w00t

I missed the part where he said we should go with Irons.

I'd lead a campaign to bring him back... we could really use him next year too. A re-dedicated, older and wiser, second chance Abreu (with something to prove) at the point, with the old guard 3/4 of Harney and Tree, plus a supporting cast with plenty of experience in Forsythe, McAdams, and Kretzer... not to mention potential super-sophs in Johnson and Cheatham. Evans could be the backup that I think he should be at this level, and Betancourt could transfer to Baldwin-Wallace where he's better suited. I think it's MAC Champs in a walk. Is it really lost on everyone that if Alex did right now in Colorado or Washington what he did in Ohio ten months ago, you'd call him "entrepreneur" as opposed to "criminal"? I'm skeptical that he could return, but if it's possible it can't happen soon enough.

It won't be the last match Campbell plays against the USA... let's just hope the team remembers this incident next time around and that Joel learns what a real foul is.

Quality event with ESPN exposure against a quality opponent... great way to start the season! Edit: Just saw the start time was 3AM, not midnight... well, still a quality opponent even if no one but the faithful will be watching at that hour.

The Michigan bench picked up Burke's slack tonight... 34 min, 7-9 FG, 4-5 3P, 3-6 FT, 6 REB, 2 AST, 21 PTS between the four of them. A big part of that was former OU commit Caris LaVert (a freshman)... http://www.ohiobobcats.com/sports/m-baskbl.../110911aaa.html.

Yeah, no kidding. Sports, and bad losses in particular, have a tendency to bring out people's more "passionate" side. I don't even know how to address someone calling coach Smart a d-bag and implying that it was the refs that gave us a beating on Thursday and not the Rams, so I'll just add a +1 to Buckzip's "wow". I've never cared about running up the score. There's an easy way to prevent it... play better. I suppose everyone whining about the "classless" (a word that's overused to the point of abuse, and only ever uttered by the classiest of sports fans I'm sure) decisions of Coach Smart will be petitioning the NCAA to institute a little-league style mercy rule immediately, right? It was a great season and we had a great team, we just drew an opponent who clearly demonstrated just how much certain factors and matchups can impact a game. If we have our point guard, if the refs were more whistle happy, etc., etc.... we know we're capable of playing competitively with them, it was done a year ago. Then as someone else mentioned, the same thing happened to VCU in the second round. Michigan was able to overcome their greatest strength with effort to spare and it turned them into an entirely different team where they had to compete from a position of weakness. I honestly don't think we'd have lost to Michigan by 25 if the matchup had been switched yesterday afternoon. Them's the breaks. I'm disappointed, but I fully EXPECT to return to the tournament next year... so that's what I'm focused on.

+1!

Wow, I would have picked just about anyone else for this matchup... not because I think it's unfavorable necessarily, but because VCU is a team I cheer for when they aren't playing UA. VCU being an overachieving "mid-major" with family ties to UA... what's not to like? I also think it's great that they have a classy fan who posts here often and genuinely hopes for the good fortune of the Zips when they aren't playing his team (Districtballer). We couldn't have gotten Wisconsin, UNLV, or a rematch with Okie St.? Ugh. Obviously we're not favored to win, but I don't quite understand all of the doom and gloom. We're well coached, fearless, and familiar with our opponent. We counter the strength of their pressure defense with superior size and our athleticism should be roughly on par with theirs. If we manage to keep them in a half court game (no small task of course) it shifts into our favor... our half court defense is capable of shutting any team down and we should enjoy a significant rebounding margin. Plus how great it is that we got sent to Auburn Hills and not San Jose! Anyone who wants to can get up and back in a day... hopefully we make the drive twice!

Seriously, we will be fine this week!

I'll trade my predicted 20-point win from last week for tonight's performance. God love ya Alex, I truly believe that not being a part of tonight was as much punishment (or more) than you deserve.

I wanted to add a "can I buy some pot from you?" joke in the Animal House thread last week but it was just too soon... Is it safe now LOL?

Dambrot said it last night... Some teams are just winners. Well, some coaches are winners too. Brilliant defensive game plan and flawless execution tonight. The MAC POY earned one point tonight... 1. He never saw a defender who outsized him by any less than six inches and it rendered him useless. Hats off to Tree, Harney, Zeke, and Walsh who turned in a defensive performance for the ages on DJ. Betancourt played within himself and gave the team his best 25 minutes of the year. Chauncey rose to the occasion.... His three was the biggest bucket of the night. The twin towers owned the paint on both ends of the floor. No one played poorly, that game defined team effort. Please bring that defense to the court next week. There's not a team in the country that could beat it. "Where is Cooper?" * clap clap clap clap clap* He's in the NIT... This performance belonged to UA.

Between learning this and beating Can't despite 17 turnovers and 16 bricks at the line, it's been a good night.

