Captain Kangaroo

I would note that Jerome Lane was a non-qualifier. And, Bowden's track record of keeping at-risk players (I'll define at-risk as either being transfers who had brushes with the law, or sub-par grades) is pretty good. I'll hopefully have some details later.

You're right. This team has earned the faith that they'll overcome adversity. Losing Big Dog or Kwan would be more than "adversity." So I'd be chugging Drano if that happened. But short of that, I'm with you. These guys know how to win. You are what your record says you are. 19-3 is pretty good.

Zach - my apologies for not including you in this list of outstanding contributors. I fixed it. Thanks so much for all your efforts and information.

Yes. It's a good use of a couple PTO hours.

Could it really be only 13? I can never figure out how the guys sitting out 2016 (Freddy Simmons) fit into the equation. I have a feeling the total number of "new faces" for 2017 will be 22+. I will try and find out more tomorrow.

As the 2017 class nears it's completion, I want to thank Zach, Blue & Gold, zzx and Zipsoutsider for their outstanding contributions to the recruiting thread. As an independent site with no paid writers or budget, ZipsNation is what you make it. And you guys made it an excellent resource through your effort, time and Zips Football passion. I've never met any of you...probably never will...but I've very grateful for your above-and-beyond efforts to make this site as good as it can be. Zips fans both far-and-wide appreciate it.

PD - Bubba Announcement

It's a miracle!

That blows. In fact, our schedule the remainder of the 2016-17 season blows. On of the best things about Zips hoops is having a few beers and some food on a Saturday afternoon at a campus bar and then watching the game afterwards. It's late-January and we now have absolutely zero Saturday home games for the remainder of the season.

Having attended roughly 20 Hudson games over the past 2 seasons I can say with 100% certainty - the Zips just received a major upgrade at the Punter position. If the Zip were pinned on their own 20 yard line on a 4th down last season, you knew Gasser was good for about 38 yards. Weiland is good for 48+. He's going to be a big help.

I'll give him "All Time Best Zips Center Under Six Foot Four"

Big Dog dominates his position on the offensive end. Defense - Meh. Zeke dominated on the defensive end. Offense - Meh. I voted for Big Dog because, night-in-night-out he's a man amongst boys. And, a superior passer to Zeke. If 'Dog can win an NCAA tourney game, that would close the polls in his favor. Both are/were great MAC centers. If we could consistently recruit bigs like either of them into our Program every 3-4 years, life would be pretty good.

Think of what someone like Michael Reghi can do with this stuff too! More opportunities for his "gems"... "Boy, Isaiah Thomas is really lightin' up the Bulls like a 200 Watt GE LED bulb tonight!" "It might be cold outside, but Al Horford is heatin' up like a GE GeoSpring hot water tank baby!"

No you won't. If you kept watching the Zips at the JAR, when after each of roughly 200 3-point shots the announcer said "That's another Zips 3-pointer, brought to you by Tim Miller Insurance Agency", you'll never stop watching anything.

This would definitely be a season where a Bracket Buster () game would be awesome. I'd love to see the 2016-17 Zips team match up against someone like Illinois State or Middle Tennessee. Big Dog and Kwan give us the size and skill to keep just about any college team honest in the paint, and we shoot the 3 as well as anyone. If we can tighten up the D over the next 4 weeks, we could really be something special. And, we need to stay healthy. And, no one go shipping/receiving 5 pound boxes of anything between now and April!

I heard that mentioned in the post game show for the first time last night. I still think the MAC POTY is Big Dog's to lose, but Kwan deserves to be in the conversation. If Keene somehow wins it, I'll puke.

I don't know which is more bizarre...the fact that he's a 6' 3" 290 lb ILB, or that he's a 6' 3" 290 LB tight end?

Under "shell of it's former self," I don't think you can find a better example than the WAC. Yeesh...

OMG. They lost to Grambling 70-0 last year.

He'll be 21 in March. My opinion - if you don't want to go to school and your goal is to play in the NFL, it isn't a bad idea to get on an NFL roster, train with an NFL team, even if you only are on the practice squad, than it is to stay in school. He was a non-qualifier out of HS, so he's been at UA for 4 years. If he really wanted to stay in school he could have earned a degree in 4 years and transferred anywhere he chose. Based on him electing not to go that route, I don't think he wanted to attend college...any college. We'll see if it is a good, or bad decision. We won't know for 1-2 years.

No moss gathers under this guy's feet...

McDonald HS had 480 kids the year I graduated. And that was 7th - 12 grade (we didn't have a middle school). 2,400 kids? Holy moley...

Look at the empty seats behind him!!

In the Tuesday pregame interview KD said Mike was still "a couple weeks away". Which obviously isn't good news. Between praying for world peace, a cure for cancer and Big Dog/Kwan staying healthy I don't know which comes first? All are highly important.

Mug line was easily 100 deep at the start of the 2nd half, curling throughout the concession area. Only two people to hand out the mugs, and neither had a cutter to open the boxes. It was sort of a train wreck...but I got my mugs so I'm happy.