Zip Watcher

Updated today to reflect the departure of Josh Egner. I'll update again with any other "official" changes. Go Zips!

That's a pretty apt description right about now. I have to say I'm faced with really mixed emotions as this plays out. As a student of UConn in the early 90's, I got to enjoy some really exciting hoops .. even though Jimmy Calhoun hadn't quite figured things out yet. Ask me sometime how many UConn teams could beat the 94 team with Marshall and Ray Allen together. On the other hand, I LOVE good college hoops, and I think a high level CYO league like the one that's about to materialize will generate some great hoops. If they can somehow breathe life into DePaul .. it could be awesome. FWIW, I'd take Detroit Mercy in over Creighton, and maybe Duquesne also. They need to learn the lesson about spreading too thin .. and Providence to Omaha for a softball game is pretty darn far. Adding the Pittsburgh and Detroit markets seems better to me. Creighton might also be wise to stay as the big dog in the Valley. But UConn made it's bed, or crapped in it's bed, about 10 years ago when they set into motion the move to 1-A football. It was a money chasing event .. it's probably been profitable for the past several years (not probably .. most definitely) .. and now it lands them in no man's land. There's an editorial in the Courant today which wraps up by saying (paraphrasing) .. "the Big East music has stopped, and only UConn is without a chair." In the middle of my time there, I think in 92 or 93 .. there was a significant budget crisis in the University. It faced something like a $3-5 million shortfall unless significant restructuring was done. The administration floated the notion of eliminating the School of Allied Health, which I think was comprised of PT, OT and maybe one other. The logic, not entirely flawed, was that it was one of the more expensive departments on campus, due in part to a big expense:student ratio. The projected savings was close to what was needed. The problem in most of our eyes, was that across campus was a football program that very few if anyone gave a crap about losing about $5million per year. The editorial board of the Daily Campus figured this out, and it was a hot topic. Now, this being just about when the internets were invented, I'm not sure what the methodology was at the time, but a poll of the undergraduate student body found that a majority preferred to end football before touching Allied Health. Long story short, they found the funds .. kept all programs. I still think they should have killed football, or left it alone. If they left it alone, they'd still have been at the teat of the BCS money with the Big East, and now they'd be talking about 8 Big East teams moving forward without FB. At the end of the day, even this Basketball Guy knows that FB rules the roost in the TV dollars. And as the stories GP1 has been sharing with us show .. the AD's & Presidents are going to chase dollars. Whatever. Incredibly the MAC seems to strengthen its position just by standing still. If NIU can somehow keep it tight in Miami .. it will further do so. It needs to find its way back down to 12 teams I think. Go Zips. Crush the Titans. B) B)

There's something to your argument, but you lose me at "viewership." The Big Ten isn't adding these teams for "viewership." They're adding these teams because they're in markets (read: states) which don't currently have the Big Ten Network. Adding new states to the mix adds "subscribership" .. I don't really think they're into viewership as much as subscribership. Fans will demand the BTN if their teams are all on that network, the cable systems will ultimately capitulate, and millions of other people in the state who don't care for the turtle will be paying the BTN a $ or 2 per month since they live in MD and have a TV.

I'm astounded that we have 4 newcomers on this team who are forcing themselves into the rotation on the Zips. There were some losses from last year, but for all 4 of these guys to be commanding minutes blows me away. Offensive talent looks really good. What this season will turn on might be having someone step forward as a great on-the-ball defender at the wing position. Q had that role. Who's gonna be the (defensive) Linhart / Conyers on this team? First five games tell me something: Tree & Harney are pretty darned important to the success of this club. Especially Tree. Seems like we have a few "combustable" guys on the roster, even in the absence of Q. Chauncey's explosion in the UNCA game was nice to see. He's a guy that cares a ton about how his team does. Nice to see him bounce back. We know Harney can explode. I think the two frosh shooters if left alone have the capability too. Zeke looking good. It's really a case this year of managing him from an emotional perspective. When he's aggressive and feeling good about himself .. he fouls less and controls games more. Not the first college basketball player with this challenge. Won't be the last. Nice to see the full & 3/4 court pressing. That will crush some teams, and wear down some others. There's maybe 3 or 4 teams in the MAC that might be able to beat the Zips this season, but most of them will need help from the Zips to do so. OT. Did anyone catch the score of the YSU-Georgia game? Slocum turning the corner there, and we're not playing them? Is there a harder corner to turn in college basketball? I hope they win every single game. From the little I've been able to read, GP1 seems to be in the flow of some highly thought out and worthwile posts. Don't waste it ZipsNation. I'm contemplating searching Ebay for a welder's mask. Go Zips! Hope everyone is well and prospering. B) B) View the full blog post here.

Updated today to reflect the current reality. Go Zips B) B)

Updated today to reflect the announcement that BJ Gladden has committed to the Zips. Also showing Walsh as a Senior for now based on varied reports that this is the case. Forsythe shown as a Freshmen, since the NCAA ruling on whether or not he can play this season shouldn't affect his ability to get the lost year back from his injury shortened season at WVU. Saw something where Egner got a medical redshirt .. haven't heard or seen anything about Ibitayo. Per the general rules, he may be eligible. For now he is shown as a Sophomore .. I guess he could be a Freshmen. Hope everyone is well and thriving. Go Zips.

Agree entirely .. you should be over .500 in your league. Go Zips!

None taken.

Aren't the Zips 12-2 with a two game lead on the entire league? How many teams in the country are in that position? Go Zips!!!

Fixed it for you. Go Zips!

I'd like to see the zips seal up the nit bid, then take it with them to the NCAA tournament.

Not sure about that, but it sure makes some $$$$.

My group had a great time at Cleats last year, both before and after the final. There was a great band playing after the championship was over. But I thought I heard a month or so ago that it was closed up?

I do think Dr Peterson should start the u@b game regardless of the circumstances.

Only took just under 2 hours for this exact comment to be lifted by a user / blog write and tweeted as his own. Journalism!!

Nice!

Hey now, Nitro threw a couple of daggers at the Q last year to help get through the early rounds. Let's not start some broad brush stroke that he hasn't come up big when it counted .. because it's not objectively true. Go Zips!!!

You should have seen their game-day experience. I'll have more comments in my coming trip report, but it was pretty good. Perhaps the best halftime event EVER .. better than Red Panda. Hope the AD staff that was there took some notes. Go Zips!

It's on the horizon, not sure when it will happen, but it will.

Sounds to me like he's good to go.

You are correct sir.

Timely article in the WSJ this week. Where are the fans? I think there's a real risk of building too big. Gotta avoid that, and the noid. See you in Tulsa. Go Zips!

We are set for tonight @ 5:15ish w/ George Thomas. I'll PM everyone who's posted in this forum the location. If you're interested and haven't posted, please PM me before 3:30 or so, and I'll send it to you also. Go Zips!

I predict someone with the number "71" in their username will find the live stream to be unreliable.

Notre Dame is private. Purdue and IU are both substantially well funded state institutions that in any other state would likely be the "only" flagship school. Except that IU is really a dump where they don't teach math or science.