Dave in Green

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QZ, I see what you mean now. Good observation. My first thought on this is that KD is intimately involved with all of the details of his program, while we have to look from the outside and analyze as best we can without having access to all the fine details. KD is not only a straight shooter, but beyond that he and his team are held to high standards by the UA administration. So whatever the reasons why the Zips temporarily end up with more players signed than scholarships available, they're likely to be legitimate. For example, it may already be agreed upon and understood by everyone that a scholarship player is looking to transfer out of UA, and that an incoming player is penciled in for that scholarship as soon as the transfer occurs. It's also possible that a player who really wants to play for the Zips has parents who are well enough off that they're willing to foot the bill until a scholarship opens up. Also, a player with high grades might have access to other scholarships that would take up the slack of not immediately getting an athletic scholarship. Whatever produced these two situations over the past three seasons, I don't see where any problems were created, and it appears as if everyone involved was OK with the results. I agree with you that as the Zips continue to attract more talented recruits each season, it makes sense that the team has to be better prepared to replace players who elect to leave the program.

I thought it was a little over the top that Kentucky might have interest in Isaiah Johnson for its one-and-done basketball team. Turns out that Johnson is also an offensive tackle on his HS football team, and 6-9, 275-pound offensive tackles do tend to catch the attention of the bigger college football teams. Rivals.com Football Rivals.com Basketball

I think there's a pretty specific definition of over-signing in college sports. But I don't think there's one for over-recruiting. It could mean different things, and so requires a little explanation to understand the point being made. Quickzips is an astute observer of Zips basketball, so I'm interested in hearing more specifics from him when he checks back in here.

This is great news. From all I've been able to determine, Johnson was my first choice among the bigs who the Zips have been reported to offer. With "medium interest" from Boston College, Iowa, Kentucky, Notre Dame and Xavier, Johnson has been trending upward in recent months. I guess I need a remedial lesson on this one. Could you please provide a little more detail about the specifics of KD's "over-recruiting."

Best part of that story: Injury update: Williams’ ribs were tender after Monday’s practice, Bowden said. However, the fifth year senior is expected to be ready to face the Tennessee Volunteers this upcoming Saturday.

If it was not his ribs that were hurt, it was something close to the bottom of his ribcage. I was watching through binoculars when DW winced in pain as a trainer pushed at a point that appeared to be near the bottom of his ribcage on his right side, and also later when DW pushed on a point near the bottom of a teammate's ribcage to show where he had been hurt. He was really crushed between two defenders, and might have taken a hit to the area of the right kidney.

Final, ND 20, MSU 3. ND becoming more relevant, at least with Top 25 voters.

ND 14, MSU 3 early in the 4th quarter. Irish lovers still believing their team is better than their #20 ranking; Irish haters starting to believe that #10 MSU is overrated.

Totally stunned by all the records set. Mid-American Conference mark for passing yards (565) and third-most offensive yards in league history with 753? Holy crap! Sure, Morgan State is FCS. But over the years a lot of MAC teams have beaten up on a lot of FCS teams without anywhere near the explosive offense the Zips unleashed today. And it could have been even more astounding without all the bizarre officiating calls. The Zips still have a way to go to be considered a strong MAC team. But what they showed today suggests that they are at least a decent MAC team right now. And after the last two seasons, that may be the most amazing thing of all. I believe in Coach Bowden.

I was watching through binoculars when the trainer gently pushed on DW's ribcage, and DW almost jumped out of his shoes. Watching DW later through binoculars again while he was sitting on the bench, he pushed on a teammate's ribs to show him where he had been hurt. Hopefully it's just a strain or serious bruising and not cracked or broken ribs.

