MDZip

Chauncey is playing quite well. Proud of the guys no matter what. Way to play your hearts out.

No matter what Melo deserves a ton of credit (he had one fine defensive play very early where Offut was open under the rim and Melo left his guy to keep an easy pass from being made - excellent work). And Buddy Mayborg that was a terrible call on Tree!!!!!!!!!

Yep, a rotation of only six players is tough. Zips played hard but need more depth. Chipps dominated them in the paint, rebounding and turnovers. Tough to win a game if you lose those three categories. Great season though and they have a shot an NIT bid.

It is, last year actually set the record, this just extends it.

We need King, Young and Tecca to become better artists (you know they have to keep the Chipps out of the paint). The only reason the Chipps are leading is domination on shots from two feet and offensive rebounds. Tough to do but if the ladies can get that one figured out, they will win this one. Go Zips!

Ball State fought back to tie the game at 59, then the Zips went on a 9-0 run late in the game to seal it. 70-61 final. Rachel Tecca had her poorest scoring game of the year (first not in double figures) but I'm sure she has no problem with the results. Cassell in double digit assists again. But Hanna Luburgh, 33 points and 12 rebounds, if she can have a good game tomorrow against CMU she could definitely be looking at tournament MVP. CMU is good but I'd rather face them than Toledo. Would be incredible to see two

Ladies lead Ball State 40-29 at the half. Man, it would be awesome to get both Zips teams into the finals today. #Finish ladies.

Other than his odd resemblance to Squidward, I like Reggie Witherspoon. Thought he was a good game tactician, probably just not a great recruiter. On the Zips side of things, however, I won't be sorry to see him go, since he has given the Zips more fits than any other recent program I can think of.

I think this answers that question pretty clearly. This is the ONLY time I want to see them cutting any nets this year. Go Broncos! Go Zips!!!

Interesting paragraph at the bottom of the article: Scuttlebutt: Word is the Mid-American Conference will return to an 18-game basketball schedule next season, which means there will be some games that will be two teams’ only meeting while other teams will meet twice. There is also an administrative push to keep the divisions in place. If so, then most traditional rivalries will remain intact, home-and-home. So while Toledo and Bowling Green will remain in the East (BG) and West (UT) Divisions, they will return to playing each other twice. It will be interesting to see how this affects Buffalo, which has built a strong allegiance to the MAC East, but has no true East rival. It’s Miami-Ohio, Can't-Akron, BG-Toledo, but no natural rival for the Bulls. The Zips don't need more MAC games, so I hope Keith is fighting this one. Besides, I think the system in place now is pretty good, you defintiely know who the division champs are and the seeding for the MAC tournament is fair now. I think the 16 game schedule as it is is just fine.

Awesome interview with him. Absolutely love the guy. I will really miss seeing him next year, but I will instantly be a fan of whatever team he plays for next year. And once he starts his computer business after he is done playing, I'd like one of those too.

Of course following only the play by play gives you interesting things like this: GOODSON,DARREN GOOD GOOD by GOODSON,DARREN Don't know where he came from but he is definitely added a dimension to Holt and Evans. 7 points already.

Did any one look into the possibility of borrowing Kacie Cassell to play for the men's team for a bit? 12 points, 12 assists, 1 turnover. Wow,

Way to go ladies, two Zips in the MAC semifinals, something no other school can claim even with 10 teams still alive for the two titles right now (NIU, Miami and BGSU the only schools that have been eliminated from both - either Can't or Buffalo and EMU or WMU will join them this evening). Hustle Belt not only reviews the games, but awards a winner of the battle of the bands as well. Their band review of Akron-Buffalo: Battle Of The Bands: This battle belonged to Akron. Buffalo, surprising, came out LATE to the floor, and did not make it out until right before tip-off. Not too mention Akron's band made strong use of the Cowbell. Akron is 1-0, while Buffalo falls to 1-2.

Maybe I didn't make myself clear since I was kind of long winded, I never said I was angry at any of the student-athletes, I am angry at the very real potential of lost opportunities and for the embarrasment it brought my school on a national level. I'm not quite as old as Dave so maybe it just takes me more time.

