NWAkron

See my post in the "Coach Dambrot" thread. We are on our way to becoming Steve Hawkins and Western Michigan. And I don't care if we are the class of the classless MAC. Tired of being an apologist for him. Just because we all fear going back to those horrible "Hipsher" years doesn't mean you have to accept the currrent status quo.

Collected my thoughts and read all your posts. I have some random musings that mean nothing since none of us have control over any of this. I am a battered spouse in a cycle of violence and have now reached the stage of resignation and acceptance: 1. We have been to more MAC title games and have won more in the last 10 years than the other schools. But what does that mean to the future of the program and the fans? 2. The season leading up to the tournament is meaningless because if you have to play at home on Monday night of tourney week it really isn't a detriment. 3. Worst game of the year last night for the Zips. 4. I agree this 21 win per year streak is also meaningless. As someone said a month ago, the home winning streak wasn't hard to keep going considering the level of competition at the JAR. 5. I don't know about recruiting. Should a player dictate to the coach that he wants to be the focus of the team? I do know that our staff and all the teams in the MAC are scrambling to get what is left over which includes small guards, skinny (or overweight) centers, and players who are notoriously inconsistent. Dambrot got burned so badly when he tried to go the JUCO/problem child route that he gave up on it. The problem child route isn't working for EMU but it worked for Kent this year. (Also, no injuries or suspensions this year. We can't use that as an excuse). 6. Coaching staff: just from looking at the staff, loyalty and familiarity appears to be #1 factor in being with Akron. I've never coached on any level, so i don't know what it takes to develop a coaching staff. Do you want a Geno Ford or Dan Hipsher as your asst? How on earth did Shaka and Keith ever work for Hipsher? Do you want guys under you who are looking to make names for themselves or do you want a loyal, comfortable group? 7. I know I would be happy giving up these 20 win seasons and wouldn't mind a bunch of losses in a row or at home or on the road to the big conferences if it can get the program out of the limbo we are in now. That win at Texas did a lot for the Kent team this year. Frankly, that game looked really similar to the game last night. 8. Don't you all secretly want John Groce as our coach for a few years? Why can't we be like those delusional Bobcat Attack bloggers and expect a whole lot more? 9. And for all of us and the program to keep coming back to..."well, we have more tournament final games than anyone else" or whatever benchmark we set on here really is a defeatist attitude. Mid Major basketball and life in the MAC promises fool's gold as someone said. The school and the coaching staff don't have to keep buying it. But they have to (obviously) decide what is their goal and how they will achieve it. 10. I'm really looking forward to a quarterback competition this Fall and another Bowl appearance. Football is so much more enjoyable because I expect nothing and am so happy with any win. It's just entertainment which is what basketball is becoming for me. P.S. Last night was a reverse of 2011. The basketball gods are really telling something to the Zips. The loss at BG (after "owning" them for years. Loss at home to Miami. The loss at home to Kent. These meaningless win streaks and domination of crap teams isn't going to work anymore.

I think after this year the "bobcat is out of the bag" and word likely spread around that you can buy better tickets away from the ZFund. I was a little hesitant to share my info about Travel Zoo before I bought tickets for last night. Ultimately, for tonight didn't use travelzoo and just purchased at Q before I left. I'm now lower club in Zips section a few rows from the railing. Perfectly, happy with those. I'm sure everyone will have a different tale to tell on tickets. I'm certain there's pressure from major donors to always get the best of the best, but there is absolutely no outreach to any of the other Zfunders. And those donors should get the best. They support the school. But what some see as the randomness of it starts to irk people.

And our former mayor who didn't come to a game all year was down I'm front. (Of course, we don't know where his tickets came from but...)

Skip-Zip alarmed:

Awesome. Thank you for posting

100% agree. We are lower level season ticket holders for 20+ years with very strong connection to the university. Each year at the Q we our seats are embarrassingly bad. First two games at Q used travel zoo and were basically courtside. Tickets for tomorrow not as good but still much better than what Van Horn would give us. As for my awesome seats last night, they were less awesome when 3 "robust" inbred Kent fans sat in front of me. And three more of them to my left. Those people are strange.

I looked at box scores and minutes played last night for both teams. Our guards should be fresher. Big Dog and Hall about even in minutes. Kent is a high turnover team. And a tired Kent...Will suck even more Kwan has to be really well-rested. They need to keep their cool.

There are some eerie parallels to that game. We were 6th seed. Kent was #1. Kent beat Ball State to get into final. We beat the #2 and #3 seeds to get to final.

Dueling threads. They will be caravaning from Ravenna tomorrow night

What can be said?

Turned off the radio. I think I will wait and see who we are playing when I arrive at the Q Tomorrow. Oh, wait,. I have to start the thread...I'm undefeated

Had trouble with travelzoo. I went to box office here. Lady was helpful. Akron same place but opposing team on same side at other end...For cameras.

Same side and sections. But the other team will be on same side, too just at other end. Be careful not to buy in their section

Ball State dance team deliberately trying to distract Zips warm up

The MAC Final 4 certainly has an "old school" feel to it. On the + for Kent tonight, Edwin and Avery should be well-rested having fouled out early in their game.

So long Nate, Blake, and the interloping Canadians. And it's 11:30pm on a Thursday night and...

I dread seeing the Athens hill people milling around the Q tomorrow night. However, Toledo was never going to make it to the final and would likely have been easily beaten by Kent or Buffalo. OU should put up a better fight against one of those two. And since chalk is prevailing, looks like a cold, dark drive back to Ravenna for the Kent faithful. I really, really dislike Buffalo and Nate Oats. I thought i would never say this, but i'm going for Kent in this one.

Isn't this typical Toledo in the MAC tournament? Not surprising.

Surprising. They all seem so nice

You would have thought from the Zips fans that the EMU player made a full tackle and a right upper cut to Noah. It did look like the EMU player couldn't stop and maybe thought the two-handed push was better than a fill-in body blow. But that would be giving an EMU player way too much credit. Read somewhere their player "Mangum? was suspended for this game.

Zips after gritty win face the Ball State Cardinals who took out WMU after two of their starters had a mid-court collision. Only meeting at the JAR had Big Dog winning the game in closing seconds followed by Cardinal coach Whitford running to mid court screaming claiming the Zips goal-tended their final desperation shot. Dambrot is not going to lose to Whitford. Period.

Leaving now this riveting game

Ball St may be minus a point guard. Guy with knee injury came back. I played Hardy Boys and found out Taylor Persons(?) Has concussion and stitches up the side of his head. (Top that George Thomas)