outcoached Dambrot twice. But he also bombed out between those two NCAA appearances with that same squad minus the player turned felon Armon Bassett. He also had OSU's Holtmann as an asst. Groce is a unicorn in that he came back to the same conference to coach the hated rival. Putting myself in a Bobcat's shoes, I may feel like there is some unfinished business without being sure what that business is.

I think for the denizens of Nelsonville to understand you need to phrase it as "STATUE of limitations."

That was an important game for Western Michigan. They are only team that has any chance to break into the final 8, and their previous game against Ball State, which is only 2 games ahead of them was also postponed. Maybe they should do what the Horizon League is doing and play 2 games back to back one day after the other.

Fans definitely took the very back seat this season. It's foremost about the teams and what is convenient and cost-effective for the universities. Even the MAC tournament isn't fan-friendly. I don't think the schools even get much of an allotment of tickets...if any. I was looking on seatgeek and only tickets available were for the women's semi-finals. COVID certainly separated the wheat from the chaff with the basketball programs. The bottom four are abundantly clear, and they can't pin their hopes on an upset in a first-round game. Anxious to see what the directional schools do with their coaches. EMU's performance vs PCCC was pathetic.

No. I think my comment was about the focus on how allegedly great their team was. I enjoy the back and forth with them.

If any of you are bored on a cold Saturday afternoon as you await that showdown between EMU and Rootstown Agriculture & Merchandising there is a really spirited conversation over on Kitten Attack about "over the back" calls and whether John Groce is smiling under his mask.

Not good from the line. Can't have him in at the end.

Zips have a tough 4 games ahead while the Rockets can eat cupcakes going into Cleveland which doesn't help them with the regular season title but will make them tougher for the tournament.

Calling it a night. Not too worried about Buffalo after this sorry display.

disagree. Toledo much more dangerous. UB collapsed at the end against PCCC. They are doing the same here.

Neither are playing that great. No one is dictating the tempo. Buffalo has missed like 5 open 3s in a row

The refs are AWFUL. They are jut letting anything pass. Toledo was on a roll until their guy made a huge dunk and another Toledo player taunted the Buffalo guy on the ground. Got a TF and Buffalo back in it. Buffalo very physical inside game and rebounding and not good from 3.

Toledo and Canada get Dakich tonight! I guess we want Canada? but not sure I want Buffalo having some confidence going into the tourney. Edit: Canada not looking good. Rockets hot from 3.

Never in doubt. Lots of swagger by the Zips. at the end.

Groce said come February teams are either going up or down. Zips slowly backing up towards the edge of the cliff.

anyone surprised by this? just sensed this coming.

It's showtime!

You can be critical of the team and not be disdainful and be obviously hoping for that "I told you so" moment.

Thats what Hilltopper says as well. We all should be expecting more from Groce and Zips deep into February. Winning ugly isn't a frame work for success

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/college/zips/2021/02/19/university-akron-mens-basketball-zips-need-refocus-stretch/4493544001/ another negative article from GT. Says Akron needs Toledo to falter, but I'm not sure that's the case since looks like they will play even amount of games. But then he adds that it's more realistic that the Zips will screw up and give ground to the team from Portage County "They still have a shot at the No. 1 seed, but need Toledo to falter, but perhaps it’s more realistic for the Zips to worry about whether or not they will stumble with a Kent State sitting behind in the standings. UA has won three in a row, but has not looked pretty in the most recent two and they did not put together a complete game in the past three." I get that he is giving his version of realistic coverage, but he writes with such disdain for the program. He didn't make one pure positive point about the team. And if he did, he couches it with something negative. How about Zips trail Toledo after splitting their two games. Kent lurks behind with 4 losses but two of those come from Zips sweeping the Flashes for first time in...

Canada is slightly favored over Toledo tomorrow night. PCCC didn't have "bad" losses per se. But, yeah, losing to 1 and 2 win teams isn't going to spin out of the computer well as opposed to PCCCs losses to UVA, Akron, and Toledo.

Groce seems a bit more positive and calm than he was the other day. No more "don't expect winning to be a deodorant." And we got some "impactful."

How do you know they won't have multiple players? I would think it's all been sorted out since when they last played on 2/2.

And for some reason they are always looking for their band? I think it left with Groce.