Hilltopper

Jim Tressel.

Livingston's story comes as no surprise to me. AA has remained close to the program. At the Cleveland state game he sitting in the seating section directly behind the bench and was warmly received by the players and administrators before tip off. If AA doesn't make a misstep I would fully expect him to be back on the team next season. I know there are people on this board who don't agree, but the main problem this year is no true point guard. Q is a great player who is doing his best to fill the void, but if AA was here no way does UT come into our gym and embarrass us. The whole chemistry of the team has been thrown out of whack.

I think you can thank Brad Swanson for the increased attendance. His aggressive marketing campaigns the last 2 years (#zipsmensbasketball and BacktheZips) plus the increased outreach to the student body are paying dividends. Anyone who has been to a home game this season can attest to the fact that attendance is clearly up. Not just phantom tickets sold to groups at a discount who never show up(football) but actual butts in the seats. His use of social media is really working.

The Back the Zips campaign idea was Brad Swanson's. I would imagine the little guy is just a Zips fan. They had all kinds of opportunity's for fans to have these photos taken before the season started.

Bubba4Three

Coach can draw all the squiggly little lines he wants on that board, but it's up to the players to execute.

Coach Peters stopped by practice this afternoon for a few minutes. He has started chemo and radiation treatments. The players were visibly pumped up by his presence. Please keep him in your prayers, he still has a tough battle ahead of him.

Where do we rank in opponents shots / possessions per game?

I agree with your assessment. McAdams is rushing his shot because we are a tick slow on all our passes. I was encouraged last night that Jake had 3 2pt field goals.

I guess the reason I'm so stuck on the point guard play is because in the past that guy has been the leader on KD's teams. This years team is really lacking a leader on the court. During KD's tenure we had Dru then Steve and then Alex. Diggs seems to be trying at least.

So what do you think is the reason they can't hit the shots? They made them last year.

The team still hasn't found its identity yet. Everyone is still not sure when to shoot and when to pass. We pass up wide open shots and take contested ones with nobody in position to get a rebound. Still comes back to the lack of good point guard play. Only 10 assists last night.

I don't agree with Elton often, but this time I think he is right on target. 9 games in 18 days plus all the travel has taken its toll on the Zips. Players struggling for Akron and Cleveland State .

Zips are out of gas! Marshall almost makes the 3/4 court shot to win. What an ugly win, but I'll take it.

How about Bettencourt. He hits a three and two free throws!

I've decided to just stay home tonight and watch the game on the webcast. The roads are horrible and not likely to get better anytime soon.

What happened last March was partly due to the other teams not having any idea of what we were going to do without AA in the lineup. Once there was some tape to be studied and game planned we saw the results against VCU. Another factor was the confidence level that winning 19 games in a row gave the team. KD has done a pretty good job of making sure he has a backup plan in case of injury or other problems, but unfortunately the backup point guard position was a mistake on the staffs part. Even as early as the middle of last season the staff started looking for other options for this year when it became apparent the Melo was not ready which is how we ended up with Evans. The fact that this years team is struggling because we are really missing AA is not an excuse, it's a fact. I agree that things can improve.

Maybe SC is better than we thought?

Bingo!

Considering it's New Years Eve, I wouldn't find that too surprising no mater what.

The only reason I didn't vote for Zeke is because even he admitted that his heart wasn't in it all the time. Linhart played his guts out and was mentally tougher than Zeke. If Zeke had Linhart's drive and attitude he would be playing in the NBA. I still love Zeke though.

I voted for Nate Linhart. He had a combination of skills that made him unique. Good all around talent and a great leader.

No argument. It goes both ways though.

Not surprising. I doubt that he is as concerned about what some members of ZN.o say about him, as much as what they say about his team mates and members of the coaching staff. I know some would say he needs to get a thicker skin or something of the sort but he is only human. But hey what do I know. I've already admitted that I see the world through blue and gold colored glasses. Win, lose or draw I will back the team. YMMV

All I can say is wow! Prayers to the Bowden family and to the Zips football family.