Illini Zip

What do you say we end the season on a high note. 40 minutes please!! I know they can do it.

This is Senior Day for Evan, Seth and Isaiah. What is everyone’s thoughts on these guys and their contributions?

Not sure I like this shirt idea. Maybe it’s just poor timing. “After dominating the first half in Toledo we squandered a 21 point lead before getting the win…Nothing Easy, Akron.”

Maybe we’ll recruit the brother also.

Very good point, neither have I. The fact remains, good point guards insist on playing somewhere right away. I can see him playing 2-5 minutes (or until his first mistake) in what we used to call the second quarter of every game. Maybe if we have a blow out, injury or someone’s in the dog house he might get additional minutes. It would just be developmental his first year.

I predict Perkins will get only spot minutes, but will likely play. I have yet to see Groce redshirt a point guard.

Groce knows what it’s like to be without a quality point guard, unfortunately, and to run this system wide open he needs at least two. I think the NIL/portal reality spooks our staff as well, which is why they started to stack them up. Next year we will have three legitimate point guards on the roster, in addition to Scott. That is a feat all by itself. Most point guards are prima donnas and want to play right away. But if you find “Akron guys” who buy into the vision and care about the right things the sky is the limit. Young knows that he is in line to be the man come his Junior year if he continues to improve. Hopefully that will be enough. Being on a winning team doesn’t hurt either.

That would be good too.

I think Lyles continues to grow as an offensive threat. And Harris has great potential, but he missed a whole season. He’s a bit of a wild card. That said, this is my preferred starting lineup for next year. Tavari Nate Harris Amani Jimmy

We have not heard anything about Brisco yet, but Groce likes Mahaffey. He’s a tall, long guard who will be playing some next year.

I’ll tell you what that means to me. A much better non-conference result next year. Maybe a tougher non-conference schedule.

If we have any scholarships available I would seek to pick up a big bodied guard to replace the role of Gray and Wilson.

💯💯💯

The players need to file into Groce’s office and lay their jersey’s on his desk. “This is for Evan coach, this is for Evan”

That’s huge!!

I saw that too.

Say it @zippy5

@clarkwgriswold That pass from Amani to Wilson for three was for you.

Careless passing tonight.

It appears Young is playing limited minutes. I am good with that. Edit: Maybe not.

So you’re saying there is a chance.

Does that vote mean Mr. Jablonski thinks we are the best team in the country or that we belong in the top 25? Either way he’s smoking some bad weed, but I appreciate the attention given to Akron.

They should give him a second try. This time he wins the tax money he will need for his new car.

If Okonkwo returns I can see him playing a lot with Amani. Perhaps they both start, Amani at the 4 and Okonkwo at the 5 with Marvin and Brisco backing up. Amani just needs to keep improving his production from deep.

Something to keep in mind with Amani is that ideally this should be his Sophomore year. Either he chose not to redshirt or we needed him early on because we lacked depth at the position. I believe it was the latter due to the loss of Aziz Bandaogo and Ali Ali (for a season). It’s unfortunate.