Captain Kangaroo

1.) He's a #2 guard and not a PG 2.) If he wants to attend a school where his teammates stink, so he can get get a ton of playing time, he probably shouldn't choose Akron.

The D-line is an obvious concern. But I see no way our front 7 aren't markedly better than last year. We lost no LB's from 2016, and King and Davis will be upgrades. The incumbents were young last season, and now had had a full year to adjust to the college game...and another full year in the weight room. We lost nothing on our D-line from 2016. Marcus never really played. Pittman was essentially invisible. Hamilton ditto. Venkus was a role player. Moore returns after a mostly-injured 2016, as does Boxen. Like the LB's, our DL should have a bunch of young guys with a year under their belts to adjust, and get bigger/stronger. There will be an unknown or two that will step up and contribute. Marques Hayes said DeAndre Brimage has D1 strength today, and it wouldn't surprise him if he made an impact next season. So yeah, the front 7 is a concern. But we lost nothing from 2016, and the incumbents will be better. We'll have some depth and competition. We won't match up with the P5 teams on our schedule, but we'll compete fine in the MAC. We surrendered 9 points and 299 yards @ OU to finish the 2016 season. Was that a mirage, or a sign the D was coming together?

Welcome to Akron, Torrey!

Not painful to me whatsoever. It's exciting. We have a chance to go from Lolla to Porter. It doesn't get any better.

I'd love to know what KD is saying to recruits to persuade them not to attend UA.

Who says he's not with the team? Please don't tell me it's only because he didn't show up on one of our <35.3% accurate rosters. Bowden told me 9 days ago that JD II is legit, and was slated for LB/rush DE in 2017.

Welcome to Akron, Mark! I hope you'll enjoy getting a great education, playing in front of your Ohio family members, and competing for championships on an annual basis!

On the last photo you can see former TE #11 John Kish lined up at left DE. He played a fair amount there on Saturday. LZip mentioned above that it appeared some DB's had a bad day. Beyond the offensive benefit of red-jersey QB's with no fear of getting hit, it was also a "situational scrimmage" where the offense repeated specific sets. One offensive "drive" could result in 2 or 3 TD's, if they reset and re-ran plays from the same spot. The offensive numbers weren't comparable to those from a traditional scrimmage. We're glad everyone liked the notes and photos! We'll do it again some time.

