GoZips

You are making a miscalculation. Is this because Quincy is your brother?While Diggs is continuing to improve as a player (his shooting stroke is vastly improved over last year, his work ethic is outstanding, and he sees and reacts to the floormuch better than before), he still has two other factors that affect his playing time. First, Chauncey Gilliam and Brett McClanahan anchor the shooting guard slot nicely.Second, Q is still showing signs of getting frustrated with himself and losing his cool.While it is only my opinion, I still would love to see Quincy take on the sixth man role.He would get more minutes at the six than he will at the three. You are underevaluating just how good Nick Harney is. I watch these kids practice. Do you?Playing Q on the point would allow a sweet and tall three guard line up. Whichis another excellent option. Personally, I do not want to see Diggs relegated to a reserve role backing up the three spot.He needs and deserves to be a twenty-five minute man. That means playing him where he contributes the most. Quincy and Keith Dambrot will decide that.

Let's be fair to Treadwell. He is not use to playing against men his size. Is hemaking progress? Yes. How much? That is up to him.At this time "Tree" has a lot of work to do. He is no where near ready, ... yet.

Remember that Dambrot cannot talk about Betancourt until after he is signed. Thus the response he gave.Deji and Blake Justice are likely candidates for red shirts. As far as I know Brian Walsh is slotted to be the back up point.Walsh, like Diggs and Gilliam are all multi-position capable players.Micheal Green can come in and pop treys like rain drops. Mike isgetting better by the day.Found out that I am not alone in hoping Diggs can step up and playthe sixth man. Quincy has good overall abilities and can play theone, two or three spot comfortably. If Quincy does not play thesixth man it is likely to fall to Brian Walsh or possibilly ChaunceyGilliam.IMO, Nick Harney will become the starting small forward by the timeconference play begins. This would then limit Diggs minutes. Thatis unfortunate as the Q-man brings a ton of intensity with his game.It is way too early to even speculate about the depth chart. I will say that talk now is that the Zips may be able to go twelve deepand play intense defense using a player rotation like a hockeyteam does with multiple lines.Some of you remember Cleveland State under coach Kevin Mackey.Mackey employed the deep rotation quite effectively. CSU wentdeep in the NCAA tournament with a pack of pretty ordinary players.An ordinary player that is rested is tougher to beat than an exhausted"star".For those who have seen Zeke you now know what I am saying is fact.Zeke has matured into a "load". Sure, he still needs work; theyall do. But, this is not your father's team. This team is going torattle the rafters.

These "plans" pop up ever so often. Usually every three or four years.Mostly a lot of hot air and wishful thinking.There was a movement to build a state of the art basketball arena thatseats 11,000. Architectural work was done to the point of semi-detaileddrawings, four color artist renditions, and even a model.Not sure what killed the project other than a major issue lead by the mayorof Akron to have core of the arena built around a hockey base. This KILLSthe intimacy that basketball coaches want because the fans are moved awayfrom the action on the court.While a civic arena might love to have hockey possibilities it is certain deathfor collegiate basketball. Sure, the "Q" has hockey and it is a large building.Professional sports rarely play in band box arenas so loved by college coaches.The venue is not right for college sports.A couple of years ago the Zips played an NIT game at UMASS in Amherst, Mass.That arena is dual hockey/basketball and their fans hate the building. I wasthere and saw first hand lack of intimacy you find in purpose built basketballvenues.We are also entangled at the present time with a Federal government that meddlesin everything. Its short comings are readily apparent. The government rarelysucceeds in pulling off these grandiose schemes. This one wont work either.

Kevin Durant was not the person I saw in the Montrose Christian togs. It was .....Carmello Betancourt.

Boy oh boy, the rumor mill is running at full tilt.LeBron, Kevin Durant and Brandon Knight worked out with the footballers.They did NOT visit the Zips practice this morning.More important to the future of men's basketball is the person who did watchtoday's practice. I do not know if I am allowed to state who he is because I didnot ask. He was wearing a Montrose Christian warm up suit.All I can say is that this kid can play.Next good time to catch a men's practice is Wednesday morning. The kids arepretty tired right now and it is iffy whether there will be a Tuesday practice.I am betting no. The men's practices are usually scheduled from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM.For MES and those interested, the Lady Zips practice schedule is daily1:00 PM to 3:00 PM with usually Wednesdays off. They will also practiceSaturday mornings.

