GoZips

Since vALPO uses their own referees, Ohio gets an automagic loss

So, where is the video?

Speaking of testicular ... how many realize that Coach Dambrot's switch to the 1-3-1 defense took the game away from 'Flo? Reggie Witherspoon, dean of MAC coaches, had prepared a beautiful game plan. They were ready for everything the Zips did right up to the change of defenses to the 1-3-1. Buffalo suddenly looked like deer in headlights. Their offense vanished. In previous games the Zips would run the 1-3-1 defense for one or two trips down the floor. This time Buffalo got the full monty.They had no answer. Do not let it be said that Reggie out coached Keith. That did not happen. Reggie and his staff obviously schooled their kids on Zips inbound plays. They pulled off three or four steals off of simple inbound plays. They attacked Zeke like most teams do. They closed down the lanes to the basket. In a word, Buffalo was prepared for Akron. Right up to the steady and prolonged 1-3-1 defense. It was readily appearant that the Bulls had NOT worked on attacking the 1-3-1 defense. Dambrot and crew learned their lesson well in the Northwestern NIT game from last season. Hats off to Coach for not being out coached. Joe Dunn gave his 'defensive player of the game' award to Coach Dambrot for that outstanding move.

At the end of the Ohio State @ Penn State men's basketball game the ESPN-2 announcers were time filling by talking about potential Final Four "sleepers". Once they got to mentioning Akron they went into specifics such as mentioning Zeke Marshall, Coach Dambrot and the team's performance. This went on for a good fifteen seconds. A friend called me right after the game to tell me about it. I had, in fact, heard it for myself live. Well deserved props for the Zips.

I had a sister die from Diabetes. I do not see any of your mindless humor what so ever. Turds.

Excuse me. I am puzzled by your remark. What is wrong with a high school basketball tournament where the proceeds go to fight a nasty disease. Could you please explain?

Next season the front line will be built around Treadwell, Forsythe and Harney with two great new "kickers". Kwan Cheatam and Isaiah Johnson are both having excellent senior years in high school. They both can step in and contribute immediately. The other three recruits are all doing well, too. Like most high majors, the Zips are simply "reloading".

If your life is all about criticizing you lead an awfully lonely life. How about recognizing that Zeke and other Zips players are often double and even triple teamed. This tends to cut down on the player's effectiveness. They just have to play through it. You, on the other hand, just belly ache about the player's poor performance. Akron has twelve really good, hard working kids putting in a lot of hard work. Oh, I should mention the efforts of the walk-on players as they are contributing to the team success as well. And, belated congratulations to Chauncey Gilliam on scoring his 1,000th college point. Another job well done.

That accapello singer was the best one I have heard in years. A tip of the hat to him.

N, since you do not live in Akron you need a few locals to save the front page of the Sunday Akron Beacon Journal. Sports Section for you. I saved you a copy. I think the naysayers will have absolutely nothing say after seeing the large photo of Zeke dominating the page. NBA Zeke

I would put more stock in these RPI analysis/forecasts IF they had WMU and CMU down in the high one hundreds AND Ohio and Cant between eighty and one hundred. Other wise, it is all fool's gold.

Personally, I am not concerned about the "what ifs" of running the table. Our kids have enough pressure on them as it is. Do the work; earn the ticket to the dance.

Go read the Flushers board. In their ever so humble opinions, the zebras were totally biased for Akron. Quincy Diggs sighting at the game. He saw right behind me.

A worthy read. Frankly, I thought the self-esteemed ZNO board moderators BANNED tongue-in-cheek humor.

The only thing NKU's arena needs is a loft to put the atrocious band the Zips suffer with.

Tom Wistrcill says this 3,800 seat arena is someone's pipe dream. No such consideration exists. The AD assured me this morning that such a number has never been mentioned in any meeting he was part of. The real seating capacity being discussed is 7,000 to 7,500. Since nearly getting run out of town on a rail for the Rob Ianello screw up, Wistrcill has steadily improved his performance as Athletic Director. The Ianello affair nearly killed his career. Tom has learned from that experience and it shows. He assured me that there is NO thirty-eight hundred seat arena in the Zips plans. I cannot but wonder if this isn't more of the work of the forces opposed to Keith Dambrot. Tom Wistrcill is a Dambrot supporter.

You have hit the nail on the head. Akron as a community during my long life time has nearly always failed to grasp what it, the community, can do to improve itself. I thought that most of these dunderheads had died off. Now, it appears that their grandchildren are back in control of the community's future. Information: the Stroh Center seats 4,200 in a room full of bad sight lines, awkward seating and in general a poor atmosphere for playing basketball. Any attempt to build such a pathetic arena is a guaranteed way to send Coach Dambrot to greener pastures. It would be the kiss of death for future recruiting. Louis Orr is near retirement age, or in my opinion, he would be looking hard to get out of Bowling Green. Where does this mush head thinking come from? No arena less than 7,000 should even be considered. They spent over sixty million on football for a really nice, state of the art facility. The basketball programs deserve the same consideration. Hell, let's all give up and go home.

Coach Thomas has an excellent chance to "do some damage" in this competition. Coach T is still in excellent physical shape (other than his whining about his sore back). He would be best as a three ball shooter as he has an excellent stroke and frequently makes his shots. Truthfully, I can not recall him shooting free throws. Still, he should do well in the competition.

Hey, Bobtittie Dude, you are posting on the wrong blog. Zeke has developed quite nicely over the past four years. He has grown up to become a man. Zeke has improved many aspects of his game; among them, being able to score with either hand, being assertive, puts rebounding first, not chasing "numbers", listening to and responding to ... of all things, his coaches, leading, maturity, responsible. And, all you want is your vision of a scoring machine, rebound maniac. Here is a tip you can bank on: Zeke will do quite well in the NBA. Zeke still has a huge upside under development.

It was a fun and entertaining game (especially if you dislike Cant). Jodi Kest has her ladies believing. Only part of today's game that irked me was Kest calling off the dogs with over fourteen minutes to play. If she had kept the hammer down the Zips soar past 100 points with four or five minutes to play. The hot saying in New England ... "karma is a bitch". We owe Cant many times over; especially in women's basketball where the Flushers hold a 48 to 9 victory margin.

wadszip, thank you for the extensive research. I concur, the pickings seem slim to none for the Zips to gain notoriety or what ever else that could be beneficial. It is doubtful that the Pomeroy System will be used to select match ups. Seems to me that the Real-RPI was used in the past.

Take note that the "bench" scored 34 of the 68 total points. They managed this in five less floor minutes than the "starters". This team is better and more scary than most realize. It is only going to get better.

Nice overall analysis. Fans seldom realize that the Zips employ four different full court presses. Only one is designed to force turnovers. The primary function of a full court press is to deny the opponent enough time to set up and run their half court offense. The expected result of the press is to wear down the opponent and to exasperate them. I think if you check their shooting percentage overall verses how they did against Akron you will get a picture of the effectiveness of Akron's press. That Ritchie was able to score on driving lay ups was the fault of one defender who failed to stay in front of him. Its fixed.

The current RPI statistics (from statline) shows Western Michigan with an RPI of 70. It fell from 57 after Akron mopped the court up with Broncos. Akron's (sic) RPI shot up from 107 to a lofty 80 after administering the beatdown. Go figure. The tooth fairy will visit you soon.

George takes the post game route. If Notre Dame had won he would be saying "Go Irish". People who know me knew two days BEFORE the (sic) game I was chanting, "Roll Tide" I'm such a sorry arsed "front runner". he, he, he