Blue & Gold

Rivals.com has absolutely nothing on Johnnie Davis. I couldn't find anything about Davis on Scout.com either. Is he a late-bloomer? Are his grades so poor that he's not considering college? Is he getting looked at by anyone? I'd think that I would have been able to at least find his name mentioned on one of those two sites.

Yeah. I watched the CSU game last night and even though they lost, they looked damn good. Very athletic, very quick, very fast. Frankly, I'm glad now that the Zips didn't play them this year. Additionally, most of their studs are juniors, so I'm hoping we avoid them next year too!

Does UA need to seek permission from the state government in order to begin a new program? How does that work? Did UA need the state's permission to allocate funds to build InfoCision Stadium? When can the state step in and say no to a UA proposal?

Negative: I don't like losing the Miami game. I love to hate those guys and look forward to that game every year. Positive: I do like picking up Toledo. We should try to play them every year - they're a natural rivalry and a quality opponent.

I'm gonna be pulling for NIU. There's no way they'll be as hot from the outside as they were the first time we played.Interesting 1st round matchups leading to 2nd round opponents:NIU & CMU playing to meet Akron. Both NIU & CMU defeated Akron during the regular season.Toledo & BGSU playing to meet K.e.n.t. Both Toledo & BGSU defeated K.e.n.t. during the regular season.

I didn't know McCleod was a head case at McKinley. I know Akron offered McCleod but he chose BGSU because we already had Jimmal Ball and Jamie Bosley at our guard spots. Unfortunately for us, McLeod ended up being better than either Ball or Bosley! Agh! Figures.

Okay, this is a big story; big development. I posted a comment on the Ohio.com site, and I think I'll post the same here. Here's what I posted @ Ohio.com:"Wow, this string is getting emotional. I'm not looking for an argument; just want to toss my 2 cents out here. This is, naturally, a complex issue. However, I think that UA should strongly consider whether this cooperative move w/ NEOUCOM is the direction in which they should to go. NEOUCOM, being a collaborative effort between 3 (and soon 4) universities, is quite political in nature and could possibly be hampered with bureaucracy. I have absolutely no proof of this, but from reading various articles and quotes over the past year, I believe that Dr. Proenza may be putting some pressure (a lot?) on NEOUCOM to make Akron their primary campus. On the surface, that sounds like a great move. I think that the city of Akron's medical facilities combined w/ UA's research makes a logical place for a medical school - much more advantageous than out in the sticks of Rootstown. I think NEOUCOM realizes this. Here's what I believe may be happening behind the scenes: I believe NEOUCOM may be concerned that UA could very easily pull out of the NEOUCOM consortium and start a medical school of their own, in partnership w/ Summa, Children's Hospital, General Hospital and perhaps Canton's Timken & Aultmann hospitals as well (they're a mere 20 minutes to the south). If UA lets NEOUCOM get a foot in the door near City Hospital and UA's campus (as NEOUCOM apparently desires), it would make starting a UofA med school much more difficult. With UA's proximity to City, Children's & General hospitals - even utilizing those facilities for classroom space, how difficult would it be for UA to actually start their own medical school completely separate from the NEOUCOM political conundrum?"So what do you guys think? Would it be wise to bring NEOUCOM to UA - with all the baggage of K.E.N.T., Youngstown State and soon Cleveland State - attatched. Or should UA be considering beginnin their own med school program? With UA's research & development, Akron's hospitals all within minutes of campus & Canton hospitals 20 minutes to the south, wouldn't UA be the ideal location for a med school of their own? I believe we may want to divorce ourselves from a NEOCOM governing body composed of politicos from Can't State, YSU & CSU. I think UACOM may be the way to go.

Ramel Mitchell (Firestone) and Johnnie Davis (Timken) were both named 1st Team All-Ohio D-1. Ramel is a 5-10 PG and Davis is a 6-2 SG. Does anyone know much about either of these players? I know Ramel has been a standout players since his sophomore year. Up until this year I hadn't heard as much about Davis; maybe a late bloomer? Does anyone know whether KD is going to offer them the opportunity to walk on? We've got a lot of Ohio players, which I like, but both these guys are from the immediate area! I'm hoping KD acknowledges them somehow.B.t.w., Alex Sullivan was named 2nd Team D-1 All-Ohio. He continued to put up amazing numbers in spite of the fact that he was playing on a team where he was often the first, second and third option.

I think that KD is able to get the DI athletes over the other MAC schools. This is why Ohio and Can't have to look outside the region. I don't think many coaches are going to look outside their footprint unless they have to extend themselves.I agree. I just really pick up a tangible vibe that athletes would rather attend Akron than Can't. I understand not being interested in Can't for football. But I don't understand it for basketball. I don't think Can't has ever gotten a recruit Akron's really wanted. Why do you think that is? With Can't's 10-year history of success you'd think kids would be lining up to go there, wouldn't you? But Jim Christian (who seems like a good guy that I'd enjoy playing for) generally just goes the way of transfers. KD, meanwhile - even though we Zips have never won anything at all and haven't gone to the NCAA tourney in as long as I can remember (let alone any high schoolers) - gets commitments from the outstanding Ohio & PA high school talent. Hey, I'm not complaining at all!!! Just a little perplexed. I think KD just must be a hell of a recruiter. Additionally, the talent he goes after are quality guys off the court as well, so the team really has a great chemistry and seem to have a lot of fun together, so the team itself is probably very attractive to the type of person KD's after.

Wow. This is unthinkable! I live in Hartville and my FSN is channel 31 and their showing the freaking Stanford - UCLA women's game! Unthinkable!!!

I just got home and turned on Fox Sports and the women's Stanford-UCLA game is on! Someone help me! What channel is the game on?!

