ZipAnalyst

“I think we’re going to get better, but people will have to be patient.” This is what KD had to say, in part, after the "attempt to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory" (my paraphrase - reference: Rasor ABJ Zips Blog).Dambrot will get the hoopsters righted before long. We Zip fans will be patient. Dambrot can coach on the fly. But not JD. Brookhart is a lost cause. Akron needs to let him go after Friday and give a new coach a year to prepare for a turnaround come the opening of the new stadium in 2009.Comparing Akron basketball and even soccer to Akron football is clear indication of the difference quality coaching can make!

I agree with most of what "uafan" says. Obviously, he purports to know about JD operations that many of us are not privy to.Too many on this board have been cheerleaders for JD; not that we want the other extreme: bashing for the sake of bashing.But incisive analysis is in order. I have cut way down on my participation in this forum because thoroughgoing analysis is not favored. In fact, there are certain personages on this board who have honed "ad hominem" attacks to near professional levels and the managers of the board just let it go on.The message is: "We want to live in the fantasy world we have created for ourselves." These folks do not want to have to think; they merely want to cheer and trash those who refuse to cheer with them when there is nothing to cheer!Until the leadership of ZipsNation shape it up, I would not recommend participation to anybody.

‘‘We were up and down the field on Akron's defense. They had absolutely no answers for us ... "No doubt the flushes had some success, especially early on. But is this quote over the line or is it over the line? If the flushes had their way the whole way, then they win - mistakes notwithstanding!

Within five years KD (doing it the correct way - no JUCOs) will have the Zips playing for the National Title. During the up tick he will be tantalized and lured by existing major powers (e.g. Kentucky this year) to move out of Akron to "the big time."KD will never forget his roots and and the university that gave him the opportunity to get back in the game. You talk about a university and athletic director making a wise decision - hiring KD is it!

It appears that the Duquesne game is going to be Internet TV. CLICK HERE.

When you can play your inexperienced players you need to. Akron has had a number of games that were over early but KD stayed with his main 7/8 players. This is a mistake. KD's philosophy that "you earn game court time in practice" is short sighted. This is KD's blind spot" that he needs to overcome.It will be self-fulfilling to have more bench depth for KD to play the substitutes whenever the opportunity arises. KD is a great coach but like all of us he has some things to learn!

The Akron University mens basketball team is the program that will put the university on the map as an example of what can be done by building from a so-so program (under Hipsher) to one that is taken seriously as an elite program.This will happen by 2012 in Akron.Dambrot is here to stay. He recruits to develop. Most recruits to a school like Akron have raw potential that current major programs are not interested in. The current national powers get players who play a year or two, or, maybe even three - and then, off to the pros.Dambrot rewards those who have worked and worked and worked to hone their skills with on-court time. Some of us think he should "give" the new players more court time. But KD does not believe in giving anybody anything. For him, they have to "earn it the old fashioned way."Anyone who would muse on KD's ability to sustain the program (aka recruiting), is missing what is going on right under his nose. Undoubtedly KD will miscalculate on some (e.g. Rybek, possibly?) but he will hit on most but his success will only become apparent when the player "work in progress" matures.KD repetitively says he does not have the people in place to compete day-in, day-out with the Nevadas, Gonzagas, et cetera. But he is bringing in the raw material that he and his staff will build into an superb program.Only time will tell. But I am willing to bet that he pulls it off and the building blocks are already on the team or committed to coming to Akron.

