MDZip

The Zips are definitely alive for a top four seed. It's not still possible to grab the number one, since either Toledo or CMU will finish with at least 12 wins. The fact that the Zips lost to lower division teams much more than the upper division teams oddly works in their favor. The first thing that must happen is the Zips must win their final two. If they don't, there are still some outside scenarios that could still give them seed #4 but they are pretty remote (like requiring both Buffalo and Can't to lose their final two games). Top four seed contenders remaining games: East: Zips: @Miami, @Can't BGSU: Can't, @Buffalo Buffalo: Ohio, BGSU Can't: @BGSU, Akron West: Toledo: @CMU, @EMU CMU: Toledo, @WMU WMU: @NIU, CMU Buffalo looks to be in the best shape since both of their games are at home with the easiest draw So as it looks right now, here are the best scenarios for the Zips. Games tonight. Toledo is the Zips kryptonite and are the only top team to hold an advantage on the Zips, so probably best for them to beat Central and bring Central back to the pack as they could also lose the Western and the Zips hold the tiebreaker with them. The Zips pretty much need to beat Can't in the finale so yep root for them against Bowling Green (I threw up a little in my mouth there). It'd be great if Ohio upset the Bulls too but I don't think there is much chance of that happening. Those are the important games tonight and if the Zips can beat Can't it sets up some really interesting final scenarios. If the Zips tie with only these teams, here is how the tiebreakers would go: 1. Tie only with CMU, Can't State, BGSU or WMU: Zips win all of these. 2. Tie only with Buffalo: Zips win it, with a 1-1 record against Buffalo, but the Zips are 1-2 against Toledo and CMU while Buffalo is 0-3 and at least one of those team will have 12 wins (if BGSU factors in the Zips already have two wins there) 3. Tie only with Toledo (not even sure that is possible): Zips lose If the Zips tie with these two teams, here is how the tiebreakers would go: Can't and Buffalo: Can't eliminated (0-4 vs. UB and UA), goes to tiebreaker 2 Can't and BGSU: Zips win 4-0 vs these two BGSU and Buffalo: Zips 3-1 and BGSU at best 1-3 even if they beat Buffalo (buffalo at worst 2-2), Zips win again CMU and Buffalo: Zips 2-1, CMU 2-1, Buffalo 1-3, Buffalo eliminated, Zips win head to head against CMU CMU and BGSU: Zips 3-0, BGSU 1-2, CMU 0-2, Zips win CMU and Can't State: Zips 3-0, Can't State 1-2, CMU 0-2, Zips win Toledo and almost anybody: We're screwed Three way ties: Can't State, Buffalo, BGSU: UA 5-1, Buffalo (5-1, best they can be), BGSU (3-3, best they can be), Can't State (1-5, best they can be), Zips win Can't State, Buffalo, CMU: UA 4-1, CMU 2-1, Buffalo 3-3, Zips win Buffalo, CMU, BGSU: UA 4-1, CMU 2-2, Buffalo 3-3 (best case), BGSU 2-3 (best case), Zips win Can't State, BGSU, CMU: UA 5-0, case closed, Zips win Toledo and anybody: Zips are screwed So if the Zips can manage to at least get into a tie with any teams for the fourth (or better) seeding position, they win an awful lot of tiebreakers. Just win baby.

IIRC, wasn't swimming and diving really terrible at Akron for a very long time? Pretty amazing that they have won two straight MAC titles now.

And has a lot of baseball been played there since November?

That area in North Carolina got about 7 inches of snow today.

The UB game looks to be pretty much an elimination game for that fourth seed. Again maddening as the Zips beat every team at .500 or better except Toledo and lost to every below .500 team except Ball State.

Miami (Ohio) (10-16, 5-8 MAC) at Akron (17-9, 8-5 MAC) Date: February 21st, 2015 7:30 PM Site: James A. Rhoads Arena TV: None Webcast and Live Stats: Available at GoZips.com Radio: SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) This is one of the artifacts of the new 18 game schedule I do not care for, with 5 games to go in the season, this is our first game against an East division opponent who we play again in a few days. Zips still have plenty to play for seeing as right now they are in the dreaded fifth seed spot. While I don't think the top seed is realistic any more a top four seed most definitely is. The Zips own a lot of tiebreakers right now with the groups at the top. Might even be advantageous for Toledo to grab the top spot alone leaving the Zips in a good spot with anybody else they might end up tied with. This is an important game with OU hosting Can't (absolutely the possibility of an upset) and one of either Buffalo or BGSU losing, the Zips will put themselves right back in the thick of it.

Speaking of Quade, were people aware that he played for the Globetrotters for a couple years under the name of "Quake"?

Maddening, the Zips beat three of the four teams ahead of them, and lost to three of the four at the bottom. But yeah, in terms of possible seeding that's better than the other way around. Bizar"roo" season indeed.

With the number of legal problems the team has had in the past few years, please be very careful about getting the exact right word.

So he broke his own national record again and was named National Field athlete of the week for the second week in a row. Anybody else have the feeling he can actually clear 20 feet but is only going to do it a little bit at a time? :-)

Noah and Antino are also pretty good shooters, perhaps one of them could play the 2 as well?

The game is bad enough but listening to that annoying woman in the background of French's broadcast makes it even worse. I think French may have taken a dig at their fans by saying their fans were exploding after a basket when the arena sounded dead silent.

Zips in pretty good position to pick up at least a #4 seed, What I'm shocked at is how far Bowling Green has fallen. They used to be THE flagship program for MAC women's basketball.

Down side - how much better could the conference be? Sitting at 10 with an out of conference strength of schedule of 31 (with only 32 conferences plus independent NJIT). When people complain about out of conference scheduling (across the league) there is something to point at.

That does get you to the MAC Championship game so there is some value in it.

Zips favored by 6.5 currently. Really need this one, don't want anything to come down to needing a victory at their place the last game of the season. I don't really believe in Can't this year, their best road win is at Ball State and 5 of their last 8 are on the road and two of their home games are Akron and Buffalo. Bury the Flashes early.

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.