Z.I.P.

DePaul is where the Oliver Purnells of the coaching world go to die. The Curse of Ray Meyer.

Harter may be the back door to Brennan. He had like 15 goals and 17 assists. Those two together...Whowhee!

Couple of thoughts: Toledo must be the LEAST smack-talking team I've seen in a long time (re: the Weatherspoon dunk as testimony), and they could easily be at the other end of the spectrum -- good coaching! Props to Michael Reghi for being the first TV head to pronounce Antino's name properly throughout the contest. He must have asked! Oh, also, he mentioned that he thought Weatherspoon and Drummond played against each other in the NCAA tournament (OSU vs Loyola MD). If that's true, it was quite a "find".

HOLY COW!!! SO CLOSE!!!

Sadly, you beat me to the punch, DiG! Gotta stop their guards!!!

Dave, I'm willing to agree with you that the Bobbies are more dependent on their inside game this year -- however I'd use that fact as evidence for why they have a losing record! Their inside game is IMO less threatening than their jump shooting. They're too small to match up favorably with Akron -- or many other teams I the league, and should be using their guard play more. I would say with the addition of the new Taylor, they have one of the very best guard combinations in the MAC. But, good luck to coach Saul. He has three years to produce...blah. blah. blah!

If the past is December 23 then yes! Green Bean Willis went wild! http://www.ohiobobcats.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/122314aaa.html

ESPN selects a few ESPN3 games each day for broadcast on the Full Court. Can't believe no one in NEO has it!

For out-of-towners, this game is being broadcast nationally on the ESPN Full Court system. If your cable system doesn't have the ESPN Full-Court broadcasts, you should complain! Thank heavens I have Time Warner Oceanic Cable -- not that they are anything but a monopoly on my little island! (Shut down OU's guards from 3-point shooting, and they are tame!)

Write you are old boy Crew8! I was in a terribly, terribly sticky wicket, confusing the club with the Blackburn RoversFC., which as everyone knows, is a fixture of the League Championship! Cheerio!

Isn't the Football Conference just below the Championship? That would make it the third tier. I notice Bristol Rovers near the top, who were in the Premier league just a few short years ago, IIRC.

After switching the MAC participant in his tournament bracket nearly every week, from Buffalo to Bowling Green, back to Buffalo and then to Can't State the past two weeks, ESPN Chief Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has finally moved Akron into the Midwest Regional in Seattle as the #13 seed. BUT, would you believe who Joe has the Zips matched with? Aaaaaarrrrrgghhhhh! http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

Thanks B&G for picking up the thread I opened back about six weeks ago when the Diamond Head Classic was here on-island -- with Darius Carter's Wichita Shockers, AND as I pointed out at the time, (possibly, I'm not certain) Carter's one-time Firestone teammate (he had quite a tortuous high school career, as he moved about three times and was declared ineligible by the OHSAA), Evan Payne now at Loyola Marymount where he averages 18 ppg in what should be considered a high-major conference, the WCC. Here was Payne's weekend exploit, taking his team on his back (yet again) to win in overtime: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/01/31/payne-scores-23-lifts-loyola-marymount-past-pacific-in-ot/ FWIW, I had a chance to speak with Evan after the tournament, and I can vouch for the fact that he is homesick for Akron. Maybe I can start a rumor, akin to last year's "Nance looking to transfer" rumor...!

Well, "There are rules, and then there are rules"! And BTW, when I attended Green HS (the old one on Steese Rd., with all the hillbillies and tire builders' kids, and few of the doctors' and lawyers' youngsters), they didn't even provide protractors to kids, much less anything electronic. Hell, I remember having to make all those keycards for my Fortran class at the University of Akron in 1978!

Zach, I have to ask -- what is your source for this info? I don't mean to be flippant, and hope it doesn't look that way, but: a) I have never heard of any such rule; and b.) like the 15,000 attendance "rule", the NCAA has a convenient manner of not really enforcing such rules. If there is such a rule, it had to go into effect after the newspaper report I read, and I have been told more recently, from people in the "business" that there really IS a broad range of scholarships and other funding between the Big 5 and the little rest of us. I know that for example, some schools spend enormous sums on training tables, while the "mid-majors" can barely put tacos and burgers out for student athletes -- not just football players either. Sorry -- I have been away, and just read the thread today.

