Zip Watcher

This season, three of the byes might just be determined with more than a week remaining in the season. Looking at the standings and the fact that three teams in the East could be a full 2 games clear of the entire rest of the conference by the end of tonight, tells me that we might know which East teams have the first round off by a week from Saturday.Basically, with 5 to play, each of these three teams has a theoretical magic number of 3 (combined wins w/ losses by Ball St., CMU & UB. UB are the bigger threat to UA, as they beat the other two head to head, so they're essentially up three with 5 to play over CMU & BSU.Seems to me with 3 games @ home over the remaining 5, the Zips are on pace to beat last years record and be in better shape heading to the Q.Go Zips!! B) B)

+1 on Goodpark & Luigi's. I think Goodpark is cash only also, isn't it?

The difficulty has been in mixing him in to a nearly intact rotation coming back from a championship. Zeke's strength and weight aren't going to be where they need to be this year, but his defensive game has been solid from day one.I'd say from a pure productivity standpoint, he's at or near where I had hoped. His offense is right about where I'd hoped it would be, and his defense has been good.Off the top of my head, I'd say he's directly impacted the outcome of about 4-6 games, including sealing the deal against CMU with 2 late blocks and a rebound. He was key in the destruction of Miami early in January as well.A freshman that comes into a situation where they can be a key cog in the offense, especially from the guard spot, is going to have a bigger impact in the boxscore. That situation is usually coming into a rebuilding situation or one with little or no depth at his position. Zeke's come into a different situation entirely given how many people are back, including all the post players from a year ago.Big fella is doing just fine. His progress the last 5 weeks has really been good.Go Zips!

They just need to add +/- numbers.I want to find an enterprising young CS student to automate the gameflows for the zips, based on the freely available play-by-play.Just like this site does for NBA games.It would be an awesome blog to have here at ZN.O. B) GoZips!

So what's your excuse?

I'll interrupt this thread to say props to Mr. Singletary on a fine performance in the classroom last fall. I don't care where you go .. being a student and a scholarship athlete isn't easy.Go Zips!

But you can blindly slam the coach without knowing the details?Perhaps that's proof that old age doesn't overcome a lack of perspective or priorities.Go Zips!

Because I know you have the time, to further illustrate your argument, can you show the BOTTOM 10 of each category? Did any team that was completely unable to run the ball have success?I'll hang up and listen to your answer.GoZips!

Good post.The Saint's kicker was money the last month. Big kick after big kick.Mostly, ZW loved the under yesterday, and likes it even more today!! B) B)

Weren't the games at the Q last year big games?Was the MAC Tourney Championship a big game?Was a road NIT win @ FSU a big game?My observation of you is that you fail to remember the big wins the program has, and only remember losses that you deem to be "big games." Fact is, the NC St. game in game 2 this year isn't a big game when compared to a conference title tilt. It just isn't.Go Zips! B) B)

Club seats are available on a game by game basis. At least they were in 2009.

Not what they're doing at all. The percentage of threes is that high .. but the Zips offense is predicated on getting the ball into the paint, and then passing out for open looks. The in paint penetration may be to post up, or it can be dribble penetrate.Most of the threes taken, at least the main goal, are open looks off rotations due to inside penetration. It's less frequent that the threes are thrown up from a skip pass or just tossing it around at the perimeter. The exception being perhaps when they're trying to kill clock, or it's on a 1 on 3 break or something like that.The Zips are successful when the ball goes inside-out. Open shooters shoot higher percentages.Go Zips!

I think so .. and if memory serves, I think he was a little displeased with the call.

Whereas a quality NFL type like Dwight Lowery never appeared on any Rivals or Scout list. That must further show that the recruiting sites have a lot of work to do.

Was Da'Von Moore unable to attend?