Zips Intrasquad Scrimmage – April 15th, 2017 The Zips took the field at 9:00 am sharp for their final scrimmage prior to the April 22nd Spring Game. The day started with 15 minutes of stretching, followed by another fifteen-or-so minutes of group positional drills. While Warren Ball was fully dressed and participated in the pre-game, he was held out of the scrimmage for precautionary reasons. Other notable scratches on the day included Kevin Gladney (concussion protocol – pending the outcome he still may participate on the 22nd), Austin Wolf (class), Oregon State transfer Deltron Sands (shoulder – he’s expected to be ok for the summer), Ulysses Gilbert and Anthony Young. Tommy Woodson was in attendance, but limited to catching some toss-backs during drills and offering some verbal encouragement from the sidelines. The scrimmage was offense/defense, and not split squad. Unlike a real game, there were very few breaks. Nick Johns began the first possession at QB. Overall, he shows a good pocket presence and a strong arm. Not cannon-strong, but solid enough to stretch the field. He has good footwork too. He proved to be a little more comfortable in the pocket today than Kato. He hit AJ Coney for a nicely-timed 10 yard TD pass in the slot, and had a few impressive drives too. A quick crossing route completion to Tre Chapman for about 20 yards was one of the nicer plays of the day. Johns and Nelson took the bulk of the snaps. Clayton Uecker also got several reps. Kato exhibited good speed and elusiveness when the pocket broke down. But the difficulties in blocking for him versus a seasoned pocket QB like Woodson were evident. One player was overheard saying: “It’s hard to block for him (Nelson) because you don’t know where the #%@ he’s gonna go!” On the day, Kato made some excellent plays, including hitting Kwad Smith in-stride for a 60+ yard TD. He also hit Coney in the slot for a nice TD, and even caught a TD pass from MTB while they were running the wildcat at the goal line. MTB was heavily involved in the offense from the H-back position. The offense ran several different plays with him in the wildcat as they worked on the goal line offense. He was also targeted on a couple pass plays down the middle. He seemed much more comfortable in the backfield, as is to be expected entering his 2nd year at the position. After the game he mentioned that he’d had hamstring issues last season, but he’s healthy now and ready to have a great 2017. Speaking of wildcat…you probably haven’t seen the last of Tre Chapman at QB…he hit Kato, who’d split out wide left, for a two yard TD pass near the end of the day. Regarding Clayton Uecker – he’s a tall QB that throws a decent ball. While there’s no doubt a solid #4 in this year’s 4-man QB derby, he acquitted himself well today. His highlight was a well-placed first half TD toss to Nate Stewart. On Nate Stewart – He’s a solid WR. Wolf and Coney will be our #1 & #2 guys this year, but Nate seems to me to be a quality #3, with a ton of upside. For a freshman, he’s tall and strong, and shows good hands. I like him a lot. Tre Chapman played the bulk of the day in the slot, but also saw some time on the outside. He’s obviously learning the position, but showed some flashes of being able to provide some big plays in 2017. He needs improve on using his body to get position. Veteran DB’s will give him trouble. His hands still look a little uneasy. But he gave 100% on every play, ran every route hard, and had a great attitude the entire scrimmage. There’s no doubt he’ll put in the work this summer and have a great fall. Especially when lined up in the slot. Coney made several nice catches. He’s seemed to get a notch better every year, and 2017 is no different. Fransohn Bickley is back. He climbed the ladder to make an impressive sideline catch in the first half…but then dropped a nice, would-be TD pass from Johns in the second half. He seemed happy to be back in Akron and also appears to be a favorite amongst his teammates. On the defensive side of the ball – Brock Boxen was back and playing without restrictions. That was a welcome sight. Newcomer Miami transfer James King showed some good wheels, picking up a botched Johns/Morgan exchange and taking it 30 yards for a TD. Denzel Butler, the walk on from WVA, showed some good cover skills. And Darrin Dailey looks to have one of the corner positions locked down. Coach Bowden said “Double D” consistently runs sub-4.4 40’s, and has had a strong spring. Newcomer TE Darryl Long didn’t get a lot of opportunities, but physically, he reminds me a lot of Jabari Arthur. He looks like a player. The running backs didn’t really distinguish themselves. Manny Morgan had the bulk of the carries. Looking at our 2017 RB “stable,” our top 3 expected players (Ball, Sands, and Edwards) didn’t suit up today. So there wasn’t much to glean. Chuck Turfe got a little time at RB. Speaking to Coach Bowden after the game, he mentioned that Alvin Davis was going to continue at the safety position. He said the safeties are “…the best we’ve ever had at Akron.” Jordan George will be moved to cornerback. Bowden mentioned Jamal Davis being a hybrid LB… “sort of like when Jason Taylor was here”…and will be used at LB, and also as a rush end. Brian Reinke is up to 6' 5", and 257 lbs. He's expected to have a breakout 2017 season on a defensive line that will need some incumbents to step up this year. Coach Bowden also mentioned there are no expected 5th year transfers on the horizon. "If a big D lineman falls onto our lap, we'll certainly take him. But we're not shopping for anyone." Lastly – Brian Bell is still expected to be back with the Zips in 2017. He was suspended from UA for one semester for disciplinary reasons, and is taking classes in Florida. He plans to return to UA in the summer.

He waved a mean towel. He'll be missed. Good luck, Big Mike.

Truer words have never been spoken.

"$$$" contributions? Probably more like "$" contributions... If we had high-roller donors we wouldn't have struggled so much to put a basic coat of paint on the JAR. Dambrot left on his on volition. I guess if a few people were "Dambrot Fans" and nor "Zips Fans," that's just the way it is.

