Zippy87

Dawson had big games against SD State and UNLV. He finished strong is 2021-22. The talent is there, the consistency just isn't though.

I think what worries me is that I don't feel that I've even seen hints of either one figuring it out. X didn't take off right away, but he had a few standout games during the acclimation process where the talent was evident. Same with LCJ. Scott and Thornton haven't passed the eye test for me. I'm trying to stay optimistic, because if neither step up and Tavari stays stuck to the bench, that'd be a pretty big recruiting miss for this staff. Let's hope one can take the job and run with it.

Has to be Nate or Mikal. Tribble is already giving us more on offense than I expected and I don't believe in the last three listed.

I have to be honest and say it's crossed my mind that next year may be a retooling year. Of the 8 who play now, only Dawson, Scott, and Nate Johnson are due back. Tavari Johnson, Ryan Prather, and Amani Lyles could be transfer candidates. A lot of turnover could take place. We'll need a few guys to really step up, Baker to be pretty good right away, and for the staff to hit a few home runs (or at least triples) in the portal.

I was very surprised we didn't add a big this off-season. I thought it was an issue last year. Nothing special, either, just a guy with size who can defend and rebound. I wonder if they expected Baker to play?

Maybe I'm spoiled by two decades of really good guard play, but I don't see it. I expected more from both.

Take away the Heidelberg and Miami-Hamilton games and these are their numbers: Scott 4.1 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.8 TOPG Thornton 3.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.3 TOPG

I was at the game, did they say anything about Dawson's injury/status on TV?

The Zips enter conference play this week and have two months to come together before the MAC Tournament. There are some pretty glaring issues that will need to be resolved if they want any chance at a March to remember. 1) Point Guard Every Zips team that has won the MAC has had at least decent point guard play. This team doesn't right now. Tribble gives you excellent defense and has become the defacto point guard our of necessity, but he's probably better suited to be the first guard off the bench and playing off ball on a really good team. Scott/Thornton haven't done much against good competition and Tavari isn't trusted to be out there at all. We struggle against on-ball pressure and, at times, to even initiate the offense. Akron may be able to win the MAC in a down year for the conference, but they won't beat anyone good unless at least one of Thornton/Scott/T. Johnson step up and play much better. 2) Bench Production Aside from Dawson (who got hurt tonight and hasn't played well in December, there hasn't been much. The guard play mentioned above along with Prather and Lyles not being trusted to play at all has really made the depth of this team pretty thin. Moments like tonight (losing Dawson for most of the game) shine light on that weakness. 3) Controlling the Paint Aside from Freeman (obviously), this team lacks frontcourt talent. Hunter is allergic to the paint, Lyles isn't playing, Baker is redshirting. There just isn't much if opposing teams successfully pull Freeman away from the hoop. SBU outscored us 32-18 in the paint tonight and doubled us up in offensive rebounding. The team in its current state is probably good enough to grind out a MAC Tournament win because the league is so bad, but they're nowhere close to good enough to upset a higher seed in the NCAA Tournament. I look forward to watching them progress and hope we can become a much better team by the time we go back to Cleveland.

Last play took way too long to develop (especially with no timeouts left) and didn't get anyone open. I think it's fair to criticize it and the decision to call a TO in the first place.

No joke, Red Panda is in the NBA 2K24 video game this year.

I won't jump to conclusions but I really hope this is just a temporary situation. The history of the program is important for both fans and players to be aware of and appreciated.

He won 305 games as Akron's HC. He can have strong ties to both, no?

John Groce never takes the Akron job if KD doesn't first build it into a perennial MAC power. I get people that were ready to move on, but I also can tell the people who don't remember (or choose not to remember) Zips basketball pre-KD. I'll never understand hating on him.

Never know with our Athletics Department 😂

#25 might be hanging in the JAR when all is said and done. Incredible story.

If Akron reaches the MAC Championship, I believe we'd have 23 games left. Going by season averages, Freeman would add 414 points and 299 rebounds, which would place him 4th all-time in points and 1st in rebounds.

Since I can't find any kind of media guide from Athletics, I used on older one and added our more recent players to the rankings. Let me know if anything looks incorrect!

Getting good ticket deals while helping a UA alum is a win-win!

I will never, ever criticize a person or group trying to improve their community. Certainly, the I Promise can improve its effectiveness. The same can be said for the public school system as a whole. The LeBron James Family Foundation has worked to do that and invested heavily in doing so, but anyone who's ever worked with at-risk students knows it's not typically a quick-turnaround. Most students entering the school were two or three grade levels behind their peers. Most live in poverty. Many have experienced trauma. And his foundation is working to break the generational cycle those communities experience. "But I heard he doesn't tip well!" If you're always looking for the negative in things, you're likely to find it. For anyone interested, here's a good article on what the school offers and what's planned in the future. It's really cool to see what they're trying to do. https://andscape.com/features/lebron-james-promise-to-akron-gets-more-ambitious/ Now, back to the KD thread. 😉

"His crying on the court" - tell me one NBA star that doesn't complain to referees "Chinese affiliation" - this is a slippery slope to go down, many of us are "affiliated" to Chinese products "Plethora of off days he takes" - he's played 25 of 27 games this year at age 39, averaging 34 MPG He left Cleveland in a shitty way. He made amends by coming back and winning us a championship. Again, for most it's politics or race and those other things are just excuses. As for the school, they offer counseling, health checkups, food pantries, clothing, tutoring, and even housing. They also help parents who didn't graduate earn a GED. It's true they've had turnover, which is true of most schools who serve inner-city, at-risk kids. It's an absolutely grueling job with a salary scale that doesn't meet its requirements. Teacher burnout is very real, especially post-Covid. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/05/ohios-teacher-shortage-as-schools-look-at-vacancies-teachers-fill-in-the-gaps.html I'm not sure if the school will be a long-term success or not, but the motivation behind it - to lift up the most at-risk kids in the city - is a noble one.

If he were doing this for publicity, he would've picked the highest performing kids and boasted about the results. He didn't. Students who graduate high school aren't failing. For some kids, just crossing that stage with a diploma is a monumental success. Having access to a college education takes that even further. Also, the school features wrap-around services to not just support the students but also their families, so they're very much aware support goes beyond 8 hours a day. It seems some just don't like the guy (likely because he left or because he doesn't like a certain politician) and that's fine. But I hate seeing people knocking that school. It's going to change the lives of many. I love this video.

I'm pretty sure she does! I received an email with it and she said to go ahead and share out to others.

The I Promise school is for kids who are at-risk. Judging them against "regular schools" is never going to work. Progress looks different with an at-risk population - it's more about growth than it is hitting ODE's subjective measures. And each of those kids will have an opportunity once they graduate to attend college. They wouldn't otherwise. His foundation is literally changing lives for yhe better.