Blue & Gold

That'd be a nice rivalry game. I know WVU's coach doesn't like UA and WVU plays really physically (dirty/ugly) against us. Kentucky was a member a few years ago. Where'd they go? C-USA?

Hopefully like free thinking Akronites who have not given into the Cleveland brainwashing of "Cleveland+". Hopefully like people who realize LeBron works out with our basketball team over the summer. Hopefully like folks who realize LBJ is friends with our team and tight friends with KD. Hopefully as people who appreciate he got us a basketball contract with Nike (Nike couldn't have cared less about us when he got that for UA). Hopefully as people who appreciate his involvement with the children of the Akron Public Schools. Hopefully as people who appreciate the parks he's renovated around the inner-city. Hopefully as people who appreciate the basketball camp he hosts on campus & the AA Tourney he puts his name on to bring a thousand basketball-playing students to UA every year (though the NCAA stepped in on that one). Hopefully as Akronites who appreciates LBJ name dropping AKRON on the nation's radar every chance he gets. Hopefully as people who recognize a potential big-fish donor. Hopefully as Akronites who actually have a shred of self respect and don't happily and eagerly bend over for Cleveland.

To that downer, another quote, UA officials spent a decade studying the aging Rubber Bowl, located about seven miles from campus, before concluding it would cost almost as much to remodel it as to build a new facility. It took them a decade to come to that conclusion?!?! Good grief.

Two interesting quotes: The fledgling study has been under close wraps. Even UA President Luis Proenza has not seen the initial recommendations, Curtis said. Nor has Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic, who said Monday he is disappointed that UA officials are studying the future arena without input from other government agencies or the business community. So it definitely appears the U is wanting to work unilaterally on this project. Also, In the meantime, UA basketball coach Keith Dambrot said he would welcome a facility that is "fan-friendly, team-friendly, in the sense of you want your fans right on the floor so they could really be into the game." A new arena would enhance the program, Dambrot said, and aid in recruiting. What I've put in bold is KD's way of stating that he really doesn't want an ice-arena-compatible facility, but wants a basketball-specific arena (which could also be used for concerts). This would, however, rule out hockey, ice capades & monster trucks. But we've discussed this before and come to the general conclusion that if we were to build a hockey facility, we'd be better off to have a nice, intimate, 1000-1500-seat layout for hockey. Not a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena. This is direcrly contrary to the desires of the mayor. But I do think moving in this direction is beat for the future of both UA basketball and (potentially, eventually) UA hockey as well.

James A. Rhodes Arena study.

Huge game tonight! (I guess they're all huge from here on out.) I want to see the Zips jump on them quickly, build a sizeable lead and let Miami know, right from the opening tip, that they have absolutely no shot at upsetting the Zippers tonight.

I've never seen him play. What year is he? How tall? Anyway, 25.5 PPG is very impressive.

Yes, but these are hopes for him "rounding out his junior year." Hypothetically, Zeke could accomplish all three of Zipmeisters wishes by the close of spring semester!

Beginning this Wednesday, against the hated Miami Redhawks, Zeke Marshall will be rounding out his Junior season as a Zip, with his second tour through the brutal Mid-American Conference East. This means that Zeke has faced each MAC East team at least 5 times. Zeke is the most highly-touted recruit in UA history and one of the very most highly-touted recruits in MAC history. He stands 7'1" and has a 7'6" wingspan. Zeke has legitimate NBA aspirations. Zeke has definitely been a good MAC player. However, he has rarely dominated like many of us thought he might. What are your expectations of Zeke as he rounds out his Junior year? Here are mine: 1. A couple of blocks per game. Many altered shots per game (more important IMHO), 2. 10 points per game, and... 3. 10 REBOUNDS PER GAME!!!!!!! There is no reason a 7'1" C should not be getting 10 rebounds per game. If Zeke has any real NBA potential, he must toughen up, get a mean streak, and absolutely clean glass. He needs to own that ball as soon as it comes off the rim. He needs to make the typically 6'8" MAC centers piss their respective shorts as he reaches up above the rim with that 7'6" wingspan. The MAC East bigs should know, without a doubt, that if Big Zeke wants a rebound, Big Zeke gets the rebound and there is absolutely nothing they could possibly ever do to stop it. If there is a rebound to be had, Zeke will have it. As I write this post, Mississippi State's Arnett Moultrie is #7 in the nation in RPG, averaging 10.8. Zeke pwned Moultrie when they went head-to-head. Zeke needs to own any and everyone. Presently, Zeke is averaging 5.2 RPG. I want to see Zeke double that for these next 5 MAC East contests, against ORU & then in our 2 wins in the MACC. In the MAC, now that Zeke is a seasoned Junior, he should be an automatic double-double.

Are we going to be looking at any JUCO post players in preparation for Zeke's graduation after next season? Does KD think we're going to be thin in the post next season after Nic's departure? We're only going to have two true bigs - Zeke & Tree. This concerns me.

"Northeast Ohio" is not "in town."

Except for the Aeros, we don't have professional sports in town either.

+1. Well said!

That's a pretty good attendance. We really may pack them in if hockey was a scholarship sport & had an on-campus facility.

How was attendance versus Toledo? And did we win?

They got a nice view of Tree's epic put-back dunk!

Good man.

I hope any newbies had fun & were made to feel like part of the group.

This is exactly where I'm at in my thinking, Keener. Of course I'm for anything that maximizes the UofA. I don't care what it is. But I don't hate the MAC. I think we'd find ourselves in a nice position if we'd come to dominate this conference - much like what Boise does/used to do in the WAC. I have a handful of rivalries that I really enjoy: Buffalo, K.e.nt, Ohio, Miami. Plus budding rivalries with Toledo & WMU. But I've been an Akron fan for so long that my thinking may really be clouded. If Joe Akron isn't at all interested in those rivalries, no matter how much I may enjoy them, then okay, let's get out of the MAC. But presently, I'm not too hip with joining C-USA. As presently constituted, I don't think C-USA is much better than the MAC - just extremely spread out.

We are our own worst enemy. Teams don't beat us, we beat ourselves. However, sadly, we've shown we can do that with the best of them this year. For just one game, we could lose to anyone. Especially in the East. And now both WMU & Toledo seem to really be stepping up their respective games. My ranking of teams which worry me: 1) Buffalo (Western should have beaten them last night! McCray is an absolute beast. I love Reggie Witherspoon. Buffalo's legit.) 2) K.e.nt State 3) Western Michigan (They're healthy & Stainbrook is underrated. Right now Flenard Whitfield is playing like a MAC POTY candidate.) 4) Ohio And a distant fifth... 5) Toledo (Though I think we got their very best A+ game and we played like dirt. And still won. Comfortably.) 6) Miami (They've fallen off the face of the earth. But I'm still stinging from Penno's prayer.)

+1. Would you fellas attribute that mostly to our more up-tempo, above-the-rim style of play? -We play the same teams. -We play in the same crappy JAR. -We still get no coverage from Cleveland tv media. -The Akron Beacon Journal has done a nice job increasing their coverage of the Zips. But they've been pretty good for a couple years now. It's got to be the more exciting style of play, no?

And why, O why, can't they remember to turn the volume back on coming out of time outs? Such a basic task.

Unfortunately, I also had to witness that.

It does. I'm missing large chunks of the game. I did get to see Abreu's 3, so that was nice.