I'm hoping that others may remember an article that was posted on ZN.o several years ago, which included a listing of the total football scholarships funded by Football Bowl Subdivision schools. Memory serves that it was from MichiganLive, but I can't find it. It could have even been as much as ten years ago, which would possibly have put it on the old Blue Board. For those who Do remember, you'll recall that very few -- if any -- non-power 5 conferences provide anywhere near the 85 scholarship limit. Most MAC schools in the report were in the 60-75 scholarship area, however several were below that -- and EMU came up at the caboose end with just 45 scholarships funded. I seem to recall Akron was around 70 scholarships back then. My reason for digging up this trivia is in part the discussion begun by the AD of my local D-1 university, the Hawaii Rainbow Warrior program to consider either dropping football outright or moving to the FCS level. Many of the supporters of the FCS move have focused on the money savings that not funding 85 scholarship athletes would create. My comeback is the "dirty little secret" -- that only Power 5 conferences are able to pay that load in the first place. It would be very interesting to find out how the landscape has changed over the past 8-10 years since that research was conducted. For example, has Bowden been able to effect any progress in numbers, or is this the reason for so few new recruits?

Here is my take on Ohio, after seeing them play three games in the beautiful Hawaiian Islands over the holidays: Stevie Taylor has lost his PT and his starting spot in the rotation to the "New Taylor".. Ryan is a very good freshman -- big guard who should develop into a very effective scorer and defender, possibly an all-MAC caliber baller. Setty is so very inconsistent: He can literally take over a game on the inside (as he did versus DePaul) with his aggressive play, offensive rebounding and fine court vision. Unfortunately for coach Saul (nice guy BTW, spent some time near him, he's a laid-back sort of guy, who reminds me somewhat of coach Hawkins at WMU), Treg gets out of rhythm and tends to get lost for long stretches, and can commit bad fouls. Green Bean Willis, when he gets hot -- pphewwwww, does he get hot -- he can just blow off a streak of points that can change the game (33 pts vs DePaul, IIRC). In general, you are right that this OU team lacks depth -- and they also lack size and rebounding. But on a given night, they can surely beat any team in the league.

Taking an awful long time for this hire, aren't they? That's probably because past experience shows the U won't invest in the program. Not even a Taraflex floor!

Sitting at the Diamond Head Classic at Stan Sherrif Center this morning I turned the program to the section on Loyola Marymount (which plays Wichita State tonight), and the "Player to Watch" happened to be the eponymous name to this thread. I was not aware of Evan Payne until reading that he "rewrote LMU's freshman record book" last season with seven 20+ point games, and comes into this tournament as one of the nation's leading scorers at over 22 ppg. It appears Payne is on target to exceed 2000 points in his West Coast Conference career, if it isn't cut short by the NBA draft. How in the world did this hometown player get away from the Zips? Here's the LMU bio: http://www.lmulions.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/evan_payne_862254.html

Thanks guys, you beat me to the news. I hope she has the chops for the environment. There's a lot of talk that jobs like Akron, Creighton women's footy are unwinnable, always to be compared to the men's success. We have the facilities, she has three years to prove herself, like all new coaches -- but three years in this job is not enough to turn things around. Even coach Kest took longer -- and she's a miracle worker!

Anyone still doubt my prediction that they will enter MAC play undefeated?

Here is one really good option -- if it's available. http://www.purduesports.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/110314aaa.html I realized one of coach Klatte's assistants was a former youth player in the islands -- saw Erin Otagaki last week as she's "home" for the holidays and coaching player camps. If I see her again, I will ask her about Klatte's plans. He took a new program to the tourney six times in seventeen years, had ten straight years of double digit victories. He has a wealth of regional and national connections. Can we afford him? I have another dog in the ring also, a high major assistant I've known for many years who has applied and should be considered. I'm hearing that there have been Big East and Big Ten assistants applying. Not sure about current HCs. The job announcement went out officially around Dec 1. There could be a decision by the end of the year if the wheels turn rapidly.

Ya know, frankly that's sad for both college soccer and I think the young man. He will not get beyond some reserve play for a couple years. At least. Would you give this recommendation to your kid?

Have to agree -- and frankly, I think any championship won on PKs should have an asterisk next to it!

This youngster is a 2016 senior, but I sure hope our Crew Academy connex (Hello, Wil!) are working to put our best face forward with Ben Swanson, the #1 ranked player in the Great Lakes region in his class. http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-player-profile/benjamin-swanson/pid-10017624