Captain Kangaroo

All the good Marketing phrases come from this board. "Fear the Roo" is only one of many. Z-Fund is another.You know all those towels waving at the K.e.n.t. game, they ain't terrible towels, they're - Roo Rags™Hopefully I get more from that one than I did "Z-Fund."

I made the road trip back to my old stomping grounds last night. Here are a few observations -I see some people slighting the YSU crowd, estimated at 2,200. Like $1.00 hot dogs are going to get people to come out and see a 6-12 home team battle a 10-8 Zips squad? Come on. 2,200 is a freaking miracle for such an unattractive ducat on a frigid Monday night. Even at $1.00.Looking around at the YSU banner situation, it doesn't appear YSU has won any basketball championships or seen and tourney appearances since 1976 (pre-D1)? Good luck turning that Poseidon over, Coach Slocum.One more comment related to the dollar dogs - They didn't run out, and they were served quickly. Unlike the Zips concessions, where you wait 15 minutes...just to be told whatever you wanted had already run-out...these people actually knew how to serve food and move people through a line. This YSU team has decent talent. They defended hard, and I thought their point guard was a player. They were much more disciplined than some of their "street ball" teams of the recent past. But they really didn't have any consistent offensive threat. Nor could they match the Zips intensity...especially Linhart.Linhart came out of nowhere to spike a YSU guard's shot...one of the most forceful rejections I've ever seen. The stunned YSU player was embarrassed and started rubbing his head like he was fouled...poor kid.Chris McKnight has officially moved into "2nd Team All MAC" for 2009. If he keeps delivering the goods through Feb/March, he'll be a 1st teamer."Big Game Brett" McKnight has proven he can show up for big games...like Pitt and K.e.n.t. But "little games" are still a struggle. He missed a lot of bunnies last night where, if he'd gone strong instead of waiting for the foul, he would have made. When he scores 20+, the Zips can play with about anyone. When he scores in single digits, we play some ugly games.KD attempted to get McClanahan on track. Since the outcome was never in doubt, he let him fight through some tough stretches where he typically would have been benched. Conyers also had a much longer leash last night. Neither seemed to take advantage of the extended PT. They both played "ok."We've eaten 2 of our 8 cupcakes. Toledo is next. I expect a game very similar to last night's. But more expensive.

CIT Fever, BAY-BEE!! OU played in that lame tourney last year. They paid $60,000 to get a home game (that's how that tourney stays alive, shaking down desperate mid-majors). On one hand, the CIT is for lepers. On the other, I'm sure Travis and Joyce would rather have played a bunch of lepers in a tourney rather than have their careers end the way they did.

Highly Scientific, Undeniably Accurate Lunchtime Analysis:#1 - Buffalo (12-5) Previous Rank #1To those who scoffed at my early-season ranking of the Bulls at #1, I say RPI…SCHMAR-P-I! Buffalo has the best offensive ball movement in the MAC. Without Betts, their #2 scorer, they still easily dispatched of Miami on Saturday. They remind be a lot of last-season’s UA squad. #2 – OU (10-8)Previous Rank #2After 5 consecutive wins, the Bobcats have lost 2-of-3. And the lone win was an OT home tussle vs. the Zips. Bobcats are #2…but the distance between #1 and #2 expanded this week..#3 – Akron (10-8)Previous Rank #6A road win vs. BG and a home thumping of rival K.e.n.t. vaulted the Zips into the #3 spot. The Zips have a Hostess Factory-sized cake walk over the next three weeks, so don’t look for them to drop any time soon.#4 – Miami (10-7)Previous Rank #3 Home loss to OU… win @ K.e.n.t….win @ BG….12-point home loss to Buffalo. Like the distance between #1 and #2…the distance between #3 and #4 appears to be growing.#5 – Bowling Green (9-9)Previous Rank # 4On the strength of their home win vs. Buffalo, and Saturday’s road win in Athens, I’d like to let BG keep their #4 ranking this week. But their 7-point loss to Miami on January 20th tells me “Don’t do it.” BG slips to #5.#6 BSU (9-8)Previous Rank #7Now 4-1 in the MAC West. A 6-point home win vs. WMU puts them in the lead for the West divisional title. They mopped their home floor with Toledo Sunday 66-53.#7 – K.e.n.t. (8-11)Previous Rank #6 11-point home loss to Miami…11-point road loss to Buffalo…14-point road loss to the Zips. K.e.n.t. is falling faster than my 401k. Geno Ford looks to be a lock for coaching K.e.n.t. to their first sub-20-win season in over a decade.#8 WMU (7-11)Previous Rank #8Drubbed NIU by 19…drubbed Toledo by 18…beat EMU by 8…but lost to Ball State, scoring a horrid 44 points in their 6-point loss. Still looking to be “the second-tallest midget” in the sideshow that is the MAC West, standing at 4-1.#9 NIU (6-11)Previous Rank #9Hey…they beat EMU by 20. But sandwiched it with some double-digit losses to WMU and CMU.#10 CMU (5-12) Previous Rank #12Beat NIU and Ball State. Lost to Toledo!!!#11 EMU (3-16)Previous Rank #10Suffered the ultimate disgrace in losing to lowly Toledo by 12.#12 Akron Women’s Team (7-12)Previous Rank #11Lost 3-of-4. But did beat K.e.n.t. Gotta drop ‘em a spot, however.#13 Toledo Eternal rank - #13.I don’t care if they did beat CMU and EMU, I’m keeping them in the basement for Crimes Against James Naismith.

