GJGood

OK, I do remember the Mastadons on the road. Was that CiT? UT-Arlington was not only NIT but NIT Second Round, the Zips knocked off 2 seed Houston in the First Round and had the Zips beaten the Mavericks then, despite being the 7 seed out of 8, would have actually hosted the tournament quarterfinal against Cal State-Bakersfield since they were the 8 seed and had also pulled off two upsets.

In the era of the transfer portal any trip to play another winning team is a potential recruiting trip.

I honestly only remember the Zips ever playing in a less than NIT Division 1 tournament one time and that was a home loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay. What other appearances are you referring to?

Totally agree, and with the NCAA and NIT seeming to become more and more about just six or seven conferences the tournaments below the NIT are quickly becoming the only option most of the time. I hope these lower tournaments can eventually get to a point where they are close to the NIT but with with a better selection committee

Oklahoma State’s arena was not available so they agreed to be the road team.

Zips could have really made a run against this field. Nothing against Indiana State but when that is your #1 seed a 22 win Akron team would at least be competitive. Interesting to see that our former coach is playing on in the CBI as well as I remember him saying he didn’t think the Zips should play in one or two of these while he was here

When and how do we hear from Guthrie or Groce about this? I would love to hear the reasoning.

I actually preferred that one to the CBI last year. Something about games being on campus.

OK, I should have asked it as “seeded to be at home in the first round”. Toledo is now a three time defending regular season MAC champ that won 17 straight games until a conference final loss... and I guarantee you they don’t even get a home game in the first round of the NIT.... my guess is that they end up on the road against Cincinnati.... and they deserve to be a 3 seed at worst in the NIT.

When MAC schools get selected by the NIT committee it usually means they deserved to be in the NCAA and NIT-worthy MAC teams have to play in a lower tournament or end their season. Case in point, when is the last time a MAC school had a home NIT game against a “bigger” opponent?... certainly there had to be a top MAC squad better than a middle of the pack “major” conference squad according to the metrics at some point in the last 10-12 years.

As I mentioned in another thread, now that it is a single venue tournament I wonder why the CBI doesn’t make their event a multiple game guarantee event much like the Zips played in the Caymans this season. With 16 teams it would just be one more round but giving teams a certainty of multiple games may make the entrance fee seem more worth the cost and it could do wonders for young player development

I do not disagree. They should be in over any ACC or PAC-12 .500 in conference team... I also think the MAC is strong enough year in and year out that the should be represented in the NIT most years too, although when they get in that tournament they are always vastly underseeded.

I honestly thought that Akron was the better team at the end of the true road game and that result could easily have been different. Last night, though, Akron was not the better team. A lot has to do with officiating. I am not complaining as I think the officials were pretty consistent throughout the game but different crews allow different levels of aggression, call more/less ticky-tack fouls, flops, etc...

I don’t understand why the NCAA uses the First Four in Dayton almost as a second chance for those 11/12 seed at large teams and then also to have an extra 16 seeds..... I wish the Fist Four would stay “as is” for the 11s and 12s but let the 16s go straight into the round of 64 and let those other two first four games be between the top ranked teams that were regular season conference champs that did not make it as an at large directly into the round of 64. Make the First Four a “second chance” reward for a great season over the long haul.

I get that. Akron did play in the CBI once before and schools like Ohio and our archrival have before. This year’s team just seems like it could use it with the development of some younger guys and they would likely be playing more than one game. What would make the CBI a more valuable or viable tournament to accept an invitation to?... Since it is now all in one venue and the whole event last a grand total of four days, would making its format like a holiday tournament (multiple game guarantee, 3rd place, 5th place games, etc..) help get teams to commit? What if it came with a future season scheduling component like the old Bracketbusters did?

So, has it been officially stated that the Zips will not participate in any postseason tournament? I have heard John Groce many times talk about how fortunate the Akron program is that they let the team go out and play people, yet that doesn’t seem to apply to March for some reason?

Between the NCAA (68), NIT (32) and CBI (16) there are 116 postseason teams seems to me that a team like Akron who the metrics probably have at somewhere around 100-110 should be playing somewhere.. but I know it would probably be a pay to play tourney

I hate that too but it’s not like the MAC hasn’t had an at large worthy team for that entire time frame. I can remember a handful of times that the MAC regular season champ was thought of as likely being in even if they lost in Cleveland but every time a team like that existed that team went ahead and cut down the nets in Cleveland anyway. That said I understand it’s difficult for the MAC to get multiple NCAA bids but there should be more teams from the MAC in the postseason somewhere. The MAC is not a top conference nationally but it is better than half the conferences out there and always with a good deal of parity at the top.

I still hate that a 3rd place finish in the MAC doesn’t have you playing somewhere in a postseason tournament when 8th and 9th place teams in some of the more national brand conferences not only gets you a postseason berth but a NCAA tournament invite. If the CBI or similar event was not a pay to play tournament I think it could hold some real value. I feel this Akron team could use a few more games and more floor time for guys like the two Johnsons, Clarke, and Lyles

We have not but Groce’s Ohio teams did and if I am not mistaken each time they came back the next year to go to the NCAA.

What are the chances Akron is playing somewhere next week if they don’t win the title Saturday night? I know the “old fogie” NIT committee probably doesn’t give them a look but would the Zips pay to go to Daytona for the CBI? Sounds like Ball State is going that route. I just would hate to see the Zips at home while the Cardinals have a postseason.

I get that but I feel like having all the teams make the tournament draws a line of importance to being a top four seed, instead of just a top 8 seed... with 12 teams teams in 9th and 10th are trying to get to 8 , teams 5 and 6 are trying to get to 4... right now it’s just get to 8 and then see what happens... although winning the regular season does at least guarantee a NIT berth if you don’t make the NCAA.

Oh I know and by no means is he a liability in any way I am only saying he doesn’t intimidate the same way as a true big rim protector.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not discounting Dawson in any way. I just feel like we have other guys who can at least partially fill that role but while I love watching Enrique play he doesn’t have that alter every shot ability of a Zeke/Aziz type and the Zips don’t have anybody else like that.

Texas State was the preseason favorite but was terrible until mid-February, not sure if they had injuries or what but they finished playing much better and it showed in the conference tourney. Just pointing out they may not have been your typical conference 11 seed... would love for the MAC to bring back the early in the week on campus first round games.