Z-Pouch

By the way -- Has anyone seen any stats on this guy ? A lot talk here about an unknown. All I know is he is guard size and appeared out of nowhere on Saturday.

Sorry to say, I don't think I would spend a scholarship on Goddard. He seems to have a limited role with the team if KD continues to build his uptempo defensive system. I like having him around because he can shoot lights out on the 3 and I bet he plays a big role one of these games coming up but still limited overall.

Not so fast on drawing conclusions...... I'd still take Bosley again and he was little trouble that we know about at Akron. I just dont understand where he plays or fits with other incoming bodies. Seemed small -- Middleton size, guard size --- Looks like a crowd gathering at 1 or 2.

I'm not sure there is anyone's playing time that I would want him to take. Defensively, we would lose a lot with him at key times. I do think there will come a game(s) that Goddard steps up and contributes when others are not shooting well. Overall team defense should be first and foremost. Bubba's starting to show that he is more then just a shooter -- Ala Milum, if he could put on some additional lbs he has potential. Sometimes RM makes some really bad passes but the guy always hustles and gives good effort on Defense. It's nice having a 6'6/6'7 guy chasing on the wing and scrapping for rebounds. I wonder if all the little things that RM does are under rated. Looking forward to Tuesday - BSU is a solid team and should give us a good idea of how far the Zips have progressed.

Looks like weather is improving and roads are getting cleared. No excuses for Zips fans not to show up in numbers tonight. Should be an entertaining game to watch as CMU plays uptempo style. Expecting one of those games that has a lot of scoring runs but Zips D should rise to the occasion. Yes -- I still get the Beacon (shame on me but I keep holding out thinking the coverage will come). Well, might be the first game in a while that the Zips better 5k in attendence and all we get in the Beacon is a Game matchup/preview -- no article, no nothing. I just dont get it -- WHAT IS THEIR PROBLEM ??????? I mean incompetence only goes so far. Ohhhh...But I was really happy to see that J.Youngloser Can't State article. WTF. PLUTO -- GO TO THE GAME. WRITE an ARTICLE about changes around the corner.......... Don't let the snow stop you -- Go to the game Zips fans.

Interesting that a flush Fan feels it necessary to visit a Zips board........... hmmmmmm......maybe we are making some people nervous. It's just a matter of time as KD puts the pieces in place and as for FB please..... Can't State

800 Tickets Left per GoZips.com today. Sounds like pretty good crowd if everyone gets thru the snow. FYI - Capacity of the JAR now listed at 5500. Remember the days of 6500 - too bad.

Great win on the road - In someways, I was glad that it got close at the end rather then a blowout. A close win on the road may have built even more of that "winning attitiude" that KD talks so much about. Milum ? What more surprises could this team have in store ? I had completely written him off for any contribution this year. With Romeo's tendency to still commit some touch fouls, any minutes from Milum could be huge going forward. On the CMU game attendence. I heard 4200 were sold per postgame wrap last night. Hopefully the weather will hold off and/or Zips fans just make the trip despite any snow. Could be a very nice crowd if students show up. And ZW, Agree with you on Dunn....Let KD talk, I want to hear HIS insight !!!!!!!!

I know the Credit Union game is always fairly well attended but I guess I was thinking big here - over 5k or pushing whatever the new lowered capacity is of the JAR and creating a big buzz. In order to do that, I think it is going to take additional promos and some freebies. Credit Union game alone - may pull an additional 1k, total of 4k. The other seats are going to be empty anyway so why not float a few additional handouts to try and fill them. My point really is that this is a great game to give it a try and possibly build more momentum. It's an investment in if/when the conference race heats up. In some ways, since it's already the credit union game, you're halfway home as some exposure already is in the bag, exploiting the exposure and being a little more generous with the tics could land some people. I didn't see the promos for the students - that’s great and hopefully the support will come out. No one has mentioned it on the board but the student section by the UA bench was great at the EMU game - hire those guys again if you can !!! With school back, it will be interesting to see if the students have taken notice. I see the point of another poster on the Basketball and Football marketing and situations but with the relative additional size of what you're trying to draw for a basketball game (maybe +2500-3000 above your averages) compared to massive football promotions trying for +10-15k above, it seems the BB promo costs would far less and not as complex.

After all of the Football promotions this fall, why not give a little push to the basketball program ? They are on a roll at home, contending for the Eastern division and have key games coming up after Saturday. Central Michigan/Sat game is a great opportunity to generate interest in the program at the halfway point. Get people out on Saturday and they may come back on Tuesday for a good Ball State team. Give some tickets away, maybe some promotion $$$, incentives to the students, Freebies -- Not enough people are seeing the changes in the program and that it is fun to be back at JAR. This team deserves some marketing promos and people in the stands. After the Central Michigan game, it would make little sense to run big promos as the remaining games should draw well on their own merits with paying customers -- Can't State, Miami, and Toledo games should have no problems if Zips continue to improve. Seems to me, it's worth the investment to get 6k in the building on the last Saturday night home game and at the halfway point of the MAC season. Anyone else got some ideas to throw out ? Drawing 3k a game just doesn't cut it for the effort this team puts out night after night. Go Zips. Get one on the road in Herdville.

