ZippyforPresident

That is an amazing showing of solidarity on behalf of Akron's squad. You're all really good friends and good guys for doing that for a teammate. My deepest sympathies are with the Hitchens family for such a horrible and just plain unfair loss. My family also suffered a devastating and suddenly unexpected loss of a man about the same age as Mr. Hitchens these past few months. He was my uncle and was a family patriarch and role model for many young people, including myself. He was also an Akron School of Engineering Alumni and Basketball fan and wore his Blue and Gold with pride. I remember watching Akron basketball at the JAR with him and his son (my cousin) when they came to visit me when I was an undergraduate (and him telling me about going to Zips games in the 80s when apparently they used to fill that gym to the rafters ). And I think I've done an alright job trying to keep that tradition alive by taking my cousin to some great games this year. I hope for nothing more than to be able to continue that proud tradition. My point in all of this is that Humpty, you don't just have a bunch of fans in the stands at games, but you have a second family here. In many ways we all go through triumphs and tragedies together. The blue and gold creates a common bond that I believe is an especially strong one. All of my family's thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family. Stay strong friend.

How did we go from having Monsters of Rock festival to wishing for Jay-Z or Dave Mathews!?!? I've seen Nirvana at the JAR, Tool at the Daily Double. What happen to the Akron music scene??? Nirvana played at the JAR?!! That. is. AWESOME! As for the music scene in Akron, there are still some pretty good venues to see quality local bands. I'm not much into the pop or hip hop scene, but if you're interested in more of the guitar oriented variety of music loosely defined as "rock" places like the Mocha Maiden and Annabell's have a lot of quality live music. Thursday's and The Matinee also have shows on certain days. It's too bad the Lime Spider closed. I've been in bands that have played all of these places and have had a lot of fun both playing and watching bands play at all of these venues. Mocha Maiden is probably the nicest and cleanest venue I have ever played or seen a band at. And as far as your Nirvana experience at the JAR goes, the closest I can come to that is having seen the Pixies there a few years back. That was a really good show. Oh, and to stay vaguely on topic... I think UA sports have a very positive impact on the city, especially with the Info taking up the corner of Spicer and Exchange. A lot of revenue can be generated from that addition to the campus. The Exchange strip is twice the place it was 9-10 years ago and is slowly but surely moving in the right direction. Eradicate the ZLB plasma services, get some more investors for the blocks behind exchange and drive out some of those slum lords and "University Park" can be a pretty nice place I believe. Also kudos to the Don Drumm studios for having a positive impact on that area and doing something creative with it.

Hats off to Butler. Thanks for making a statement for all the mid majors out there and keeping that hope alive. Not a thing to be ashamed of in that performance last night. That was a great game with great defense, heart, hustle, and intensity. The final outcome really came down to nothing more than pure dumb luck. For as big of a "mid major" advocate as I am I can't stand it that a number 1 seed who was given a region that was a cake walk to the tournament (or as some have referred to this tournament as the "Duke Invitiational") ended up with the hardware, but that game was one of those situations where nobody really won, time just ran out with one team in the lead. All the other things aside, this was just an absolutely sensational tournament and yet another reason why the excitement of march madness completely dwarfs the outdated, pre-calculated bureaucracy of dinosaurs that is the bowl championship series of college football. Although to be honest, I watched twice as many NIT games as I did bowl games this winter.

