Zip Watcher

Not sure if there's too much time between games or what, but it seems the Zips get worse every day I check in here. I did a little digging to see what SOS / computers are saying and it's a little different:Edit: 9 Jan 09: Wrongly indicated this as RPI when posted. It's Pomeroy's modelHere's the kenpom Pomeroy rankings (Ranking / SOS) as of today for MAC east members:Team Pomeroy SOS1... 64 102... 101 1883... 107 1664... 139 1505... 155 2536... 159 228Team #1 clearly is above the others in both Pomeroy and SOS. It's not Buffalo.The current BEST WIN IN THE MAC is a road victory vs. the #60 RPI team. Guess who? RPI's of 310, 182, 168, respectively .. winning games yes .. impressive? not so different from UA's wins IMHO.I do think that UB and UA are close .. both were competitive against some good teams, and have beaten up some crap teams. But the Bulls aren't out there racking up quality wins that the Zips don't have. They're just not. Both teams have exactly 1 win vs. the top 100. Miami has 2 (#71 Temple and #97 Wright State). RPI's of 236, 272, 292 respectively, with 1 win vs. the top 100 (#83 Tulsa @ Home) Can't has 0 wins vs. the top 100, with a BEST WIN @ #149 Saint Louis and a WORST LOSS vs. #152 Western Carolina @ Home. BGSU is WINLESS vs the top 200, including a loss @ #324 Savannah St.For my money, Miami remains the team to beat in the East (& conference) this year. Even with the Hayes injury, they're a tough out, and they've played a strong schedule to prepare.Then I think that UA & UB are in the mix, based on performances to date. Both teams have lost some games against good competition, and beaten 1 top 100 team, while feasting on the low ranked teams to build a wining record.To say the Zips are looking up a the east is being a bit too critical, IMHO. We're hardest on our own team, I get that .. but they're in the mix with everyone else at this point. No reason whatsoever to believe that they can't play night in and out with the other 5 teams in the east. Saturday should be enlightening.Go Zips .. Snag the Sweaters. B) PS: Here's the link to the MAC rankings @ KenPom .. it's not pretty.

Now the Zips are the worst team in the East? Is that what you mean?

This is becoming a tired discussion. But I will go on record as agreeing with RACER on this .. I don't have the time to pull out quotes, but you don't have to look very far to find evidence that supports both sides, including RACER's .. unfortunately the Dayton thread, which included a lot of it .. was lost in the server hack.Perhaps hoops is judged on a tougher scale than football because at its heart, UA is a basketball school. Go Zips .. snag the sweaters! B) B)

Listening & hanging in Live Chat .. seems like a decent start so far.

Sure, the only thing I've taken issue with is GP1's dismissal of the progress that Dambrot has made here.Glad to hear I'm not alone.Happy New Year Everyone!Go Zips!

This game was won with Defense when it counted.@ the 15:43 mark in the 2nd half, a SFC player made a three to give them a 5 point lead, 50-45.@ the 2 minute mark, SFC had scored a whopping 12 more points in ~14 minutes of play. 12 points in 14 minutes. During that stretch, they were 4 of 21 from the floor (19%). The big serbian shooter was shutout by Jimmy / Nate, and the Zips built a lead they wouldn't relinquish.The offense at times is shaky. But what I like about this team is that it buckles down and defends people. If we're struggling on one end, making the other team struggle more helps get the W. Certainly we hope to see more efficiency offensively .. but the defense is what will help this team compete in conference.In the end, 77 points isn't bad. And for stretches like the one mentioned above, the D was pretty good.I do think it's a sign of a young team that they're not yet stringing these stretches together or putting 2 halves together. That's why I'm glad it's the preseason. A game like this against Miami might well have been a loss. Only a week or so to tighten things up.Another nice game from Jimmy. A nice game even though he wasn't unconscious and did turn it over a few times on the break. He hangs 17 & 8 with a good effort in the flow of the game. With each game his confidence seems to build. It's great that he can contribute on the O side .. since we need him badly on D.Hope to see the McKnight's break out soon. That would help things immensely. I don't think Jimmy's giving up his minutes anytime soon .. but there's plenty to go around.Things look good to me. 7 & 4 with 12 underclassmen. 2 more preseason games. UNCGG is a must win (bad team) in a road situation, and URI would be a big win on the road if they can sort it out. Conyers is at his best against the A-10, so I'm hopeful.The league isn't very good, so even with growing pains .. the East is up for grabs. Buffalo needed a last second OT jumper to beat a 1-11 Pepperdine squad in Hawaii last night. B) B) The future could be now.Go Zips!