Far from complaining, I think that KD's coaching has done an incredible job changing the program and systems in a short period of time. BUT..... My one concern is the Zips stalling/time consuming offense when they are trying to work the clock with a big lead. Where's the back cuts, screens and easy buckets ?? The best stalling offenses I have seen (from programs like Duke, NC, and so on with good coaches) are consuming time but ALWAYS looking for that easy basket when the other team over extends themselves or gets caght in a backscreen as they defense the stall. Why don't the Zips do this ? We seem to stall to get the shot clock down to 10 or so by making 10 DANGEROUS backwards passes till we are guarded by the mid court strip and then throw up a prayer. KD has to remember his overall philosphy -- always be pushing, always the aggressor, always take it the the other team -- even a stall can be offensive if you are looking to the hoop. There are a lot of easy baskets that can come off if you're excuting right. Lately, these stalls seem to be a throw back to Hipshers ways, I'd expect differently from KD -- maybe the execution is just not there yet to KD's stlye. Hopefully everyone is starting to believe in this team, they have a ways to go but it's hard to complain much when you are 7-0 at home, making it look easy (except for a few lapses at the end of some games), and continually getting better as the year goes on. This Zips BB fan is pretty happy and excited about the rest of the year. Who knows - we are a half game out of first in the East !!!!!!!!! (so is everybody else but who's complaining) Now, we've got to show we can get one on the road. Go Zips

Interesting initial mock NFL Draft on Fox/Sporting News WAR ROOM DRAFT Charlie not in the 1st round yet but I find it pretty interesting that GB is initially projected to take Utah Jr QB. Still think that may end up being Charlie's spot with a good showing in the game and scout workouts. It would be a great spot to settle in and learn the pro game for a couple of years grooming under Favre.

This team is hardly more of the same from the Hip/Craw eras. Seems to me, that the lack of a bonafid "star" has kept the buzz to a minimum -- Noone knows what to think about this team, it's difficult when every night a different player steps up and then dissappears the next few games. Star by commitee (ala Can't State) will eventually make a very good BB team but it doesn't create the instant excitement of seeing someone dunk and go for 40. And I'm not sure if we have a real identity yet but it sure seems to be a big improvement over past years. Maybe our identity is something we haven't seen or forgot - What is this concept of team ball ?? taking it to the other team ?? playing multiple players/combinations ??? aggressive defense ?? rebounding ?? allowing players to play thru their mistakes ?? shooting that wide open 3 rather then making another meaningless pass ?? Difficult to relate after recent years but I like it. I think I actually heard someone complaining at a recent game asking " Why he took that wide open three ? or Yelling "slow it down......" " It could take all of us a little time. Tonights game is huge. Are we that good at home ? From all the cupcakes so far, it's hard to tell but Buffalo will offer the first test. Will Buffalo still present problems as they always did to Hip's teams no matter the records ? KD's squad and stlye seems to lineup better against this improved Buffalo team. Are we a good 1-3 MAC team ? If you listened to last weeks away games, you know 1) the games were much closer then the final score, 2) the MAC's elite (per preseason), are not that unbeatable 3) Akron plays hard and 4) we have the potential to get a home 1st round game with improvement even less one very big important piece ??. The attendence and some excitement will come with some big wins and people getting to know the different style.

Hello McFly, I think the point isn't who's on the team -- it is who is starting and contributing valuable minutes. Both Akron and Ohio starting lineups and contributors are young. Obviuosly, everyone in the league has freshmen/incoming recruiting classes -- but do they play meaningful minutes. Can't State is living on a Jc, a transfer and upperclassmen (Jr/Sr).

