Captain Kangaroo

Good overview, Hip Zip.

I've never been a fan of the "Have you ever been a D-1 head coach? If not, you don't know basketball" argument. There are several people on this board with a very good basketball IQ who likely never so much as sniffed the water bucket in their high school "career." Put the ball in the hoop. Stop the other team from putting the ball in the hoop. It is a simple game. Nor am I a fan of the line: "If Coach "X" isn't here, we will never be successful. Be happy you aren't <insert perennial loser here>." 20 wins is not the be-all-end-all. There are scores of coaches who do it every year. And scores of programs that re-tool with different coaches and still win their 20+/season. There's nothing wrong with wanting to win championships. There's nothing wrong with wanting to have a magical 2-game deep run in the NCAA tourney. There's nothing wrong with admiring what Gary Waters has accomplished at CSU, in such a short period. There's nothing wrong with wanting to beat a BCS "major" program every-so-often. There's nothing wrong with hating to lose to K.e.n.t more than you beat 'em. There's nothing wrong with having high "mid-major" standards for your program. You should have them at Akron. It's a 30,000 student University with a long basketball tradition. I understand that we are in a transition year to a new style of team. But there are no guarantees that next season will be any better. I was geeked about Andy Hipsher...and he won nothing. I was stoked to get Derrick Tarver...and he won nothing. I was excited when Dru Joyce's eligibility expired, thinking we'd open up our offense more...and after 7 seasons he's still the best PG we've had under Dambrot. I was excited about Humpty, who delivered us an NCAA tourney bid... and he got booted off the team after 2 seasons. We have potential to be really good next season. But potential simply means: you haven't done it. Next season could be worse than this year. It could. The MAC is very mediocre this year, and the league championship is there for the taking. I've personally lamented that we don't have guys with the skills and intangibles of Dials/Joyce/Middleton....but I don't think that means we can't win the MAC as it consists in 2011. Fans are frustrated that the team has not played to it's potential. Especially at home. We need to beat BG tomorrow night. Coack K gets paid $300k+ to figure out a way to do it. I think there's nothing wrong with having expectations that he should do it. Or being pretty depressed if he doesn't. It's called being a fan.

This HAS to be the best ZachTheZip EndZone Gnome statement of fact in a while! Talking about FIFA video games?! :lol: :lol: "I wish I could buy you for what you know...and sell you for what you think you know."

Owens typically lost the big games. I give him credit for Marshall and Navy. Ianello would kick a field goal when he's down by 17. Faust would lose his best player to a Breaking and Entering arrest the night before the game. JD Beat Syracuse, NC State and NIU (Championship). I vote JD.

And 95% of Akron fans have called for Ianello to be fired, or at least called for him to never be hired in the first place. I'm not saying fire Dambrot BUT let's look at the facts: Pros: Winning record every year since he took over. Multiple 20 win seasons in a row. three post-season appearances (the CBI doesn't count) A win over an ACC school (FSU in the NIT in 2008) One possible NBA player (Linhart) that he recruited. One MAC championship Cons: ZERO wins against top 25 opponents. In fact, his teams have choked in most big games. Speaking of choking: four MAC championship appearances, three losses (one embarrassingly). Inability to beat Can't consistently. Only one really good year against them (2006-2007 i believe). No idea how to use a true center correctly. Maybe we can look at KD as a Ken Lolla of the basketball program. He has done well establishing a winning tradition of sorts but does he really have what it takes to take us to the next level? His team's just don't have that certain something that makes great teams great. ...and just when you were off ZipWatcher's QOTZ list...

I thought it was Carol King?

who cares about winning the east? what will that get the zips, a first rd bye in the mac tourney? i'd rather win the mac tourney, than worry about winning the east division...this team is miles from either Don't tell anyone...but the way we are playing, talk of a Championship is pretty silly. We're playing like a 1st round exit team right now, and Humpty is not here to save our bacon at the buzzer. And - Coach K cares about winning the East. I do too. It is really bizarre logic to say "Who cares about the regular season...the only thing that matters is the 4 days in Cleveland in March." I want to win every game. It sucks to watch your team perform poorly in January. Especially at home. And the more you lose...the fewer fans show up...and the worse your home court advantage erodes. The ship needs to right itself Saturday. BG isn't Duke. A quality Akron Effort (see below) wins the game and everyone is happy again.

If he can convert PAT's, I'm excited!

We can't lay another egg at home. We can't drop another MAC East game. For the first time in a while, KD avoided the post game press conference. I hope he was giving the same speech that Caleb gave to the Socceroos after their Cleveland State loss. And I hope some team member is showing some leadership, like Nagbe did, and holding a players-only meeting to tell everyone to get their act together.

