UAZipster0305

...and most importantly, the opportunity for a marquee win. And it builds composure such that we won't pee down our leg in the NCAAT. We will come prepared knowing what to expect and what we need to do to win.

I hope so, but personal history is not in our favor. Give me UF. When else would we get UF on our own floor?! We already play enough directional schools that Joe Akron has no interest in even if North Florida is having an especially good season and may be the better team. Sign me up for wins over OSWho and UF any day of the week.

If we play enough of them, eventually we win one or two. They become routine and then our guys don't have nerves. The team is on or we get a few guys who are hot in a particular game or the other team is way down, and there it is. Then it builds momentum for the program...post-season prospects resume, recruiting, exposure, etc. The first step is scheduling though, and that's all on KD. Given the economics of the Athletic Department and UA as a whole, the administration should be forcing KD to take a small handful of big pay day games just like football has to do at least once every season.

I intentionally left out the NIU game. On the road in the MAC, the refs will cost us a game or two every year. That's what happened at NIU. All the more reason to assert ourselves in games that are there for the taking like Miami and UW-GB. KD needs to play a couple games on the road against some of the best teams in the country every year. That's the only way our players will see what the ceiling is like for speed, size, and skill. It prepares us better for the conference and there is no risk to playing them. If we win, it is marquee; otherwise, it boosts our SOS and displaces a more moderate opponent that would trash our NCAAT resume. And what recruit wouldn't want the opportunity to go up against the best-of-the-best every year?...especially a highly talented recruit who is shunned by the major programs because of something uncontrollable like a couple inches of height? Give me that kid with heart and a chip on his shoulder any day of the week. That's the guy who gets us through games in Sweater Town unscathed.

Or a terrible Miami team on the road in a game we needed at the end of the season. To me, the losses to Miami and UW-Green Bay justify our being left out. We have to come ready to play and win regardless of when, where, and who. KD doesn't get this because he constantly emphasizes that the only thing that matters is the MACC. If that's the case and it doesn't mean anything, why take any pride in our 21 win season streak? What is shocking to me is that we weren't even in the bubble discussion given the other 20+ teams that were. We were a long-shot bubble team, but definitely deserving of the associated notoriety and national exposure. There is no way Syracuse, Michigan, or Vanderbilt should be in though. 7 Pac-12 teams is ridiculous too. Those slots were clearly pried from the fingers of deserving mid-majors.

See Rule #76: No excuses, play like a champion!

I wouldn't be surprised if this game gets moved to Northwestern...or the moon...but I don't expect it to be at the JAR. First things first, we have to beat OSWho. This is the opportunity we've been wanting. We need to play aggressive, but smart basketball and with the hustle and determination of having a big chip on our shoulder. If we go in feeling sorry for ourselves, the game is over before it starts. I love KD. I think he is the best coach for our program and future. However, he seriously lacks in motivating the players and fans for a game like this. Yes, it's not the ultimate goal of the NCAA's, but there are a ton of good teams available here for the taking that would not otherwise be on our OOC schedule. Take advantage of it! Prove that we are the better/best program left out of the NCAA and tell them after the fact that they made a mistake. There is no excuse for this pre-emptive woe-is-me stuff.

Terrible call against us on one end of the court and a terrible no call at the other. The winning free throws given on a sequence where the player was totally out of control and on the way to the ground without contact!...unreal. Those missed bunnies loom large.

The new screen names have also replaced the old ones upon signing in. This is a very welcome change, and the new mobile format is wonderful. Thanks to the mods for investing in the Nation.

Especially in large cities, building college-specific stadiums make little sense to me. Share one with the local NFL team if possible. So what there are potentially busy weekends at the stadium with games on back-to-back days? 90% of the year the stadiums sit empty and unused anyhow. $120 million dollars would perpetually fund 30-60 endowed professorships...how's that for perspective?

Like WMU, we own BUGS. The score will make it look closer than it actually was. Significant garbage time points from BUGS to narrow the deficit to respectable...Zips roll on to Dekalb.

I agree, this is pretty cool. So glad the rifle team didn't get the axe. It is a strong and fairly unique program.

