ZippyforPresident

My guess is that Coach D signed on for the next ten years with an understanding that Akron Basketball will be getting a first class, state-of-the-art facility at some point within that time. It seems as though the ball has already started rolling toward that end so I would expect the announcement of a definite plan for a new facility within the next few years. I'm just glad we have Coach D here for the foreseeable future. Looking forward to the next ten years coach!! Go Zips!

The non conference schedule would still impact a team's seeding in the playoff picture, this is the limited impact that strength of schedule would have. It wouldn't determine everything, but it would still give teams motivation to prove that they are the best so they can have a path of least resistance in the playoffs. Plus there would be less of a negative factor in scheduling tough teams out of conference. Wisconsin and LSU can match up out of conference and whoever wins might end up with a higher seed in the playoff bracket if they win their conference, but we all know that if either one loses out of conference it doesn't eliminate them from the playoffs and the national championship. (i.e., they both have everything to gain out of conference and nothing to lose). - As far as the automatic qualifier conferences not going for an idea like this, you're spot on. What exists now is basically something equivalent to the difference between "de jure" and "de facto" discrimination. Sure the rules don' t say that a MAC team can never play for a national championship, but we all know that the governing body and framework that exists will never let it happen. There has to be a massive overhaul of the ridiculous structure that the BCS has put before us in order for a "non automatic qualifier" team or conference to have any sort of chance at a national championship. -There really are two options: Either the five non automatic qualifier conferences create their own championship, kind of like what GP1 has asserted I believe, or the entire FBS gets restructured to provide a fair playoff system for the teams in all 11 BCS conferences. My personal preference is that UA, The MAC, and all non automatic qualifier conferences are given a legitimate chance to compete for the highest trophy in college football. However, the institutions that grab all of the money want none of that and those schools with the money end up making the rules. - Well, the rebel in me says I don't want to follow those rules and I still send my support to UA and hope that one day the BS structure gets totally overhauled somehow for the betterment of ALL FBS conferences. I suppose I'm more of a glass half full kind of person as far as this is concerned.

I'd say that a football playoff means essentially nothing to the MAC as things stand. Although, I suppose hypothetically if a MAC team were to have an out of conference schedule against whoever were the top four ranked teams that year and beat all of them and went undefeated the rest of the season, beating other MAC schools by dominant margins, it would be fair to say that they should be in the four team playoff. I always thought it would be cool to structure a college football playoff system where each conference champion gets an automatic bid to the playoffs. For the sake of the hypothetical, let's say there were 10 FBS conferences, the champion of each conference automatically goes to the playoffs. The four lowest seeded teams would play in the first round and the remaining teams would have a first round "bye." The two winners would move on to the second round in a field of eight and eight to four and so on until a champion emerges. - I think this is a preferable model because this makes things like pre-season rankings and selection committees of limited importance. The teams get to prove how good they are on the field. Arguments like "Wisconsin beat Oregon, who beat Texas, who beat LSU; therefore Wisconsin is better than LSU and should be in the national championship game" can be avoided. - However, this model can still be structured to give the regular season games significance. It would be a lot like like the NFL playoff system in that teams would not only be playing to win their conferences so they can actually get to the playoffs, but they would also be playing for an upper seed so they can have a first round "bye." Also, other incentives like home field advantage or less travel for a road playoff game can be included so teams aspire to obtain the highest possible seed, not to mention the structure of a typical bracket which would put the highest seeded team against the lowest remaining seeded team and so on. So, if an 8th seeded Toledo beat top seeded LSU in the second round, no whining, no complaining about how LSU beat Alabama in the regular season, the teams settled it on the field, and if a hypothetical LSU is good enough to beat a hypothetical Alabama in the regular season, then they should have been good enough to beat a hypothetical Toledo in this hypothetical playoff system. - There can also be bidding for sponsorships for each round of the playoffs, because each game in each round would keep the distinction of being one of the traditional bowl games (i.e., Nokia Sugar Bowl, Orange, Cotton, Rose bowl etc.) It's important to keep some element of tradition because fans enjoy it and are familiar with it. - To me this is a far better model than things currently stand and better than a future four team playoff. Either way, bowl season would be far less watered down with meaningless bowl games and each game would be an elimination game which gives each game a great deal of urgency and importance. I think far more people would tune in to watch games that have actual meaning in terms of actually playing for a national championship. Plus it provides a chance for a "Cinderella" which many fans tune in to root for. - This might not be a preferable model for some, depending on what side of the fence you stand on, but for "mid major" type "non automatic qualifier" BCS conferences this at least gives teams a spitting chance to play for a national championship, and there is not a fairer way to prove how good a team is than slugging it out on the field head to head.

"Seething" They had a very good season but left so much on the table in March. It was so aggravating watching the conference tourney slip away and then the NIT just a few short days later. This team is going to be a monster next year.

Getting ready for a great day of basketball today. Zips are 4-0 all time against ORU. Lets make it 5-0. Go Zips!

