Captain Kangaroo

Good to see a Hugo 42 post! Hope all is well with you.

Is that OU this season?

EMU is for real. I watched most of the Michigan game, and EMU plays excellent defense. They will give the Zips all we can handle. I'm glad to see it. EMU has been a blight on the MAC (which is really saying something) for over a decade. We need more strong teams. I hope EMU/Toledo is on TV. That'll be a fun game.

Better late than never to start this topic... Nice win by EMU over Michigan tonight. Wish it was us beating Ohio State, but happy for the former Hurons nonetheless.

No.

Potato...poe-tah-toe...

ECU gives UCF the game. If you didn't see the final 2 minutes, you should. Wow...

Sticking with outdated uniforms for the sake of matching historical Pantone numbers is lame. I thought the 2014 uni's were really nice. The players did too. That's enough for me.

Who's in CUSA? Conference USA enjoys a far-reaching fan base with its 14 members: Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB, UTEP, UTSA and WKU. Looks like an awesome basketball conference. And a step up in football too. Can Wistercill mastermind the deal to get us in?

Not much of a non-conference schedule... William & Mary waxed 'em pretty good.

You are off by a massive factor. Whomever told you it is 5k, or 2.5k, or whatever "k" is completely clueless.

And Betancourt too.

I'm just glad the speculation regarding our chances at an at-large bid lasted 2 games longer than usual.

It would be if you lost. But if you won and beat a Top 5 conference team, it is not alarming whatsoever. I'm glad someone has uncovered something to be negatively alarmed about after beating South Carolina. Personally, I couldn't do it.

You're like a really pessimistic version of Dave in Green.

After all the years of getting overly excited about Zips hoops, this was one preseason where I tempered my enthusiasm. Now, after 4 games, the Zips have suckered me in again. Bastards. USC proved the don't completely suck, as they finished the tournament respectably. And we absolutely whupped 'em. Going into the state of South Carolina and beating the Gamecocks? Beating them essentially wire-to-wire? Watching them choke-away free throws and be forced into late-game turnovers? Awesome. Dr. Z is correct. Best ball movement I've ever seen from a Zips team. Robotham is a legit threat the drain a 3, or dribble-penetrate. So was Abreu, but his paella-addled belly prevented in from playing any defense. Noah plays great D too...I've wondered for years who'd be The Next Eric McLaughlin?" and I think he's finally arrived. Forscythe was an absolute force. And that's without any Tree to share the load. I never saw that coming. I never saw Cheatham's contributions coming so soon either. Every game he seems to be taking big strides forward. Especially in the post. Deji seems to have grown from liability (year #1 and #2) to a high-percentage 3-point shooting guard and defensive specialist (year #3) to a confident kid who, on top of everything else, is now finishing at the rim, hitting his FT's. I can't get too down on Gladden. He looked like a manic trainwreck for most of his game minutes. But he has the game and athleticism to contribute good Freshman minutes once his pulse slows down a bit. Antino had some good learning moments this past weekend. He's a baller. He just needs minutes under his belt to improve his game. Big Dog? He's gotta give Forscythe a breather. I know his hand was injured, but OMG was his "plus/minus" scary. And man was he slow to get up-and-down. There should be a great deal of confidence and swagger on display as the Zips take the floor against Penn State. They're on a roll. Win this one, and people will start talkin'! And as a final note - I hope this Tree situation comes to a quick conclusion. I'm already tired of seeing his face on the TV screen and hearing the story. He has his right to a fair and speedy resolution. It isn't fair to anyone that he twists in the wind for weeks-on-end.

Some bombastic a-holes cross the line regularly, and embarrassingly. There's is nothing worse than seeing some one in Akron gear become a complete embarrassment in the stands. To the point where a referee needs to address it. It's embarrassing to players, parents, fans...basically anyone who's not said a-holes buddy.

Congrats to the Zips on a dominating win over a marquee-name opponent. Keep it rolling.

I have a great guess who it was.

Yeah...the MAC is soooooo very fan-conscious. They would NEVER play a game on a day where they might only get a few hundred fans in attendance. Fan attendance is the driving force behind all the MAC front-office game day decisions.

The Zips "best ball" with Tree would be much better than its best ball without Tree. We don't have anyone to replace his projected 17ppg / 8 rpg. And his physical presence in the post. I'll support this Zips team as much as I ever have, but there's no sugar-coating what Tree's loss would me to our chances of winning the MAC.

Three key 2015 recruits who had their official visit on a frigid Tuesday night included: Chris Bivins Link 1 Link 2 Link 3 Rodrick Archer Link 1 Link 2 Jaquavis Dixon - already committed Hope the effect of a Zips win offset the non-Floridian weather?

One thing I've leaned from observing college football in 2015 - It is no longer about filling a stadium. It is about getting on Television. Most of the non-major bowls will be played in front of minimal crowds. But the sponsors will get their 3.5 hour commercial. And their numerous mentions on ESPN prior to the game. And everyone's bowl office pool will give the casual fan a reason to watch Akron play Troy on a Wednesday night, and the people in Vegas will have some football to bet on. Hey...if the Zips basketball team can put up a banner for a CIT loss, then what can't the football team get excited for a berth in the "Mexico Organ Harvester Bowl™"?

The best baseball players only hit .300, so I have to be content with .500. Happy for the Zips' seniors. Those inglorious bastards deserved to win on Senior Day. If they can close the deal @ K.e.n.t., they can look back at their careers and be pretty satisfied with 'em. Booker T Washington once said..."Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached, as by the obstacles which he has overcome." By that definition, these Zips seniors have been highly successful. Hope to see you all in Lot 9 next year.

Tree's susepension blows. He is the one Big we have that's been through the wars. He's played in the Big Dance. He matches up physically with high-major centers and power forwards. He will be sorely missed in Charleston. There is absolutely no way to sugar-coat the loss of a Senior who was the odds-on favorite to win the MAC POTY. It b-l-o-w-s. Maybe it's only for a week or two..but it sounds bad right now...like it could be longer... Somehow, between Forsythe, Cheatum and Johnson, we're going to need to use our 15 available fouls per game next week. Are there some positives to come from the loss? Not really. If Cheatum can hit for a decent percentage from 3 (35+%), then maybe he can draw the opposing center out to the perimeter. MAYBE that opens things up for our guards and wings. We finally seem to have a few slashers who can finish. Johnson is a serviceable big. But if he gets 6.9ppg & 5 rpg in '14 - '15, I'll be ecstatic. Pat is pat. The early Dambrot years saw a heavy dose of local talent. Four-year kids who were often small, but scrappy and talented. I don't mind the attempt to take the program to "the next step" and bring in some high-risk/high reward kids. But it didn't pan-out. Now we'll see how "Dials/Roberts/Joyce - Part 2" grows. Missing your center in the MAC is slightly better than missing your point guard, so there's some hope.