Captain Kangaroo

Who wants to play NIU or Ball State right now? Playing on Tuesday would suck. I guarantee at least one "lower seed" will advance to Thursday's Final 8. Probably two. I don't want the Zips to be one of the favored teams that falters.I also disagree with the notion at, if we lose, we don't deserve the post-season. NO ONE in the MAC deserves the post season! This is the worst collective set of teams the MAC has fielded in memory! So why not the Zips in 2009?This tourney comes down to coaching. The team that is most prepared and focused will win. No team has a "star" x-factor to carry them. No team has overly more talent or experience than another.

Hopefully the first of about 10 - 15 installments?

Season StatsSeems like Texas State was a good fit for him. 10.4ppg, 4rpg, 41% from 3-point land and 80% from the FT line.

A nice item up for bid on GoZips.com.You and a guest can watch the men practice Saturday morning (March 7) from 10:30 a.m-2:30 p.m. to prepare for the Can't State game. After practice, you will eat with the team in the Tommy Evans Lounge. Then, Sunday morning (March 8), you will have the opportunity to ride the team bus to Can't State and watch the Zips take on Can't State with two (2) tickets to the game (tip-off is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.). Also, included in this auction is a media guide autographed by the entire team and Coach Dambrot. Seems like a good cause, and a good Sunday afternoon?

From what I hear, all sorts of crazy stuff is going on with the football schedule.

Coming into the post-game stuff late, I'll add the following -Tack this loss up as yet another opportunity lost in the fight to win the heart of Joe Akron. Great home crowd (BTW - Someone PLEASE tell me how the BG game crowd was 3,175 and the recent Miami attendance was 3,710), battle for 1st place, NIT bid essentially on-the-line (all that stuff ZipsWin said), regional television... and we laid a 48-point egg. I don't think that's overly critical. Chris McKnight was 1-4 in 24 minutes. Brett McKnight was 1-9 in 29 minutes. Both were non-factors in this immensely important contest, and both put up soft efforts when they had a chance to put the Zips up late. Both McKnights played S-O-F-T. There's no other way to put it.A few weeks ago KD stated he was grooming McClanahan to take over Linhart's role next season. I think he's got a great head start in the turnover department. He had 3, but his "mentor" had 4. They also had similar stats for the 3-point line, going 1-5 and 0-4 respectively. I appreciate Nate's effort as much as anyone, but every time he lobs an ill-advised pass...it kills me. And he's done it a lot in the last two games (team-leading 9 turnovers in the last 2 games). M-V-P = Most Velocity-challenged Passes.Jimmy C - The next time you're open at the 3-point line...pass it. 4-22 on the season from beyond the arc.This team can rip your heart out because, when they play well you can see their potential (like vs. Miami)...then the next game, you see what they truly are, which is a group of talented, yet very young kids without a true "money player" to bank on in tight games. Hat's off to BG. I don't think they're more talented than us, but they were a better team than us on Sunday for certain.

I just noticed the time change. It was very nearly a disaster.

