Captain Kangaroo

If the sold beer at the JAR, it would help me digest the early-season cupcakes. That would be a nice improvement, and the University would make money rather than lose it. I liked having a Blue Moon at Ohio State's arena while watching the Zips.

I thought the Falcons in the endzone looked pretty cool!

He hasn't graduated high school yet and we're already worried about him transferring from Akron? Bowden beat/out-recruited Florida Atlantic, who pushed extremely hard for Kato's services. Per newspaper reports, Kato's immediate family wanted him to attend FAU, yet he still chose the Zips. I'm not worried about him transferring.

I agree. If Kato can redshirt, he'll be the #2 guy for Woody's senior season. Then it's his show to run for 3 full years. That's as good a scenario as any HS QB can expect to walk into.

And they should pick Syracuse or Michigan over the Zips. They are WAY better programs. Look at Syracuse in the Final Four...the Zips can't beat IUPUI or UWGB...so who honestly merits an at-large? Michigan would beat the 2015-16 Zips 19 out of 20 times. Win games that matter. Get to the level of Wichita State or Northern Iowa. That has worth. If you can't get to that level (due to facilities, conference strength, whatever...), win your conference tourney.

Everyone knows RPI means nothing. To get into the at-large conversation you need to beat upper-echelon Power 5 teams. And then, avoid any embarrassing losses. That's it. Done. A secondary option is to win 30 games. Something like 30-3, with a loss in your conference Championship, gets you in the at-large conversation. So, schedule a bunch of cupcakes, don't screw up in your conference season, and maybe some USA Today blogger will take up your cause and write a nice column about how you were snubbed. A third option, completely out of the Zips control, is that the MAC as a whole ascends to a higher basketball level. With a couple juggernaut teams like the MVC has in Northern Iowa and Wichita State. Then you're in the conversation. But even then, you can get "Saint Mary'd" and miss the tourney. We haven't won an NCAA tournament game of any kind since 2007, and we've have numerous opportunities against "meh" competition (UMass, Northwestern, ND, Ohio State-lite, IUPUI, UWGB, etc), so the "we got snubbed" cries ring pretty hollow to me. We just aren't good enough to merit consideration. We need to win our Tournament. Simple as that.

Because it is a decent-size tournament we could actually expect to win? And Savannah is a great warm weather destination that's a cheap flight from CAK?

Why wouldn't they just play cupcakes at home and keep all the money? Why pay hotel & food expenses, play weak competition, with zero TV coverage... all for zero profit? What AD thinks that's a good idea? Unless upper-tier P5 teams get home games (i.e. preseason NIT), or get to travel to sexy, recruit-luring places (i.e. Hawai'i or Puerto Rico) early-season tourneys aren't smart.

Ohio Tech vs. Georgia Tech? I bet that one would be a sell out.

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/index.ssf/2016/03/akron_zips_41.html

Needs to be better. Ohio State, Xavier, Dayton and Cincinnati compete with Akron for recruits like I compete with George Clooney for arm candy. Because losing to the Zips is not be considered a "bad loss." Because the Zips are a good gauge of where you stand on the mid-major scale. Because, for numerous top mid-majors mentioned (let's consider the Zips a "Top mid-major"), its a cheap bus-ride travel game. Because they'd get a home-home with an attractive opponent. Because they aren't getting an NCAA at-large unless they win 30 games against quality OOC opponents anyhow. But you can pick up the phone and call them, instead of Bethune Cookman.

Some final, random thoughts on the game... There will never be a bigger opportunity lost for the Zips to beat Ohio State in basketball. The Ohio State team I saw on Tuesday night was essentially Ohio U masquerading in Ohio State uniforms. In the MAC, that team would be 10-6. Maybe worse. I do believe the dead-legs excuse. I never saw 3-point shots careen off the backboard like I saw towards the end of that game. From guys like Antino and Josh, who are typically solid. The 4-games in 6 days...with all being do-or-die tourney games, and 4th going to OT was just too much. In hindsight I'm sure Dambrot wishes he'd have played Jimmond a little more, and rested McAdams. Buy I admire that he went with his seniors to win or lose the game. He didn't do that at the end of the Buffalo game (sitting McAdams for the final possession), and I bet it's a regret. And before anyone writes a sappy "please get of KD's back" post - if you ever were a successful head coach at any level, then you've coached in Championship games against good coaches and great talent. Those games are always dogfights. And you make calls that you, in hindsight, regret...but you make them and live with them. And if people question them...so what...it's part of the deal when you're a coach. The Zips had at least 12 opportunities to put pressure on OSU with a back-breaking 3-pointer, and came up empty every time. The Zips team I saw the bulk of 2015-16 should have won this game by 15+ points...but it didn't happen. The OSU fans were nice. I wanted to hate them, but they were all very respectful. The cheerleaders from both programs performed together at one point, and the arena even played the Akron fight song over the PA system during a break. That's unheard of in any road game, let alone a tightly-contested tournament game. Referees did a nice job. Absolutely no homer element. If those guys ref'd the MAC finals, we'd have won the game. No way Buffalo would have only 1 foul whistled in the first 17 minutes of the 2nd half. Big Dog has developed into a Big 10 talent. OSU really had no answer for him. I think he fouled 2 guys out? His free throw misses were brutal. But you can't knock a guy when he puts forth an effort like we've seen from him over the entire season. Zeke came to UA with the accolades, and had a very nice career. But a dominant senior season puts Big Dog as UA's #1 all-time best center. Who'da thunk that last season? Kwan had some big blocks. He's a good at-the-rim defender, but he's not a good on-ball defender. Especially so the further away he gets from the hoop. It will be interesting to see how he works on his game over the off season. We really need the redshirted kids to step up and contribute in 2016-17. There are plenty of game-minutes to be had for the kids that put in the most work this off-season. The coaches need to re-evaluate themselves, and the program too. What can be done differently to better prepare the Zips for post-season success? The scheduling mindset of the past decade appears to be in obvious need of re-evaluation. Is it better to play a freshman with upside than upper-classmen who may have maxed-out? Who redshirts? Who leaves? I don't have much more to offer that already hasn't been said. It was a fun ride, but an all-too abrupt stop. See you at InfoCision.