This is promising. Aaron Jackson was certainly on the radar of many MAC teams, and it's always great beating out the Bobkitties for a quality Ohio HS guard. But having interest from VCU may be an even better sign of Jackson's rising stock. Rivals.com In last November's edition of the Rick Bolus list of top Ohio HS basketball prospects, Jackson was included in the 76-100 range. In the latest edition, he's risen to the second 25 best, or 26-50 range. It will be interesting to see if he can rise further up the Bolus standings during his senior season. Latest Bolus Rankings TripleDoubleProspects.com reported in March that they'd heard "whispers of an ACC inquiry" about Jackson, and named him winner of their Hidden Gems Showcase Award for the HS class of 2013. TripleDoubleProspects.com JJHuddle.com had a glowing report on Jackson in May for his performance while playing for the King James Shooting Stars AAU team: Aaron Jackson (6'4/2013)- WF- Gahanna Lincoln/King James Shooting Stars Jackson is one of fiercest competitors in the state, a kid who never backs down from a challenge. Offensively, Jackson has showed the ability to do almost everything, but consistently knock down jumpers. On Saturday, Jackson scratched that off his list. The wiry strong wing knocked down big shot after big shot to keep King James close in an overtime loss to Team Work in pool play. Jackson was dialing up from long-range with confidence. He plays with a confidence, enthusiasm, and swag rivaled by very few in the state and always appears to be enjoying himself on the court. In the past, the shot has always looked good, but it wouldn't consistently drop. If shot making becomes a consistent part of Jackson's game, he is going to be a match up night mare at 6-foot-4. Defensively, he is tough and competes. There is no substitute for a kid who wants and thrives off competing. Look for more-and-more schools to get involved in his recruitment. JJHuddle.com

If anyone really wants to donate money to a charity without some third party raking a profit off the top, they should pick the charity they believe is most worthy and send their donation directly to the charity. Responding to a cold sales call makes no more sense for donating to a charity than it does for buying a product or service, sight unseen.

Finally got to see Pat go up against Zeke in open gym play. All I can say is WOW! First, Pat appears to be about an inch or two shorter than Zeke. I'm guessing that Zeke is closer to 7-1 than 7-0 now, and that Pat is between 6-11 and 7-0. Even if that's off by a fraction, these two certainly both play like 7-footers. They were really going at each other throughout the whole scrimmage, leaning on each other, pushing and shoving, trying to disrupt each other's shots. You could tell they both appreciated the challenge because neither one of them complained or jawed at the other. They both seem to understand that testing each other like this on a regular basis is a huge benefit for both players. Not many talented 7-foot college centers have a player of similar size and talent on their own team to put pressure on them in practice and prepare them for the best talented bigs they might face during the course of the season. I didn't keep a scorecard of blocked and altered shots between the two, so I can't really say who "won" that battle. Each was able to defend the other pretty well at times, and each was able to score over or around the other at times. We all know that Zeke is a defensive monster, and that he also led the team in scoring last season. The fact that Pat was able to compete so well against Zeke at this stage is really promising. I won't try to go into detail about the other players. They all look good right now. This is an impressive collection of athletes. I will say that the biggest surprise for me was Blake Justice. Not only did he rain in a series of long 3s, but the rest of his game is better than I expected at this stage. He's in great physical condition and seems to be able to run all day without breathing hard. Highlight of the day was Tree on a breakaway with a fancy spin and power jam that bounced straight up off the rim so high in the rafters that it almost kissed a banner before falling back onto the rim and just rolling out. Tree had the biggest smile I've ever seen on his face. Too bad there was no video!

@skip-zip, thanks for the KD update. As for what the NCAA might do in any individual case, it's always unclear. But for the benefit of those who may not have read the earlier ESPN story on transfers, here is part of the story dealing with the health of family members: How many of those are related to the health of a family member? Unfortunately, we don't know: NCAA spokesman Cameron Schuh said the organization doesn't track or break down those types of requests within its hardship waiver data. The numbers above refer to all hardship requests, which can also include injury and financial hardship, as above. Anyway, how does the NCAA decide cases involving the health of a family member? Again, the answers are cloudy. According to Schuh, there is no set criteria. Rather, every case is decided independently, on its own merits, based on specific circumstances. "There are a number of factors that are considered with the criteria, some of which include the relationship of the individual to the student-athlete and proximity from transferring institution to where the individual lives/is being treated, to name a couple," Schuh said in an email. "Each case is reviewed and determined based on its own merits, so it would not be accurate for me to say if any one factor is weighted more than another nor if cases that look similar on the surface have different outcomes." It's a tricky calculus. The NCAA must balance sensitivity to the family of a player, and that player's wish to be nearer an ill relative, while also ensuring the rule doesn't become (if it hasn't already) a cynically exploited loophole allowing players to transfer a year earlier than they might otherwise have done. In Pat's case, his legally blind father raised him as a single parent under difficult conditions, his father lives less than 30 miles from UA, and his father's primary physician is based in Akron. Sounds like a strong case to me. Then again, I've never worked for the NCAA.