I think a significant difference between this year's Zips squad and Butler has to do with the mental aspect. i.e. preparedness, focus, not getting rattled when things aren't going your way, always believing that you can win and never doubting your ability. For example, last night Matt Howard got into some foul trouble early, but I didn't see him complaining or whining or sitting on the bench with his head down. He stayed in the game and stayed mentally focused. This years Zips squad looked miles away from reaching that level of focus. Maybe some of that has to do with inexperience, but I will say this much, some of the freshman last year looked a lot more focused last season than they did as sophomores this season. Butler doesn't make nearly the amount of mental errors that cost a team possessions which subsequently provide the opponent with easy baskets and open looks. Butler obviously understands the game plan, this years Zips squad always seemed to show up unprepared as if showing up to class without preparing their homework the night before. I will give credit where credit is due and think that McNees and the Seniors showed up prepared and focused for most games and didn't get rattled over things that happen essentially every night on the floor. The problem is that on the Zips squad this season people refer to that level of focus as "leadership" but on Butler's squad it's merely the norm. They play like a team and while it is evident that some players on the Zips do show up prepared, the old adage remains true; a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And when you've got Nikola screaming at an official and Humpty letting some opponent get him in an uproar and seeing red, and various others walking up the floor when they miss a shot instead of getting back on defense and focusing on getting the ball back you're not gonna beat many quality opponents. I guess a good way to sum it up would be that Butler came to work every night and didn't take anything for granted. The Zips just seemed to think that they could ride last year's tourney appearance to another one. I know the life of a student athlete is a busy one and a total balancing act and don't mean to call anyone out for not trying or not wanting to win. That's not my intention at all. I just think that inexperience played a factor as well as some easily controllable things that once exposed and addressed, people can make a conscious effort to correct and learn from them. It's all part of growing as a person, a player, and a team. Good luck in 2010-2011. I'm looking forward to the renewed focus and dominant attitude of Akron Basketball.

Just bought 3 lower reserve tix. I'm stoked about tomorrow. Should be a good game.

I think they've got a chance to be really, really good next year. The back court will be full of upperclassmen. I really liked what I saw from McNees and McClanahan these past three games. Hitchens will be a sparkplug as usual and Steward has shown some flushes of being able to do some really good things with his speed and ability to slash, penetrate and just plain make plays, whether by passing or scoring. I think Zeke is going to show a TON more next season, he's going to give everyone huge match up problems both offensively and defensively. His potential is virtually unlimited at this point, and he just has a really nice touch shooting the ball for a big man. I think the big area of focus will be at Forward. It's all going to be up to Brett and Nikola next year. If Dakotah Euton, or Josh Egner can hit the ground running then I think we can be pretty/extremely awesome next year. It's a lot of pressure to put on any true freshman, but in the last two years all we have lost are forwards. And Linhart, C. McKnight, and Conyers leave some gargantuan shoes to fill.

Thanks for a great season Zips. 24 wins is nothing to be ashamed of and neither are four consecutive MAC championship appearances. You guys have scratched, clawed, and battled until the bitter end and have shown nothing but heart, resilience and toughness this season, and that is something to be admired. As a college basketball fan, it's impossible to ask for anything more.Also, best of luck to Chris McKnight, Tim Carroll and Jimmy Conyers in all of their endeavors after college basketball, whatever they may be. If you guys approach life anything like you approach the game, I'm sure your futures will be bright, whatever path you choose.NIT, CBI, or whatever... I'll be there for every second of this crazy ride known as college basketball season. The future of Akron basketball remains bright, and I believe that with all that I have. Whether it's for the last time this season or not: LET'S GO ZIPS!

I don't think "rolled by a bunch of jucos" is completely correct. Geno has 3 HS guys entering next year and 2 Junior College boys. I think as far as PF's, Keith has outdone Geno big time by getting Dakotah Euton (Dakotah is a 6'8" bullseye shooter as compared to geno's 6'6" Juco DeAndre Nealy. I'll take Dakotah all day in that battle. Can't also has a HS kid Knight at 6'6" they've recruited as a power forward, and once again I think we're getting better talent at that position.) At this point I think that our front court is stacked with a bunch of size and will be able to hang with nearly anyone in the nation. But it's the back court that gets those guys going and really makes things go in the MAC and we need to get some guards with size back there... Not knocking our "smaller" guys but we need some slashers for Zeke. Zeke is going to make it all go, so we need to surround him with what he needs. (i.e. outside guys that can slash and just throw darts, thus spreading things out). Despite his size I think Humpty absolutely has that ability. That kid is a big time athlete. I don't think you're wrong for asking that question though. Can't does exercize the JUCO option and we have not gone that route, although I've heard Coach D say that he was not totally in opposition to taking a JUCO player. But I do think that Dakotah and Egner will easily "athletically" compete with the "JUCO" stuff that Crap bag State U has coming in. Although they do have a few more scholarships to offer than the Zips do.Screw off frat boy state.Go Zips,Z4P

