Captain Kangaroo

Beaver Falls two-sport star Lance Jeter received welcome news Wednesday, when he learned that he scored 830 on the SAT. With a 2.5 grade-point average, Jeter now meets NCAA requirements for freshman eligibility."His spirits are lifted," Beaver Falls basketball coach Doug Biega said. "He's got the weight of the world lifted off his shoulders."The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Jeter now has a chance to enjoy a belated recruiting battle. Cincinnati is after the all-state and Big 33 receiver for football, while Akron is after the Pittsburgh Trib's 2005 Player of the Year in basketball.Pitt remains interested in Jeter, but the Panthers signed their maximum scholarship allotment in the Class of 2006. The only way Pitt could offer Jeter is if one of the incoming recruits doesn't qualify for freshman eligibility.

A Hipsher-led Zips team got rings (1998)...and promptly lost in Round #1. In MAC hoops, the ring don't mean a thing. It's a good gauge of your capability...but you need to reel off 3-in-a-row in Cleveland or you're just a foot note.

That's what sometimes happens on the road...in the MAC...on Senior night. If we win on Saturday, the Buffalo loss won't mean anything. Yeah, the regular season title would have been nice, but beating K-ent and winning at the Q are what counts. There's no one we can't beat on a neutral court.Now the fun begins!!!!!!!!!!

Biggest Akron personnel loss since Huggins, if true. No disrespect to Mike Thomas either. More to post after this is officially confirmed...

That's the coolest ring I ever saw.

Increasing attendance in basketball is not one of his biggest challenges. Our attendance has been rising for 2 years. We will draw 5,200 and 5,500 for our last 2 games of 2006. We will be a major force next season in hoops, riding the coat tails of 2006. Plus we will have a decent home schedule. Mack needs to focus on football. Hoops work is done, whether Tom Gaffney can figure it out or not. If the arena is expanded and renovated...THEN there is work to do to fill it. Or, if he wants to do some hoops work....try to figure out a way to dislodge the dead wood from the lower section and get some vocal fans there. Or, figure out a way to get the students together, instead of splitting them into two small sections. In general...the whole JAR should be gutted...but that's a separate topic.

I want to be at the game where Can't State hoists their "2005-6 MAC Champs" banner...even though they lost to Akron @ "The Q." That will be priceless.

Goddard, Sallee and Sowers don't count in my book.Again...I don't quite understand it...but I'm not complaining. The Michigan kid seems really good...maybe too good to pass up even if our cupboard is already full at that position. We're 3-deep at guard this year, and that's at least 1 too few. If one got hurt...like what if Dials didn't come back....we'd be in a world of hurt.The MAC isn't a big man's league, so I kinda get it...but after seeing Nevada destroy us inside, it makes you wonder a bit.

Former Zip Bryan Hipsher wound up his career @ Jacksonville. 16mpg, 3ppg. Jacksonville shockingly went 1-26 this season. I was wrong...I had predicted any D1 school that accepted Bryan Hipsher would go winless. I owe him a Coke.

Attn AK-Rowdies: Do NOT wear wife-beater T's to the game! You will be mistaken for "Can't Fan."

If you weren't there, your opinion is fairly worthless. Nope...scratch that...ENTIRELY worthless.Once a Toledo fan berates Akron's 7 point MCB loss after Toledo's two recent, brutal MCB beatdowns...well, your street cred takes a hit. As is your opinion on the Williams's story with Toledo. You don't know the full story, nor are you willing to look at this situation from both sides. Therefore, your credibility on anything outside of Akron has no significance. This guy must bust through the wall of your house every 5 minutes?Keep drinking the Kool Aid....

Remeber the kid Bill Murray called "Woody the Wabbit" in Meatballs? That's who Warzinski reminds me of:"You're Woody the Wabbit....Woody the wabbit..."

I agree with everything you're thinking:Why no Rydell Brooks if we are in the market for a guard?Isn't the kid from Toledo supposed to be exactly what the kid from Michigan is?Don't we need a big man?If KD likes the Michigan guard, he knows a hell of a lot more than me...so I too will shut up. I'm down wit whatever KD feels is best for the Zips.

For the record, my original post stated "If only they'd place statistical leaders on the center board my life would be complete." It wasn't until the inane "turn your head 22 dergees" comment that I got sidetracked. My bad...I should be better than that.The info they present is fine. It could be better...but it is fine. Placing statistical leaders on the center board would be a very useful graphic. I still stand by that statement...but it isn't technically feasible so I'll stop wasting my breath.I do wish they'd have announced statistical leaders over the PA since the side boards were out.BTW: Don't even think about sitting in section 2b for the Can't State game. We're holding a quilting bee and we don't like your kind around! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

If you weren't there, your opinion is fairly worthless. Nope...scratch that...ENTIRELY worthless.Once a Toledo fan berates Akron's 7 point MCB loss after Toledo's two recent, brutal MCB beatdowns...well, your street cred takes a hit.

