GJGood

Always a very good sign to be in the championship and being able to be the better seed in that game. I don't watch the Lady Zips a lot but I will be watching today.

We are not getting an invite to the NIT, there are really only 20 teams or so nationally that do and the "old boys club" selection committee is known to favor power conference schools over mid-majors for inclusion and especially in seeding. I just cannot see them taking the 4th place MAC school that bowed out in the conference semifinals. If you want an example of how bad the NIT selection committee is watch where they seed UW-Green Bay who won the Horizon League regular season title, has something like 25 wins, and many say is an NCAA "bubble" team. I'd be willing to bet they do no better than a 5 seed in the NIT. There are always a ton of complaints about the NCAA selection committee but the NIT crew is far worse than the NCAA one. That being said the CBI could come our way. They have been incorporating a few more power conference schools every year and there seems to be a lot of teams out there at typical CBI level this year, so it will be interesting. The thing I like best about this tourney is that although it is single elimination up to the finals the championship is a best of 3 home-and-home series. Then there is the CiT. This tournament is all mid-majors and low-majors with winning records. It would be an interesting tourney to get into. I just hate the fact that it is not bracketed. After each round they look at who is left and make the matchups they want to see happen, at least that is how they have done it in the past. At 21-12 and a decent OOC schedule plus a run of good teams in recent years I imagine we will be in the CBI or CiT. I just want the Zips to stick around for a few games in whichever one they go to so some of the younger guys can develop more and Quincy can get a few more games in his career.

I need to move on from the MAC Semi frustration. Would you rather see the Zips in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI), the CollegeInsider.Com postseason tourney (CiT), or just stay home for the postseason? If you want to see them on the court again, who would you want to see them play?

Rebounding, playing solid defense, and playing the hot hand while keeping the team as fresh as possible are the keys in my opinion. This isn't going to be easy.

I agree with this as well. I think the A-Roo should be the primary. Not only is it uniquely Akron but it is also the only one of the logos that incorporates two of the three major components (school name, nickname, and mascot)

Gonzaga is offically known as the Bulldogs. Zags was just something started because so many were mispronouncing the school name.

We have to substitute regularly and keep guys on the floor when they are hot. WMU is rested but we have as much depth as anyone in the conference which means that, hopefully, we won't get as tired as quickly as most. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a little more of Kretzer tonight as well as some minutes for Kwan just to provide energy if it lags and to assure energy down the stretch of the game. If we get through tonight and send the Broncos to the NIT, the tired factor levels out much more. I don't see a team playing three in three days having that huge of a disadvantage against a team playing two in two. A little disadvantage maybe but not as much as the one the Zips will face tonight.

With Eastern upsetting Buffalo, look who the final MAC East team standing is. Sure didn't think back in November that we'd be in the semis with three teams from the West.

Anybody else find it odd that this is called a quarterfinal? Quarterfinals traditionally are eight teams playing four games (hence the 'quarter'), but there are only two "quarterfinal games". I think they should rename this round. I know its not really that important of a distinction but it is another oddity with this tournament format.

I believe Tree and Harney are back next season and that we only lose Quincy. I'd wait to see Gladden and Jackson play next year before deciding what we need for the 2015-16 season.

Me too. I just don't like that they can be good inside and/or outside. It also worries me that they had an off shooting night last night. The Zips need to be on their game tonight. We need Tree to take the ball to the rim and not settle for so many jumpers and we need some outside support and turnovers created by the D.

Would we rather play Miami or Ohio? I am rooting for Miami only because we have played Ohio enough in Cleveland lately.

Two things... one of those teams is no longer participating... and who is Akron University?

The Zips played a tougher schedule this year than in past years and still have 20 wins. Not only was the non-conference part of the schedule tougher in 2013-14 but the conference from top to bottom is better than it has been recently as well. Yes, I wanted the Zips to be better than 20-11 and a four seed but I don't know that this team is much less capable than some of the teams Akron has had in the past decade. I know I'll certainly take this over the Coleman Crawford and Dan Hipsher years.

Just that if we get 7 wins I am hoping there is a bowl game following our 12 game schedule. I would be extremely irritated if we finally get to the 7-5 mark and then still don't go to the postseason.