You are nuts...that was a CHOKE through and through. We crapped down our leg and beat ourselves with terrible play. How many offensive rebounds did Can't get and score points off of?Uninspired basketball like that will insure that even next year they will struggle to get ANYONE at the game.I'm embarrassed and every Zip should be as well.We'll agree to disagree then.....but you can't ignore our performance against more athletic teams this year.....actually it's been ugly. How many dunks did we have tonight? How about Can't? You mention rebounds but don't you think athletic ability plays a little part in that? You can point out our shooting percentage, but our shots were being contested. Any three pointer we took was rushed. You can cite turnovers, but again Can't has longer, quicker guards and they were clogging the passing lanes. There were a lot of tipped passes tonight. We were afraid to move the ball around and settled for terrible shots. Then you figure Can't has three to four guys on the floor at any given time who could beat you. Tonight it was Simpson who killed us. The reason we beat these guys last year is that they still didn't have their heads screwed on right. To Geno's credit, he's got his guys playing together and now they are wreaking havoc on the conference with their raw talent and athleticism. It seems that we don't have an answer for this team, and that worried me even before the game. Just saying....I think you're right about the reason that we beat these guys last year, they (Can't) did not have their heads on straight. That's the problem with The Zips this year. It's mental. If you think that Can't has some sort of insane recruiting advantage to more "athletic" players you're absolutely insane. We are in the same conference, in exactly the same region, competing for the same recruits (if anyone thinks that Geno freaking Ford is going to out scout or out recruit Keith Dambrot you have to be residing in an insane asylum). We basically won the superbowl with getting Zeke this year, just wait until things start slowing down for him, no one will have an answer for a 7'1 or 2" kid that knows the game, because he is more of an "athlete" than anyone in this conference. The difference tonight came down to a bunch of jack@ss seniors on Can't State's team who have some retarded sense of entitlement compared to a Zips team that was too young and too nervous to execute their gameplan... and if you're going to tell me that Anthony Simpson is that much more of an "athlete" than Chris McKnight you're just about off your rocker.Point is, Can't played their game and stayed glued to their gameplan, we didn't. Take it for what it's worth.

Ummmm... Yes they completely choked. Not sure where you get this bizarre kant state recruiting advantage from. We've got the same "level" of mac "players" as we've had for the past five years and then some. And I'm not sure where you get this "taller" idea from, except for maybe our back court, but this loss has nothing to do with our shorter, quicker back court players. We've got all the size and athleticism up front that we want against some team like pansy frat boy state. From what I've seen over the years is that THIS particular Zips teams gets a lot more rattled than those teams we had a few years back. It just seems to me like when this team gets the screws tightened against them every guy that gets the ball feels like he NEEDS to make a play. That's completely wrong, Akron is based around the team concept, they need to TRUST THE SYSTEM and play the team basketball that Coach Dambrot has laid out for them. I know we have a deep offensive playbook but in order for it all to work we need every single player firing like pistons in a row, exactly where and when they are supposed to fire, the complete team game, in order to put any "legitimate" competition in their place. Didn't happen tonight, adrenaline and bravado got in the way of the "business" that the Zips usually conduct. Make the pass, find the open player, Kant give a Sh*t U is no different than anyone else in this conference. Execute the game plan without the jitters or nervousness that goes along with the spotlight and this team can hand it to anybody in the conference, it's been done before in the Dambrot era and can easily be done again, just TRUST THE SYSTEM AND PLAY TEAM BASKETBALL, BECAUSE YOU GUYS REALLY ARE BETTER THAN KANDY-AS$ STATE UNIVERSITY.. Just play TEAM AKRON basketball. We saw it against Texas A&M for god's sake, can't read U is NOT better than Texas A&M.. Just trust yourselves guys, you've got it as long as you want it.

