MDZip

Overall better conference play would help raise the an individual teams RPI, because that's the only thing that matters. If a MAC team had a great season (and that includes a couple wins over ranked teams probably, but that's what every other at-large team has on their resume too), and lost in the MAC final, the MAC would get two teams in. The same things would be true for the MEAC and any other smaller conference, its just not likely to happen, especially with the schedules most play. There isn't an opportunity for those signature wins, but it's individual team performance, not a conference as a whole that matters. Since 2002 (Can't's big run), MAC teams seeded higher than 13: 02 Can't 10 03 CMU 11 04 WMU 11 05 Ohio 11 06 Can't 12 08 Can't 9 13 Akron 12 I'll grant you most of those were a number of years ago, but the MAC has been seeded higher than 13 in more than half of the last 13 tournaments. I think one could argue the quality of the league has decreased in recent years which accounts for the lower recent seeds.

Loved Deji taking it to the hoop for the final shot - just didn't fall. Dammit, and Ohio absolutely collapsed at the end if the Zips hadn't dug such a big hole.

Deji on fire. 8-8 with a career high 21. Wow

Perhaps the coach on the opposite sideline who benefitted from it?

I actually like it more when Ohio is good, it's been a great rivalry the last few years, I actually enjoyed it more than Can't. Hell we met Ohio in the Championship three out of four years - and even though the two losses were really painful, they were great games. I also would not be surprised to see the Zips lose one at the Convo. Maybe a trap game with Buffalo and Can't coming up.

I know track and field isn't a heavily followed sport, but Shawn Barber is pretty amazing. Won yet another high-profile event by jumping over 19 feet. I remember when the world record was 19 feet. Incredible.

Game finish was mildly reminiscent of the Nick Harney game winner at the buzzer there a couple years ago. BGSU fans have got to hate seeing us.

Should be back now

Didn't say I thought it was going to be easy - but I believe they can do it.

Classy move, Ball State.

I think this is awesome, what a way to honor Dan Peters. I am more than OK with the Zips wearing purple for a day.

What a turnaround by Ohio. Just a couple years ago they were one of the worst teams in the MAC. Look forward to the Zips knocking them off. :-)

Big Dog had the game of his career when the Zips really needed him. Congrats to the young man who has taken a lot of criticism here recently.

In Ben Stiller's 2007 movie The Heartbreak Kid, he makes up a lie to his wife about who he played golf with and includes an insurance guy from Akron. Please do not ask me how I know this. :-)

I don't know - seen the MAC home/road split so far this year?

And the Zips beat two of those 4-1 teams pretty badly. Saturday's game at WMU should be revealing about the real potential of this team.

Further Fallout.

I watched a lot of this game on my phone while the men's game was on the computer. The ladies could have sealed it but missed a ton of free throws in the last minute, including two with about 12 seconds left which gave Toledo and opportunity to win it. Zips battled hard on defense and Toledo missed a shot with 2 seconds left. Zips had also battled back from being down ten in the second half. Heck of a game.

I applaud the University for bringing this discussion to the forefront, but I worry this could be the beginning of the end for student "support". I would also have to admit that if I was still in school I would also question why the fees I paid went to support sports programs that are not essential to the mission of higher education. What it boils down to is that students are paying to allow other students to attend college for free. $400 might not sound like a lot in consideration of overall tuition but to a college student it most definitely is. I wonder if this could be the beginning of a backlash of regular students involuntarily supporting these programs.

Deji Ibitayo has absolutely entered the Jimmy Conyers zone.

You know if the game experience could be improved for say $10M or so, it might make sense to make a renovation now, while waiting (hoping) for an improved new arena. That improves the game experience, maybe draws a few more fans because of it, but fact are facts, fans only rarely fill the JAR now. Even if the JAR dropped to 4,500, it would still accommodate most games and would make it look like more demand, which might get more people to buy tickets if they are worried about being shut out. I believe that Outback purposely undersized their restaurants when they started because it always looked like there was big demand because people would be standing outside. I think 4,500 would be serviceable for a while as long as a giant investment in the JAR is not made right now so that an argument couldn't be made against a new arena if one was possible. And if the Zips were selling out a very comfortable 4,500 seat arena, I think it would be harder to argue against a new arena. I don't think dropping capacity right now will hurt in the long run as long as the fan support shows up. Nor do I think it says the Zips are giving up on bigger dreams, the JAR would have to be replaced to join any bigger league anyway. You can only put so much lipstick on this pig before someone recognizes it's still a pig. Do the lipstick, but save on plastic surgery.

And of playoff games I've seen it seems like every team has at least one MAC player starting. In the one just completed Ravens had a cornerback from NIU and the Patriots had a defensive lineman from Ohio + Julian Edelman.

Terrible travel on that Toledo last second three that wasn't called. His feet were all over the place.

Even though I only got to see it on the video feed, it was really cool seeing the number of past Zips soccer stars that made it to the JAR last night. I didn't see Steve Zakuani though, did he make it?

Great game by the Zips. Most interesting part was Joe Dunn calling the kid who missed the half court shot a loser. It is fun to hear the comments while radio is on break.