Good insight, Zipboy. I'll add the following:As much as the OU fans might want to believe it was close...it really wasn't. We lead the final 30 or so minutes. OU never made a serious run at us. We had a couple consecutive horrible possessions to let it get within 5 late, but that didn't last long.FT shooting is dramatically improved.I agree I am tired of the Dru dribble dribble dribble for 25 seconds, hoist a 30 footer thing too. Glad to see Dials get the look.In general, this team just rolls on. Solid...consistent...unspectacular...just 5 guys on the floor that play together extremely well. Good shooters. Good decisions. Great defense. Never get rattled. Athlete-wise there are many games this year where we have been at a disadvantage, and we've won most of those games. Credit to the guys a KD. 20 wins w/o Peterson (for the most part), Bubba, Conyers and Wood. 26-1 at home? Holy hell that's awesome.Preston looks better and better. I agree with whomever said we'll win the MAC Championship if his "A" game is at Cleveland.UAM talked about "The Perfect Storm" regarding the "Fear the Roo" campaign hitting while the Football and Soccer teams were peaking. I think another "Perfect Storm' hit with the hoisting of McLaughlin's #25 to the rafters as we notched our first 20-win season since Eric led the team to it's 4th straight. He really seemed to enjoy coming back. I remember when he left, it wasn't on the best of terms. Huggins had just accepted the Cinci job. Eric was quoted in the paper saying "We're (he and Huggins) graduating together." The bad taste of Huggins being forced out when Faust was hired was still pretty fresh and bitter in 1989. Time healed the wound, I guess?I look forward to seeing Eric's son play for CMU the next couple years. I hope we beat him too, but I wish him well. We haven't had a let down all season. Our three MAC losses were all to very good teams, on the road in close games. Nevada and Louisville were simply better than us and we "had" Clemson for 35 minutes. We fought well vs Cal w/o Travis. This team plays to, or above it's potential every night. Thus I think we will beat Buffalo this Wednesday. Close game, but we win.You guys were right. The side scoreboards are awesome. If the side scoreboards crap out, it would be nice if the announcer gave a verbal listing of the statistical leaders at some point. Handing out sheets of paper to the lower level group only helps out a few.Also - for 5,000+ attendance games it would be nice if they could delay the interview with Dambrot for 10 minutes. It takes a lot longer to get out of the JAR and into your car when there's a big crowd. I am assuming he was interviewed? If he was I missed it all, and I really didn't lollygag.Beat K-en't and win the MAC Championship! Our 5th Championship of the 2005-6 sports year!

Can you please refresh the Zips fans regarding your last couple trips to the Motor City Bowl? You guys REALLY represented the MAC well!!! Toledo Beatdown #1 - Click for Gory DetailsToledo Beatdown #2 - Click for More Gory DetailsWhat an absolute joke to belittle Akron's effort in this year's MCB. Don't you think ESPN reaches Summit County?Good luck with Lawrence Phillips...or Ray Williams...or whomever you picked up.

Click for Chicken Squawk

I'll probably stop at BW-3's for a beer or two before the game. I usually run into a few ZipsNation members there so stop in and say "hello" if you're in the neighborhood. Won't it be cool when The Winking Lizard inside the new stadium has pre-game specials before all the hoops games? I'll be like Norm in that place!

I may show at BW-3's. Maybe I'll see you there?

Replace "Toledo" with "Marshall" and you've got a well-used Coach Pruett line...probably used it a thousand times. Whatever. You don't even know the whole story. You spun the truth to stir the pot. I know the whole story. It was in the Cleveland papers for several months.Ray Williams was convicted (not accused) of manslaughter and aggravated assault (not speeding and improper lane changing).There's no spinning manslaughter and aggravated assault...unless you are the one trying to diminish it's severity.The Zips can win a division and MAC title without Ray Williams. We proved it. After last season, it is apparent Toledo feels it now needs some sort of edge to acheive the same level? Keep drinking the Kool-Aid, Rocket fans.

Thank you for taking time to explain things! Along with Dr. Z, I will take some time to review the side scoreboards during the OU game and offer thoughts on potential improvements from a fan's perspective.

I think it is very good for the MAC that Miami has surfaced as a decent team after a rough beginning. There are a lot of horrible teams in the MAC right now:BSU, CMU, EMU, WMU, Toledo and BG are all terrible, and Buffalo is probably one step above terrible. Even NIU has slipped up several times.If any of the above teams make it to the MAC semi's, it would be pretty devastating to the tourney attendance. Miami, Can't and Akron all seem pretty strong. OU seems to be regaining form now that "Mr. Turnover" Fears has quit. That "Final Four" would put MAC championship attendance through the roof for the final two days. I hope it happens. 16K at the Q for an Akron/Can't final would be awesome. In general, any final 2 combinaltion of those listed above would draw very well and be some great basketball.

You are correct. We are a 3 point underdog. Miami has been playing well and is uncharacteristically putting up some offensive numbers.This game will be a dogfight. I hope we have no hangover from the Nevada game. After the way we rebounded from the disheartening Can't loss, I don't think we will. This team is mentally as tough as they come.Prediction: Zips 53 Miami 52

Sullivan graduated.