Captain Kangaroo

I felt pretty good that Joe would turn down any overtures from the collegiate level. But the NFL is a different animal. Baltimore is only a 4 hour-ish drive from home/Pittsburgh. Timing couldn’t be worse. Hope it’s all just rumors. We need Joe, and stability for the next couple seasons. Once we’re on stable ground, if Joe wants to move on, I’d feel more confident we could hire a solid replacement and keep things rolling. Tomorrow will be interesting…

I miss the old "first Wednesday in February" signing day. I used to go down to the University for every press conference. There were always some good stories. Coaches would give a power point highlighting all the recruits and say a little about them. Many names were a surprise...not like now, where every player and school can announce their commitment via their own social media. One funny memory - Eugene Jarvis was being recruited by both Kent and Akron. Once Jarvis' power point slide showed up, Brookhart raced through it...I guess Jarvis had decommitted, and chose Kent at the absolute last second. My favorite quip: Kent recruited 3 players from McKinley's '97 state championship team. A reporter told Lee Owens - "Dean Pees is bragging how he stole DeMarlo Rozier from you." Owens replied - "I think DeMarlo looked at our roster, and figured his best chance to get playing time would be at Kent." Note - Owens was 7-2 vs. Kent in his 9 years at UA. Reno Ferri once met a bunch of ZN.o members at the Barley House and gave a first hand account of all the recruits. Other coaches were there having some beers to celebrate the close of the recruiting reason. Fun times...I miss those days.

Stetson "Beer Run" Bennett is 25. 25 is the new 18.

Penguins Roll Dukes lose again.

I can't imagine a Georgia kid would come to Akron in late January without being seriously interested in becoming a Zip?

Akron outside his "Top 3". Wonder what happened with Duke? A new recruiting stat - Paul's NIL value is $18.3k? Will "NIL value" replace "stars" one day?

15-61 is definitely an Arthian resume.

Who says skipping around like a fool on National TV losing a championship game doesn't pay off? What criteria set him apart from a candidate like Enrique Freeman? Better grades? Better story? More important to his team? Wasn't Hayden Grover that Zips longsnapper recruit with the insane self-marketing videos?

When Hankerson arrived I was hoping he'd be more offensively assertive, like Cheese or Banks. I thought he'd be our leading scorer on occasion and be enough of a threat to open things up for Freeman and X. But he just isn't. He's always looking to pass, even when he has an open lay up. I think that what hurts his 3-point shot too...unless he's WIDE open he's thinking "who can I pass it to?" instead of "I'm draining this thing." He needs to be more offensively "selfish" (in a good way). He's shot zero free throws in 8 of our last 9 games, yet he's a 75% FT shooter? That's not right. He seems like a great kid. He's a dogged defender. I wish he looked for his own shot more on offense though.

That, plus playing on such a bad HS team probably didn't place him on many team's radar. Texas is a long way to go for such an unheralded recruit. There must be more to the story.

How did sports exist before analytics and replay reviews? They've really made all games so much more enjoyable.💩

A 2-10 season sounds pretty impressive to him?

The Dukes continue their regression to the mean, losing to Fordham yesterday. The Captain’s Curse strikes YSU as well. Next I’ll curse Marshall…who’s rolling the at 17-4.

Groce said several Zips are battling the flu. I’ll guess lyles is one?

Oscar Rodriguez was 0-3 in his first year.

See what happens when GT actually talks to a coach? It could be "...hey roster, this could be you..." ...it could be a veiled dig at those who've left...it could foreshadow the handing-over of his framed jersey at the 2023 Senior Night...it could be nothing but an appreciation for his effort and loyalty...thank God there are message boards available to debate it. 😁

Can we read into that passage that he's probably not going to be at UA for his final year of eligibility?

The Dukes are settling back into the A-10 pack, going 3-3 over their last six. Meanwhile, KD’s neighbor to the east sits 5 games away from his coveted 20-win mark. In the perennial basketball wasteland that is Mahoning County YSU moves to 15-5, smoking Charles Guthrie’s former employer UWGB by 16 last night?

Saving a more detailed overview for some timethis summer, I'd say that 4-8 would be a pretty disappointing season. We were essentially 3.9-7.1 in 2022...improbable blunders at game's end cost us wins vs. Buffalo and CMU. 2023 is essentially Joe's team. 80% of the Arth players are gone. We should be at least a 6-win team this season.

It’s a tad long, but an interesting read

Willkommen Burno und Stahl! 😀 I think I've worked for a German company that deals with metals for too long...

A "balanced attack" is what we've all been hoping for. It was very top-two heavy for the first half of the season. We'll see how the MAC opponents adjust now that the word is out that Hunter is starting to consistently bury the open 3. Seems like Hankerson might have found his comfort zone as the wing that can drain lot of open looks when opponents double down on Freeman. Tavari still seems to be playing at 78 rpm. Still pressing, and lacking confidence. Hoping it "clicks" for him sometime soon. His development timetable, and getting some serviceable play from someone in the post aside from Freeman, are the two keys to this group reaching their max potential. Great road win last night. Fun to watch the team develop, as it always is with Groce's teams.

Back in 2016 (I believe...maybe it was '17) I was watching the NHL finals. At a game in Pittsburgh the camera was following a Penguins player up the ice and you could plainly see an older guy with a short, white beard wearing an "A" Roo baseball cap. I rewound and paused it, and took a picture of the screen shot, but I can't find that picture for the life of me! 🤬 Who would wear a Zips hat to the NHL finals (aside from most people on this board)? And, it was someone that could pay for 1st row seats? Guthrie needs to find that guy and have him build us a basketball arena.

I don't think there's anything for Moorhead to develop or improve here. The kid is already entering his 5th year of college ball, and enrolling in his 3rd college. Steele Wasel is Joe's QB to develop and improve.

Lyles’ stat line: 9 minutes played/10 points/5 fouls Beyond impressive to foul out in 9 minutes, yet still hit double digits in scoring.🤘