Actually, I hope they all get rolled ..

Now who's the dog? ;) Go Zips!

Here's the last roster before KD became HC.Take away Joyce, Travis & Wood (all recruited to UA by KD).What's left? An All-MAC roster, or one that brought down a the dean of MAC coaches at the time? By merely pointing out that KD is on track to out pace Huggins, I've been accused of doing that. See Huggins is the guy who coached the OVC title game .. I remember & I was there. It was awesome. KD is on that path here .. he's having success .. but by comparing Huggins to KD, I'm dragging down Huggins. 3 guys he had recruited, that GREW into top notch players on his watch.If this team was in such good shape, why isn't D-Hip still here?

Well, that's just lunacy ... my wife is WAY hotter than Jessica Alba.Go Zips!

Sure of that? Really? I'm not. Why do you stand at the railing every game then if you don't believe it's possible? Hemorrhoids? This is a telling quote. It tells me that you've no faith in KD. All I said was that he was on pace to blow away Huggy's win total for the first 5 years @ UA. Nothing more. Huggins did great things @ UA, no arguments here. But KD has done some things Huggins NEVER was able to do .. twice (save your replies .. I know Huggins won a title .. works both ways). So by pointing out that KD is ahead of Huggins in a few areas .. now I'm dragging Huggins down? Not so, my friend.What did KD ever do to you? It's a program build. It's a PROCESS .. and we're 1/4 of the way through the 5th season .. with 100 wins and 2 postseason wins behind us. The inertia is up .. not down.My New Year's wish for everyone is a little faith & optimism. Our guys can use the support.Go Zips!

Someone explain to me how exactly "Waters has transformed CSU into a successful program" if the same criteria when applied to KD doesn't result in "KD has transformed UA into a MORE successful program than CSU" ..I don't understand:KD - 2 postseason wins @ UAWaters - 0 postseason wins @ CSUThey're on a similar plane of coaching existence I believe. Waters has more years at DI .. that's all.

Be cautious of what you wish for. Waters is the best college coach in NE Ohio and he can recruit better players at CSU because of their laughable academic standards.....and when I say laughable, I mean side splitting laughter or even liquid shooting out of your nose laughter. We may want to duck them while he is there. After all, we are "building" a program here (for how long now? will we beat the completion of the bridge to China?) through beating teams we should easily beat and losing to good teams. I'm not sure how all of that works, but I read on the board we are "building" it. Now that CSU is good, we may not want to break that formula. Keep the cupcakes coming....I guess. For those of you who have season tickets, I'll say it for you...... Let's see some results from all of this "building".....this year.Congratulations. A garbage post from one of ZN.O's top contributors.KD is every bit the coach Waters is. No one in their right mind would swap rosters with CSU right now. It is WATERS who's running scared here. KD would play every year. CSU ended this. Not UA.Building for "how long" now? This is year 5 of KD's tenure. He's won nearly 100 games (WAY ahead of the pace set by Huggins over the same period). He's won 2 postseason games .. that's more than Waters @ CSU. The Zips have been in the title game the last 2 years. Averaging 22 wins / season and improving every year.If you can't see progress here .. you're not watching the Zips .. oh I forgot .. you don't watch them.You can do better than that .. you usually do.Go Zips!

Indeed .. was he the best JUCO we've had lately?Rashon was a transfer as was Bosley .. but not JUCOs.

I think the Miami games over the years have been some of the best basketball played at the JAR. Defensive intensity .. and games where EVERY possession matters. Puts a premium on effort and concentration .. can't get lazy.