Huge game tonight. The way the schedule plays-out, it is a great opportunity for the Zips to get on a big-time roll. Can't...YSU...Toledo...CMU....EMU...that's 5-in-a-row! Follow that with WMU...Ball State...NIU...that's 8 easily-winnable games in a row?! That gets "Joe Akron" talking about the Zips! That get's Sgt Zips talking National Championship!This is the stretch where the young Zips can really grow up and start gelling. Getting to 18-9 is very possible.

This work?

The athletes are tempting, but proceed at your own risk...

Steve McNees is every bit as good as Kobe.

Ok...last week you say we have no chance vs. an 8-10 K.e.n.t. team. Now we're looking at a Sweet 16 appearance?The .gif is coming back...don't make me do it....

I believe I saw 6' 9", 215lb Cameron Black , K.e.n.t. Roosevelt Class of 2010, at yesterday's game? He was sitting near Zeke.

Apparently some guy solved the puzzle without even needing to guess a single letter?

I can't help it. If 8-10 K.e.n.t. is coming into our house, and someone wants to post (on the UA board) that we don't have the talent to beat them...well...you gotta be prepared to prepared to defend the point, or take a little heat.That said...to prove I'm not totally unreasonable...I'll remove the .gif. Acceptable compromise?

Interesting Column - Is Dearborn is in the Middle East?

I don't think so.

I agree. It is all a big lie. The Zips have proven they can finish-out a game with the best of them. We are playing rock-solid basketball in the last 3 minutes of tight games. It is difficult to find any room for improvement.

Hilltopper - You filled us in on the answers to many of last week's ZipsNation questions...can you do a repeat performance? Anyone....Buehler...Buehler...?I bowl on Thursday nights so I rarely catch the show. Thanks!

If we condone you coming on our board and being a douche, we will obviously accommodate just about anything.

Coach Dambrot - "Is Chris McKnight emerging as your go-to option on offense? His consistency seems to be becoming a trend."

I agree. K.e.n.t. is WHITE HOT this season. There's no chance we can run with them. We can only pray that no one gets hurt.

:lol:

Nicely says nice things about UA

Coach Kest: "Your team was absolutely bludgeoned by BG the other night. Then you beat a similarly talented K.e.n.t. squad in your next game. To what do you attribute the difference in results? Was the BG beating a result of a hangover from a tough OT loss to OU. Is BG that much better than K.e.n.t.?"

If the QB's are competitors, they'll stay. If not, they'll transfer.Funny thing when you transfer...wherever you go, you still don't have any guarantees. There's always going to be 3-4 QB's who want the ball.

Nicely committed last night. He committed. There is nothing to worry about. At least not more than any other commitment.Personally - I'm worried about Jarvis Givens. Rivals says he's committed, but I haven't heard anything about him.

One reason we were so close could be neither Miami or OU is all that much better than us?We were right there with Buffalo, OU and Miami until the very end...then we went cold, lost composure, and lost the games. Because of our youth, and heavy reliance on defense, we're going to be in a lot of close games this year - I don't think were capable of blowing many teams out of the gym. Hopefully we pull one out soon and the kids get some much-needed confidence. That's really what we're lacking. I saw Humpty in the state finals. He's got the ability to play with anyone. But he's driving the lane against 23 year old men as opposed to 10th graders from Bucyrus. That's a big jump."The best thing about Freshmen is they become Sophomores."