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What kind of comment is that? So outside of Florida you can put talent above character?

Nobody answered the question I asked earlier, perhaps it is stupid but I am curious for an unbiased answer...........

Where does anyone get the idea that we are a desirable athletic program (TODAY) to another conference - except for soccer? Attendance?Fan Base?Conference Championships?Big City Market?The athletic dept. was just penalized by the NCAAHow could we possibly make a case?Coach D and the Bball program are looking REALLY STRONG - Zeke is going to help us elevate even furtherThe new stadium on campus will be nice but will the novelty wear off? - heck even if we filled it to 30K........yawnI am optimistic about our future, Landscape for Learning is impressive, it is truly a pretty college campus BUT we have a long way to go IMHO.Here is a better question.......If you ranked the MAC schools - honestly, which one do you think would be the most desirable today(unbiased).

http://www.collegesoccernews.com/index_files/Page1971.htmGreat press! Will be interested to see where our class is ranked nationally.Ranked 25th in 2006Ranked 5th in 2007Ranked ??? in 2008 - this appears to be the best yet!

Welcome Marshall family! Needless to say, we are all extremely excited about your choice and boy are you coming at an exciting time. New football stadium on campus, soccer stadium, hopefully new basketball arena.The soccer team will likely have another top 5 recruiting class and legitimately contend for a national title BUT as I look at our baskeball roster WOW!Brett McNight 6-6 FreshmanSteve Sweich 6-9 FreshmanMike Bardo 6-10 FreshmanChris McNight 6-7 FreshmanNikola Cventinovic 6-7 incoming FreshmanANDZeke Marshall 7-0+ 2008!!!!!!You guys are going to be beating up on some folks for a while!

I originally was posting this as a response to another thread but thought it warranted what I view to be the most important topic we have. I said it in previous posts and I will say it again..........The key to our success is KEEPING good coaches. It is rare when you have a great coach like KD who actually WANTS to stay and BUILD our program to national prominence and make that his legacy....... "Dambrot Arena".....I like it! What a story if he were to make it happen in his home town. The pieces are in place (Lebron) for this to happen. In KD's tenure, we are off to a great start(Lebron), winning seasons, better recruits(Lebron) and we have advantages that no other (Lebron) school has. Did I mention that Coach Dambrot and Lebron are loyal to Akron?Who could blame him for taking millions one day to go to......UCLA or Kentucky? Christian going to TCU is a joke and another slap in the face to the MAC. I hate Can't, but TCU? I have been to TCU If UA lets Coach Dambrot get away for anything other than an absolute ELITE school - I will separate any association I have with UA. This is a rare (nope, once in a lifetime) chance to make a serious leap. I have more to say, but let’s see if there is any interest.

Copy and paste finger was off, I missed him. He is also a Junior.

We sure are loaded this year at Runningback but MAN are we going to be depleted in two years......... 42 Matt Harmon RB 5-9 220 Jr. Massillon, Ohio (Massillon Jackson HS) 7 Andrew Johnson RB 5-10 215 RSr. Pittsburgh, Pa. (North Hills HS/University of Miami) 4 Dennis Kennedy RB 5-11 205 Sr. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Stranahan HS) 34 Phillip Morris RB 6-0 220 So. Columbus, Ohio (Mifflin HS) 32 Joe Tuzze RB 5-11 215 Jr. Mayfield, Pa. (Lakeland HS) 24 Bryan Williams RB 6-0 200 Sr. Akron, Ohio (Buchtel HS/Valley Forge (Pa.) Acad.) BTW- What is the deal with spring practices, anyone heard how Matt Rodgers has looked in the practices?

Assuming we can keep this up, I'd prefer to reload this way than the JUCO "two-and-done" route. I'm glad KD is willing to be patient and not give in to the temptation to go after the "quick fix." If I remember correctly, OU got some good guard play out of their JUCO guys this year but in the end the talented Bubbacats struggled (TOS is probably the biggest reason why). Now they've got a couple of guys who will be gone after next year and they may have to quickly fill the pipeline again. As someone else pointed out, for every coach who successfully blends JUCOs, there are probably a bunch others who have a hard time getting it to work.I hope KD is rewarded for his courage (UA, don't let him leave ).....his vision and tonights win along with some quality recruits could be the start of something special. Combine that with continued soccer success (new stadium ), new FB stadium - we might have something.

