MDZip

Jay Bilas wrote a column for ESPN (it is an insider column but you can read the begining and get the gist of it), where he bascially is saying the NCAA would be even better if it just included the best 64 teams in the country and left out all of these "lower" leagues. He was responding to whether the tournament should be expanded. He also suggested that the "lower" (he doesn't specifiy who those are) leagues shouldn't be allowed to have a conference tournament so that only the regular season champ could be included and not take a bid away from a more deserving school (Jay, would you like to discuss Mississippi St., who by the way got the same seed as Akron? So I guess we should be proud of that, we got the same seed as the SEC champ!)No to Expansion, Yes to Quality<rant>Articles like this annoy me since it shows a lack of understanding of what the heart of this tournament (at the size that it is right now) is all about. It is about having the quintessential college expereince and about everyone having a chance to be involved and be interested. This tournament as it is set up right now just got another entire state (North Dakota) interested in it - do you think that would have happened if just the usual suspects had been included? As the tournament is now getting included is a heck of an accomplishment no matter who you are, whether a one or a 16 seed. More teams would dilute that and just including the "big boys" lessens the interest. The upsets mean something, they are what makes the initial part of the tournament fun. None of them will win it and a worthy champion will emerge (maybe not the best team but definitely a worthy champion) regardless. You have now involved over 300 schools in the process and because of their conference tournaments all of them have hope. If you count that as the preliminaries, then really all of the teams do make the tournament, it is just single elimination for all of the smaller schools along the way. I did see someone make a comment on ESPN of where do you think there was more excitement - at the Big East final where both UConn and Syracuse knew they were getting in or the America East final? I'd guess the latter. And besides none of the last few "bubble" teams are winning it all either anyway. </rant>

Me too but I think that may have been a fraternity pledge. :DI do remember two things that annoyed me that year. In a team capsule they pointed out that Holmes was the shortest starting center in the tournament (6'3") and asked whats a Zip? (and answered - Akron's chances of winning the tournament? Number of points they'll score?) so I was glad the Zips put forth an excellent effort.

Fortunately only we know that now - I'll bet a few other schools have similar "alumni" on that list - and how proud must WVU be for having Billy Mays selected for inclusion on their list? They should have just gone with the classic for us - Jason Taylor. Even non-football fans should know him from "Dancing with (I just can't finish that ).

I had a great uncle who was once President of OU (hangs head in shame ), they even have a dorm on campus named after him, so skeletons are everywhere.

I liked that he had a streaming video presence for the OVC. Maybe we can finally get some traction on that one.

If that is true that would seem idiotic, since we have an open date. I wonder if there is a chance Akron doesn't want to open a week earlier since we've been hyping the opening of the Info on Sep 19th.

CBS Sports said they will be showing every game for free in its entirety via the web in streaming mode so you can at least see it on your computer. Here is the link -http://mmod.ncaa.com/?source=mktg_09MMOD_EMwlbk

I'm in. Just took care of the plane tickets (got a very good deal from Baltimore to Portland and then I have to fly out of Seattle coming back) and called the Akron ticket office for the game tickets. I'll try to coordinate with some of you who are going beforehand to meet up. Go Zips!

Fox Sports put a little capsule in for every team in the tournament:Here is the One for AkronThe picture is kind of funny, if you didn't know what the story of it is it looks like Brett McKnight is celebrating while the game is stil being hotly contested.

I want Can't's streak of 20 win years to end. They didn't deserve it this year and just because some other new tournament got added, they get a chance to extend it. Go Oakland!

I'm actually mildly disappointed to draw Gonzaga. I like them and their program and I almost (almost ) hate to root against them. I'd much rather have squared off against a BCS school and taken them out. Ah well, can't control that and we'll do what we must.

I think we would have had a 13 had Mississippi St not won. I think they bumped us out of the last 13. Bet we're a 14 now.

The locations aren't static based on seeding though... i.e., Philadelphia and Miami aren't predetermined to host a 3/14 matchup, that's just ESPN's current projection.Good point - it depends on what is most favorable for the top seeds.

Clemson or UCLA. Both seem to be falling a little right now. Don't want to see Florida St again, Xavier, Kansas or Wake.

Philadelphia and Miami could only occur with a 14 seed. Even if we got as high as a 12, the options are still all of the same. If we dropped as low as a 15 (man I hope not), then other sites are possible. By the way, even before last night's game, our RPI was higher than Buffalo's, we were 111, Buffalo 116, so if Buffalo was slotted as a 13 seed, I don't see why it would be any different for us.

That explains the dance team uniforms then. Very subtle and clever.

2009 MAC Tournament All-Tournament Team MVP- Nate Linhart, AkronBrett McKnight, AkronSteve McNees, AkronMax Boudreau, BuffaloNate Miller, Bowling GreenI think this is terrific but before this tournament started there is no way I would have ever guessed McNees would be on this list (or for that matter Boudreau) but Steve absolutely earned it. Nik and Chris and Darryl - all-tournament 2nd team - my vote only.

7 - I'm just happy we won't have to hear about Doug Penno any more.

Looks good, doesn't it? :)

Another Freshman phenom for us. Very cool.

My son was able to pick up two pair of the LeBron Akron shoes in NY (and got the last pair at 10 1/2, the next available size was a 15) because he got one for me and thought the shoes looked so good he got a pair for himself, so I have a Pitt student wearing Zips logo shoes - the revolution has begun (although he did point out that Akron and Pitt have the same basic color scheme ). Now if I could only get them and get to the Q to wear them.

Well it is basically a home game for you guys ...Still we split the season so lets see how the bumper match ends..Look, your loss in '05 was painful but at least it was a tip-in at the buzzer, not a shot that was off by three feet and still beat you. I think Karma has to make it right first for us before you.

In the semifinal against Ball State, the Bulls played 9 players. None played less than 16 minutes. I do not believe they have more depth, but they are not that far behind. Hopefully Humpty has healed up enough to put some quality minutes in.

I think we'll keep hearing about it until we win it.

Thank god Miller is a senior and Humpty has three years to go. Nate will now be the sixth 1,000 scorer we've lost in the last three years. Don't think anybody is close enough to do it next year.