Had this half written before the other post ..Miami led UCLA @ Pauly Pavilion in the last 2 minutes, maybe even in the last minute. They were closer to beating UCLA than UB was to beating UConn .. and it was on the road.Redhawks are heavy favorites to win the East, IMHO.

Passed over again.SE MO's loss.

This is not really game analysis stuff, so I'm posting separately. It doesn't really live up to CK's "Run Son RUN!" tale from the U@B game at the Rubber Bowl, but I'm passing it along regardless. People ask me all the time why I'm such a big Zips fan, not being an alumnus and all (grew up in the area) .. and my only response is that it was one of the first teams my Dad would take me to as a kid. So it stuck with me. Well, my son is 4 years old now .. the Zips are something like 50-4 with him in attendance, and he really likes going to the games. In our basement, when he plays basketball (wood floors or basketball courts are known as the "jeremiah wood", btw), he's always the Zips, I'm some other team (either the Steelers or Bobcats .. "we don't like the bobcats!") and the Zips must win every time. So it's all good. This season, he's actually taken more to watching the game rather than just asking to walk around the track and stalk Zippy. Been a nice change, and he asks questions, makes comments that crack us up .. and it's good fun. Saturday was a new high for him. In the morning, we had already had a visit with Santa .. so the day was already huge in his eyes. We get to the game, and in the first 10 minutes there, Zippy stops by for a hug .. and "the Zips did win, Daddy!" .. so we're on a roll. Now, every game when the cheerleaders come out and throw the little gold mini-balls, all 6 of them, my boy stands and waves, and the balls fly high up over his head. He's happy with the explanation that "we'll try again next time" or "it's not our turn to get one .." Saturday, however, we were lingering a bit to visit with some people, and the kids start lining up for the shooting thing after the game on the floor. We're usually high-tailing it out of there to get him to sleep, so I've never watched this unfold before. I suggest to him that he get in the line .. and he does .. follows the kid in front of him around, and gets to take a shot (throw a ball in the air 3 feet to the 10' hoop) .. "ON THE JEREMIAH WOOD DADDY!!! .. ZIPPY WAS THERE TOO!" .. and after that they give the kids one of the blue mini-balls. So things are looking good .. got the Santa visit in .. Zips win .. son sees Zippy a bunch, has a dream come true to run on the court, got a mini-ball .. great, right? Sort of .. Well, by this time, KD is out for his post-game. I realize we're not going to make it back to the car for the discussion, so I decide to pop a squat behind them in the seats and listen there. SIDE NOTE: didn't they used to broadcast the postgame over the PA? /SIDE NOTE. I make the tactical error of sitting in the first row .. should have sat in the second row. Well my son is going back and forth on the second row, bouncing the mini-ball .. catching it .. repeating the "beat 'em up beat 'em up Go ZIPS Go!" .. he sees me sit in the front row, and comes down .. I tell him to hold on to the ball, but he bounces it anyway .. and it rolls .... down to the floor level, under the seats, just behind where KD & Frenchie are doing the post-game. You may have even heard on the air a little kid go "HEY! .. My mini ball!!" .. if you did, then add "got on the radio with Steve French" to the list of the accomplishments for the day. So the boy is CRUSHED .. in 5 seconds, we've lost all the upside of the day in the disaster of having a miniball and then losing it. I'm pretty certain at this point the 30 minute ride home will suck and he'll be crying the whole way. I figure the ball has rolled under the seats and gone forever, or until Sunday when the seats are retracted. Boy is inconsolable. He lingers by the steps, hoping to go down and get it .. but the wife is now pushing to get out of there .. KD interview continues .. I fear the worst. Little guy is really cute .. having a really hard time with it. Jimmy Conyers comes by .. waiting to be interviewed. My son loves Jimmy .. favorite player because of Hoosiers. Thinks Jimmy is "Jimmy Chitwood" .. Jimmy says hi! .. kid is too sad to even respond .. thinking about the lost mini-ball. Well, Joe Dunn looks up after KD walks away and I ask "are you off the air" .. he says, "yep, commercial" .. and I make a small request to check under his chair, hoping that will placate the boy .. and we can move on. But the boy tells Joe, "my mini-ball fell down there" .. wouldn't you know that Joe gets down on the floor, looks under the curtain with Frenchie's help, and retrieves the mini-ball, all in time to get back up .. get the headset back on and continue with the postgame. The greatest Saturday lately is saved by Joe Dunn & Steve French!!! All is right in the universe for the boy. Joe .. we had to scoot right after that and you were back on the air, so I didn't get a chance to thank you properly .. but here it is. Thanks for restoring my kid's great day. Send me the drycleaning bill if there is one .. and I really do appreciate your passion for the Zips. My kid loves the Zips .. and you helped reinforce that. When we're on the road with you for the postseason this March .. I owe you a cold one. Saturday was a great day for us. Thanks. Go Zips!

