Z.I.P.

Thanks Crew8! It works for all sports too. Look for it at the Diamond Head Classic!

Aloha Akron fans! This week marks the start of college basketball season, and that's true here in the 50th state as well. On Friday, the home Rainbow Warriors play Tennessee State. Which immediately started me thinking about the biggest road trip of my young life. When I was 12 my uncle took me with him to see the Zips play in the 1972 NCAA Division II Finals tournament in Evansville, IN. Now there should be A FEW members of this board who remember that Akron team, which played Roanoke in the national championship game, but finished as runner-up. Now what stood out about Akron's performance in the tournament was the national semi-final game vs Tennessee State. I believe TSU came into the game undefeated, and was referred to as the best small-college basketball team of all time. Akron scored the final hoop of the first half, but was still down 12 at the start of the second half. The star of the game for Akron was Massillon product, center Bryan Westover, who scored on a put-back at the buzzer to force overtime. I believe the Zips took over and won going away in OT -- though I can't find the score. The question that's digging my brain is this: Who was the Tennessee State star -- I think the D-II Player of the Year, who went on to a fairly long NBA career. I believe he played for the Portland Trailblazers. Can anybody out there figure out who he was -- I think a post player with good size, probably a PF in the NBA.

An so it goes...

All I know is the games been over for nearly two hours, and nothing yet on Gozips.com. Thank heavens for ESPN.com

Z.I.P. made an off-the-cuff remark without thinking how stupid it might end up sounding. Z.I.P. wishes the very best to Sina King, especially considering that Z.I.P.'s father died from complications of blood clots following heart surgery. Z.I.P. also thanks mods for thinking in his place and editing.

LOL! I can't be the only one who called into that service that fed the radio audio into your phone -- for like $1/minute! Got addicted during Coleman Crawford's 1991-92 season. What a waste. I finally ended up calling up WHLO shortly after, and they put me on hold, where I could listen to the broadcast for the cost of the call! Then Gerry Faust wrote to me to find out who the Hell would do such a thing!

From what you guys have seen in practice, on and off-court and in "game" one, do you have a feeling that Nick Harney is ready to take the step up to being an impact player, each and every night he takes the floor? I have to tell you, in my mind (as small as it is, and there's plenty of room for the rocks to rattle around) Nick's development to that point would do more than any other player's in terms of making Akron a top-25 team when the 2014 regular season ends, and Akron makes their NCAA tournament debut as a 7 or 8 seed. And you can tell Nick Z.I.P. said so!

Arigato gozaimashita, Dave! Damn, you should definitely come to the Diamond Head Classic. You could help GoZips order sushi properly!

Allow me to add my sentiment to how wrong fknbuflobo was! Jared and this team have the opposition right where they want them. Next Wednesday we play for another BiG title! How many will that make? Also, I see that Top Drawer Soccer has chosen its next class of Caleb Porters. And it includes the Caleb Porter before Caleb Porter. Now, I apologize to Caleb Porter for that comparison!

A lot of cities have a Rubber Duck Race to support United Cerebral Palsy. Akron better have one now!

Okay, I thought I knew all of GoZips designations and determinations of acceptable roster assignments. Now he throws me for a loop. Who is this newest member of the team, this "Isaiah Johnson" character? Will he squeeze Big Dog out of his position? What's do they say about enquiring minds...?

I was not aware until reading this that Akron has had a new GK coach since last year -- Stuart Dobson, formerly under coach Vom Steeg at UC-Santa Barbara. Well, apparently Stuart and Jared are sales-worthy enough to have beaten out Louisville, Marquette and who knows who else for the services of Elliot Rubio, Goalkeeper for the Chicago Magic. I imagine he will redshirt in 14.

Zach, I watch 20-30 NCAA D-1 and D-2 women's games a season (for like 25 years) and I have never seen a team do what you say, except when they have the final shot, under 30 seconds remaining. I just don't see the rule change making much difference -- unless some teams decide to press full-court now. And unfortunately, I suspect it will bring about even more blowouts than in the past -- and the women's game is a lot more troubled with blowouts than the mens game.