One could argue more casual fans and even potential recruits and their families will watch the Zips on a Tuesday night on ESPN2 than ever would on a saturday afternoon on ESPN3 with BCS schools playing at the same time. I think it is a good thing as far as the development of the program on the field is concerned. It is also good for the out of town fans and alumni since they will be able to watch much easier than when we are on ESPN3. From the stadium-attending fan perspective I agree that it leaves quite a bit to be desired. I see it is as a pick your poison type of situation.

Should Kwan play at all? I think he has looked good at times, especially when he has played very little (or not at all) the game before.

Ok, so lets bring the conversation back to what is potentially the most pivotal game to our eventual fate this season. What is the key to winning tonight?

Yellow? Wow. It may have been unintentional but, WOW! As far as MAC POY goes it is usually quite political anyway. McCrea would have the edge on Treadwell not just because of raw numbers but also because it is his final year playing. I am not going to argue against McCrea over Treadwell for POY. I would say, though, that Treadwell would be more deserving if it was a MVP award. There were nights when Tree seemed like the only option this year with all the players missing and the cold outside shooting we have seen at times during the season. I would argue that McCrea's supporting cast was more consistent, not better, just more consistent. For MVPs I try to look at how I think a team would've done if that player was absent. For this year I think UB without McCrea would have been better than UA without Tree (given all the other things that happened as well) Of course if it were an MVP there may be some players on some of the teams farther down in the MAC pack that were even more valuable to their own teams than even Tree is to the Zips, I just can't think of one off-hand, I guess Majok Majok comes to mind but asking where Ball State would be without him may give you the same answer as where they actually are. POY= McCrea MVP= Treadwell At least that is how I see it and even though I don't know how I'd feel about either of their personalities off the court, I am basing this on what happened on the court and only in the 2013-14 season.

I agree, except I wouldn't mind seeing #5 and #6 switch. that would mean the Zips would play either Eastern, Northern, Ball State, or the arch rival in the quarters and would not meet Toledo, Buffalo, or Ohio until the title game. That may be too much to ask for though. We just need to worry about securing the #4 seed and getting win #20 on senior night.

I am rooting for Akron (of course) , Miami, and Eastern on Friday night. I believe that would give us the 4 seed as well as keep Ohio, Buffalo, and Toledo in the other half of the MAC Tourney bracket. Of course it would set up a semifinal with WMU potentially but at that point you're going to have to play the one seed no matter what and I prefer matching up with the Broncos there if it means we miss OU in the quarterfinals the night before.

My apologies, no offense was intended. My thoughts on Pitt could be way off but it seems to me that with a new QB and some pretty good RB that the Panthers will likely be a more run heavy offense in 2014, at least to the point where if you can stop or significantly slow down the Pitt running game you'd have an excellent chance at winning. The question is can the Zips hinder that running game? That will be a tall chore.

I am already pumped for Friday night! What more could you ask for from this season? The arch nemesis on your home floor with a bye in the tourney on the line as well as the 20-game wins streak! That atmosphere has to be electric Friday night!

I agree, I think Marshall may be the best team on the schedule too. I see legitimate opportunities to upset either PSU or Pitt as the Lions will be somewhat depleted still from the sanctions and the Panthers while extremely tough also seem a bit one dimensional. Upsetting both is probably too much to hope for. I believe Cato is back for Marshall and he may be the best QB we see all season as well.

Well, I won't go that far (Tree falling comment above) but I will say that I really liked Witherspoon and feel like he deserved better than what he got up there. When he was there I would always think if Akron doesn't win the MAC that the Bulls wouldn't be a terrible option to follow in the postseason. Hurley, was probably the player I could stand less than any other back when I was watching college basketball as a kid. Heck, he even looked like the kid my ex-girlfriend ended up with after we broke up. It figures he'd show up in the MAC. Now two of my least favorite coaches of all time, Hurley as well as Christian, reside not only in the conference but in the East Division. I am not saying Hurley is a bad coach just that he rubs me the wrong way and always has. While I'll always be a Zip through and through, I used to call Buffalo my second favorite in the MAC East but not any more, at least for the time being.