Point well made. Clean it up. I stand near the Rowdies at most games. Keep the insults coming; but make them clean and pithy.

I'll let anyone who has the inclination figure out players weights. They all look to be pretty buff and almost in playing shape. Chauncey said for Dave in Green to stop by a practice and check Chauncey's pudgy bod out. Saturday morning practice was as intense as Friday. The kids got pushed hard. More drills and much more contact including diving on the floor for loose balls. Dambrot told me after practice that they did NOT do any work on zone defense Friday. So, either he reads ZipsNation or one of his coaches does. A lot of people on attendance this morning including the Elyria HS team, some college coaches including Millikin's now former head coach Mark Smith who is looking for a coaching position. Mark is a great guy and well versed in basketball. I enjoyed chatting with him. Also in attendance were Zeke Marshall's parents. His mother, the lovely Nicole, was bundled up like an Eskimo. She is not a cold weather person. The team had a light 90 minute workout in the evening which I did not attend due to choosing the soccer game over watching more drills. Coach Campbell, the strength coach, informs me that he directly coaches men's soccer and basketball and women's basketball. Other strength coaches take care the other sports. Football, of course, has their own dedicated strength coach. I did not ask when the next practice is. I suspect some time Sunday morning. I have a booth at a Cleveland area coin show; thus, I will not be at practice.

If the Zips put on 90 minutes of full on soccer the match would have been a slaughter and stopped in the fifty-seventh minute 9-0. Meves was up and down. He nearly muffed two shots in the first half and then redeemed himself after the break. He is still disappointing and scary.

Dave in Green, I think you are getting rolled by a flock of bad numbers. Chauncey looks solid and in great shape. He lost a lot of fatty tissue and added muscle. Micheal Green has totally reshaped his body into a far more muscular frame. Also, he is shooting the lights out. If he develops more quickness he could move into the 8/9 man rotation. All the Zips are more muscular than ever. Josh Egner added thirty pounds of muscle. I think everyone is going to be amazed at how good these kids are. I asked Nick Harney at practice if he was enjoying himself. He rolled his eyes and said, "no". That's good, because practice is not for enjoying. A number of players took Alka-Seltzer during practice. Why? Headaches. Dehydration often produces headaches. I played my high school and college ball in an era where drinking water was for sissies. That lead to dehydration and terrible headaches. You are already dehydrated if you get a headache. The cure is to stay hydrated. That is the trainer's job. Zips trainers need to keep after the players to drink water a lot more often. The real down side of dehydration is that you become weak and tired. There is a reason for the dramatic improvement in the players bodies. His name is Tim Campbell. Tim is the trainer for both the men's and women's basketball teams. He might be the trainer for both soccer teams as well. Tim, you are doing a great job.

First practice went well. No broken bones and a few bruises. Three and a half hour grind. Practice was reminiscent of past early season practices as the players came to practice in better condition and aware of the tasks ahead. The usual drills; lots of wind sprints; good shooting; worked on zone defense; some scrimmage type drills. Coach was pleased over all. Way too early to set line ups or depth charts. That likely to change with every practice for some time to come. Gilliam had an excellent practice; as did Zeke who looks terrific at 240#. Everyone was shooting the ball well. Good board work all round. Chatted with Nick Dials after the practice. Good convo. Saturday practice at noon in the JAR expected to go three hours. Only other thing I care to say is that a number of drills were run using a thirty-five second clock. Barberton doe not have a 35 sec clock, so they used the regular game clock and horn. Barberton gym is quite nice. Good quality cushioned floor. Nice overall design. KD suggested to me that it would make a good "home away from home" if the JAR were to under go renovations. The Serb knocked down two of three attempts from three point land to end the wind sprint drills at the end of practice.

Zeke Marshall is closer to 240# than 235. Zeke is also the strongest Zip in the weight room. Weights vary a few pounds. All the players are muscular and in good health

As promised: First basketball practice will be held at Barberton HS starting at five PM Friday. Better practice to watch is Saturday morning in the JAR.

Please explain how a team that won twenty-one games last season and returns all five starters, and has a veteran, respected coach is 'overrated'. I seriously doubt that any MAC coach will take Western Michigan lightly.

The Creighton loss is HUGE. Missouri State is unranked. Zips might move up to the top four.

