GoZips

Sports Time Ohio will replay the game TODAY at 4 PM.

I completely agree with all the previous posts in this thread. Some one has to be the party pooper and I suppose its my turn (again). Totally disappointed with the poor free throw shooting by the Zips. Missed enough front ends of one-and-ones to fill the Titanic. Make eighty percent of the charity tosses and the Zips blow the "goons" out of the JAR. Defense? What defense? I know the score was sixty-two for them. That was more due to both teams settling for playing half court offense than our quality defense. Our guys are simply not getting in their "grills". Nor are they playing in the proper defense stance (one hand high and semi crouch). I counted three early baskets by Cant sux when I had to attend to my handicapped guest (she got lost trying to find the elevator to go to the ladies' room). The point being: we are really easy to shoot over when we guard with our hands in our pockets. Did any one notice that ALL of McNees' points came when he was playing the shooting guard? His Dad is still pushing for Steve to be the prime point guard. Sorry, but Steve is so much better when he accepts the two guard as his role. I, personally, have great hopes for Steve being a huge difference maker as a shooting guard. Steve played a great game last night and no one has mentioned it until now. The game stats reveal that overall, the Zips played a better game than Kant.

+1

Danica Patrick is so tiny. No wonder other race teams complain about her weight advantage. Maybe she could attend school and Cant Skate and bloat up.

News Collector: On any changes to coaching philosophy with the 2010-11 team: Dambrot: "Our philosophy has never changed since we have been here. We want to be a defensive-oriented team that shares the ball and throws the ball inside. We haven't been as tough defensively this year, but we work on it every day." As I see it: It would greatly help the defense to take their damned hands out of their pockets and hoist one or both into the air. Thereby restricting the opponent's field of vision. Frantic swats at balls as they are shot over you is not good defense. Oh, and do not play so far off your man. duh. News Collector: On the play of the Akron starters: Dambrot: "... Steve McNees has played a lot of basketball at Akron and hasn't been shooting the ball as well as we would like to this point, but we believe he will." As I see it: Switching Steve back and forth between point and two guard is screwing with his head. Alex Abreu is the point guard. When Alex needs a rest play Darryl Roberts at the point or on occasion Quincy Diggs as Diggs has shown he can handle the point. Steve needs to be a full time two guard. If he continues to pass up open shots ... sit him down for a couple of minutes. Steve has to accept that he is important and must score to be the most beneficial to the Zips.

The best of the best to Humpty. Losig one's beloved father is a darn tough way to get a huge dose of maturity blasted at you. Sounds like Anthony has done a lot of growing up. Again, the best of the best to him.

A new Chipotle is just about to open on the "strip" in Wadsworth. Looks like a new hangout for Wadscarman and GoZips. While North High Street (Ohio Rte 94) is a bit far from downtown Akron, it is rapidly developing into party central area on its own. Both Spunkmeyer's Pub and the Galaxy are active sports bars that will cater to Zips fans requests to show Zips games on their TV screens. The Applebee's may as well. What say you, Wadscarman?

When we point to the 1-11 record we can boast about how "bad" this team was. When we look at the team play the last two games of the season we find a different scenario. The Zips nearly pulled off the upset of the season (for MAC play) by barely losing to a good Miami team that went on to win the MAC championship game over a favored NIU. The win over Buffalo was expected. Still, the team showed marked progress toward the end of the season. Are the Zips really all that bad? In retrospect? I see potential and growth on the part of the players and the coaching staff. The learning curve is steep. Yet, manageable. Go American football Zips.

I am not concerned about winning by 30 or even ten. Win is a must. That said, the more important aspects are minutes for Alex at the point, working the rotation so that Diggs, Egner and McKnight get double digit time each. Depth and a solid point guard are primo. Decent officiating that allows our "bigs" to play would also be a blessing.

