RowdyZip

Last I heard there was a "chance for a sellout depending on walk-up crowds." JAR ticket office opens at 5, arena opens at 6.

Would be a fantastic idea to integrate social media into the jersey somehow. I'd like to see a logo/number stack like some teams have been doing lately.

After all the complaining and gnashing of teeth over marketing, things have really made an upward turn. The staff is doing an EXCELLENT job of using social media. Get on twitter, you can have regular interactions with the staff/team/marketing department. Those of you who know who I am and/or follow me on twitter will see I regularly exchange ideas and comments with them. They've been fantastic. The fact that this promotion, no matter how controversial, is making news throughout NE Ohio is great news. It couldn't come at a better time with the team on a 10 game streak. Things will get truly epic if they can win the next 3. As ZW says, the future is so bright

The recent upgrades/remodel of Savage Hall (now Savage Arena) have made it one of the nicer venues in the MAC. However, it's not a great place to watch the game. The pitch of the seats makes some of the GA seats VERY far from the action. While it's light years better than before, it's still one of the worst layouts for the crowd to affect the game. Very wide open and spread out.

This one scares the crap out of me. Toledo always plays the Zips tough, and is capable of putting together a very good game. The Zips cannot play like they played against other West teams and expect to come out of NW Ohio with a win. Vegas says Zips are 6 point favorites. I'll fall short of predicting a loss, but this one has all the indications of a real challenge: road game at probably the most talented team in the West, looking for a 10th consecutive win, the rest of the first round of games in the East following it up. Zips 74 Toledo 69

I guess you're probably right. After compiling the list below, you can see how things have shifted to favor "power" conferences. In the last 4 tournaments, there have been 16 top 50 teams that have been left out. Every last one is a basketball only and/or non-power conference team. I'd say top 35 would be about 50/50, top 30 about 80-20. We would also potentially have to fight the notion that the MAC hasn't sent two teams in, well, forever. Top 50 RPI teams not selected: 2011-2012 44. Marshall (CUSA) 20-13 48. Oral Roberts (Summit) 27-6 2010-2011 35. Harvard (Ivy) 21-6 42. CSU (Horizon) 24-8 43. Missouri State (MVC) 25-8 46. St. Mary's (WCC) 23-8 2009-2010 40. Rhode Island (A10) 23-9 43. Wichita State (MVC) 24-9 45. UAB (CUSA) 23-8 47. Can't (MAC) 22-9 2008-2009 34. San Diego State (MWC) 21-9 40. Creighton (MVC) 26-7 46. UAB (CUSA) 22-11 47. Illinois State (MVC) 24-9 48. St. Mary's (WCC) 24-6 49. Niagara (MAAC) 26-8 2007-2008 30. Dayton (A10) 23-11 37. Illinois State (MVC) 24-10 39. Mississippi (SEC) 24-10 41. UMass (A10) 22-10 46. Ohio State (B10) 21-13 48. Creighton (MVC) 20-10 2006-2007 29. Air Force (MWC) 22-8 36. Missouri State (MVC) 21-10 39. Bradley (MVC) 20-12 41. Florida State (ACC) 20-12 43. Drexel (Col) 22-8 45. Utah State (WAC) 22-11 46. Clemson (ACC) 21-10 48. Alabama (SEC) 20-11 50. Syracuse (BE) 22-10 2005-2006 22. Hofstra (Col) 24-6 24. Missouri State (MVC) 20-8 39. St. Joseph's (A10) 18-13 40. Cincinnati (BE) 18-12 41. Creighton (MVC) 19-9 47. Michigan (B10) 18-10 RPI rankings via www.realtimerpi.com

www.rpiforecast.com has us at about 32 if we win out the regular season. They however can't take into account our bracketbuster draw. A decent draw would put our rpi in the 20s, which is at-large range for power conferences, just not the MAC.

I think 1,000 is a reasonable number of students for them to shoot for for basketball. That's a little less than 20% of the capacity of the arena. 700 isn't all that bad when you consider the crowd was a little less than 3200, students were a little more than 20% of the crowd.

The options I like are a 5k all chair back facility or a 6-8k with about 20% bleacher/GA seating. The latter helps you continue to build the program with area youth groups and the like by donating freebies. If its all chair back, I don't see us needing more than about 5,000-5,500. Realistically we only reach those numbers twice a year, and that's with the aid of the opponent's fans. Without a conference upgrade or some epic NCAA tournament success, anything more is overkill.

No hum here! :D

36-24 Zips at the half. Biggest stories: 25 total fouls McAdams with a breakout game thus far: 11pts (3 treys)

Well, about 2.5 hours from tip, no one has gotten this started. Vegas says the Zips win by 12. NIU has performed admirably by nearly beating UMass and upsetting Miami on the road. I think this combination and the recent troubles we've had with bad NIU squads keeps it a little closer. Akron 78 NIU 69

Vegas agrees.

Interestingly enough, the line opened at 9.5 and most are around 7.5 right now. Could this be the Zips biggest challenge on my predicted string of double digit victories?

Fine then.

And 1-6 everywhere else. Zips win out the non conf, all in double digits. Mark it down.

The last of the non conf games are home. We will enter MAC play with 4 losses.

Rob Murphy's snooze-fests are just in time. With Chuck Coles retiring, we need another nap-worthy matchup. Good win for EMU either way, though I'm guessing the style of play wont up average attendence at the convo to the triple digits.

Zips open as 10.5 point underdogs.

Anyone else think a byproduct of this will be poll votes being a lot harder to come by for MAC teams next season? That is unless NIU puts a whoopin' on FSU.

All my bitching for nothing. It was the same as it ever was. Just keep it that way for the rest of the season and I'll purchase my season tickets as usual for next year (I had 5 years worth under my belt before going back to school last year).

My issues are two with this: 1. Get your s#$% together and announce it at the beginning of the season 2. I know for a fact that there will be a lot more students who will just not attend rather than choose between sitting there or dropping $100. Oh. And also UA thanks for popping this little gem a few days AFTER the $55 GA sale.

Makes sense in that regard, but many people that are students have friends and family that are not. Many will just not attend if they're unable to sit with whom they wish. Those of you on here that know me understand my passion for Zips basketball. I've missed maybe 3 games over the last 5 years, and have made many road trips. At least offer a discount then for students who wish to buy their way out. Stupid.

According to the AK Rowdies page on Facebook, all students are now REQUIRED to sit in section 11 on the South end of the JAR. In order for students to sit elsewhere they will be forced to buy a general admission ticket. How many of us think this will encourage more student attendance? So now in order for me to sit by my wife, who is not a student, I'll need to buy tickets for the rest of the year. Brilliant decision by UA once again.

PLEASE tell me someone got a screencap?!