A nice post-season honor for him...

I think everyone has had their say, and we're waiting for the staff and roster to be filled-out. Meet and greet is over. Time for "real" Zips basketball news.

I take into account the quality of the education. You want a nice name on your diploma. To each his own.

The University of Akron.

I could pass up getting my @ss whipped for a full season in the SEC. LSU is pathetic. With Noah leaving (allegedly), the Zips are Antino's best option. He can be the starting PG for a full season. Groce's aggressive style fits Antino's strengths.

Groce is very well connected. If there are quality HS senior kids out there, he will get them. I don't see any chance that he panics and grabs a bunch of JUCO's an grad transfers just to fill a roster. If JUCO and grad transfer kids are the best available players then sure, sign them. But I'm not giving up on acquiring some impact 4-year kids too. Dambrot left Groce with a bit of a mess. But it's also a blessing that we won't have any malcontents on the roster. The players that stayed are all-in, and those that didn't want to be here will depart. That bodes well for team chemistry next season, and allows Groce to implement his system a little easier.

I want Robotham to stay. He's an outstanding kid, and outstanding representative of UA. Beyond that, he's a senior 4-year starter with upside. I still don't think we've seen Noah's best basketball. I think a guy like Groce will be a breath of fresh air for Noah and rejuvenate him.

MTSU may have figured it out.

Yes, and there were about 60 of them left over. They were delicious, as advertised! Brought one home for the kid. Loved it.

I think any comments on Dambrot's winning percentage are irrelevant - he left Akron. He's gone by his own choice. He didn't want to be here any more. We now have a coach that wants to be at Akron. So I like him.

I don't think any incumbent player that wants to stay with the team is not welcome to stay. I'm only referring to the kids who've expressed an interest in transferring, or graduating early. Groce is giving them, and their families, time take a step back and assess the situation before making a final decision.

Having been on the job for only 2 days, he was really just focused on the kids presently on campus. Once he gets a determination on their status, he'll know how many scholarships he's got to offer. I think things will become a lot clearer over the next week.

I stopped down at the EJ Thomas meet-and-greet last night. The downside was it was poorly attended. The upside was being able to spend a good amount of time talking to Groce. The guy barely knows where the JAR's located, so it wasn't really the time nor the place to ask who'll be the starting point guard next season, or who's going to round-out his staff. The conversation was "casual." He was very gracious with us. After talking to our group for an extended time period, Larry Williams had to pull him away to speak to some of the other attendees. I think he would have talked to us all night if Williams wouldn't have interjected. He said his #1 priority was getting to know the existing players, and trying to "recruit" them to stay with the Program. The signing day is April 12th, but he's giving the kids some extra time recover from the coaching changeover and make a well-thought-out decision...to an extent. He mentioned "three weeks" as the max time before he needed an answer. Based upon the tone of our conversation regarding Antino, there's a chance he sticks around once the emotions subside. He met with the team yesterday, and is meeting again with them today. I asked if he had any idea regarding the players abilities, and said he'd watched the Zips final two games in the MAC tourney. I assured him that the sparse turnout at EJ wasn't indicative of the Zips basketball following, and that we'd had 7,000 Zips fans at The Q only a couple weeks ago. He didn't seem concerned, as he knew of our respectable game day crowds from his time at OU. It was more of an event to make the guy and his family feel welcome. I think once the dust settles, he'll prove to be an approachable guy, The next 2 weeks will be fun...certainly the most intriguing basketball recruiting period since Zeke's. And the coaching staff formation will be fun to keep tabs on as well. It was fun to catch up with a couple other ZipsNation members that I had't spoken to in a while. And the University put out a really nice spread of food. Although it was a cold, crappy Thursday night I had a good time, and left with the feeling that our Basketball Program is in better shape than it was had Keith Dambrot stuck around for another season.