Captain Kangaroo

Yes, Ray-Ray Smith is playing WR...even though he is still in high school. And hasn't passed his SAT's. He is a renaissance man. Hakeem Lawrence is promising? Promising what? To carry the ball more than 15 times in a season? To stay healthy for more than 2 games? Hundley is a low-tier MAC RB. There's no other team in the MAC where he'd be a starter. Our QB situation is the envy of no one. If Chapman is great, I'm happy. But his greatness is based upon hope, not a track record. Pohl is not magically turning into Getsy or Frye this season. He is who you've seen for 3 years. Brookhart had great RB's. Owens had great RB's. Both also had great WR's. And QB's. Over the past 3 seasons I've yet to see one great player in a Zips uniform at any of those positions. That's the facts.

Witherspoon was a mediocre coach. 14 seasons was more than enough time to prove he could win something meaningful. And he couldn't do it. I'd rather ride the rollercoaster than walk on the treadmill.

I hope Keener doesn't see this one.

When we got together 15-or-so years ago to start "ZipsNation," it was to ensure Internet exposure for important posts like the above.

Dambrot gave Gladden the entire year to prove he was a better option than McAdams or Kretzer. Gladden performed... "ok." In the end, McAdams and Kretzer proved they should get the bulk of the on-court minutes. McAdams and Kretzer are both returning next year, so Gladden probably saw the writing on the wall that he wasn't going to see more than 8-10 minutes per game in 2015-16, and pulled the trigger on a transfer. I can't blame him. He wants to play basketball. It's good news for Jackson, who'll stands to gain a few extra game-minutes as a result of Gladden's departure. And Deji's. But he too didn't distinguish himself in his limited court-time in 2014-15. He'll need to step up his game in the off-season if he wants to be a factor this upcoming season. Lots of other capable guys want those minutes too.

Apologies for the late reply, but I wanted to thank ZIPSMOM2 for participating on our board. It isn't easy being a parent and participating on any fan board. There's only been a handful in the 15-or-so years we've run ZipsNation. It takes a special person to appreciate the fan's passion, and take the board for what it is...a place where the good, the bad and the ugly is all discussed without any filters. It's all just sports-talk. Kwan made some huge strides this season. I look forward to seeing a whole new, elevated level of play from him is 2015-16. Gotta get that 3-point percentage to at least the mid-30's if you're going to hoist up 9 in a game. He can do it. And when a K.e.n.t. player drives the lane...knock'em into the third row.

Elvis sighting....or was it Albert?

Yep. MAC basketball is so loaded with talent it's almost unfair. Our league champ almost went 2-deep in the NIT.

Rats. There goes the Zips "Texas Pipeline"...

I assume finger prints are also required?

I can't wait for the announcement that the MAC won't hold any conference championships in Saudi Arabia due to the disagreements with its stance on Women's Rights.

I have very reliable information that a new face will be in charge of UA Basketball Marketing and Promotions in 2015-16. He is reported to have played a major role in the 2014-5 Zips halftime shows, and will be expanding his responsibilities in the upcoming season. Facebook Twitter Look for an announcement on YouTube by Tom Wistercill later today.

I can say with absolute certainty that you could not be more wrong. Proof

With you, it's always about KD....

What if it were the Zips, and it was the MAC Championship, or an NCAA Tourney game, and the Zips lost the game because the ref called a rim-hang technical? I couldn't imagine how pissed I'd be... I feel terrible for the kid. BS way to lose the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at a HS State Championship.

How difficult is it to remain "Elite in the MAC"? I'll define "MAC Elite" as finishing in the Top 4 slots 4-out-of-every-5 years. There are so many downtrodden MAC programs that you really need to be completely inept not to do so. The MAC's regular season champ lost in Round #1 of the NIT. Our tourney champ lost in the NCAA round #1 for the umpteenth time. MAC basketball is at the level of the MVC... if you eliminated the MVC's top 3 programs. Buffalo's AD wants to be great. He fired a solid coach in Witherspoon to bring in Hurley. He fired his football coach in mid-season, after a bowl appearance in the previous season, because mediocre isn't good enough for him. If you look at Buffalo's sports gear, it touts "NEW YORK" in large font, and "Buffalo" in small font. Their AD isn't pandering to Syracuse by Tweeting #TeamNewYork, he's trying to BE TEAM NEW YORK. I admire that attitude. So while you're of the opinion that Buffalo is some flash-in-the-pan, I'll say that they are a legit threat to be an "Elite MAC Program." They already beat us annually in basketball and football, so if you consider the Zips "MAC Elite," Buffalo already meets or exceeds that lofty criteria.

Wonder if anyone from the Wichita State Athletic Department tweeted "we are all Team Kansas" today? # TeamKansas

Impossible to disagree with concrete evidence like that. You win.

Sparks was well after Washington.

1.) No one downplays Lolla's success. But in baseball, he would be a AAAA player...too good for AAA, and not good enough to be a major-leaguer. And note - UA soccer was a force long before Lolla. It isn't like he built anything from the ground up. 2.) Identifying a great young coach, and signing him, is not a fluke. Great AD's make great hires. No one goes 100%, but the great ones always seem to pluck great talent. The bad AD's don't have an eye for talent. They make crippling decisions based upon flawed logic. The great AD's move on to bigger positions, bigger programs. Bobinski, Rhodes, Thomas. To a lesser extent - Waddell, and Yurachek. Where's Dennis Helsel? Middle school principal somewhere? Some people are happy with a guy who "manages the game." I get it. It's a safe way to keep pace with Bowling Green, YSU and CSU.

It was Waddell who told me, but he was gone by the time Caleb arrived and Rhodes was the guy that actually inked Caleb's contract.

Is the "bar" for a NE Ohio Athletic Department "...to not lag behind CSU or YSU? Or K.e.n.t.?" If so, if that really is all we can and should expect... then you're correct.

You can't have it both ways. 1.) It is undeniably proven that we got lucky when Lolla left. Our program reached a height it would never have reached if Lolla was the coach. Had Lolla stayed, we would have no National Championship. Just some 2- or 3-deep tourney runs. That's why Lolla left...he flat-out said he couldn't win a National Championship at UA. 2.) Caleb Porter's hiring was no fluke. I recall talking to our AD at the time, and lamenting Lolla's loss. He said "Don't worry, we got someone even better." I thought he was full of it, but he was 100% correct. It is also undeniable.

Farrell's best player since Shawn Roberts? (only because we don't have an "OVC Champs" smiley).