It was very disappointing, and at this point I don't think we have a chance. We do great against DIV II and weak Western Div teams. Big deal, that's not going to get us anyplace.But I must say, the shot selection was just so disappointing.QZ and AZ71' I think you guys need a 24 hour cooling off period. That's typically what I give myself, sometimes 48 hrs if need be, but in this case I'll make the exception. Undoubtedly this team crapped, pissed, blew chunks or whatever else down their leg. Heck, they wilted like pansy flowers in the bright spotlight of what is just about one of the biggest and most hyped games that this particular group has ever played in. Am I pissed off beyond belief, and drowning my sorrows in some way that probably isn't exactly the healthiest of ways? The answer is a reaffirming yes. But did I stick that game out until the very end, as gut wrenching and stomach turning as it was? Yes. Am I going to be there for the Tournament? As long as I still have a pulse you'd better believe it. I'm not going to turn coat like some fair weather suburbanite sissy Can't state fan when the going gets tough. If this ship ends up going down, and that is a big IF, I'm going down with it. As long as my heart keeps beating it's going to be pumping blue and gold blood through my veins. And as long as my lungs still pull air, it's getting pushed right back out screaming myself hoarse and voiceless for OUR cause. We got knocked down bigtime today, but I ain't quitting and neither is this team. It's time to collectively brush ourselves off, get back up and give everything until there's nothing left. I know this spiel seems like quite the "cowboy" routine, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna let those sissy frat boy mongoloids get the best of me and my city/school/alma mater.Burn in hell Can't, You'd better bring everything March 13th because you're going to need every ounce.Zips don't quit, Z4P

8pm can't come soon enough. Lets do this thing!!LET'S GO ZIPS! LET'S GO ZIPS! LET'S GO ZIPS!

Good trip this weekend. Came home from BG with a Zips win and even some extra Myles' Pizza. (If you've never been there, it's a must visit.)

Absolutely not. I gave them a margin of error of four games! As far as this season goes, so far they have almost done that. Maybe if they didn't have those 2 ugly losses and could have gotten those two good OOC wins they would be in the conversation.As far as the conference record goes, yes, I think in the conference right now it takes near perfection to stay in the selection committee conversation. The Zips have shown they are right there with 11 conference wins already.My point isn't anything new really. It's merely my opinion that if they dropped some of the 200+ RPI teams and replaced them with some RPI teams around the 50's or so and maybe schedule, as what some on here have referred to as an "ATM Game", it would give them a chance for a little more margin of error as opposed to having to win just about every game. And yes, I know it is far easier said than done to actually craft the perfect schedule.But no matter how you look at it or how a team tries to schedule, mid major teams have to rack up an impressive win total to even get at large consideration. I doubt someone like Butler would get at large consideration with an 18 win season as opposed to the 25 they have now. As mid major basketball fans we may not like it, but that's just the life of a mid major basketball team.Hope that helped to clarify things. Like I said, I'm not reinventing the wheel here or anything, just my personal thoughts about scheduling. Having said that, I think I've exhausted myself on all of this fantasy schedule talk. Coach Dambrot has done a great job with this program and has probably forgot more about basketball and "the art of scheduling" than I'll ever learn in this lifetime.

