GJGood

Not sure if it would have made a difference or not but I think it's clear that the Zips should have had a top 4 seed and a home game, even if OSU wasn't the opponent. Also, you'd think that with so many NIT teams having their conference seasons ending early in the week last week that they would've given the teams that had to play most recently the Wednesday games instead of the Tuesday ones. I am sure that is driven by TV but they could have swapped tomorrow's 7pm with today at 7pm.

All the local Columbus ESPN radio affiliate mentions with Akron is the three ball... they are going to be really surprised when they see what our 300 pounder can do in the lane. I am sure the OSU team is aware but the local media sure doesn't seem to be. I'd love to get the chance to listen tomorrow after a Zips win.

It is. I wouldn't mind seeing a good Ivy League school like Columbia or a good mid-major like Northeastern come in from that part of the country. I also would love to see IPFW come in here for payback from the CiT a couple years ago. It also couldn't hurt to get a MVC team to agree to a home-and-home.

Not that its going to be a problem, but how would OSU even host a game in the next round? Their women are hosting in the NCAA and its OHSAA championship weekend as well.

Yes, and in order to this he must stay out of foul trouble... I always worry about how games like this against "name" competition will be officiated, especially in a true road game.

I would think from a recruiting in Ohio standpoint it certainly does.

I totally agree. I just think N. Fla sees their opportunity just like we do with OSU and then on top of that they got the game at home despite the seeding. Both games should be entertaining even though I think the Zips got shafted on their seeding. It certainly looks like that instead of seeding teams and then determining matchups from the seeds that they determined matchups and then threw seeds on the teams to validate the matchups. Still, we have a chance to prove the seedings wrong. Unfortunately, I guess we can't expect anything more than that.

I really think a second round game would be at the JAR. Florida is playing their first round game at North Florida. A couple years ago Rupp Arena was not available and Kentucky played at Robert Morris in the first round of the NIT. Robert Morris actually won that game and the atmosphere, even just watching on TV, was electric. I am not sure Florida survives the three point ambush that the Ospreys may have in store for them in the first round though.

Good matchup potentially for us in that respect but I doubt we can win if we don't stop dribble penetration on defense. I think this game will be won or lost for Akron primarily on the defensive side. That is assuming we don't just shoot extremely cold from beyond the arc or have Big Dog get in foul trouble.

The 1 seeds are not issued by the NIT committee, they are contractually obligated to take the first four out designated by the NCAA committee. The two seeds you list are not P5 schools but they aren't far off.

That is how I feel about this basketball game. Great opportunity opponent-wise but no way OSU should be hosting with an RPI in the 70s and ours 25-35 places better. I do love the fact that a win means either Florida or the nation's most 3-pointer making team, North Florida, coming to the JAR but it would have meant the same thing if we were the 3 and hosting Tuesday night. We'll just see what we can do in this rigged system. Its just frustrating sometimes. Living and working where I do I think I am too close to the issues with this particular game.

We have heard all year about the 11 straight years of 21+ wins teams. Akron has it again this year. OSU currently has 20 wins so Akron can make the club more exclusive by knocking someone out head to head. I guess there is some irony to that.

No, but that would be at a neutral site where both teams had to adjust to the sight lines and depth perception of the arena. My comments came after it had previously been stated that a 3 vs 6 game should have had Akron as the 3 and OSU as the 6

I am Columbus born and raised and work within the city limits now. I am not looking forward to hearing the garbage I will hear at work the next two days. I never trash talk but man, oh man, can the fans down here do it.

I am already here but my work schedule may get in the way, not sure yet.

Yes, a cavernous arena like that. How many threes did we hit in Cleveland on Thursday? How did that compare with the number we were hitting in the games leading up to that? Maybe you all are right and it won't matter that much since we are coming off three games in Cleveland. Hopefully it won't. Excuses though? No, excuses would be reasons offered up after a loss actually takes place..... These are points that can effect the game, a game that has the vastly better ranked team being treated as inferior and that treatment being the reason that those points come into play. That is unless, of course, you think OSU deserved a home game even though they are playing a team ranked something like 30 places ahead of them in the RPI. I still think we can win the game. When Akron is playing well the Zips are the better team. I just think this committee has hurt the chances that we actually do play extremely well. Again, maybe I am wrong and the guys come out on fire.

True and if it is North Florida we would host them as well. That would be interesting because most of this season Akron was second in made threes per game. The team that was first ahead of us was North Florida.

Another first round loss is now likely.. Not directly because of the opponent but because of how the game will play out and the location. We know how the officiating will go in that place. Most importantly, though, we shoot a ton of threes but are not used to doing it in large cavernous arenas like the one this game will be played in. You can't just get acclimated to the depth perception issue that creates overnight.

Tuesday 7pm

First place in 10th ranked conference versus Sixth place in the 4th or 5th ranked conference RPI Season record

My problem is not playing them but the seeds, and therefore the location, should be reversed.

Don't like the way this is going... Are they going to send us down the road two hours? If so, that would just be wrong.

I am not saying I would want anyone let go. I am only asking if there would be any value to someone coming in from outside the program to add a different perspective. It is certainly not about work ethic. I honestly don't know what rules or constraints there are on coaching staffs. If someone comes in does someone automatically have to go?

Also, this year the MAC as a whole was ranked much higher than in those other years referenced. This team really deserves a good NIT seed. Instead of being a. Home seed vs. away seed conversation it should probably be a one home game vs. two home game conversation in a chalk bracket at least. We should be on the line between a two or three seed in the NIT at minimum. I fully expect, though, that a 5 or 6 seed is coming. If that ends up putting us at a much lower ranked Ohio State then we know the numbers were fudged to get the matchups they wanted. We should be ahead of OSU easily but I fear this committee won't let that happen unless they must.

Wait? Seeding in the NIT takes things into account other than what happens on the court during the current season? :O