Sad news ... Phil (Sr.) McKnight has cancer. It is pretty serious. Last word that I heard was that the doctors have it under control. Pray for Phil. Phil (Jr.) and his mother were at the Millikin game. If Phil is up to traveling he may be at the Ark-PB game. Please stop by and wish him well. Keep praying.

WOW. A lot of pent up anger from the posters. I only presented my list of the top ten news stories affecting Akron sports in 2010. I get the sense that I needed to praise TW for his quick actions in inking CP to an extended contract. Which to me was the number two story of the year. In a previous posts I twice mentioned good things that TW did including wading into the Pacific with the soccer team. Did anyone mention that Dr. Porenza also made that walk? As for TW and B McK, sorry, a goodly number of us DO know what transpired. I am not going to go into details. That was not part of my top ten list. While the Zips have two good if not almost excellent senior guards, neither is much better than a pedestrian point guard. And, I am not responsible for Humpty "blowing up". He managed that on his own. If Santa hands you the reins you don't drive the sleigh off a cliff. I was kind of expecting others to give their own top ten lists rather than criticizing me. So be it.

IMO the University best be laying plans for moving to a new conference for soccer as the MAC may well fold the tent with the prospect of ten more years of Zips domination. Maybe those ACC fans are a lot closer to the truth than we thought last Fall.

IMO: The top ten news stories related to University of Akron sports in 2010. #10. LBJ abandons his friends and homeboys for the glitter of South Park (er, burp, Beach) #9. icoach totally destroys a semi-functional college football program #8. The university hires an enabler to hire icoach #7. Inept new hire AD trashes popular men's basketballer's senior season #6. Men's basketball team manages 24-11 season without a true point guard #5. Light goes on in KD's head and he finally recruits a true point guard #4. University upgrades soccer stadium to befit a perennial top five soccer program #3. Women's basketball has best season in their history 18-11 #2. CP gets well deserved salary and incentive increases #1. Men's soccer program from a mid level university stuns BCS world by winning the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ... !!!!!

How do you know it isn't about helping their families for some of them? I agree it is all about money. The only people not making the money they deserve are the people doing the actual work that makes the schools the money. I don't think paying players will bring the NCAA down, and if that did happen, why would that be a bad thing? The NCAA needs to reform itself. The answer is not the schools paying the players. The answer is allowing the players to go out and earn money while on scholarship. What is wrong with a player selling his jersey or a ring or some stupid pair of gold pants to some jock sniffer who is stupid enough to pay for them? To me, that is the type of entrepreneurial behavior a kid should learn in college. GP1, with all due respect. Please consider this. Boosters have in the past often "bought" items from players for many, many times more money than the item was worth. Example, car dealers "sold" new cars to players for five or ten dollars. This was a common occurence at SEC schools in the past. Recently eleven Cadillac Escalades were parked in the player parking lot at an Ohio State practice facility. Poor, starving families? Wonder which one belonged to Terrel Pryor. All too often the NCAA simply goes "wink, wink". The infractions at Ohio State are serious. These players knew better. It is sad to watch on TV the AD and the football coach pretending that they and the school are innocent. It is high time they grow some balls, some character and integrity.

ROFLMAO Not one of you has mentioned Pell grants. In my day a Pell grant was $400/mo. Today it is some where north of $1200/mo. Twelve hundred dollars a month of free and clear spending money should be more than enough to cover any player's incidentals. This is about greed and arrogance. Not helping their poor starving families. The hypocrisy of allowing Cam Newton to play a single snap after it was revealed that his daddy sold his services to the highest bidder. OSwho lying about "self-reporting". These infractions occurred nearly a year ago. The NCAA was just about to come down hard on poor, little, orphaned OSwho when they "self-reported" As for recruiting of Pryor. It was a widely circulated rumor at that time that OSwho was tampering. It was all swept under the rug when opposing coaches complaints were disallowed by the benevolent NCAA. When you recruit bums, you get bums. Or, don't any of you remember poor, left out in the cold to die CJ? Both of the CJs actually. Its all about the money. Paying players (player signs with the highest bidder) is the quickest way to bring the NCAA down.