One thing that is nice is that a good number of our younger players have been red shirted. What a luxury that we have been able to be so successful while these guys develop and mature;Steward - 2nd year freshman next yearSwiech - 2nd year freshman next yearMcNees- 3rd year sophomoreBardo - 3rd year sophomore

Another interesting sitehttp://tcaa.puretecmo.com/nit06.html

Somebody thinks we are a lock for the NIT!http://a4theroad.blogspot.com/2008/02/spor...acketology.html

How great an addition would Romeo ultimately be to our coaching staff. Build the family..............http://www.gozips.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_...;ATCLID=1399150

If Cincy aint a sellout. The new stadium is a waste.

Our schedule is good enough to get us an at large and will improve next year. The key is we have to WIN the games. Dayton win, VCU win, Can't sweep along with early tournament wins would have gotten us consideration of an at large bid.There is no doubt Can't would get an at large bid if they do not win the MAC tourney. You cannot be ranked in the top 25 this late in the season and not make it.

:blink: ... and to think the answer was right in front of us the whole time! Moderators - you may now retire the thread.Fantastic response. Agreed we have one hell of a coach/team. BUT in the last two years we have lost 12 outside the JAR.Portland StWinthropDaytonCan'tCentral MichiganArkansas-Little RockUICOhioToledoMiami OMiami OThe teams we lost to on the road, we beat at the JAR and the ones we didn't get to play at the JAR we would beat - Port St, Winthrop, Dayton, CMU, Ark LR, UIC.Maybe a silly thread, I just don't find the JAR to be that intimidating (especially with our attendance) but visiting teams do.

I have always been shocked by our home court record and was curious if anyone has thoughts on why we have been so dominant at home. I would certainly expect with a team as good as ours that we would win the majority of our games, but I believe the average home winning percentage is around 65% across the NCAA. In the last two years, we are 28-2 at home (93%) - that is astounding. Nobody wants to play us at the JAR..........why? What do we average in attendance, 2200 or so?

What is the deal with Marcus Cooper, he is showing as committed but not signed?

I did not hear Marcus Cooper or Maurice Harvey

I may have missed a couple, but here goes;Adam Bice - CDeryn Bowser - WRNate Brown? - WR 6'4" had injuryMissed the next oneAndrew Calisimo - TKevin Davis - S sounded goodWill Fleming- want to ultimately play LBKevin Futches - CB/STroy Gilmore - LBJames Harvey - 6'4"/280Hassan HazzimeRyan Landrich - TEDeshawn Miller - WR JUCOJordan Miller - QBJoe Pachuta - 6'7"/290Jared Province - SJosh Richmond - DBNate Shuler - LBMitch Straight - LBBryan Wagner - LBManley WallerSpelling may be off, I may have missed one or two. J.D. didnt seem terribly enthusiastic.

Is there a particular reason for that?

I could be wrong but we could potentially have an experienced set of WRs next year.Ryan Gardner (JC)- would make him a Junior?Deryn Bowser (JC)- would make him a Junior?David Harvey - is he in his 30s by nowGary Pride - can't wait to see him in the game

I was asking myself the same thing .. after all, I've heard he once got busy in a Burger King bathroom.And people say "Yo, Humpty, you're really funny lookin'" that's all right 'cause he get things cookin'

WR anyone?

Jonj, very gracious of you. It was a great game by both teams.As you look at the replay, what a nice move by KD on the final free throw. He intentionally put our smallest player BUT best free throw shooter under the basket so he could potentially get the call we should have gotten. Dials is immediately calling for the ball after the rebound and cheering immediately after the call like he knew what he was doing.Not saying it would have changed the outcome, but I like the awareness.