I was just thinking about that. Does NIU basketball have to bring a snow storm with them every time they come to town?

Yes, that is Can't's "Superfan." The shrieking is incredibly annoying, but like the big chief said, she does have a slight mental disability so its just her way of rooting for her team I guess, and that's understandable. Here is an article about her from Can't's student magazine. (you'll probably have to adjust the "can't" in the url to the word "k ent").

Brian Walsh's free throw rate is currently 31.4. Free throw rate and free throw percentage are different statistical categories.

In the immortal words of Homestarruner, "Seriously."

After last night's win, Statsheet has the updated Zips RPI at 51 and SOS at 60. I'm excited to see who we end up with when they announce the Bracketbuster match ups on Monday. Those numbers should give us one of the premiere games. Hopefully they can take care of business against Central Michigan.

Kant dunk, shoot or score Fashion is not a major Akron Hail, All Hail!

Marshall law at JAR Black Squirrel sadness abounds Hippies always lose Losers march back to Memorial A&C Tails between their legs Chubby hippie girls Basketball Incompetence Portage County's best - Thanks for starting this thread Class of 82, this is actually pretty fun.

Golden Flashes Cry January Winter Cold Deep Basketball Shame

Attendance tonight: 4,661. Not a terrible turnout, but it also didn't seem like a very energetic crowd until around the end of the game. Maybe it's just me, but I've been jacked up for this one for a while. I think both teams would agree that the officiating was pretty horrid in the second half, but at least we got the W, and that is all that anyone cares about at the end of the day. Being 3-0 in the conference is awesome. I'm stoked about it and can't wait until the game coming up on Saturday. First things first though, Buffalo is going to be a crazy challenge. Buffalo is very good and it's going to take a huge effort to get over on them at their place. Also, the technicals at the end of the game were just terrible calls. No player from either team physically did anything to warrant one. The only explanation I can fathom is that each of the 3 players said something very uncouth to an official. Go Zips!

WOW... Just... Just... Wow. That was one stinking ugly game but they got it done when it counted thankfully. I really can't believe it. They pulled that one out of nowhere. Somebody at Akron must have been Tebowing before this one...

Is anyone taking the trip down to Marshall on Sunday? I'm really debating it and was wondering if there will be any sort of Akron contingent down there...

What a breath of fresh air compared to the last regime. I'm already excited.

There's a women's swimwear fashion show coming to the JAR later this month?

I'm very excited for the show to air. I've been waiting for something like this and am BEYOND stoked that it is finally happening! Thanks to those responsible for finally giving the people of NE Ohio a show about a basketball team they actually care about!!

Excellent post, it really helps to put things in perspective. I've been saying the exact same things. I get so tired of sifting through all of the negativity sometimes.

I saw a little bit of this game. I tuned in just in time to see the nasty alley oop to Mitchell Watt. I had to watch it a few times. The east really is going to be tough this year. Even BG got a nice win against Temple. I really believe the MAC has a chance at sending two teams to the dance this year.

This is very good news.

Ohio Revised Code ORC 2903.13 (A) "No person shall knowingly cause or attempt to cause physical harm to another or to another’s unborn." My best guess is that "attempt" is the operative word here. I agree with you. Assuming he doesn't have a record, there were no weapons involved, and the disc jockey was not injured, it seems like he would likely be offered a plea for something much less than an M1. People get into scrapes at bars all the time, especially college kids in their early 20s. It doesn't mean he wasn't wrong for what he allegedly did, but it seems like a first degree misdemeanor would be too severe, at least according to the facts in the article.

According to the article, he was charged with assault in addition to 2 counts of disorderly conduct for fighting and being intoxicated. You're right about disorderly conduct being the lowest of misdemeanors, but for those that don't know, assault is typically a first degree misdemeanor, which is the most severe degree of misdemeanor. (ORC Sec. 2903.13 Assault) The assault charge can get reduced or even dropped, it depends on the evidence that the prosecutor has. It can also play a factor if he has priors. He'll start to learn more after his arraignment. College kids make errors in judgment all the time. Unfortunately, alcohol makes it much easier to make errors in judgment.

If I had to pick an 80s sitcom to describe tonight it would be "Growing Pains"... That was really embarrassing. I think it comes down to the fact that this team isn't very mentally tough right now, or very disciplined, as is evidenced by the recent suspensions. I'm not saying last year's team would have won this game, but it wouldn't have spun out of control in the first half the way it did tonight. This team misses McNees and Co and what having four upperclassmen brought to the team, not to mention a MUCH deeper backcourt. The Zips are taking their lumps right now and don't really have an extremely high collective basketball IQ . This team consists of a lot of players that have very little game experience together so they are going to have their growing pains like they did tonight. They have a lot of upside and if they keep at it they can be pretty dangerous come tournament time. It's also going to help a lot to get Abreu and Treadwell back and everybody healthy. Time to regroup, refocus, learn from it and move on. I mean hey, "as long as we've got each other," I think we'll be fine...