Highly Scientific, Undeniably Accurate Post-lunchtime Analysis:#1 – K.e.n.t. (16-12)Previous Rank #2Can't's 8-game win streak was halted as Chris Singletary gagged on a free throw with 2 seconds remaining that would have sent their contest @ BG into OT. Instead, it was a 67-66 loss. Can't is playing as well as anyone. Gotta move them to #1. #2 – Akron (18-10)Previous Rank #1Last week:2-2 in their past 4 games, the Zips lost two games to some 2009 D-1 basketball dregs in NIU and Valpariso (Bracket Buster). In the latter game they squandered an 18-point 1st half lead, getting outscored by nearly 30 the rest of the way. Then these veteran Zips (per Elton Alexander) systematically destroyed Miami at home, and took care of fellow MAC co-leader Buffalo on the Bulls home court last night. Nice bounce-back efforts after bad losses, but not enough to hold on to #1. #3– Bowling Green (16-11)Previous Rank # 5I'm still not a believer in these guys. Yeah, they took care of K.e.n.t. in their house last night, but only by one...and K.e.n.t should have tied it up at game's end. Prior to that, they lost their HOME Bracket Buster game to Canisius? To paraphrase Allen Iverson: "Are we talking about CANISIUS?!" The Zips beat Canisius with one hand tied behind their back earlier this season. Louis Orr - You beat Canisius and you're #1 in the Power Poll!! You blew it!#4 - Buffalo (17-9) Previous Rank #3Last week:The Bulls have lost 4-in-a-row and rock bottom has yet to be reached. Has Reggie Witherspoon's short bench caught up to him? Or have the Bulls simply been overachieving to this point? I say it is the short bench. If these former Power Poll darlings can't right the ship, they may drop out of the Top 6 next week?! #5 BSU (13-13)Previous Rank #6Beat Tennessee Tech in their Bracket Buster game, then held CMU to 44 points in a home win. Ball State continues to look like the tallest midget in the Oz that is The MAC West.#6– OU (14-13)Previous Rank #7The BongCats were waxed by Eastern Kentucky in Richmond (Ky) 73-51, then rebounded to sweep the Miami regular season series with a dominating 75-56 win last night. If OU can finish strong, Tillman will get the MAC POTY by default. But you can't give the POTY to a guy on a .500 team. #7 - Miami (15-11)Previous Rank - #4Redhawks are 2-4 in their last 6 games, including a 9-point loss to the Zips in Akron and a 19-point loss to OU in Athens. The statement from last week holds true - You can only ride Bramos and "The Not-So-Gifted" Politz for so long. Even the vaunted Miami defense seems to be taking on water.. #8 NIU (9-17)Previous Rank #92-0, including a rare MAC Bracket Buster win (vs SEMO) and a 15-point win over WMU. Is this Zips nemisis heating up? #9 WMU (9-18)Previous Rank #82-4 in their last 6 games, most recently garnering losses at two Illinois-directionals - EIU in the Bracket Buster, and NIU in Conference play. Hey - Is there a better name in the MAC than David Kool? At least they've got that going for 'em.#10 Akron Women’s Team (10-16)Previous Rank #101-1 in their last two, including a tough loss to #25 BG and a nice 12-point win in Oxford. The Lady Zips continue to play well. #11 EMU (5-23)Previous Rank #12Followed their home Bracket Buster loss to Georgia State with a sound beating of Toledo. No truth to the rumor that EMU used it's own mascot's feathers to stuff their pillow in that contest. #12 Toledo (5-23)Previous Rank #11Last week:1-5 in their last 6 games, the Rockets have passed the "swirling down the toilet" phase and are now mere feet away from the sewage treatment plant. They lost their Bracket Buster to Indiana State, and then couldn't break 50 points in their 58-49 EMU pillow fight.#13 CMU (9-17) Previous Rank #13HEY - A BRACKET BUSTER WIN FOR THE MAC!! Of course it was against Farleigh Dickenson, whom the Zips beat by about 83 points back in November. Followed it up with a nice 44-point effort in their loss to Ball State. In the words of Eric Cartman - "Hate...you...guys...."

Rivalries can't be manufactured. They just "happen."UA trying to be Pitt's rival is probably viewed the same by Pitt as OSU would view Cincinnati. Actually worse. We had one with YSU, but that is long gone and never to be revived unless YSU gets the stones to go 1-A in football.The only way we get a rivalry with another MAC school is if we compete for a championship vs. one annually.

Just out of curiosity...what was the new Rutgers AD doing prior to his recent hiring?I'll give you a hint...he's in this photo:

Okruch Bio

Bullalo always has a free video link.Try here about 10 minutes prior to the game. You need Real Player or it doesn't work.

Seems like Infocision's $62million for 30,000 seats is a pretty damn good deal?

Looking at Burke's resume' makes me wonder...is EVERY AD candidate "The World's Greatest Fundraiser?" Every one of their bio's reads the same.

