Let'sGoZips94

Although technically Wally Pipp didn't end his career by self-wrongdoing; he had a headache.

I really hope there's a big turnout for the Can't game. The community and fan base needs to reward a stellar performance and hopefully a trip to Detroit with a good crowd for the last game of the year.

Only scored 22 in the 1st half and 16 in the 2nd half. I am INCREDIBLY glad we beat them the other day.

HUGE! Although I thought there was a hold. Shhhh...

Three 7s = JACKPOT Two 7s = 5 yard penalty

HUGE INT!

Imagine if we would have actually beaten someone worth a darn in that time span, or won an NCAA tournament game. We would've had people saying, "Yes," the first time we asked them to come play for Akron.

#1 team in goals per game. #2 in total goals with only 16 total games played on the season, which is the least amount in the top 50 on the list. ... and my fiancee is taking online classes at FIU...

William & Mary Butler Pacific Coastal Carolina Seattle Illinois-Chicago UMASS Cal UNCW SMU St. Francis (Brooklyn) FIU Air Force Maryland New Hampshire Old Dominion Wake Forest Butler Sanford Coastal Carolina Akron Notre Dame UMASS Louisville UNCW SMU Virginia FIU Air Force WMU New Hampshire Indiana Wake Forest Stanford Akron Louisville UNCW FIU WMU Indiana Wake Akron FIU Indiana Akron Indiana AKRON

You and I see things totally differently regarding Big Dog. Did he develop into a solid post player, mainly his junior/senior year? Yes, his vision was incredible for a big man. However, did his lack of physical development ultimately hurt the team? I think yes. What did we accomplish with the MAC MVP? Very little in the grand scheme of things. You could only play one game with Big Dog on the floor - in and out ball. Otherwise, you weren't really able to run with the bulls (not in reference to Buffalo) and there wasn't much flexibility in game strategy/style. Zeke didn't really bulk up until senior year, either. Who knows if that's just how his body matured, or if the strength & conditioning program wasn't where it needed to be, but it's a fact. My point is I haven't seen a player in a long time physically transform in the off-season, especially prior to his freshman year, like Sayles has. This is basketball and not a bodybuilding contest, you're correct. However, I'm sure we could go back to previous years' game threads, and find several posts about not being able to physically match up with some of the bigger name teams. Physicality, strength & conditioning - they're all important aspects of the game of basketball. What's wrong with going through a mental process of trying to find things that might tell us, "This coach does this better than Dambrot?" Isn't the overall goal to keep the program going in the right direction, and actually take steps to improve? I don't hate Dambrot, but I disliked quite a few things over his last couple of years here - bashing fans, making excuses about the MAC and the JAR holding him back, boring game style, poor free throw shooting, losing to OSU when we clearly should have beaten them, etc. Not to mention I was fed up with the 20-win participation trophy seasons with nothing of substance as the end result; no NCAA tournament wins, no victories over ranked teams, etc.

I'm glad they're here. My point is if he tried to recruit them to Duquesne after his departure, then really he tried to get them to not come here. Maybe Groce talked them into staying? That was my point; I'm skeptical in this situation, until proven innocent. We'll see how he develops as a basketball player. I don't ever remember a player taking the physical leap that Sayles or other players look like they've taken, when Dambrot was here. I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of Dambrot's tenure. Then it became annoyingly stagnant, full of consistent disappointment, underachievement, and cliche answers in post-game interviews. I am thankful for the new heights he took the program, but there was a lot not to like, especially towards the end.

Not sure I can give him credit for those two without proof that he didn't try to pull them to Duquesne with him. Additionally, if you look at pictures of Sayles in high school compared to his first college game, its incredible the physical transformation that took place this off-season. Not sure that would have happened under Dambrot.

5 seed. Edit: With the winner of two Pacific Northwest teams coming to Akron. I like that.

http://www.ncaa.com/video/soccer-men/2017-11-13/di-mens-soccer-2017-selection-show

Off the ball movement is also something that comes easier with better team chemistry. As this team grows together, they'll know who and when certain players will make cuts, etc.

