UAZipster0305

Moderators, please delete.

I think you are calling me out on this one, DiG, so here I am. I certainly did say those things in the context of setting a goal of being eligible for an NCAA at-large, which means playing to win every OOC game and not using it as a presaeson or expecting / intending to only qualify for the NCAA's by winning the MACC. In the past, this was KD's approach, and I will stand by my assertion but not incessantly argue (yet again) with those who disagree. To my knowledge, this is the first public buffet-style comment KD has offered for Joe Akron and (Joe NEOH ). Neither care about Zips Basketball until we start acting like and then playing like an OSWho caliber program. That reality sucks for us die hards. Nonetheless, now that we are talking like BAD A$$ES, let's come out of the gate in the fall playing like it too. Otherwise, we are total chumps and known more as the guy on the playground who runs his mouth rather than a feared opponent. Kudos to KD for advancing his philosophy commensurate with the direction of the program and potential talent of this team. However, I would have left out the talk about an NCAA Championship until we at least win a few NCAA Tournament games. Get our program to have success like Butler and VCU (both recently by far better than Gonzaga), then the National Championship talk becomes relevant. Is it remotely realistic to go from never having won an NCAA Tournament game in program history to getting to the Final Four (let alone winning a National Championship)? Instead, I would have preferred KD to have made a statement about being in the conversation for or being granted an NCAA at-large or earning the MAC's best tournament seed in modern history. These are realistic goals. Win ONE NCAA game next year, and I will be happy. Win TWO, and I will be ecstatic. These are also realistic goals. Anything more than that will garner the interest and support of Joe Akron and Joe NEOH; anything less will likely be just another 20+ win season...and what great shape the program is in if this is a point of complaint. The standards are high. Seriously, way to go, KD, keep it up!

You are going to make a comment like that and not leave a link?

This is actually the way most 4-4-2's are played. One forward drops short to collect and distribute the ball while the other stretches the defense and looks for holes behind for through balls. The difference is semantics. It matches up well with a defense that plays a stopper and sweeper because it can require the sweeper to mark and thus not be completely effective in covering space and passing lanes.

How can you not love TB?

WVU is a great addition. They bring a name brand and a perennial Top-25 program. They have met us twice in the NCAA Tournament recently and got whooped both times, once in the snow. They don't like us at all. This has the makings of a strong rivalry! Kentucky and South Carolina are two schools similar to WVU...they are in BCS conferences that don't sponsor men's soccer. They would be great additions to the MAC, but I believe they are both currently affiliated with CUSA.

I could care less about the MAC regular season championship! And in seasons where we won the MACC, no one else did either. It's a consolation prize and only bought us a first round NIT loss. And besides, we've now been there and done that. Keeping this on-topic, do you think anyone from OU cares they finished third in the MAC regular season? Of course not! They will remember it as the best season in their program's history. I want post season wins and preferably multiple ones. This team has the talent. Anything less is underachieving anymore.

Thanks!

Anyone have a link to stream tonight's game?

If Groce and Cooper return, I fear we may be second best again next year.

Brilliant! I love it, Dr. Z!

This could be taken in two ways. I know which GLASS most ZNO members would be hitting hard!

It's more like, until we consistently lose to another in-state program, we own the Ohio fan base, and if we don't schedule them, we can't lose. Sickening. Says a lot about where MAC football's level of competitiveness is too. Even though arrogant supremacists, I can handle the OSWho alumni fans. It is all the casual fans and especially the OSWho fans who attended other Ohio D-1 schools that I can't stand. Sadly, my brother is among the latter. I hate that THE Ohio State University crap too. I will never pass up an opportunity to root against OSWho. They are a very small step below Can't among schools I can't stand.

I'm not sure about books, but I bet I know who hits the video games harder!

Canada, hands down.

Nice to hear KD talk about scheduling and playing for an at-large bid. We had that schedule this year, but we were about 3-4 wins away from having a viable at-large resume. Unfortunately, as a mid-major with no NCAA Tourney success, I still think we would have been on the outside looking in.

What I found interesting is that every MAC school was labeled as: "Not a viable candidate [to move to another conference] at this time." ...except UB: "Not a viable candidate at this time. If there is continued growth of the athletic programs, the school could one day be a Big East candidate after decades of success." UB has terrible facilities. Their only advantage is academics because they have a huge research budget. Our profile currently favors athletics with an expanding research profile. So I ask, over the course of a couple decades, what is easier to grow: athletics or research? My answer: research because athletics relies more on tradition and alumni interest. UB has no more potential to change conferences than we do. I actually think UA and UT are the only MAC schools with a shot at upgrading conferences.

The only positive I would pull from such a situation is the paycheck we get from the MAC distribution.

If we had won an NIT game or were in the midst of a deep NIT run, I might agree. As it is, OU is straight up the better team, and we are sitting at home envious of another program, again.

Spotted. Along with DiG's "Unfinished" theme, we "Spotted" the opposing team large leads in many games by starting very slow and played undisciplined and disorganized. Against lesser competition, we were able to overcome the deficit. Against teams at our level or better, we lost. DiG mentions we need to finish stronger. I disagree, we finished plenty strong! We even played the last 25+ minutes strong in many games (e.g. NW) just to make them competitive, but when the other team is "spotted" a large lead (10-20 points), a play or two that were not made at the end of the game cannot be attributed as the reason for the loss. Those games were lost due to a span of play in the first half that is inconsistent with even being competitive in the MAC West. "Spotted" also refers to the corresponding inconsistency of play. I will chalk this up to being a young team if the issues are corrected for next season. Fun thread topic, GP1. Good form!

Impressive second half thus far!

Finishing the half on a 7-0 run was huge. We're still in this one.

We're getting waxed on national teevee (again), and you think it's a good thing? Our defense is terrible!

Thanks. I did. I assumed your reference was to UA. Interesting nonetheless.

Can you please be specific, CK? I am unfamiliar with this situation.