We need to start Wood and C. McKnight and tell them to get out there and bully Ham-Sandwich & Mike Scott and push them around. Both those guys are athletic as get out, but very light. Q's playing better this year than last, but last year I could tell he was intimidated inside by Wood (and Rome) throwing his weight around. When the thick & muscular B. McKnight gets in the game KD's gotta tell him the same - push those guys around out there! Like last year, scare the hell out of them! Wood's gotta let those two know that if they come inside then he can put either of them into the 3rd row w/ his hip.

With this weather, I hope that Zeke is still able to make the game tomorrow night!

Him and the rowdies will at least something in common....no clapingHaha, you can bash the number of rowdies that show up all you want, but the ones that show up are as loud as can be.True! The Rowdies on the south side of the JAR are some of the best fans I've ever seen! The Rowdies sitting on the north side could use a little help, but, whatever. I think that as UA keeps building dorms and the resident student population continues to exponentially climb, The Info and the JAR will be the places to be for students on game nights and have truly crazy student sections. UA is definitely the up-and-coming U in the entire MAC. In about 3 years we'll be the MAC flagship institution!

Here's an article by Tom Gaffney in today's ABJ concerning spring football. It's a pretty vanilla article & probably doesn't have any information you don't already know. But, since you're probably snowed in today, enjoy the read!http://www.ohio.com/sports/16410221.html

Here's a really nice article on Walsh University & St.V/St.M's Corey Jones & Brandon Weems. It is by D.L.Morgan and in today's ABJ.http://www.ohio.com/sports/16410216.html

Does anyone know when the All-Ohio boys teams are going to be announced?

I believe it looks like they've bulldozed one of the old buildings along Exchange!!! Amen!Unfortunately I see that the plasma donation center is still standing. Maybe we could send the bulldozer across the street...

4 giant steps that must be taken to make both the University Park District and the Downtown District more pedestrian friendly:1) Move the Metro Bus transfer station AWAY from the downtown Superblock! Fortunately this giant step is already in the planning stages.2) Drop a bomb on the plasma donation center! NO... I repeat, NO competent and responsible parent would want their son or daughter walking the campus streets w/ people hanging around such as the plasma donation center attracts. Drop that bomb tomorrow! 3) Clear out the Mayflower! It's colorful cast of characters have the very same effect as the plasma donation center loiters. Move them faaaaar away from the city center. 4) The safety of UA students should be the APD's #1 priority! UA is the single most important entitiy to the future identity of this city. For the future of this city, Summit County, and the surrounding areas - from Hudson to Canton, from Can't to Medina - The U and U-Park must have stellar images!If anyone thinks that moving the vagrants far, far away is less-than-politically-correct, well, they're probably right. These steps, however, are "Hello McFly," real world moves. This isn't a communist nation. These are common sense, very real-world steps that absolutely must be taken if we want the University Park District and Downtown District to flourish.

I remembering hearing on the radio that the Irwin kid actually ended up committing to St. Joe's. But the coach that Joe Dunn was interviewing could have simply mis-spoken. Does anyone know whether the Irwin kid has put up numbers comparable to Nic? From all the articles I've read (just the articles that have been posted here on ZipsNation) Nik really seems like the best player, leader & heart-n-soul of that team.

The article states that Nik's team plays in the Virginia Independent School Division II. Um... I'm not sure what that means exactly, but just from the sound of it, that doesn't sound like he would be facing very stiff competition, does it? What's an "independent" school anyway? They are obviously not associated with the Virginia public schools system, and apparently not in the same state tournament as the public schools - unlike Ohio parochial schools who participate in the state tourney. Would an "Independent" be a member of a small Christian schools coalition?Then again, I suppose that Oak Hill Academy could very well be a member of the Virginia Independent Schools division as well. So maybe the competition is decent after all.

I thought the Patriot Bowl was axed? And anyway, we get Army, and Can't gets BC?! No fair!

Yikes... anywhere closer to Akron?That's not far at all. I live south of town and can get there in 10 minutes. It's near Belden Village mall. I've got a friend that works in the mall and he says he sees the Zips basketball players walking around there once in a while. It's a drive if you live out on the west side, but for central & south Akron it's no problem. Nice place, too!

In my spare time as I surf the net looking at new college arenas under construction, I am beginning to favor basketball-specific arenas. The arenas that are larger - like The Q, or Value City Arena, or even the Canton Convention Center, with enough floor space to host hockey and arena football games - IMO seem to have poorer sight lines for basketball. Basketball-specific arenas, though smaller in size, are still quite flexible - more than adequate space to hold major concerts - and offer perfect sightlines for basketball. I've listed some very interesting links below. The largest basketball-specific facility listed below is the U. of Virginia's, holding around 14,000. The smallest is the U. of Rhode Island's facility, holding around 7,500. Maybe I'm thinking too small, but I think a 10 - 12,000 seat basketball-specific arena would be ideal for downtown Akron. Many of you will probably disagree, and I may change my mind tomorrow!Some beautiful basketball-specific arenas that are very nice include:USC Trojans - The Galen Centerhttp://usctrojans.cstv.com/facilities/usc-galen-center.htmlMissouri State University - The JQH Arena (just came across this one last night; looks fantastic!)http://www.missouristate.edu/arena/?KEY=&a...CRIBER_CONTENT=St. Louis University - The Chaifetz Arenahttp://www.thechaifetzarena.com/University of Rhode Island - The Ryan Centerhttp://gorhody.cstv.com/facilities/uri-ryan-center.htmlUniversity of Virginia - The John Paul Jones Arenahttp://www.johnpauljonesarena.com/index.aspUniversity of Pittsburgh - Peterson Events Centerhttp://www.peterseneventscenter.com/index.asp

IMO, heck no! The selection committee would be peeing their pants with joy as they could then include a .500 Big East, ACC or Big 10 team.