I said this yesterday, that I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up with the 4 seed. It all depends on where Indiana falls to. I don't know if I see the committee giving all 4 seeds to the ACC, so I think the best non-ACC school will snag that 4th seed. What time is the selection show?

I am very excited about this game, and am glad this is at the JAR. UT Martin is 0-2 on the season, but I think they will present a heck of a challenge, and be a decent indicator for where/what this Akron team ACTUALLY is. Their 2 losses are an 11 pt. OT loss to Marshall, and a 3 pt. loss to Illinois (they put up 44 in the 2nd half on the Fighting Illinis). The Skyhawks Head Coach, Anthony Stewart, was discussed on this board as a candidate for our head coaching gig before we ultimately hired Groce. On a side note, this Akron schedule is very fun. UT Martin (exciting mid major), Dayton (we owe them from the OT loss), Chattanooga (Lamont Paris), IPFW (we owe them some revenge), Appalachian State (new name on the schedule), Mississippi Valley State (tune up before Hawaii), USC (big name), Middle Tennessee/Princeton, Davidson/Miami/NMSU/Hawaii, Concord (MAC tune up).

Indiana lost to Wisconsin.

GOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLL! GREAT cross/touch onto goal.

Whoa whoa whoa. Can someone who is more educated about soccer rules please explain to me why there wasn't a foul on WMU running over our goalie on their goal? Thornton (the guy who scored that) is from Copley. Talk about being a thorn in our side...

Overall Gameplay Observations The first half, as I was hoping, seemed to be simply nerves. It's incredibly nice to see adjustments coming out of halftime, especially adjustments that lead to wins. The 2nd half was more what I expected from a Groce-coached team. Higher energy, solid defense, ball movement, and crash-the-boards rebounding. Speaking of rebounding, I don't think I've seen more than 1-2 guys go for offensive rebounds in 4+ years; what a novel idea. As previously mentioned, it's nice to be on the good side of the fence regarding free throws winning/losing games; I hope this remains to be a common theme. Too many 3s in the first half, but again, I attribute the number of attempts to the nerves. I think physically we will be able to match up with just about anyone. Mentally and experience wise, we'll see. But if we can keep games close against tougher opponents, I think we'll be able to steal one or two with our speed, hustle, and tenacity. Player Observations Sayles is already my favorite freshman from a potential aspect. At 6'9", 235 lbs (again, AS A FRESHMAN), he's going to be a force for years to come as he hopefully develops. Parrish had a very solid game for any level of player, especially a freshman. He led the charge in the 2nd half when it came to crashing the boards, and jumped the passing lane nicely for a breakaway steal that helped set the tone defensively. He also put together a technically-sound offensive game. Duvivier has boulders for shoulders, and is gonna be a force as the team chemistry grows. He does need to quit playing around so much with the ball; too much senseless dribbling. Utomi is going to be very, very key this year. He really spreads the floor and creates match-up problems with his size. I said last year that Dambrot's biggest mistake was not finding a way to get him into the game more. Ivey looked like he thought he had to carry the team. I think as time goes on he'll learn he just needs to be a leader in anyway he can. He does bring a lot of energy to the court, though. Poke is still developing, but it seemed like he found his role in the 2nd half: stand near the paint and block shots from the weak side help position. It looks like he also might be the hack-a-poke-o-stick at the end of games. Didn't really notice as much from Patton. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I liked Cotton's game. I know he had some rookie mistakes, but he makes nice, crisp passes and seems to play with a good head on his shoulders. Looks like he could continue to develop into a nice floor general. Kostelac was disappointing. It looked like the game was too fast for him. I hope that changes, because we could use his size. Does anybody know if Gdadebo is going to see much playing time this year, or is he more of a walk-on type? I'm really excited for this season. Go Zips!

Where can I get a Sayles jersey? And Duvivier with the HAMMER! Edit: Should've queued up Zombie Nation and highlights of the block instead of the dot race and smile cam.

And a refreshing change so far is the 8-9 shooting from the line.

And I thought the days of being favorites left with Dambrot... (All in good fun )

How about on 4th & 2, they decide to throw the ball (out route to boot?) instead of running an option with a shifty QB? That alone should answer your question on whether or not the coaching staff knows what Kato's skill set is.