NWAkron

That Noon game is stupid. Your biggest crowd is from Akron. Had to think they would have the #1 seed. Have to think they could still change that. I can get there for the game but what kind of crowd will you get.

I always liked the JAR because we are so close to the floor, and I think it has to be claustrophobic to the opposing teams. Some surprises around the MAC tonight. Dont get Toledo.. Looks like we would have Buffalo in our pod. http://www.playoffsimulator.com/ncaambb/mac/

This one!

Absolutely. Ohio has the bragging rights until another team steps up and repeats what they did. Did read a column recently on John Groce and his problems at Illinois. The opinion-maker said that the MAC was a "putrid" conference and while Groce had success in the tourney he really didn't perform during the season. One could say he turned 3 wins into millions of dollars...for himself. Akron fans more than any others in the conference are waiting impatiently. That's why those three late MAC losses really burned. Becuase while the at large was not in the cards a lower seed was. Thats where those losses will hurt. But tonight...the Zips got this one.

That's the standard 12 team single elimination bracket. Didnt Cant have the #1 seed and get burned a couple of times. The idea is that #1 isn't playing the #5 team. But with the MAC this year...unless you are getting WMU or BG in the second round. its pretty open

I'd like to seeToledo on other side of bracket.

http://www.playoffsimulator.com/ncaambb/mac/ For any MAC Tourney geeks this is fun. Looks like no matter what we will likely be seeing the Huskies again. If we are (and we will be) we would play at Noon on Thursday, March 10. Wonder if that would change if it's Akron.

Whatever the case looking for a big game from Josh Williams

Does the fact he didn't practice mean he's not playing? I'm confident in a win with or without Pat.

Whitford

I guess we want the Kittens to beat Buffalo??

Senderoff just ejected at Millet Hall

"Watered down Akron" has ten 3 pointers and a 61 to 41 lead at half! I think it will be "blow out" weekend as opposed to "upset Tuesday" as these teams follow Akron's lead no matter winning or losing.

In the lower level, there were a lot of season ticket holders who weren't there last night. Most gave their tickets to others. Coach mentioned after game the last loss to BG cost us a conference championship. I don't remember that game. The last loss i remember to BG was at the Q when Hipsher was coach after we finally made it past the first round. Continue to hope chaos continues today for the rest of the MAC. But I have no doubt it will all come down to the Big Game on Friday for the MAC regular season championship.

Big Dog just made a 3???

Nothing is ever that simple when it comes to the Zips except that win over the Kittens in the MAC championship a few years back.

What a rough stretch of games for the team and the fans. But if all goes well we could have "home court" advantage in SIX more games instead of these final three. Time for a re-set of the season.

Thanks for posting this thread. This really helps those of us with no basketball IQ. It does seem like even when we do get a fast break it ends up with a whammy...missed dunk, missed lay up, a foul and missed free throws.

All I was saying is that at large discussion assumed we didn't win the MAC tournament. And I think that the cards are stacked against a MAC team getting that ticket. We ride this roller coaster every year. And considering all the upheaval in the standings being the #1 seed and the MAC champs is good odds. I do appreciate the mind reading. I, too, have psychic tendencies. Hence the prediction of the Miami loss.

I would attend the games whether we were 5-20 or 20-5. That's what we do as life long fans. Just like going to the football games even when they were 1-9. I never bought into that "at large" scenario primarily because cutting down the nets at the Q is the best way to end a season...at least from this fan's perspective. If we are looking for the bigger picture, we need to look no further than the MAC itself. That is our microcosm of incestuous mediocrity. WMU went to the tourney two years ago...bottom feeder this year. Toledo over last few years had some incredibly talented teams...nothing came of it. OU...has a run with Groce and then nothing. Buffalo...one and done with a star player who was a thief and kicked out of school. Miami once a power in the conference who had one great player (which will unlikely happen again) is struggling every year but does have Akron's #. Akron has won 22 out of 23 games against BG but Ohio lost twice to them this year. EMU has a star player in Thompson whose past is quite checkered. And the team up Route 76...enough said. It goes on and on. What about Central? And a final note, it seems these rule changes have affected Akron for the negative despite our Coach being on the rule committee. My thought is just like the economy is not set up to help the little guy nor are the NCAA rules.

Should make for an interesting MAC tournament. Ironically, we may limp in to one of those top 2 seeds a year too late. I'm taking the Eastern Michigan Eagles for the win, Pete. We need to think more like those teams (and fans) in all those little southern and east coast conferences who always consider themselves underdogs and are just happy with a conference tourney win and a 16 seed and the slightest chance at being a Cinderella. Cant's trip to the final 8 and the Kittens trip to sweet 16 got us all thinking we are something we clearly aren't. We have a decent MAC basketball program that still has as good a chance as anyone (proven by tonight's results Kittens lost to BG twice? Kant twice to Buffalo?) in this conference at winning the MAC tourney. But that's it folks. It will never be anything more than that. That became crystal clear as we walked out of Auburn Hills on a cold March night a few years back. We have much more fun when we dream rather than when we expect.

Unfortunately, I saw this coming Friday night. Same pattern every year. Didn't follow or listen tonight. This was predictable. That being said, this February schedule was brutal for the team and fans. One home game over a three week period. Just put a knife into any momentum.

Speakng of which...who wants to start the Miami thread?

Two turning points: Reggie's miss when we were tied and when we were up 19 to 15 and they got offensive rebound and a 3. Was reading how 6th ranked Maryland lost to lowly Minnesota. This stuff happens and with the stagnant nature of the MAC it just seems worse. How well all these teams know each causes these same results...unexpected losses...or big wins from the bottom feeders. Until there is some new blood in the conference it wont change.

Thanks Zipsnation for giving us all a place to vent. Inexplicable. But it has seemed like for the last few games that our three point game plan was hanging by gossamer threads ready to be snipped on some random February night.