bUAkronG

I wish I could like this 100 times

Some food for thought.... Both Iona and Arkansas are currently sitting just outside of the top-100 in RPI. If either or both is able to make some noise in their conference tournaments(i.e. Iona knocks off Monmouth for the Big Dance Bid), and the Zips win out yet falter in the MAC Championship, I could hypothetically see us at least being in the conversation for an at-large with an RPI probably in the low 30's and a possible 5-1, 6-1, or 6-2 record against the top 100. Additionally, while the Zips have not shown well in the NCAA's, this team being a 3 point shooting team could potentially garner at least a few looks from the Committee. Who knows. For the record, I'm only speculating, not insinuating that this team deserves anything. Just looking at the numbers. I'd much rather win tomorrow and 3 games in Cleveland and ride the high into the Dance

Excellent article by Marla Ridenour on the Zips' new-found offensive philosophy: http://www.ohio.com/sports/zips/marla-ridenour-special-march-ncaa-breakthrough-for-ua-men-s-basketball-team-hinges-on-3-point-success-1.666151

I'm sorry but I just don't see that 16th rank being accurate. Maybe that's just looking at what it would be like if the Zips had a 26-7 record at the end of this week.

Just for S&G, I used the "rpi wizard" here and input wins over KSU, then neutral site wins over NIU and Buffalo, followed by a matchup with CMU in the Championship. A loss puts us at a 37 RPI and a win puts us at a 29 RPI.

Win out and lose in the MAC Championship and I would have to guess our RPI would be in the upper 30's to low 40's. Win out including the MAC Championship and I'd guess our RPI would be mid to low 30's and a 12 seed at best. That's just the way things go.

well that's all hypothetical. Clearly that's not an option here. We are talking only about fact. Any idea what their RPI was?

Maybe not an undefeated MAC season, but I think it's fair to say the MAC as a whole is a one-bid league and it would take a special season from one team to make that change. I've only been following Zips Athletics for 10 years, so I'm not quite as seasoned as others, but can someone remind me of the last time the MAC earned an at-large bid to the Big Dance(not a literal large movement rhythmically to music), and what that team's record was?

I don't know NWAkron or Glib and took NWA's post to mean it would take a long shot and an undefeated MAC season for any MAC team to get an at large, so he really never expected that to be an option in spite of what others thought a few weeks ago.

Well, the sky is not falling, but as others have alluded to, our potential NCAA Tourney seeding is. A loss, albeit on the road, to a sub-200 RPI team is going to kill our chances of getting higher than a 12 seed should we win the MAC Tourney. I do still have a lot of faith in this team to right the ship. And 3 final home games will be a good way to help facilitate that. Thankfully we get BG on Friday so hopefully that's a good opportunity to fix some things.

Although Akron is a 7 and a half point favorite, realtime RPI's forecaster seems to agree with your thoughts: http://realtimerpi.com/cgi-bin/rpi/scouting?team1=261&team2=269&gender=1&home=at&date=02-23

as much as I'd like to see the same, I think as usual with Zips bball, we aren't going to start hot and keep the pedal down. Even if we build a lead early, we will inevitably go on some sort of drought and allow Kent back in the game.

Technically two, actually But a non-conference SOS ranked 27th. And they got UNC to play them in Cedar Falls.

While I agree this is great and all, it's still not enough. I look at a team like Monmouth, who plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, literally one of the worst conferences in CBB. Right now their overall SOS is 153, while the Zips is 160. They are currently 6-2 against top 100 teams, including a 2-2 record against top 25 teams. Their OOC schedule, in which they played 4 top 25 teams and 2 top 100 teams, had an SOS of 48. Akron's was 266. You can't get marquee wins if you don't even give yourself an opportunity to play against a marquee opponent more than once a year.

Mental fortitude!!!! This team never gives up

11 offensive boards. too many

Brutus isn't even going to get a win in week 1, he's getting crushed 74-26 by Benny Beaver from Oregon State

After OU's win against Cleveland State, they host Wright State Saturday @ 2:00PM. EMU travels to Columbia Saturday @ 7:00PM IPFW plays @ VMI Saturday @ 1:00PM

I actually would be okay with a Lady Zips vs. Lady Nittany Lions matchup based on this quote from the Bracketology page: I think the Zips are on a roll and won't be afraid of whomever they match up with.

In looking over the 2014 CiT guide here, I noticed something that I haven't seen posted before, and that's Antonio Gates being on the selection committee. I wonder if that has something to do with so many MAC schools being present in the CiT over the years,

full list of matchups: Monday, March 17Holy Cross (19-13) @ Brown (15-13) Tuesday, March 18VMI (19-12) @ Canisius (20-12)Wright State (20-14) @ East Carolina (17-16)Norfolk State (19-14) @ Eastern Michigan (21-14) Chattanooga (18-14) @ ETSU (18-15)Columbia (19-12) @ Valparaiso (18-15)Alabama State (19-12) @ Sam Houston State (23-10)Portland State (17-14) @ San Diego Wednesday, March 19Quinnipiac (20-11) @ Yale (15-13)Towson (23-10) @ USC Upstate (19-14)Cleveland State (21-11) @ Ohio (23-11)Akron (21-12) @ IPFW (24-10)Murray State (18-11) @ Missouri State (20-12)North Dakota (17-16) @ Nebraska-Omaha (16-14)Texas A&M Corpus Christi (17-15) @ Northern Colorado (18-13)Pacific (15-15) @ Grand Canyon (15-14) not that records indicate much, but I like that the Zippers get the team with the best record in the tourney right off the bat.

I'm sorry guys, I feel responsible for this loss. I used to be active throughout the years past but this was my first thread I've posted in this year. Oh well, ther WILL be post season basketball for the Zips.

Brown with a bank 3 to basically ice it. And I don't usually question KD, but his timeouts were questionable tonight. You HAVE to take a timeout aftet that 3.

Well you got your wish, Forsythe fouls out. EFFORT DEFENSE

First lead of the game, and all momentum. Credit Western on both sides of the ball. They tightened up their defense in the second half.