Base salary is only a part of the picture. Tack on the perks and he's closer to double that. Plus, the next step up is upper-BCS (Texas, USC, OSU). You can't make that leap from UA to OSU. There is no option to raise Mack's salary and keep him. Unless you want to throw the whole MAC salary structure out the window.After short-timers like we've had for the past 15 years, maybe it is time to look at someone with some potential staying power. Do you give a guy like Mike Rodriguez a shot? Or do you take the next hot up-and-comer, and just resign yourself that you'll be replacing your entire Athletic Department staff every 3-4 years for eternity.

Story HereWith the recent influx of coaching names signing on with the Zips, I'm guessing Buddy Ryan will be the replacement? Is Dick LeBeau busy on Saturdays (it is only a 2hr drive from Pittsburgh to Akron)?

Who? The whole "Akron (city) kids won't play football for The University of Akron" line is as tired and inaccurate as ""Mickey (kid from LIFE cereal) died when he mixed Pop Rocks and Coca Cola." In 2009, it officially qualifies as an urban legend.The simple truth is - There are not a whole hell of a lot of D1-caliber HS football players in the Akron-Canton area. At least there weren't in the 2009 class. That's the only reason Adam Steiner was the only "local" kid in Akron's class (his dad was a coach @ Glen Oak, BTW).Look at the local signing lists - One kid went to Miami...one to BG...one went to K.e.n.t. (non qualifier, BTW). Where are the 20+ kids that eschew UA? I don't see it.In the signing day presentation I asked Coach Ferri - "What will you say if a local HS coach complains (in the Beacon) that his players weren't recruited by his 'home town' school?" He replied - "Give me their name and I'll call them. I recruit this region. We made offers to every D1 caliber kid (with grades) in the area. Sometimes kids just want to go away from home. Sometimes they're intent on playing for a BCS school. If they had grades and were good enough, we actively recruited and offered them." He also added that the 2010 talent was much deeper than '09, and he expected to see some more local names in next February's class.

I don't see that happening in any appreciable numbers. The coat-tails of the City Series Ellet vs. Garfield game aren't all that long. I just hope the wear and tear from the HS crowds doesn't trash the place. I do look forward to HS playoff games @ Infocision. I think they could be a good showcase for the U.

It's not all that common to say "nice post" to one I'm not in total agreement with, but that's a nice alternative opinion to mine. I enjoyed the perspective.

Simply $$. No one has any money at this time. Unless you're a mortician, everyone's business is in the crapper. It is tough to raise money in this economic climate. A lot tougher than anyone would have projected even 6-8 months ago. If things stay as-is for the next 4-6 months, I'll be selling my plasma across from the stadium rather than attending games inside it.

The *negativity* surrounding our AD comes from the fact that fans on this board are passionate about Zips athletics. The care, and they sometimes get pissed when they're asked to attend, donate, support...while the AD himself apparently is not practicing what he preaches.We have the largest undertaking in the history of UA athletics underway. And it is being constructed under the most difficult economic times this country has experienced in decades. We need the #1 guy in UA Athletics to be a "rock" at this time, not looking for an opportunity to bail and leave someone else to deal with it.Leaving your girlfriend is one thing. Dumping your wife, when she's 6 months pregnant, with twins, is another. In quarterback terms, and from a fan's perspective, Mack has "managed the game" since he's been at UA.He has kept the football stadium on-target. But when he came into the picture, $18 million of the $22 million-or-so in funding we presently have was already raised (by Mike Thomas). That is not a knock on Mack, it is simply a fact.The PD gave Mack credit for the indoor practice facility, but it was built 2 years before he arrived.Caleb Porter was brought in at the end of the previous administration, not under Mack. To Mack's credit, he has kept Caleb happy and let him flourish.He seems to have kept Dambrot happy. That's a good thing. He's also given the basketball program resources to charter flights and buy some home games. All that is a big plus.He didn't fire JD after last season. If you are a believer in the adage "Sometimes the best moves are the ones you didn't make," then this may have been a better move than hiring a coach. Most young AD's would have fired the guy if for no other reason than to get that "big hire" on his resume'. 2009 will tell if it was the right move.During his tenure, a 26-win Zips basketball team didn't make the post season, and a championship-caliber soccer team got a home tourney game stolen from them. Would this have happened under Mike Thomas? A fair question, but an unanswerable one.As an AD, Mack grades out as "incomplete" at this time. He needs another 2+ years to reveal how he will fill 30,000 seats and generate athletics revenue. Like Mike Thomas in football, Mack needs to get the basketball arena talk off the table and on the schedule. THEN the guy will have a legacy @ UA, and I'll give him a big kiss when he leaves for the BIG EAST.If local fans decided not to renew their basketball season tickets, football season tickets and cease donations, and spend their money elsewhere, people within UA Athletics would rightfully be disappointed. It goes both ways. I'm disappointed in Mack right now. His timing could not be worse, and it sends a bad message to the loyal fans - simple as that.

