Zippy87

OP updated with Tavari's final career numbers.

Much better showing for Akron, who at least pushed Texas Tech. This isn't great for the MAC, though. I'm sure Miami will try to pump up their "tournament win", but the actual tournament saw both teams lose by 20. They will absolutely hold that against the MAC in future years.

Assuming Groce stays and we don't have core players leave, we have a lot of work to do in the portal to contend next season. We have two openings right now, but three questions marks that could increase the number of spots available. Barre - he lost trust to the point where he played behind MMK most of the season. Did his injuries prevent him from ever getting comfortable here, or is he simply not a fit? He seems like a great young man, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him move on. Stankovic - Part of the rotation for the first part of the season, he fell behind Halligan and barely played down the stretch. I doubt that was his expectation when he came here - I wouldn't be shocked to see him leave. Brisco - Seems like a high character young man and you never like to give up on bigs, but he just doesn't look like someone you can count on to play next year, even 10-12 minutes per night. I can definitely see him moving to a lower division team.

The bottom line is perimeter defense was a problem all season. Bad teams will have trouble exposing that, good teams will not. The 5th best 3-point shooting offense in the country certainly will not.

Groce will certainly have some tempting offers. Butler is the one to watch, IMO.

Akron ranked 259th in the country in 3-point defense. Perimeter defense was a weakness most of the year. Bad or average teams couldn't take advantage of that. Better teams could, which is why we didn't beat any of them. They made shots at absurd rates because we consistently gave opponents great looks...we saw it throughout the game today. That's not bad luck for us or good luck for them, that's a team's weakness getting exposed.

You're calling my take a bad take but you don't want to be realistic about the limitations of this year's team. If they truly had the talent to beat a top team, they would've done it at least once, and not lost to all but one of them by double-digits. We can love our team and be proud of them while staying realistic.

Not a bad take at all, a realistic one. The MAC had two very good teams - us and Miami - and we both beat up on inferior competition. Those other teams you mentioned had excellent shooting performances because we play poor perimeter defense, not because of bad luck. I'm not trying to rip on our guys - I love them all and am proud of this year. But this team didn't beat a single top team the entire season. It is what it is.

The only teams we blew out were inferior MAC teams. Lost by 10 to Troy, lost by 15 to Murray State, lost by 18 to Purdue. Again, we were a really good MAC team. I'm proud of what they accomplished this year. But this team just wasn't talented enough to beat top-level competition.

And seeing if Groce stays or leaves.

This was a good but not great team all year. We struggled to put away Buffalo, we struggled to put away Kent, we beat Toledo by 3. Unfortunately, we get probably our best draw of any of the three years with probably our worst team.

The offensive gameplan was fine. This was a 4 point game with 8 minutes left. Our offensive players just aren't good enough.

We just haven't been good enough.

Too many guys playing scared or timid.

Can't let the 5th best 3-point shooting team in the nation continually take wide-open threes.

Amani has 2 fouls. Tech went on a big run when he was out. He has to stay out of foul trouble.

Shammah and Amani have accounted for 25 of our 35 points.

Tavari better bring it in the 2nd half or there's no chance.

They're one of the best 3 point shooting teams in the country and we're allowing way too many good looks.

I feel more nervous today than I have any of the previous tourney games. Maybe it's seeing a single-digit point spread. Maybe it's knowing how much we are losing next year. Maybe it's the outside noise about Groce getting offers to go elsewhere. But this feels like a pretty gigantic game for our program and its future.

All of this history is probably why Groce is underrated nationally. Still, given UA’s status as a MAC dynasty, it would come as no surprise if Groce were to receive another shot to lead a major program. Speculation has already been swirling about Groce, whose contract with Akron is scheduled to run until June 30, 2035, becoming a candidate at Cincinnati, Butler and Boston College. Groce called his Akron predecessor Keith Dambrot “a legend” when Dambrot announced his retirement as Duquesne’s coach in 2024. Groce inherited an excellent program from Dambrot. Since then, Groce has elevated it and surpassed Dambrot’s three trips to the NCAA Tournament with the Zips. If this iteration of March Madness proves to be Groce’s last hurrah with Akron, it’s been a great run, one worthy of love from Zips fans.

https://www.ideastream.org/sports/2026-03-18/mac-teams-are-dancing-in-march-but-butler-opportunity-looms-for-akron-miami-coaches Will those strong connections make both men candidates for the Butler job? "I don't think you can go wrong with either one of them," Pluto said. "John has told me ... he's been very content at Akron."

https://chicago.suntimes.com/college-sports/2026/03/19/akron-zips-john-groce-crushing-it-illinois-texas-tech-ncaa-tournament-march-madness As Groce’s Illinois successor, Brad Underwood, continues to make the school look good for hiring him in 2017, Groce has become a rumored candidate for higher-level jobs, including at Butler and Cincinnati. “You can’t ever say never,” he said. “That’s just not how this deal works. I’m always open-minded.”

Christian Anderson not listed on Tech's injury report. https://x.com/i/status/2034825537747619977

Akron shot 75% overall from the free throw line this season. However, they have struggled at the line in March: CMU - 6/11 (54%) NIU - 8/12 (66%) Buffalo - 11/18 (61%) Kent - 17/27 (63%) Toledo - 3/9 (33%) Overall - 45/77 (58%) Definitely something to watch tomorrow.