Was thinking to myself last night that there has to be a joke like that (K without a D) in there somewhere. Well played! Humpty may have had his issues, but right now we really lack a perimeter player who was as passionate on defense as he was. FYI - As of a couple days ago, James Madison was also receiving votes in the AP Poll.

He killed us in Oxford last night. I'd love to see him in a Zips uni.

The original CBS Sports story said the donation was "the largest in school history and MAC basketball history." In the basketball scheme of things, I wouldn't say "that's not much." $8 million? @ UA, that might have given the guy Lot 9 parking privileges.

It goes back further than that...we started surrendering huge points on the perimeter last year...guys going for 30+ regularly against the Zips guards (unheard of during KD's first 5 seasons)...and it's still a problem today. Dials/Middleton/Joyce could get in someone's grill and defend. Abreu/McNees/Roberts don't defend at that level. It puts a ceiling on the level of opponent we can beat. I don't have a solution...5-year seniors aren't going to change. Abreu will figure it out, but how soon? There are other issues...but regularly giving up 3's is an absolute killer.

I think Ted Bundy had a 4.0?

Turns down Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Louisville, Boston College, Minnesota and Colorado? I'm not buying it for a second.

A former NFL player as a grad assistant seems like a coup? I wonder what classes he's going to take?

Would it be heresy to start McKnight/Diggs, and have McNees be our "Microwave" 6th man?

On the two hot topics at-hand - OU isn't a bad team. They lost to a Guyton-reinstated K.e.n.t. team by 3. That will happen. They also lost in triple OT to a good Miami team. IMO - they had a lot of off-season turmoil that contributed heavily their early-season problems. They are playing decent ball right now, but not catching any breaks. If they can tough it out, they will be in the mix in March. With Cooper, it is pretty safe to say they will be in the mix. Beyond all that...they are a bad match up for the Zips. On topic #2 - We got smoked by Buffalo, at Buffalo, last year and we still made it to the MAC finals. There's still plenty of basketball to be played. My fear is - I really don't know if there's enough upside to the rotation that Dambrot has settled on? Abreu will improve. Zeke's having ups and downs, but improving. After that? Roberts is Roberts. McNees is McNees. McKnight is McKnight. Bardo is Bardo and McClanahan is probably playing at as high a level as he can. I still say Cventinovic's gotta lose some minutes to Egner. Either that, or start finishing around the hoop and playing more disciplined defense. We need to get faster and longer. So throw Diggs in there too.

Could Generation Adidas work for football?

You on the selection committee for this season? Reminds me of an old saying -- "I wish I could buy you for what you know, and sell you for what you think you know."

Football & Futbol?

No one is complaing about the volume. If you think blasting that song, with the lyrics listed above, is appropriate for a college basketball game, you are ignorant. Period. Play the song in your car, your iPod...watch a girl swing around a brass pole while that song blasts in the background...I'm fine with it. But don't ask parent-coaches to bring their 3rd and 4th grade Kiwanis basketball teams to games where songs like that are featured entertainment. That's ignorant. It is ironic that we have standards on ZipsNation where profanity is banned. We don't want "Little Joeys" (young kangaroo) subjected to it. But some people who think profanity on our board is intolerable, seem to think it is perfectly fine to hear at Zips sporting events?

I think one problem that is puzzling to the typical fan, but probably explainable if you attended practice is - The kids that arrive at practice early, and stay late, get the PT. And those who don't practice hard find themselves on the bench. Regardless of skill level. To the fan, it appears like the coach has no clue. But he's rewarding those who put in the time. Ditto the guy that's put in 4.5 years is going to get the nod over someone that's been here 4.5 months. That's my only explanation for why Diggs isn't getting a few more of McNees' or Robert's minutes. I see a lot of trouble with this team if we don't work Diggs and Egner into the rotation a bit more. Ok...we're going 10-6 in the MAC regular season in a "bad" year, so it isn't like we're Eastern Michigan....but we have the talent to do better. Diggs fills a big defensive hole on the perimeter, and Egner can hopefully fill-in on nights when the unpredictable Cventinovic decides he wants to play like the bull in the china shop. Get those 2 guys some additional minutes.

What really matters, and all that I really want out of any "celebration is To tell the players who are leaving... THANKS for bringing us a National Championship. THANKS for coming to Akron. BEST WISHES for your future. I wish you MUCH SUCCESS. and those who are staying... See you in the Spring , at least for a few games, no matter where they are played, and I look forward to and will be there next season! Go Zips! +1 Excellent, excellent point.