I think those are all in the right ballpark.

Winning in the Tournament gets MAC and national respect. Hence, Can't and Ohio are the model programs, not us. Nobody pounds cupcakes like we do and consistently beats weaker MAC competition like we do though!

Overall, I think this piece is very accurate. I will be disgusted if the BoT and President allow things to change as dramatically as Ms. Bond warns. Pieces like this are always frustrating to me because they leave the reader angry with no suggested course of action. What would you suggest we do if we want to advocate for your position, Ms. Bond?

In the KD-era, we have always had WMU's number much like UB has had ours in Canada. We will hit shots against a less talented opponent on our home court. Zips win 80-66 with an empty bench the last few minutes.

Regardless of how we played, there is only one thing to say about a successful trip to Canada: Great Win!

Just thought I'd share that I heard on the radio before leaving for Akron over the holidays: the talking heads on local Baltimore sports talk radio were commenting on what an amazing job Coach Bowden has done in turning around the progrum and achieving our best season ever. They said we are a program on a dramatic rise and are happy that we are not on Maryland's future schedules.

Good topic, GJ! To me part of the excitement of the bowl season is seeing out of conference match-ups among fairly even teams on a neutral field. This is dramatically different from pay games on the fields of bigger programs or powder puff I-AA games in the OOC. Also, distance is not prohibitive for bowl games. We could end up playing Hawaii...when/how would that otherwise happen?! I think we had them scheduled once, but it fell through. I'd be highly disappointed if we ended up playing another MAC school in a bowl game. It would reinforce the locals' proconceived notion that UA is small-time and does nothing to market UA outside of the MAC footprint. This year, people in Utah were given a reason to pay attention to UA and Akron, Ohio. As for the selection of below .500 bowl teams, I like the suggestion of basing it on the academic performance of 5-7 teams. I'd be perfectly satisfied if we ended up playing 5-7 Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Stanford, or Baylor. Give the true STUDENT-athletes a reward for their hard work. Overall though, I think the entire system should be overhauled with one true preseason game followed immediately by an 8 game conference schedule and conference championship games late in October. Then, based on conference results, conference champions and selected at-large teams with consideration from last year's OOC results would be placed in a 16 team single elimination bracket to determine the national champion. All other teams would play four OOC games (guaranteed 2 home and 2 away) against similar RPI programs that determine strength of conference rankings for next year's at-large tournament selections. As teams are eliminated from the tournament, they continue playing a total of four post-season games (excluding conference championships) against similarly matched RPI programs. That is, two teams eliminated in the first round of the tournament could be paired for their second post-season games and then have two additional games after that. After each post-season round, the RPI would be recalculated based on results to determine the next round of match-ups. This way every team begins the season eligible to play for the national championship and all games have significance in building a program and objectively advancing the stature of a conference. No more whining from B1G fans about SEC preferential treatment, etc. Put up or shut up. No more pay games, no more 8 home game seasons for schools like OSU, no more D1-AA games, no more OOC schedule as a preseason to prepare for conference play. I think that in the end it would be more financially lucrative for ALL programs and be more interesting to both casual and passive fans.

Great game...overall the most complete and mistake free we've played all year! The team has really progressed this year even through the bowl game! Amazing! Kudos to the players (especially the seniors) and the coaches. The progrum has really been turned around! 2015 Potato Bowl Champs! I can only imagine what this could do for recruiting! Let's hold off on the attendance talk though.

Pratt and Stein have been great today!

We played National Champion Stanford to a 0-0 tie two days prior from Clemson getting blown out 4-0 yet they are ranked ahead of us. I see us as #2. Getting one round further at this stage is meaningless in that regard. I can make a strong argument for Wake Forest being ranked ahead of Syracuse too. We prevail over Stanford and the National Championship was likely ours.

Interesting note: In 5 games at the College Cup since 2009, we have only been scored on once and that was against Michigan.

The team with the better goalie in regulation of the last semi-final won. Let's hope that holds here.

It drives me nuts how successful packing it in and just counter attacking can be against a better quality side. This was UVA's strategy in the 2009 Final, and it worked.