From the Random House dictionary: "ad ho·mi·nem - appealing to one's prejudices, emotions, or special interests rather than to one's intellect or reason... ."Many who would participate in the forum of the Zip Nation don't because of the ad hominems who cruise the various threads looking for those violate one of their "prejudices, emotion[al] [buzzes] or special interests ... [to destroy the evil that lurks among humanity].The ad hominems are insecure in their points of view and cannot accept putting opinions (and that's all they are) out there for whatever they are worth. No. Once expressed, it is the ad hominem's way or no way. If the world were to be built by these, it would ultimately be a world of one. The ad hominem's over time devour one another so that in the end only one stands.Primarily rational people should think twice about getting into these discussions. It is a perequisite that one who walks down this path have a thick skin. For the egotists who police the way concoct a personal political correctness and embark on a crusade to punish those who deviate.There are some things in life that are worth the fight. But sports and, specifically, the Zip athletic program are not among them.Some of the most strident ad hominems are those who advocate fans support of Akron University athletics. But my question is. Who would want risk sitting in a gymnasium or stadium next to an ad hominem? At least on the Zip Nation people use aliases and are miles apart. Yes, it is the ad hominen's who start the fights and precipitate violence among fans at athletic contests. To be fair with the ad hominems, I observe there is a bit of the ad hominem in all human beings. It is the unchecked ad hominems who should worry all of us. These folks are very dangerous people!The great lament is that presumably the Zip Nation ad hominens, to one degree or another, have historical or current connections to a institution of higher learning. Apparently, Rational Discourse 101 was not one of the courses they took at Akron University or what other universities they may have attended.How many ad hominems are there in the Zip Nation? Hard to say. But it only takes one working with a vengeance to make dialogue utterly impossible. If there ever is a place for "political correctness," perhaps, this is it. Those of us who treasure exchange of points of view ought to wade into the morass and put heat on the consistent transgressors to scrap the ad hominem attaks and just express an opinion without reflecting on the character and mental qualities of those who see it differently.

In his post game conversation w/French, Dambrot dwelled on the player development aspect of his coaching. In my view, this commitment will take the Zip basketballs to the top of the mid-majors and get them consistent national rankings over the long haul.This will happen sooner than later. Rasor (ABJ's Zip blogger) picks up on player development in his discussion of the YSU game.Dambrot is patiently (no JUCOs) building a powerhouse program at Akron and he has every intention of staying here for the duration of his coaching days. Some ZipNationeers are not pleased with the attendance factor now. But I'd say within five years the JAR will be SRO game-in, game-out.We all should be very pleased with the Dambrot approach to building a first-rate program!

Found a website that indicates that we may be able to see the Akron/YSU game on the Internet. CLICK HERE

A refreshing quality in Keith Dambrot is his utter self-honesty. It had to be painful for him to tell Steve French that the WSSU game has been the worst of his 3 year stint as head coach. Moreover, he took full responsibility (failure of leadership) and vowed to correct the problem.There is boundless hope for a program that is so completely candid about its strengths and weaknesses and works to make the weaknesses into strengths. As talented as the Zips are, there are a number of more talented teams around. If the Zips are to make a run at a national title, it will have to be on the "extra heart" that a KD lead team will have. Games like the upcoming Illinois-Chicago Circle are measuring sticks of progress. The Nevada game (at home) will be a tell-tale barometer. 2006-2007 Zip basketball prospects are very high. KD does not shrink back from the expectations. He embraces them. He exudes confidence in his players notwithstanding a bad game. This guy and his leadership style grounded in ongoing self-reflecting assessment is a recipe for highly productive results. He demonstrates qualities that are realistic bases for fan optimism. KD is a coach I can support even when things are not going well. It is more problematical to vouch for coaches who apparently do not have a self-repair mechanism in place.

Zip81 is right on the money! Just listen to KD being interviewed by French post-game. He says as much. He unmistakably implies (on my read) that the non-MAC part of the schedule is being used to prepare the starting five and whatever bench players he can bring along to march through the MAC schedule and win the tournament and get the NCAA bid.The only chance for the MAC to get an at large is if the Zips win the tournament and the second place team is a team with some strength to its non-league schedule.

See snippet and then CLICK HERE to read full story.

Half time stats.

Mike Brown of the TulsaWorld was at the game. Mike Rasor on in ABJ blog notes he could not find evidence of a reporter being at the Akron/ORU game.This article is a interesting piece on Dru Joyce and his take on James coming to Zip home games.CLICK HERE

Looking for quotes on the Akron/ORU game? All we get from ABJ is the AP report. But thanks to the internet you can get a more thorough account of the game. CLICK HERE

An excerpt from an article on the Ohio University website today regarding Bubba's thoughts about Akron University.