Zips now up to a 93 RPI rank, although K ent has moved up to an RPI rank of 49 as per CBS Sports Akron Zips RPI Breakdown.Although I am in favor of the Zips challenging themselves in the OOC some more than has been the norm, I really don't think this is even a conversation if Akron takes care of Austin Peay and Eastern Michicant like they were supposed to, AND if they could have swept k ent (or Buffalo) and got a W against Rhode Island and VCU. Assuming they can get a W at Anderson, that would have put them at 28-3 with losses to only N.C. State, Texas A &M, and either K ent or Buffalo... IF this were the case and this team at least makes it to the MAC championship game I think the NCAA selection committee would have a hell of a time keeping a 30-4 team out that has an RPI ranking (and I'm merely speculating) somewhere in the 50's or maybe 40's.In summation: Cut out the bottom feeder schools from the OOC and replace them with "upper MAC level schools" and beat all of your conference opponents (which the Zips do for the most part already) and they will be right there on the bubble. And if they get that marquee win against some bottom of the top 25 team at the time, or get that good bracket buster win (which is what the BB is supposed to be for) then an at large is not out of the question, nor is a top 25 ranking. Hell, K ent was able to do it in the 07-08 season (yes they played #1 UNC) but the rest of that schedule is not mind bogglingly difficult. Not to sound treasonous, but I think they've done an excellent job with their OOC scheduling for quite a few years. If they have a good team and get the wins it puts them right in the middle of the Tourney conversation. And if they don't have a great team that year, or have a lot of underclassmen (and yes, this is where the JUCO conversation comes into play), they aren't going to get murdered in the way that the Redhawks would with their balls to the wall OOC schedule.The Zips schedule doesn't have to change all that much really.. It's close, but could just use a little bit of an injection. Really the key is winning the games you're supposed to win and just continuing on the path in the conference that they have been on. Get rid of the garbage bottom feeder teams and this team is a perennial Tourney team. Of course, this is merely one fan's opinion. Coach Dambrot knows what vision he has for this team and has a much more comprehensive understanding of how to get this team to where it needs to go, as opposed to some crummy fan(s) on an internet message board.Go Zips! I'm just here to enjoy this crazy roller coaster ride!

Right now I'm about 90% on making the trip to Anderson.

Thirsty Dog Brewing Company and Roo Brew Fine Craft Beers are also great microbreweries in Akron that you might want to try. Thirsty Dog can be found at Giant Eagle and Acme as well. Roo Brew is also supposed to be at various Giant Eagles and Acmes throughout the area. They used to sell it at the drive thru directly across the street from the stadium, but when I stopped in there maybe about a month ago the guy said they weren't carrying it anymore because it wasn't selling.Hope the info (pun very much intended) helps. Happy tailgating

Tonight might have been THAT game. The game that gives a team that confidence, that toughness, and a focus that can propel them for the rest of the season. Kind of like the Toledo game in the opening round of the tournament last season. A game when a team finds a way to win a game where nothing was going right and it seemed like there was no way victory is possible, but you don't give up, you believe in yourself and you come through in the stretch and just forge ahead. A terrible game, but great win.

I only have one or two comments to make about your post. (And I do enjoy reading your posts and know that your intentions are always in the right place )1. You can't call the loss to NC State a bad loss, that squad is competitive in nearly every game they play, they've got some athletes on that roster. Not to mention the fact that they are in the best basketball conference next to the Big East. Although, yes, I thought Akron should have won that game by double digits at that point in the season. But per the last 2 seasons the team starts a little slow at the same time that my Blue and Gold shades are at their deepest hue.2. The slow development of players. You have to keep in mind that this team is still very young. In our conference it's ALWAYS the upperclassmen that win the big games. The Zips are still heavy with underclassmen despite the great run into the dance last March. Although McNees, Brett McKnight, Bardo and Daryl are Juniors this season, we only have 2 Seniors that see regular playing time this year and I think Jim still hasn't completely found his niche despite the great games he's been having. Hitchens, Cvetinovic, McClanahan, Steward and Marshall are all still totally underclassmen and the rest of the guys are either just as young or younger. In summation, I think we need to save the slow development argument for this time next season. I'll tell you what, if this team hasn't won 15 games by this point next season I'll buy your ticket to a game. (I can spare the ten bucks, plus it would be great to meet some of the other posters that go to games anyway haha.)And as far as any of the guys out there that would say that Coach Dambrot's "seat" is any sort of warm, I don't think that's even close to the case at all. Not only has Coach Dambrot taken Akron Basketball to unprecedented heights, but he is a leader and a role model for many young men in this community, not just his players and the students that attend this university. A large faction of Zipsnation needs to take a collective deep breath and look at the SEVENTEEN wins that this team has. For the fifth year in a row this crew is going to bring home twenty plus wins and has put themselves in the position to claim the regular season title as well as find a spot in the big dance. It's just now getting to the point of the season that separates the men from the boys and there is no doubt that coach Dambrot has these men poised to make Akron proud. Lets just enjoy it while it lasts.

