Class of 82

Well, I'm probably a minority here, but my "hatred" for K.e.n.t. is mostly exclusive to the days when we meet them on the field or on the court. When I was a student at UA, I had a ton of friends who went there and I had a lot of great times on that campus and in that town. We had a great and heated and high-spirited rivalry, but it wasn't really hateful; it was just a heckuva lot of fun. Don't get me wrong. My passion for beating the snot out of Can't State is off the charts, but at the end of the day, I think the rivalry is best when both schools are doing well. And you're right; it isn't their fault we suck right now. It's past time for Akron to do its part in making the rivalry great. I still believe Bowden and co. are going to get it done. The hand-wringing around here is understandable, I guess. But I'm not going to let it get me down. I'm not going to get into a sour-grapes mode with K.e.n.t. And I'm darned sure not throwing in the towel. GO ZIPS!

Agreed. If K.e.n.t. can turn their football program around, there's absolutely no reason why Akron can't do the same. I congratulate them and wish them success... until the next Wagon Wheel game. Lol... thanks for that, zen. I needed a chuckle this morning.

I still believe. I won't quit on my city or my school. Ever. Our day will come. GO ZIPS!

A little surprised at how hard some folks are taking this loss. On the road, inaugural game in a beautiful new arena for a scrappy team, a good home crowd, two key guys short and the Zips lose in OT. That's not shocking. Disappointing, sure. But stuff like this is going to happen on the road. It's college basketball, and November college basketball at that. Now we turn the page and look forward to the next game. GO ZIPS!

+1 Big potential for a real breakout season for Nick Harney. He's got as much talent as anyone in the MAC. And when he figures out what a great defender he can be and how much that can add to his overall game, not to mention to his team, he's going to be first-team All-MAC. Maybe even POY.

Is it just me, or does Chauncey look a little like Foghorn Leghorn after a few years on "The Cream"?

Video stream available at gozips, but there's a $4.95 charge. I'll be listening to Frenchy, not merely because I'm a Scottish skinflint through and through, but because I'm one of those weird people who still loves sports on the radio more than crappy video feeds on a computer.

It makes total sense to be disappointed at this stage. It makes zero sense to panic. Our record doesn't show it, but this is a far better Zips team than the one that was fielded a year ago. We've got a good young quarterback learning the ropes of the spread from a senior transfer. We have a solid sophomore running back. We've got some decent young receivers. On offense, I'd say the future looks pretty bright. On defense, we've just been killed by the lack of depth and size, but especially depth. With little help on the bench, you just can't suffer the kinds of injuries we've suffered and expect to stay competitive. Keep the faith, people. Judge recruiting next February, not now. Anyway. I still believe.

Great point. I still wish Quincy were in the mix though. We've still got an outstanding and versatile team, but his effort and ability and versatility are going to be missed, big time.

Hi District, Totally agree with you. And that's what I was driving at above. If you're going to press after every basket you get on the break, there is zero time for celebration or showboating. You dunk it home or lay it in and get to your spot on defense... instantly. If you don't, you defeat the whole purpose of what you're trying to accomplish, because as often as not the other team just breaks it right back on you. (If you want to celebrate your dunk, wait until a frustrated opponent calls time out.) And you're right, too, that what Shaka is doing at VCU is a pretty solid description of what Akron could do as well. And I think they can. I think we have great, talented kids who want to win and who trust that coach Dambrot knows what he's doing. Furthermore, they all want playing time, and they know full well that they won't get it if they go to sleep on defense.

No, Doc, this is a good thing! Forty minutes of absolute hell on earth.... for the other guys. P.S. There's more than one way to play a fast-paced, exciting brand of basketball. And you don't have to score 120 points to beat people by 30. Go Zips!

Hey Johnny... I do not see us trying to play Loyola Marymount type basketball. But that's not the only kind of up-tempo game there is. Dambrot's a defensive-minded coach, and there's no way that's going to fundamentally change. So when KD talks about a quicker pace, I think he's talking about more... and I hope a lot more... pressure defense. More full-court pressure after made baskets. More half-court pressure. More traps. More looks for the outlet pass off defensive rebounds and blocked shots. Etc. We have the personnel and depth to play that sort of game pretty darned well, if you ask me. And if we do play it well, playing Akron is going to be a miserable experience for their opponents.

Boy, johnny, I sure hope they run more. They have the depth, the speed, the finishers. The only question in my mind is whether they have the requisite discipline, as a team, defensively. Sure seemed like way too many times last year, the Zips let themselves get busy celebrating fast-break dunks or lay-ups while letting the other team go right back down the floor for an easy basket. And you just can't do that. But if we can run and defend and hold the silly celebrations, I think this team can bury people.

I don't know what to predict, other than another highly entertaining season. There are just way too many variables in college basketball. But this group has boatloads of potential, more than any Akron team I've seen in my lifetime. I hope they can reach it.

+1 Excellent post. Could not agree more. That Valpo tournament was a costly hiccup last season. These Zips have a chance to be really, really good. These Zips should be really, really good. These Zips should be a tournament team this year. And my confidence level is at an all-time high, because I don't think Akron has ever had better talent top to bottom than this Akron team. But there's a reason they actually play the games. And so many unexpected things can happen, good and bad. I expect we'll enjoy another really exciting ride.

Puerto Rico discussion is about halfway through. http://basketball.realgm.com/article/22383...And_Odds_Part_1

Lots of "ifs" there, bubba. And it's a long time before March. Best not to count chickens when they're still eggs. But it's at least a very reasonable possibility.

Yep... good catch, johnny. I guess I was too busy looking for Akron and Ohio.

FWIW http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com...ngs-the-top-15/

If we had won that game at home against Nevada, who was ranked pretty high, it could have been possible. Not likely, still, but possible maybe. Still, to get completely closed out of post-season play was a travesty. That was a really nice team.

You mean like this?

Wasn't that's when it was announced that WV transfer Pat Forsythe is eligible this season?

Yeah. Looks like everybody's throwing Infocision under the bus. The rats are jumping ship. The sharks smell blood in the water. Or choose the cliche of your choice. Good for LaGuardia for sticking up for a donor.

I have a lot of respect for Ohio's team, especially after their run in the tourney. That said, though, I think Akron is every bit as good they are and just as deep (if not deeper) than they are... even without Quincy Diggs. One advantage for Akron, I think, will be due to a far tougher OOC schedule. Whatever the record, the Zips will be a tested, toughened team with a far better understanding of its strengths and weaknesses when MAC play starts, whereas Ohio's OOC schedule is pretty weak in comparison. Anyway, predictions on ESPN or CBS or wherever don't mean squat, really. Ohio and Akron both have high expectations, and with good reason. Nobody better go to sleep on Can't, Buffalo and Toledo, either. The MAC east is going to be a dogfight, I expect. And it's gonna be a blast to watch.

Wow. No real surprise with Leach for me, but I thought Weis had a little more class... not to mention intelligence... than that. This ought to make prospects and parents flock to Kansas, huh? Not.