Not living in Northeast Ohio any more, Zips sports is one of the ways I can use still feel connected to the University. I do contribute time and money (I have a football and soccer season ticket even though I only get to use each once or twice a year). I go to Zips events when I can, I went to Puerto Rico with the mens team and went and saw the women play when they were in my area this year. There is so much to like about Zips athletics right now and yet my enthusiasm is really low right now. Athletics can play such an important part in a face for a University, there are plenty of examples of places just like Akron who seem more impressive because that public face is well known and sucessful. It seemed like the Zips were really on the verge of something special and this just feels like more than just a huge set back. The Zips had been known for being a quality team, for a long winning streak, for a clever marketing campaign, all this season and now what are they known for? All of the people I had been pumping up the Zips for all year now know them as the team that had that point guard drug dealer. Akron had enough strikes working against it already to have gotten so close and to do so well, now if they make the NCAA tournament its isn't as likely they will make a National splash which is what the whiole season looked like it could lead up to. These chances come around so seldom, especially for schools like Akron. With other bad situations (Rydell Brooks, Chris Jacquemain) the Zips were kind of an afterthought but now with national attention this year, this was the worst time for something like this to happen. I'm upset that I am not more excited, this should be great ending, a #1 seed and a #3 seed for the women and yet I still am having trouble garnering the enthusiasm. I'm angry that this could potentially piss away a great season and senior year for Zeke and all of the hard work of the rest of the team. I wish no ill will on Alex, young people do dumb things, I am just so upset over the timing on all of this. Had it happened after the season, it would have been a story but not like this. Had it been early in the season, well the narrative of the season certainly would have been different. I wanted to post this before the games are played because I hope to see some passion and fire from these teams to show they are just as angry about all of this as I am, and I did not want it to seem like a sour grapes if things go badly. I wanted to wait until a little of the national attention died down as well. I can't just sweep this under the rug. I will still root for the Zips but my heart is just not in it like it should have been. I am angry about that too.

Just lucked out in how the seeds fell, but the way I look at it both they and the Zips only have to worry about one team before the finals.

Use the MAC website to follow the MAC tournament, womens site is here. It claims that there is a stream but I couldn't get it to work, but there are stats available for every in progress game a little lower down the page. Men's site is here.

Exactly, I think this was the "lifetime achievement award" not this years players of the year. Honestly if Buffalo hadn't finished so poorly, I think McCrea would have won it over Cooper. Glad to see Keith finally win though.

There were several really good players this year so this is a heck of an accomplishment and Akron's first ever. She is also an academic All-American which is even more impressive. What a great representative for UA. I know Coach Kest did not win MAC coach of the year but I'll bet she got a few votes.

The MAC announced the men's All-MAC teams. Zeke on the first team, Tree on the second, and Jake on the all freshman. AA was Honorable Mention. I don't have any quarrel with the selections.

I hope to god this isn't what I think it is but George Thomas just tweeted George Thomas ‏@GeorgeThomasABJ @ZipsMBB @abreu1123 arrested on unspecified charges, suspended pending outcome of the investigation, Zips spokesman confirms. I know this is only Twitter but this looks bad: Phil Trexler ‏@PhilTrexler Narcotics agents with Akron PD arrested Abreu with a large amt of marijuana today during a controlled buy If this is true, way to flush a whole GD great season down the toilet.

Any three of the seniors would have a tough time eclipsing their career highs, Chauncey had 20 or 22 in Puerto Rico earlier this year, I think Zeke's is around 23 and Brian's has to be at least in the high teens, so I'd be satisifed with each of them having great final games. George Thomas just published an article on the three seniors. And while I appreciate all that Brian and Chauncey have done and will always consider nothing but full fledged Zips, I have a soft spot for Zeke. Four years and spurned bigger offers to come to Akron. Been nothing but a delight watching him play and he never gave one ounce of trouble to anyone (who wasn't on the court). Hell of a career and I want to see him go out with a big bang, Player of the Year and a nice farewell tour in the NCAA tournament. I was thinking about starting a thank you Zeke Marshall thread but I think that ought to wait until his career is done. I am really going to miss watching him play, but I bet that sentiment is not echoed too many other places in the MAC.

Two would have been better as it would have been one less game but the brackets stack up as expected which leaves the other side as the far tougher bracket in my opinion (Toledo, CMU and BGSU) so a three is still pretty good. The last time BGSU didn't win the MAC East in 04-05 was because they weren't in the East, they were in the West (and won that division then) because Marshall was in the East. Maybe this is karmic payback for the whole creepy Ali Mann thing. In any case this is a pretty big watershed moment for the Zips women's basketball team (and almost the entire team will return next year. Cool.)

This is the splash page you get when you go to GoZips.com right now. Pretty cool.