Props to the Band for rolling out with the "sing the fight song" thing last night.I've wanted them to do this for several years, and it was nice to hear them belt it out.It sort of took on one side .. and I think it will eventually take.Keep doing it. Please. At least once per half.This is one of the subtle traditions they have @ Purdue that I really liked when I was there. IMHO, there's something really cool when you're at Ross-Ade and enough of the 60K people in attendance are standing and singing the fight song that you can clearly hear it.I thought the band did a great job. I hope they continue it at hoops games. It's near impossible to START something like this at a football game. But in the tight confines of the JAR, it might possibly take hold. Then it can be taken to the Info and the Jack. I like it anyway.Go Zips! B) B)

My first reaction is that I don't like this. I think there's something good about having those secondary tournaments .. young teams can continue to play .. and fans get to see some home games, even if it's not the Big Dance.The only way I like the 96 teams is if the NCAA has the balls to SEED the automatic qualifiers up in the 64. The additional 32 teams should all be AT-LARGE teams. A MEAC or OVC champ shouldn't be forced to win 8 games just because they're in a small conference. It's unlikely they win 1 or 2 anyways.I think those extra 32 should all be at-large. Make these extra schools that didn't win their conference tournaments win 2 games to earn their way into the 64. Give the automatic qualifiers a reward for getting in that way. B) B) Go Zips!

+1

+10

Ouch. Especially since the staff can call timeouts in college hoops. That's hard to take.

You can suck it if you don't like it. At least my head isn't pearched one inch from my own ass or KDs ass for that matter.KD is a prick and that is what makes him a good coach. If a player doesn't do what he wants, they are on the bench. KD will use players to get back into college coaching (see St. V-M history). I don't have a problem with a guy driven to get what he wants and I think he did the right thing. Porter is driven to win. When it is time to cash in, he will be gone. One year will not matter. Decent team? A good group of young players in Dru, Wood and Travis. Name one player JK had on the team nearly as good as half of one of those guys. Spare me, JK had NOTHING coming into Akron. You like building, that's building. KD had at least the foundation poured. Porter had everything complete except painting the inside of the building. JK took over swamp-land and is turning the program around. Sorry if you disagree.To be clear, I don't disagree with any assessment you make about JK.My issue with your drivel is your assessment of how other coaches treat their players, because you have clearly never traveled with the teams nor gone to a practice to watch the interaction directly. Seeing one game at Winthrop live, and 2 games in Cary makes you the last person here with any real sense whatsoever of how either coach treats his players.These guys (and JK) demand a lot of their players, and they're all getting results.

Heck some of those qualifier kids could just as easily be the next Jacquemain.I say welcome Erick, and here's to you being the next Chester Taylor.I agree. Let's welcome the kid to the Zips and wish him the best for a knockout spring semester @ Hoover so that he has the opportunity to begin his career with the Zips uninterrupted by paperwork and eligibility delays.Go Zips!

Any idea what became of Angel, Z.I.P.?

Your first 2 paragraphs are garbage .. you have no idea how KD or Porter treat their players. Way to make bogus suppositions and statements from your perch in beautiful NC. And KD took over a *decent* team? By what measure was that team decent?Simply uniformed on the first 2 items.Go Zips!

This is fast becoming a dead horse type topic.I do like the schedule as it's being listed in this thread.Off the top of my head, I think the Zips would do well to get a few teams on the schedule as often as possible:- Niagara (play them every year .. it's a good mid-major)- Duquesne (unless we have Pitt on the schedule .. I think it's a good idea to play in Pittsburgh regularly, plus that's an upstream (conference wise) game on the schedule- Cleveland St. (we should play every year)- Youngstown St. (ditto)Those games cover the local area, as well as fertile recruiting ground in Western PA, which has been productive of late.Then add to that 4-6 games that float.- Pick 1 or 2 other Horizon teams (Wright St / UIC), alternating Home & Homes.- Home & homes with another A10 (URI / Dayton / UMass / Temple)- Home & homes with projected top OVC and/or Sunbelt team. This is recruiting area to the south of the MAC, and the trips are manageable, and the teams (APSU, Murray St. .. etc) are solid.That leaves 3 or 4 more games to fill, probably with a Tournament taking 2 or 3 of them. I don't have an issue with one or two A&M type games each year, but I'd like to keep that to one Road game & one neutral.I like having 6+ home non-conf games. I like seeing the Zips in person. I don't think our schedule this year is really that far off. Next year's (as listed above anyway) appears to be a moderate up-tick in the mid-range of the non-conf schedule. I'm ok with it.Go Zips!