Amen BZ. I couldn't have said it better. There is a lot of ignorance on the board when it comes to the Buckeyes and reality. In Ohio, there are always going to be a lot of OSU fans - as ZW stated well, the media coverage will make sure of that and winning year after year makes it even easier to ride the bandwagon. Good for them. I'll tell ya, I'm jealous as can be. So what should Zip fans do ? Antagonize and tell them to go elsewhere ...that would be the most ignorant and stupid thing a Zips fan could do.....look at the potential local fan base we would be passing up ! Why not invite them, discuss the Zips, peak their interests with our own Zips passions - dont be an A-hole. Everyone knows people gravitate to optimism and distance pessimism. The Zips will someday soon offer a good local FB and BB DivI alternative to a two hour drive. So what if you are second fiddle, their money is still green and spends the same. And anyway, Aren't most people second fiddle prior to being first ? I know this year, I got a number of OSU fans to their first Zips games -- they all said they’d be back -- What's so bad about that with where we are at now ? We need fans, people to come to the bowl and arena. I could give a damn about what they wear to the game, they are in the arena/stadium -- here's a clue -- THAT'S GOOD NATION. If they see a good product on the field, they will be back spending their money and one step closer to being hooked (and THAT SWEATSHIRT, T SHIRT, ZIPPY DOLL, JERSEY..........) As for rooting for two teams, C’mon, Zipsnation, we are a lot smarter then that -- everyone does it to some extent and it hardly means you are less of a fan. Get a clue.

Bubba is by far the best shooter. He is the reason we beat the Dukes. This kid is going to be a good one. Let him play. Let him shoot. If you are a fan of Hipsher's offense, you will not like the new Zips. They are going to be a team of spurts -- sometimes they look really good, others you wonder if they will ever score again. I hope everyone has learned from football this year. Give them and the new system time - this is far better then Hipsher's slo mo/no mo coaching. No need to get antsy. Give it time. What really matters is the shape this team is in for conference play and around MAC tourney time.

I don't know if you are referring to the onsides kick at the end of the game but it was a very good one and MSU had a great chance to recover the ball -- BUT wouldn't you know it, an official threw a flag - offsides or something (maybe MSU was flagged for barking out signals again !?!??!) - and the play wouldn't have counted anyways. Even when it didn't matter, the officials had their bases covered. Too bad.

The worst refereed game I have ever seen. I think the ref threw the flag on the MSU kick return TD after he crossed the goal line. Unbelieveable but par for the course.

Does anyone know what happens if there are only 55 teams eligible and accepting bids ? Does that open the door for 6-6 teams for the one spot ? What a crazy year.

Molluatt- Any chance of Miami opting for the Hawaii Bowl over SVB if they lose to Toledo and Hawaii loses to MSU ? SVBowl seems to be very lowly rated by most. Just wondering if you have heard any talk along these lines. With recent MAC commitments to bowls, it's down to the Hawaii/MSU game for Akron and then up to other teams where we might end up. Leftover spot seems to be in Hawaii as most have been saying all along. Can everyone else hear the Hawaii Bowl committee praying for a Hawaii win ??

I think it was referred to as "impaired" but I'm still with you that the Silicon Valley Bowl is in play. If you analyze any bowl prediction boards, it seems Akron, Marshall or maybe Troy will be #57 and left out if Hawaii wins. Unfortunately, majority of "predictors" have Akron as #57. The MAC unknown comes in to play with the Silicon Valley Bowl possibly getting "stuck" with Akron, as BG/NI/Tol/Mia find more attractive places to play (If you're wondering about Marshall -- I doubt it is far fetched the MAC says F-Marshall in the SVC Bowl). Things to think about with regard to the Silicon Bowl -- it is on ESPN 2, Thur at 11PM, the 30th has 5 bowls throughout the day, 7k ticket purchase --- It's not impossible, the other 4 MAC schools find better deals with the slim field this year. Maybe a better payday, maybe ESPN, maybe a better time slot, who knows but there are reasons ?!? In a lot of ways, the Hawaii Bowl (ESPN, 7PM time slot, only bowl that day) may be better then SVC but it sure is risky. I'll agree, it's looking like Hawaii or out, but there could be surprises -- Just watch what BG, NI and Troy do and everything should fall into place. and one last F-Marshall sure would be nice

Some ignorant posts are not even worth replying to. But since so many seem to be impared, I might as well add my name to the list. With the Frye factor, it is a toss up. I hardly believe the bowl committees are lobbying to get that college powerhouse Herd. Wake up, they (You) are nothing more then a mid major ( like Akron) that will be lucky to bring thousands (NOT 10's of thousands) of fans to a bowl game. As a number of people have mentioned in previous posts, the mid to lower end bowls will be looking for X factors that will draw local crowds and TV ratings. At their level, no one truely travels all that well adding anything significant to attendence. Get back to reality --> 31-28 Akron

The point is a Hawaii win makes 57 and they will definately be in. The team left out will be Akron or Marshall.

I still like Fox's predictions which were updated after yesterdays games. They have Marshall in the hot seat for the Hawaii Bowl rather then us. Fox's Bowl Predictions Link

That would mean Marshall would get the nod over the Zips for #56. I just don't see the MAC conference allowing this to happen. UA -- Forget about the Hawaii Bowl and take first domestic bowl offered before Marshall steps up to the plate -- Let them take the chance of which MSU team shows up in Hawaii. We dont want to be #57 !!!!!!