Captain Kangaroo

Maybe he gets some good advise and pointers on what he needs to do to improve his game to make the NBA-level, and he actually gets better? Maybe he's more driven than ever before?! Then, we're screwed.

20-something years ago, that banner would be hanging in my Brown Street basement.

Malano to be a Zip Side note: If the Bizzarro name sounds familiar, his older brother was a Brookhart recruit with blazing 4.2 40-yard dash speed. He never made it on campus. Malano video Senior season - Had 40 carries for 220 yards, and then was injured.

How did Middle Tennessee get one in 2013? In a year when the Zips beat them? I'll buy the fact that the Zips will not get at-large consideration if they don't merit it (like this season). They shouldn't. But it is impossible to deny they would receive at-large consideration, and possibly a bid, if they did merit it. MTSU is the proof. It is indisputable.

Did he mean DJ Jones? Has he even carried a ball in 2 years? RB is a concern to me. Hundley and Chisholm were serviceable, dependable backs. But Bowden is emphasizing "big play" offensive guys this year, and what we have in the backfield today is either unproven, or has been on the roster for 4 years and done little. I really hope Ball is a baller. Bowden has never really utilized the RB much. So it's not a deal-breaker if we don't have a game-breaker at that position. But it sure would be nice. It's been a decade since we had an RB that was a threat to make 1st or 2nd team all MAC.

To an educated UNC fan, it would be "no biggie." Losses to teams like VCU, Saint Mary's, Wichita State and Northern Iowa are now considered "no biggie" because those programs have risen above the din of mid-major status and become "majors" (not "high majors", but "majors", where "majors" is defined as having a realistic chance at an at-large if you lose your conference tourney). The Zips still reside in the mid-major abyss. Slightly worse than Valpo or Middle Tennessee... slightly better than Detroit or Southern Illinois. maybe the same as someone like Oakland.

I saw when Northern Iowa beat the Tar Heels earlier this year it pretty much ruined UNC's storied program.

I wonder if, when someone from Akron called Hunter Yurachek at Houston to ask him "Could you do me a solid and schedule the Zips in basketball?" he replied: "Remember when I was Interim AD and you guys chose Tome Wistercill over me? I do...and F U." Hunter is too nice of a guy to say that...but not too nice of a guy to think it. I'm sure doing UA Athletics favors is not on the top of his daily to-do list. Regarding Louisville - Scheduling a major program to play the Zips at The Q would be a big "splash" promotion for the program. You might say its "Thinking Bigger." But it would require a lot of work, and I think it's just easier for UA to get a home game with Bethune-Cookman and call it a day. And let's be honest...Louisville would kill us. At this point I think we need appreciate being - The Best Ohio College Basketball Program Not Named Dayton, Xavier, Cincinnati or Ohio State™. That's not so bad. There's 8 other D1 programs that would kill for that title.

Because the New York/Philly area doesn't have a whole lot of basketball talent? Seriously - Congrats to Jeff. He was always a class act during his UA tenure, and very helpful to the content of ZipsNation. Good to see good things happen to good people.

Before we hold any ticker-tape parades....he's missed the entire 2010, 2012 and 2015 seasons due to catastrophic injuries. Like everyone else, I'm hoping this 7th year senior has an all-MAC season....but Lazarus' storied comeback was against lesser odds.

One less player to worry about on October 8th.

It would be a coup to get this former Zip to make an appearance.

The guy can't catch a break...unless it's a bone.

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.