Tossing in my two cents: Nikola was 3 of 10 from the floor. Better shot selection is in order. Darryl Roberts finally gives a true senior performance. We sure waited for this a while. Zeke has his first career day. Love for these stats to be common place for Zeke. McClanahan goes viral. Good show. Abreu is the point guard. It is his position and the only one who should relieve him at the point is Darryl Roberts. Never, never, never Steve McNees. Steve is in a funk as some one previously posted. I agree. And my prescription for Steve is two fold. First, until further notice, Steve comes in off the bench. Two, Steve only plays at the deuce. Flipping Steve from point to deuce to point has to be making his head spin. Pleased with how KD dished out the minutes. Hope to see Brett McKnight get a few more minutes each time out. Brett should be a big factor in taking down the Hurricanes. The kids, Alex, Josh, Quincy are "getting it". You have to be pleased with their performances.

For thirty minutes I was aghast. The TEAM looked and played terribly. They sucked. They were an embarrassment. As one poster noted, eventually Bethune came down to earth and the Zips finally started to play like Akron. I think the game turned on Brett McKnight entering the game. Brett became a catalyst. Spirits improved and the kids stepped up their game. I don't care if Brett can't shoot from Exchange Street. His presence installed a new dimension that none of us have seen since Jeremiah Wood. At times Brett made me think I was watching Jeremiah with his down low muscle, scoring, rebounding and general intimidation. I give Brett two solid thumbs up for his performance. Was greatly surprised by how in shape Brett was. He hung tough. And, I thought that his defense was pretty darn good. But, I was gauging his play against the rest of the team using their almost patented "hands-in-pocket" defense. Or, literally no defense. The one exception to that mediocre defense was Steve McNees who was the only player using the long accepted defensive stance. Steve seems to be gradually accepting that his role is the shooting guard. Steve needs to get better at the two just as Alex Abreu needs to continue to improve at the point. Any one stick around after the game long enough to see Steve, still in uniform, working with his coach/father working on shooting? That, my friends, is commitment. I really liked Steve's knock down three in the overtime. It put the last nail in BCU's coffin. Steve, keep doing what you are doing. Shoot the ball and drive to the basket. You played a good game.

Zach, I completely agree with you. Brett was not only tough, he was poised and in far better shape than anyone knew. Brett looked like the player the Zips have been waiting on. Today, he was the game changer.

You can be assured that Illinois was in Chicago for one reason only. Recruiting.

Two key ingredients. First, his salary and, second, the buy out clause. It is imperative that the University make stealing Caleb a very, very expensive proposition.

How cool is this? I attended a large auction in Pennsylvania Friday night. When folks around me learned that I am from Akron they started congratulating me on the Zips National Championship. A number of men mentioned that they watched the game on TV.

Like this idea a lot. How about a more visible street than a small alley? First thought was to rename East Exchange St. But, more practical would be the Brown St. extension between Infocision and the track field. Any one with other suggestions?

Like any number of you, I ponder and worry that coach Porter might fly the coup. He protests that he is here to stay. I sure hope so. But, where, oh where, is that blond AMPI streak he promised us at the send off party? That should help hinder job interviews. Grasping at straws here. Curious, I did a google search on Ken Lolla + NC State and came up with the following items. NC Fan Board On Looking For A Nw Soccer Coach - Not Good News Great Older SI Article on Caleb No way on Earth do any of us want Caleb out of Akron. Hey, Coach, Akron does not get hurricanes. And it still snows in Raleigh. Last minute edit: NC State board sez "Porter's out of the picture."

Found this nice article on the Zips. Good Things Happen

At the Tap House tonight (Dec. 14) coach Porter not yet sporting his AMPI doo. Coach promised to streak his hair like AMPI's if the Zips won the National Championship. They did.