If it is shocking to ANYONE that no one is lining up to buy 2009 Zips football season tickets in January/February, those people need to be beaten with a fish.Our AD isn't focused on marketing UA football and selling seats. He's focused on getting out of town before any looming stadium issues affect his resume'.

The choice is/was his.

It would probably be somewhat less difficult for Akron to become a national power in basketball than football. For one thing, basketball is all played indoors, so the cold weather climate that affects football is not the same issue. It also requires fewer key players to become a power in basketball than football.It's good to have both short and long term goals. Before growing into a national basketball power, Gonzaga used to lose to teams with poor records like Valpo this year. They grew the program to first win the conference, and continued improving until they became a national power. So it's fair to say that being the best in the MAC is the next step toward becoming the Gonzaga of the east. Akron has already taken the first step toward becoming the Gonzaga of the east by retaining a good, stable men's basketball coaching staff that produces consistent winning seasons. The Zips also have an X factor in the form of LeBron's support. The next step is to leverage all of that to attract a potentially dominant player, and that is now in place with the signing of Zeke Marshall. If Zeke fully blossoms, the Zips could be favored to win the MAC for the next four years. That would, in turn, make it easier to recruit other quality players who want to be in a winning program.In other words, the foundation has been put in place to grow Zips basketball into a power that might be attractive to a bigger conference, if that's a goal. Another possibility is that other MAC schools might put more effort into improving their basketball programs to compete with a dominant team that routinely destroys every other team in the conference.There are no guarantees in life, and the whole thing could come crashing down. But I personally like the direction the men's basketball team is taking, and think they should be given more opportunity to continue to show progress with the building process already in place.I agree with all above. People want to plant a tree on Monday and begin eating fruit on Wednesday. It doesn't work that way.I agree basketball is making continuous progression towards making a sustainable run at "elite" mid major status (if there is such a thing). Look at the program 5 years ago, and look now. It is night and day. This season is a step backwards (from the past couple), but we still have as good a shot as anyone to win the league title and make the post season. That's not too bad for a rebuilding year? Next season we lose Linhart, and gain Zeke, Sullivan, Parish and Steward. The table is also set for football. 5 years ago we had no indoor training facility and the worst D-1 stadium on the planet. Now we're state-of-the-art across the board. It is JD's time to seal the deal. There are no more excuses. I think he'll succeed.

Bobinski hired Hipsher, but he's not the guy that let Hipsher hang around for 9 years. Hipsher was a mediocre HC with anger management issues. But he was far from Coleman Crawford.As far as Bobinski getting it right at Xavier...it is amazing how easy it is to find a great coach when you walk into a Top 25 program. As far as the final chapter on Brookhart being written - I disagree. He's won a championship. He's recovered from his early-career recruiting mistakes. He'll be the odds-on favorite to win the MAC East in 2009. It could be a lot worse.