I have this dream once or twice a week.

eff dat hoale eber leaf dem islands he shore not bee bac wid da bruddas we keeps hes lame asse claar bac two dat mainland donuta believe he culd pazz da Hawai'i drivin test no how wad say chew hoale zip?

Friday evening after 5 PM the team can practice according to NCAA rules. The first practice probably will not be on campus as the volleyball team has a match at home Friday evening. Practice is likely to be at a local high school. I will check and see if KD cares to reveal its location. At this time I do not know where it will be held.

While FIU #71 was instrumental in several five yard gains for the Zips; he had good help from FIU #54.

Excellent analysis. I had the feeling throughout the match that the referee was quite biased in favor of NIU. He seemed to let a lot of their junk slide, often without a word to them. Conversely, he seemed to take every opportunity to get in Akron's face. PO'd me to watch #13 of NIU punch a Zip player in the head right in front of the linesman. Nothing was done, save the crowd getting on the linesman to no avail. Wondering why NIU received no punishment for taking down Meves in the net. He took a hard hit. Looked bad. Took him a while to shake the cob webs.

Tailgating must end rule? Sez who? Even Uncle Tommy stopped by and declined a free beer at the tailgating party I was at between games. I believe we were located in parking lot #12 on campus. The party lasted right up to 15 minutes before game time.

Which is pathetic. I still can't believe we don't have 5500 people in the Akron area that want to come to games at the JAR. There are very few things I enjoy more than Zips basketball. I go to the Can't game and go wherever they play Cleveland St but outside of that, I am not going to a piece of crap arena so I can struggle to see the game on a bench. The seating in that place is horrendous, bench seating at a DI college program? It's pathetic. And sad...there are better high school venues in the area. The quality of teams that come to the JAR isn't worth going to see. I can stream it or catch a couple games on TV. But I am excited to see VCU. I also will be making the trek to CSU to watch them play (where I finished grad school) and on the complete opposite of Akron, that is a pretty decent place to see a game. Good view from almost anywhere and access to chair back seats. So, bottom line is ... you are not a Zips fan.

you am i, you make some credible points. Here is my take. Winning is the bottom line. It is an old saw, 'if winning were not important, we would not keep score'. The word seldom used on this form, because most of us lack patience, is foundation. While I really want Ianello gone I admit that I saw improvement against Florida International. It was mostly in the dinks and dunks, but it was definitely there. Like a poster stated, the team never quit on any play. They are getting tougher and more battle hardened. As another poster stated, the fruits of recruiting are still in the future. Granted, the great recruiter has not dazzled us with stellar talent. The real question is can he bring in good enough talent to compete at the MAC level of play? We shall see. An immediate issue that needs addressed is play calling. It sucks. Another issue that needs immediate attention is a pass rush. Pass rush? What pass rush? I see no stinking pass rush. Hombre, you can not win without a pass rush. To address the first point from above; foundation is the key. And the foundation always, always, begins on the lines, offense and defense. That is the area of greatest need. The prime objective is to give the quarterback time to do his job. And, its not happening. On the other side of the ball (defense) the objective is to stop their quarterback by taking away his time to do his job. This begins with two points. First, seal the line of scrimmage so their running backs cannot gain yardage. Second, attack the QB so he does not have time to throw. Sounds simple. And, it is. You just need big, strong, SMART defensive linemen. Bottom line: fire Ianello and if possible send his bunkie, Uncle Tommy with him.

Folks, most of you are missing my point. I am NOT criticizing the team. I am referring to physiology. The human body and mind. Scheduling a mid-week game 2,500 miles from home is a disaster. I doubt that coach Porter will ever do this again. Not only did the team not have time to adjust to the three time zone time difference they fly home on short rest to face a pretty decent opponent in NIU. The trip to UCSB was poorly thought out. Anyone who travels to the west coast from Ohio regularly knows exactly what I am talking about. It is a trip too far.

For me, chalk this game up to logistics. Professional football teams do not make three time zone travel plans for the day before their game. They arrive two or three days prior to allow the players to adapt to the time difference. Had it been up to me I would have sent the team straight out of Chicago right after the Western Michigan. Thus, giving the players three days to allow their body clocks to adjust to Pacific time. The Zips are not out of the woods now returning three time zones and facing Northern Illinois on Saturday. The home win streak is in real jeopardy.