Let'sGoZips94

If the ESPN Box score is correct, the Best In the MAC Chris Payton didn't start, and finished the night on the bench after fouling out with 3 pts, 7 rebounds, and 3 turnovers. What an absolute stud.

They had signs with Evan's face on them that read "The Band Doesn't Forget."

Napoleon Dynamite just checked in for EMU.

Prather is in!

You should've seen the beginning of the game when he said that and not even 2 seconds later they cut to the opening tip off and all you see are green seats.

If Eastern keeps shooting like this, they're going to have to change their name to Miami (MI) with all these bricks.

We should see Prather tonight. That's exciting.

I think the "X Factor" on this team is Tribble. It may not be from beyond the arc, but when this team needs a jolt offensively, the ball goes in his hands and he dribble penetrates with a floater or draws a foul. We did not have this level of Tribble in previous seasons.

I think there's something to the Baker discussion. Everything I saw from his highlights was he could play every position on the court (except maybe PG), including being a bruiser/banger down low. This team can win a March Madness game. They were within a basket of beating a top 20-30 team in Utah State, and another basket away from beating UNLV. Those were without Ali Ali. Almost this exact team was a minute away from beating UCLA 2 seasons ago. We don't have anybody like X2.0 this year, but Freeman is undoubtedly better and we'd probably get more from Ali Ali this time around. Have faith. 😉

(Ignore the quote) The tallest player on Groce's OU teams was 6'8"-6'9"; his system does not call for a 6'11"-7' big. The flaw in recruiting last year was not having a replacement for Ali Ali's versatility, and the flaw in recruiting this year was not having a guard who can shoot the lights out to replace X2.0. Thornton is not a shooter. Scott is warming up but still not filling the shoes of X2.0. Tavari is not a shooter. Prather is non existent. Tribble is Tribble. We have one of the best front court players in the country on a team that would probably only have 2-3 losses on the season if it weren't for the NCAA's stupidity. As Aaron Rodgers once said... R-E-L-A-X.

When pigs fly, it will happen. The MAC prestige that was built up through the 90s/early 00s is gone as our commissioner clutches his "tradition" pearls.

I like both Scott and Thornton. I think they both fill voids on this team that would otherwise be felt without their presence. Quite frankly, we have too many misses occupying scholarships from previous classes. Lyles and Prather especially, but also Tavari to an extent. It's always going to hurt when you have 2 scholarship players beyond their first year who are either struggling to contribute or not contribute at all. It's not as much an issue of missing talent that isn't on the roster; it's about the talent on the roster being missing.

You're going to see more and more teams play Enrique Freeman how Miami did. I mentioned it earlier, but bringing the help against Enrique from the weak side is genius and is really going to cause problems for us unless Groce makes adjustments. The 2010 Akron Men's Soccer team lost to Cleveland State. It refocused them and they won the National Championship that year. Praying this is our Cleveland State.

He was huge for Cleveland State when they had their little run in the Horizon a few years back.

The one guy you have to take out of the play given his track record this year, and you don't.

My thoughts exactly.

Completely bowls over Freeman going for the rebound and no call. It's unbelievable.

That 3 by Freeman is the most "I'm the man" shot he has taken in a long time.

The genius in the gameplan by Miami is they're sending weak-side help to double Freeman, instead of the defender on the wing. This takes away the easy outlet for Freeman, and forces the open man to be on the opposite side of the court - over the double team. Really well done by Steele and props to the players for executing. Akron is in the bonus the rest of the game. 11 minutes to go. 8 pt game.

Another missed layup on a fastbreak by Scott.

Love the aggression to start this half. Keep it up!

Dawson with 4 fouls. Him on the bench for a while might be addition by subtraction this game.

LOL. Anytime Mirambeaux lowers his shoulder it should be an automatic charge. I like the Tribble possessions to get inside.

Thornton has really good, active hands.

How about 2 bad plays in the same possession out of the timeout?