I happily took notice of that midway through the second half. Everyone should be in good enough shape to shorten the bench now. Can't believe that it's turned out to be Harney as the best option at the point... He's not perfect, but he creates matchup problems and I think it's helped him get his confidence back after struggling in the last few games. Hopefully he starts tomorrow night, we can't afford to stumble out of the gate. Hate to say it, but I remain extremely underwhelmed by Betancourt, to put it charitably... hopefully his minutes are trimmed to 10-15 tomorrow. I don't know what was worse tonight, the foul shooting or the ill-timed turnovers (which Can't converted into points really well until the home stretch). Protect the ball and make free throws and that was a 20-point win. 20. We would have to be considered the underdog tomorrow but anything can happen. We need to play our game and ride those big horses down low, Tree and Zeke can carry this team on their backs if they get enough touches. Avoid turnovers, feed the post, make free throws, and play the defense that we're capable of playing and we dance... there's little room for failure in any of those four areas.

Does anyone know what the odds are that Treadwell and/or Harney are granted a 5th year of eligibility?

Good to see I'm not the only one who was intrigued by Harney's couple of trips up the floor as the PG. I thought he at least "looked the part" more than anyone tonight.

Obviously AA was missed. I give Betancourt's performance a "C". He was serviceable and only turned the ball over once (though good fortune bailed him out of what should have been a couple others), but obviously not conditioned to play more than 20 minutes a night, which will need to be addressed if we're playing back-to-back games next weekend. Walsh didn't look comfortable to me the couple of times he was on the point. Harney looked surprisingly fluid the couple of times he brought it up... but then unfortunately he proceeded to barrel through the lane like a bull in a china shop, turn the ball over, and pick up his fifth foul in the process. Deji handled the ball like a drunk giraffe in what was likely a career-ending performance. Not sure why we have a guard on the roster who can't dribble, pass, or shoot (including at the foul line where no one's guarding him) at this level... but I guess that's why I'm not a coach. Speaking of, I was disappointed that my hope of seeing McAdams get a crack at the point went unfulfilled. Hats off to the crowd... they were loud and spirited for all 40 minutes, you can tell they really love these guys. I thought the refs left something to be desired... by both teams. That was a tough loss, but there was a lot of fight, and some of the best defense I've seen all year in the 2nd half (though certainly not in the 1st)... Can't had a 17-minute stretch where they only made five buckets. We made six threes on the night... half of which came in the last 45 seconds (3 of our first 21, ouch). If our three-point percentage ends up staring with something better than ".1" and we make better than half of our foul shots when we see them again next Friday I'm pretty sure it will end differently than it did tonight. Then if our second half defense from tonight shows up against OU or Buffalo in the final it will at least be a close game regardless of how well the offense is hitting. I'm still excited for next weekend, and still hopeful that we cut down the nets at The Q! ...and c'mon coach, give Reggie a shot at the point in practice this week!

On second thought...

We could steal the old Indians scoreboard graphic... "All rise, Betancourt is now in session!" flanked by a picture of Raffy in a judge's robe.

I'm really intrigued by GoZips comment about how McAdams has some experience running the point... it would add lot more size without sacrificing athleticism or three-point shooting. If nothing else it would throw a completely new look at our oppoenents, especially against OU where our height/rebounding advantage is already our key strength. Matching up against a starting five that goes 6'7", 6'4", 6'7", 6'8", 7'0" would be a nightmare for any MAC team. Edit: Just looked at the stats and saw McAdams has only FIVE turnovers all season (in 329 minutes)... I really hope he at least gets a chance to handle the ball. 'Melo scares the heck out of me every time he's on the floor.

GP1: Heyyyyyyyyy!!!! What's this lyin' around s***? a-zip: Well what the h*** we supposed to do ya mo-ron? Zipsnation (collectively): War's over man, APD dropped the big one. GP1: What? Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! Akronzips71: [whispers] Germans? Captain Kangaroo: Forget it, he's rolling. GP1: And it ain't over now!!! 'Cause when the goin' gets tough... the tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go! C'mon! [runs out, alone... then returns] What the $% happened to the zipsnation I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh? This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you're gonna let it be the worst. "Ooh, we're afraid to go with you GP1, we might end up disappointed." Well just kiss my @$$ from now on!! Not me!! I'm not gonna take this. Evans, he's a dead man! Cooper, dead! McCreaaaaaa - w00t: Dead! GP1's right. Psychotic, but absolutely right. We gotta take these b***ards. Now we could do it with conventional weapons that could take years and cost millions of lives. No, I think we have to go all out. I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part. GP1: We're just the guys to do it. meatwad: Let's do it. GP1: LET'S DOOOOOOOO IIIIIIT!! When we paste Can't by 20 on senior night in a few hours, we'll all feel better.

Is that really the full extent of what is known? No mention of whether he lives there alone or that the package was explicitly addressed to him? If that's the case I'm just really really annoyed at the timing. His roommate couldn't have just ordered it a month later? Ugh.

You used two guys with a net worth of nine figures each to make a point about a college kid whose net worth is probably his scholarship. Go hose yourself. If I was less charitable I'd say I hope your kid grows up to be the editor of High Times... but I'm better than you so I won't LOL.

In ten years I'll bump this thread and we'll all laugh that we once lost our starting PG for the season because he signed for a package that contained something that everyone can now buy at Wal-Mart (can you buy that crap at Wal-Mart in Colorado already?)... then hopefully we'll all cry because a couple of our own fans actually wished ill on him. I'm pissed at him for being stupid and letting the team and the fans down, but for the life of me I can't fathom why anyone here would want bad things to happen to him.