I am going to agree that Brett McKnight is easily the most versatile and complete offensive threat that this team has. Who else on this team, let alone in the MAC, has the size, inside game and post moves, as well as the range and athleticism that Brett McKnight has? I'll probably get ostracized for saying this, but he is comparable on the court to Anthony Simpson of K.S.U, although Simpson is slightly taller and Brett is slightly more of a playmaker on the offensive end. The only problem that comes up is that the name of Brett's game is INCONSISTENCY. He's a very talented player, but he can go anywhere from unstoppable to total black hole sometimes. When Brett is on his game the Zips don't lose, but when he's not it's up to someone else to step it up. I would love for nothing more than to see Brett step up and become the go to guy on this team, because when he's on he's deadly. The inconsistency is really the big issue here, as it seems to have been with the offense at many times this season. But what I'm really wondering is how much Brett's injury is keeping him from breaking out this year? A back injury like that has to cause at least some apprehension to say the least.Just keep plugging away and playing tougher defense than everyone else in this league. I know Coach Dambrot will have this team focused and up to the task no matter who tries to get in the way. Central had better be ready for the most physical game they've seen in a while.

I wholeheartedly agree with every part of this statement. But I'll wager everything I have that the outcome on March 5th is entirely different; as well as the mac tourney. I just have that deep down gut feeling that Akron Basketball is gonna finish everything the right way this year.

Has anyone else seen this? Your College Town Sucks: Can't, Ohio"From its paved roads to its numerous public restrooms, Can't is more than just a shining example of the modern, American city; each year, thousands of young, white people migrate to Can't to escape the wearying pressures of suburbia. Rest assured, fellow travelers--in our fair city, there is no fear of being forced to load the dishwasher or bitter tears over having to drive your little sister to piano lessons. Instead, you will find a safe haven full of people just like you who are far enough from their family to avoid being hassled, but still close enough to be sent money. However, the right to party--added to Can't's town charter in 1947--is just one of the many reasons so many tourists come to see, hear, and grope their way through the exciting world of a city located conveniently close to Cleveland!"(Note: You will probably need to change the word "can't" back to "k ent" in the url if it is automatically changed like "k ent" is in the regular text).

I feel your evening law student pain. It was tough sitting through class knowing that Akron and Miami were battling it out just a few hundred feet away. Needless to say, I covertly had my ESPN GameCast up and running throughout the evening .

Local Recaps: Gaffney: Zips Open MAC with Rout Elton: Akron Dominates the Second Half to Rout Bowling GreenGo Zips!!

Yeah because we sold out every game at the Info, right??? Just build a nice structure, and the place will be packed, just because it's a nice building. Meanwhile we left money on the table and fans and students unable to attend several games just a little to the west...Something tells me that Akron Basketball isn't going to go 3-9 any time in the near future. If any program is deserving of having some funds pumped into it (with the exception of soccer of course) it is the men's basketball program. In fact, that is exactly the point the article is trying to make. Basketball in the MAC no longer has the support that it once did, which is pretty bad, because there was some very respectable talent in this league not all that long ago. Think of it this way: If UA is able to make an investment in the basketball program in the immediate future, it could have a major leg up once the trend in the conference goes back toward basketball, which doesn't seem all that unreasonable when looking at the fact that our new commissioner comes from a conference that is focused on basketball as far as division one athletics are concerned. I dunno, something about both Akron v. K ent games being televised on the ESPN family of networks this season seems like it may be some sort of an indication that basketball in the MAC may be becoming a priority again for the conference, why not market its most competitive rivalry? It is a pretty fun one to watch after all...It would be great to upgrade facilities for the basketball team regardless, but pragmatically speaking, if the league does trend in a way that starts supporting basketball again, not only would the Zips have a leg up as far as winning games is concerned, but it would also have a leg up as far as $$$$ is concerned. If Akron is the flagship team of what becomes a respectable mid major conference, where do you think the media is going to focus? Which team do you think will be the one drawing in new fans? Who is going to be the one making money over the others? Why wouldn't you want that advantage? Carpe Diem buddy. Carpe Diem.