This is not really game analysis stuff, so I'm posting separately.It doesn't really live up to CK's "Run Son RUN!" tale from the U@B game at the Rubber Bowl, but I'm passing it along regardless.People ask me all the time why I'm such a big Zips fan, not being an alumnus and all (grew up in the area) .. and my only response is that it was one of the first teams my Dad would take me to as a kid. So it stuck with me.Well, my son is 4 years old now .. the Zips are something like 50-4 with him in attendance, and he really likes going to the games. In our basement, when he plays basketball (wood floors or basketball courts are known as the "jeremiah wood", btw), he's always the Zips, I'm some other team (either the Steelers or Bobcats .. "we don't like the bobcats!") and the Zips must win every time. So it's all good.This season, he's actually taken more to watching the game rather than just asking to walk around the track and stalk Zippy. Been a nice change, and he asks questions, makes comments that crack us up .. and it's good fun.Saturday was a new high for him. In the morning, we had already had a visit with Santa .. so the day was already huge in his eyes. We get to the game, and in the first 10 minutes there, Zippy stops by for a hug .. and "the Zips did win, Daddy!" .. so we're on a roll.Now, every game when the cheerleaders come out and throw the little gold mini-balls, all 6 of them, my boy stands and waves, and the balls fly high up over his head. He's happy with the explanation that "we'll try again next time" or "it's not our turn to get one .." Saturday, however, we were lingering a bit to visit with some people, and the kids start lining up for the shooting thing after the game on the floor. We're usually high-tailing it out of there to get him to sleep, so I've never watched this unfold before. I suggest to him that he get in the line .. and he does .. follows the kid in front of him around, and gets to take a shot (throw a ball in the air 3 feet to the 10' hoop) .. "ON THE JEREMIAH WOOD DADDY!!! .. ZIPPY WAS THERE TOO!" .. and after that they give the kids one of the blue mini-balls.So things are looking good .. got the Santa visit in .. Zips win .. son sees Zippy a bunch, has a dream come true to run on the court, got a mini-ball .. great, right? Sort of ..Well, by this time, KD is out for his post-game. I realize we're not going to make it back to the car for the discussion, so I decide to pop a squat behind them in the seats and listen there. SIDE NOTE: didn't they used to broadcast the postgame over the PA? /SIDE NOTE. I make the tactical error of sitting in the first row .. should have sat in the second row. Well my son is going back and forth on the second row, bouncing the mini-ball .. catching it .. repeating the "beat 'em up beat 'em up Go ZIPS Go!" .. he sees me sit in the front row, and comes down .. I tell him to hold on to the ball, but he bounces it anyway .. and it rolls .... down to the floor level, under the seats, just behind where KD & Frenchie are doing the post-game. You may have even heard on the air a little kid go "HEY! .. My mini ball!!" .. if you did, then add "got on the radio with Steve French" to the list of the accomplishments for the day.So the boy is CRUSHED .. in 5 seconds, we've lost all the upside of the day in the disaster of having a miniball and then losing it. I'm pretty certain at this point the 30 minute ride home will suck and he'll be crying the whole way. I figure the ball has rolled under the seats and gone forever, or until Sunday when the seats are retracted. Boy is inconsolable. He lingers by the steps, hoping to go down and get it .. but the wife is now pushing to get out of there .. KD interview continues .. I fear the worst. Little guy is really cute .. having a really hard time with it. Jimmy Conyers comes by .. waiting to be interviewed. My son loves Jimmy .. favorite player because of Hoosiers. Thinks Jimmy is "Jimmy Chitwood" .. Jimmy says hi! .. kid is too sad to even respond .. thinking about the lost mini-ball.Well, Joe Dunn looks up after KD walks away and I ask "are you off the air" .. he says, "yep, commercial" .. and I make a small request to check under his chair, hoping that will placate the boy .. and we can move on. But the boy tells Joe, "my mini-ball fell down there" .. wouldn't you know that Joe gets down on the floor, looks under the curtain with Frenchie's help, and retrieves the mini-ball, all in time to get back up .. get the headset back on and continue with the postgame.The greatest Saturday lately is saved by Joe Dunn & Steve French!!! All is right in the universe for the boy.Joe .. we had to scoot right after that and you were back on the air, so I didn't get a chance to thank you properly .. but here it is. Thanks for restoring my kid's great day. Send me the drycleaning bill if there is one .. and I really do appreciate your passion for the Zips. My kid loves the Zips .. and you helped reinforce that. When we're on the road with you for the postseason this March .. I owe you a cold one.Saturday was a great day for us. Thanks.Go Zips!View the full blog post here.