He looked great in the first quarter -- throwing into the wind he looked very polished. His biggest problem clearly is standing up to pressure in the pocket and eluding the pressure. When Akron brought the heat, he tended to wilt. Other teams will see this tendency and increase up-the-middle blitz when appropriate. Announcers said scouts see him as about a 3rd-round NFL pick. BTW -- ex-MAC coach Doug Graber was pretty good -- but Reghi should stick to basketball.

Mahalo for the update. Watched UCLA outplay Washington's Huskies at home Drake Field today(Pac-12 Net). Best game I've seen the Bruins play this year -- probably their best overall. For once, the forwards played a coordinated effort, creating many scoring opportunities. Washington played about as well as they are able. I suspect UCLA will jump up to around #10-12 nationally, despite their inability to beat Oregon State earlier in the week. That puts more pressure on Akron to ensure a result on the trip to Ann Arbor.

I've seen Cal, Washington and UCLA play several times this year on Pac-12 Network. On paper UCLA should be easily #1 of the three, but like our team, they have trouble putting the ball in the net -- and lowly Oregon State took three out of four points against them with home and road comebacks last week and this week. On the other hand, Cal plays the most joga bonita in the country this year. I believe they have the former Charlotte coach there, and I'd be surprised if the Bears don't go a long way in the post-season. Washington is a similar team to Cal on paper, and plays fine team ball, but doesn't quite put runs and balls together like Cal does. Still, I think they're better than the Bruins. Haven't seen USD, but SDSU (which lost @Akron last month) has some skilled people, just not as many as the rest. Overall, it's very nice for me to see the West Coast rising. I hope it can continue. Big West teams like Northridge, Irvine and Cal Poly are going to rise up to where UCSB is before long.

You should have seen the morgue at Dix Sporting Goods. The side of the field opposite the camera had...perhaps, 50 people.

The Bulls did a good job of softening up the F.lashes -- if they can get any softer. I expect Akron to be a 4-point + favorite.

One of the most interesting things on the ESPN3 broadcast today (at least the production quality was better than the announcers) was a cut away during the third quarter to one of the most historic days in MAC history -- they showed a brief tape of Northern Illinois' 73 - 18 victory over #18 Fresno State on October 8, 1990 (the NIU QB, I believe Stacey Robinson is now an ESPN announcer who recently broadcast Jordan Lynch breaking his QB rushing record). This was the game that led NIU to believe they were "too good for the MAC". Going independent in athletics to highlight their newly high-flying football team was the biggest mistake in the school's athletic history. And it serves as warning to any other MAC school about getting big-headed. NIU was lucky the MAC let them back in on their first begging request.

I have to say, I was very much impressed in a positive fashion by the team's performance today. The 10 point line on this game was a severe teaser, as BSU may be the best team in the league. With just a few more good players, and more importantly the improvement of the underclassmen, this team should contend for a bowl game next year. The Bowden era is on track.

WHAT? You couldn't read the sarcasm in my words? To all, including GoZips: Whether Akron coaches, players and fans think they are an/a "underdog" is less important than having the opponents go into the game thinking Akron is the underdog. Zips have to have a chip on their shoulders this year. When I see coach Hawkins in a few weeks (WMU is playing @Hawaii for the third time since 2000), I'm going to tell him how soft Akron is this year -- especially that new Big Dog guy!

All this shows is the absuurdity of the term "mid-major". I would NEVER consider Gonzaga a MM. But if they are, then Butler and VCU gotta be there too! Just changing leagues shouldn't automatically change that. I'm looking forward to seeing a former final-four mid-major, George Mason in a couple months. They still ARE a mid-major, aren't they?

You wannna know what's "insulting"? Chisholm breaks off his 65 yd TD run today vs Ball State. The TV camera pans to the stands, where a guy is celebrating with his arms thrown in the air. The jerk is wearing a Suckeyes T-shirt in Akron's stadium. Now THAT is insulting!

Also not the most relevant of Q's, but I think we all want the best for Rico: Is Alex still on the mainland? Isn't most or all his family still back in the PR? I would be concerned about his support network.

Tyrell Goodman makes the catch of the year! And then Pohl runs it in. I really like the way the coaches choose the plays for Pohl to keep the ball. That was a great selection! 28-17