With all due respect, that is a repetition of what I head incessantly during the Lee Owens era. Captain Kangaroo in another forum (he started) talks about having to leave the WMU game early. Captain was generous in going to the game in the first place. It is credit to him and all other ZipNationeers/fans who can go to these games. These folks show that the base is there if it gets built (ref: Field of Dreams).All signs indicate to me that JD is not a builder. But I am willing to wait another two years. It was the contract extension that got me. It makes me think that Rhoades does not have very good judgment.I hope I am wrong about JD & MR. Time is awasting. With the extension we could be looking at another 7 years of excuse making.I am not labeling anyone a die-hard supporter at this juncture. Die-hard support will not kick-in for another two years, if ever. It could be that the optimists out there are correct and JD is a diamond-in-the-rough that needs polishing.Its just that I can't see the future gem-in-the-making that others see and am willing to go on the record now and say so.The contract extension was the "rush to judgment." I have been and continue to be willing to wait up to two more years. But not a day longer. If we are not at the top of the MAC by then, I'd say that the only people showing an interest in the Zip footballers will be MR and, of course, the newly defined class of die-hards.

By extending JD's contract (pre-maturely, in my judgment) Mack Rhoades is now accountable for JD's ultimate success or failure.Rhoades has given JD license to hang around, hang around and hang around some more - just like Lee Owens did - even after it is obvious to all but the most die-hard supporters that JD is not going to get the job done.Rhoades can promote the AK-Rowdies all he wants, and I do think this is a smart thing to do, however, real success will come with having a coach in place who can select talented players that he can control and mold into an effective playing unit.Such a coach/team will win and win big and concomitantly attendance will be no problem.Having acted, now all Rhoades can do is sit back and hope, unless, that is, Mike Thomas bails him out.

Last night after the Niagara game in his customary post-game Q & A with Steve French KD made the following candid observations (paraphrased):------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Zips need to improve the inside play - shoot better, improve rebounding numbers and cut down on turnovers. Zips need to develop more shooting opportunities for Joyce and Dials.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Now for the refreshing part: KD says his charges not only need to do, THEY WILL DO and it will be abundantly clear later on in the season.One final point: He sort of chided those who question the quality of schedule. He said it is looking better and better.

Assuming that Brookhart is on the right track (which, of course, some of us question), the question remains (as inferred from a Will Rogers quote, to wit):"Even if your on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."Is Brookhart sitting or locomoting?

The Zips - a mid-major on the rise?

InTheZone (ITZ) should brace himself for emotive dominated reaction by the JD Brookhartphiles. These are predetermined folks who can brook (no pun intended) no critique of their "ordained one."I share ITZ's wait and see attitude. We both want JD to make it. Results over five years of coaching will tell the tale. If he is the "great" coach, the "fine" coach that his devotees say he is, it will be abundantly clear to us in 2007. By 2008 Akron will be the class of the MAC. Otherwise, JD Brookhart will probably be going back to "private enterprise" where he was an unqualified success.Far too many of the frequenters of this forum either lack the ability to read with understanding (that is, they don't have the minds for it) or obstinately (lacking the generosity of spirit and an open mind) refuse to read what is written. Their limitations, no matter what the cause, do not get in the way of their hubristically telling the writer that he has said what, in fact, he has not said. I was no Lee Owens fan but I did read what ITZ wrote and he makes good points. I think Owens had ample time to show what he could do and his ability was well short what was needed. But undoubtedly, as ITZ persuasively presents, he did not have the advantages JD Brookhart has.I applaud ITZ's moxie. If JD and Rhoades get the job done, it will be because they feel the heat of high expectations and embrace it. Successful coaches do not eschew pressure. They welcome it. They aspire to become leaders and they figure out in quick order what leadership entails.

Which of the 2006 juniors will step up to provide the missing senior leadership (by the 2006 seniors - per JD) for the 2007 season?

Zipper! Get this straight from me: I am not about an "basketball only agenda." I will define my own positions. It is fair to say I think Zip basketball is a better value at this time than football. That could change over the next year or so. I doubt it But we shall see. I think the University of Akron should have a well-rounded program (much more than just basketball and football). They all shoud be headed toward excellence. In my opinion (if you will allow me to have one - speaking for myself - I might add) football is in regression. And, I have a revulsion of throwing good money after bad. Remember, Zipper - it's my opinion. You can have yours. Now that I defined myself go read a response I had to Zipboy at: “Rasor Column Speculates on the Root Cause Why Did the Team Underachieve in 2006?” under Akron Zip Football.By the way, are you and Zipboy related?