It was announced today that the NCAA has approved Devonta Abron's hardship transfer waiver to play this season for TCU despite playing a full season last year for Arkansas. Abron transferred to TCU to be closer to his Dallas home "to deal with what was reported to be a health issue in his family." Devonta Abron eligible to play this season at TCU

More early season games, including two exhibitions against lower division opponents, will provide good practice for the Zips going into the PR tournament, where they will face some of their toughest opponents of the season. These early games will be even more critical if Pat Forsythe's hardship waiver request is approved by the NCAA and he gets to play this season. Having a chance to become familiar with the Zips playing style in four games prior to facing Oklahoma State increases the likelihood that Forsythe might make meaningful contributions that would increase the chances of the Zips to pull some upsets in PR.

Link to ESPN.com story with stats on hardship transfer waivers appears earlier in this thread back in this post. Note that the stats quoted in GT's article are for all hardship transfer requests, including those related to injury, financial hardship, etc. As the linked story details, the NCAA does not break out stats on transfer requests specifically related to family illness hardships, so there's no way of knowing what percentage of these requests are granted.

Had my first look at Pat Forsythe working out in Zips blue and gold this morning. Saw him at last year's WVU game, but don't recall much. Today the first thing I noticed was that he's no skinny kid. He's built solidly from his legs to his beefy biceps. I don't think he'll be pushed around. He warmed up at the 3-point line by casually tossing a number of swishes. Obviously 3-point shooting is not his game. But he's got a good outside eye for a 7-foot center. Next thing I noticed is that he has quick feet. He pretty much moves around like you'd expect of an agile 6-7 player, except he's close to 7-feet tall. He plays hard in practice, and is fully capable of trapping smaller, quicker players on defense. He looks like he enjoys rebounding and playing D as much as he likes rattling the backboards with NBA quality slams. He can chase down a quick guard on a breakaway drive and swat a shot away similar to Zeke. If the NCAA grants his hardship request and he's eligible to play with the Zips this season, he will make a difference in the season results. The Zips would be very good without him and even better with him. Either way, he will make an outstanding starting center for the next three seasons after Zeke graduates.

Nice to meet up with GT again at the JAR today and see that he got the same story I saw developing on the court. After watching Melo working out, I was struck by the fact that he does not look like a freshman. He looks to be ready to contribute from day one. His game is a little different from Rico's, but at a similar high level. Melo clears up one of the biggest problems the Zips had last season -- one true PG on the roster. As good as Rico is, he left a big void on the floor whenever he subbed out. Melo appears ready to fill the void. D.J. Cooper is a heck of a player, and it's tough to guard him without drawing fouls. Look for Rico and Melo to take turns guarding Cooper this season, which will take some of the pressure off of Rico trying to guard Cooper without fouling out.

Word out of the JAR is that BJ Gladden will remind Zips fans of an old nemesis -- Chris Singletary. That is, when he gets the ball and heads for the basket, he's virtually unstoppable and draws a lot of fouls while crushing defenders. Unlike Singletary, he gets the job done on both offense and defense without using sucker punches and other dirty tactics. Back-to-back commits by a high-major center (Pat Forsythe) and a small forward being offered by high major programs is clearly a sign that the Zips basketball program is moving up. The Zips are methodically assembling a group of players worthy of producing high major results.

Bleacher Report ranks Zeke #5 on its list of the 10 best college players in America listed above seven feet by their schools, trailing only Indiana's Cody Zeller, Kansas' Jeff Withey, Baylor's Isaiah Austin and Wisconsin-Green Bay's Alec Brown. College Basketball's Tall Tales: 10 Top Players Seven Feet and Taller

So who do you think "gave" the Princeton game to UA?

I said Lawrence looked fast, elusive, deceptive and fearless in his HS video highlights earlier in this thread. You always wonder if it will translate to the D-I college level, and in this case it sounds as if it just might be. This is great news, indeed.

Well said, '82. Over my life I've lived in many different states and a few different countries. I've found things to like and dislike about every area. Even after having lived for seven years in beautiful and trendy California, I still like the Akron area and NEO a lot. I've spread the word among my friends around the country, and the ones who've visited me here agree that there's a lot to like. It would be great if everyone in this area could lose the inferiority complex about where they live and realize what a nice place this is.