What's the saying ???Never look a gift horse in the mouth?Don't know if we should bash someone who donates to help out Zips Athletics .. no matter what they donate. Don't we need all the help and resources we can come by?Go Zips!!

If the Zips can pick up a win or 2 in the last 3 non-conf games on the road (VCU, Greensboro, URI) then I think they look pretty good for the NIT with a strong performance in the conference portion of the slate.The road Bracket Buster could help also if things continue to go well.The Zips have lost 3 games, and it's likely that all three will be playing either in the NIT or the NCAA. Dayton should break through and get to the big dance, barring a repeat of their injuries last season. Pitt will be dancing. EKU is the class of the OVC .. and just beat Ball St. in Muncie. There's no good losses .. but EKU is NOT a bottom feeder.My perspective at this point is that for such a young team, they've won the games they've been supposed to win (+1 with the Niagara Game), lost the 2 that were expected .. and lost one that was probably a tossup.A win in Richmond or Rhode Island would be big for this team heading into the conference.If you look around a bit, you'll see some wobbly wheels on some of the conference opponents. A commitment to defense and taking care of the ball could take this team right back to where it was last season at the end of the year.Go Zips!!

A fair comparison is to look at Can't State in the first 5 years of Waters and compare that to KD.

You just might see a really tall fellow.Let's remember he's a recruit .. and there are guidelines.Please review them and abide by them.Pleasantries are fine .. initiating direct contact .. not so fine. Tell 'em hi and welcome him home.Go Zips!

Wow ZW! is your axe sharp yet? Calling KD a front runner for Zips soccer!!!? Are you sure?So if your list is accurate, and those are the 6 things the AD does ... doesn't he have PLENTY of time to keep up with the hoops gig?It's a moot point .. I didn't mean to derail a FB thread with such controversy. Mack's our AD .. and until that changes .. I keep them on: B) B)

First off, I hope it's a long time before this discussion becomes real. I like Mack & think he's doing great for the Zips.Not saying that at all. I'm saying there's not anyone we could find that would have a better feel & passion for UA Athletics than KD. He's been there as a player in a non-revenue generating sport, he's aware of the Academic ends and goals of the U .. and he's the head man at one of the key sports on campus. No one cares more than KD for the Zips .. and he'd be a good shepherd for the Department as a whole. Listen to his comments about the Soccer team on the radio last weekend, and you'll start to get it.The model would need to change .. instead of hiring a new AD, you promote KD to AD while he remains HC. But the AD support staff would grow to enable him to do both jobs. He'd need more "guys" than a normal AD .. but the budget would be there with minimal increase.It's not unheard of. Tressel was both HC & AD at YSU for several years. I think Perles was both AD & HC at Michigan State for a time.Just sayin .. KD would do a great job as AD.