Rats...had my fingers crossed for the Jimmond dunk!

Please keep on-topic.

Travis...Joyce...Wood...those 26-win guys never got a shot at redemption after their MAC Finals loss. Kwan's certainly got his shot at redemption tonight. As an athlete coming off a loss and a poor performance, that's all you can ask.

Time for the Zips to put-up-or-shut-up. If we really deserved to be in the tournament...if that 28 RPI meant anything...the Zips need to win tonight. Three straight games in Cleveland = no "big arena" excuses. Hell...Reggie played at the OSU arena in high school. Kent has had two, 3-deep NIT runs. Ball State went 4-deep in the NIT a while back. It's time for the Zips to win some post season games for the first time since Nick Dials donned the Blue and Gold!

James Madison, ODU, George Washington... The list of appealing teams to replace Coppin State and Arkansas Cream-Puff is long.

Give me solid mid-major home-home's and I'm happy. Middle Tennessee was a good one. UWGB is a good one. Even Duquesne is ok. Monmouth is looking to play anyone, anywhere. I think they'd be a great home-home. Valpo. Stoney Brook. Replace the lost Bracket Buster match up and dump a cupcake or two for decent competition and I'm happy. Save the high majors for the early season tournaments. Dreaming of getting a high-major to Akron is like pretending the RPI means anything. Can't our new AD get us a game with Marquette? What are his connections? Steinbrecher is bitching that our strength of schedule needs upped...so give us a couple phone numbers of willing opponents.

I don't know that blowing out 3 mediocre teams on your home floor qualifies you as "The Team." "The Team," in my mind, is Huffman, Shaw, Gates, Mitchell + a solid supporting cast. That's really the last MAC program that had a legit gripe if they were overlooked by the NCAA. If healthy, I think we could have won an NCAA game or 2. I agree 100% that the staff's "6th Man" idea backfired big time. We dug ourselves massive holes to begin each half, then spent the remainder of the time clawing back. Give me a dead-tired Big Dog over a sulking Kwan any day of the week. If asked, I'd guess that assistant coach would say the same thing. The Zips at the end of the season were a very good MAC team. So was Buffalo. They made a shot, and we didn't. I thought it was a great, compelling championship basketball game. A heartbreaker for me, but I got my money's worth.

I got section 123. I couldn't figure out how to select a specific section, so that's what they gave me. I'll start the "Z-I..." from my side, and wait for the "P-S!!!"

Wonder when ticket info will be available?

This year's Zips team is not "The Team." With a healthy Pat, playing like he did in 2014-15, and a healthy Aaron Jackson, it could have been something special. But in the end, this edition of Zips basketball gave 5-star effort, with 4-star talent (MAC scale). That wasn't enough to beat Buffalo on Saturday. I can't knock Noah's game. He played 37 minutes on a surgically reconstructed knee, on the 3rd night of 3-in-a-row, against talented guards that were tall and strong. Kwan had a terrible game. He forced his offense, and sulked when things didn't go his way. There's nothing more frustrating than watching mistakes get compounded by someone hanging their head after a bad pass, rather than hustling back and making a defensive play. I think Kwan needs to work on his mental approach more than his physical approach for next season. He takes himself out of games. And, I think KD needs to do a better job of recognizing when he's checked out. If you were an impartial observer at a bar watching UA/UB, you'd have said "Man, that was a great college basketball game." It was...we just lost it.

Sucks to get your heart broken in the MAC finals again...by a 3-pointer, about exactly 3 steps in front of where Penno released his. Buffalo's a really good team. Great size in the post and on the perimeter. I can't imagine how dominant they'd have been had the kept Hurley and not lost two starters before the season opened. Their fan section was surprisingly sparse...they used to travel in pretty impressive numbers to The Q. The Corner Alley was the best place to host the Zips in a while. Good food, and plenty of space. Good beer selection. Antino was THE man. I don't care if he made a late-game miscue with the foul that erased the shot clock...the kid played an stone-cold awesome game. I look forward to that same bad-ass effort in Columbus Tuesday night. Big Dog, Reggie and Jake were warriors. The left it all on the court. Couldn't be prouder of their effort. Josh, Aaron and Jimmond gave some great bench minutes. Buffalo having 1 foul at the 3 minute mark of the 2nd half was pretty amazing. But ESPN has a bunch of games lined-up, and they don't want any early games running long. While not making the NCAA tourney sucks, I hope these guys realize they have an opportunity in front of them that only happens once every 25-or-so years: the chance to whip Ohio State's ass. This is a win that everyone in ZipsNation would savor for a lifetime. Dayton whooped 'em...now it's our turn.

Thanks for taking the time to shoot and post all the tourney photos. You don't see anything like that on other MAC school's message boards, and probably not P5 school boards either.