ZachTheZip

I think they forgot to turn the audio off for halftime.

Does anyone know which conference the refs are from? I assume they are from the horizon league.Akron 36, Youngstown 23 at half time.

Travis looks like he finally decided to step it up today. Thank goodness.

The place looks and sounds empty.

Nick Dials needs to stop getting fouls.

Akron #146 | SOS #287Teams we've played:UALR #225 | 6-8 (2-2)Gardner Webb #227 | 1-9 (0-0)Niagara #238 | 6-7 (1-1)Oral Roberts #121 | 6-7 (0-0)Binghamton #256 | 7-5 (0-0)Winston-Salem State #304 | 0-16 (0-0)Illinois-Chicago #162 | 6-8 (2-0)St. Francis (PA) #324 | 3-8 (1-1)Nevada #29 | 11-1 (0-0)Loyola Marymount #108 | 6-8 (0-0)Remaining non-conference teams:Youngstown State #125 | 5-7 (2-1)Duquesne #259 | 4-7 (0-0)The MAC Conference:Ohio #68 | 8-3Western Michigan #89 | 4-8Buffalo #137 |8-5Can't State #144 | 6-5Akron #146 | 7-3Miami (OH) #151 | 4-8Toledo #166 | 4-8Ball State #214 | 4-9Central Michigan #216 | 5-7Bowling Green #253 | 7-4Eastern Michigan #283 | 4-8Northern Illinois #296 | 2-9The next two games will define the rest of the season. A win at YSU will give our RPI a needed boost, and is we can pull off a win at Ohio we can beat anybody in the MAC. I have a real funny feeling that we might play Witchita State in the Bracketbuster, but I have no idea where that comes from. Anyways, Go Zips! Beat Youngstown!

I can only hope this inspires Romeo to play better. It has become painfully obvious that he is playing uninspired basketball. We need him to be at his best for the start of conference play, especially at Ohio. You can tell that Dambrot is not happy with him. I think we have enough talent to absorb his lack of production for now, but unless someone steps up quickly this will be a huge problem later in the season.

Akron #154 | SOS #295Teams we've played:UALR #209 | 6-7 (2-1)Gardner Webb #230 | 1-9 (0-0)Niagara #272 | 5-7 (1-1)Oral Roberts #126 | 5-7 (0-0)Binghamton #261 | 7-5 (0-0)Winston-Salem State #306 | 0-16 (0-0)Illinois-Chicago #164 | 6-8 (2-0)St. Francis (PA) #326 | 3-7 (1-1)Nevada #46 | 10-1 (0-0)Loyola Marymount #97 | 6-7 (0-0)Remaining non-conference teams:Youngstown State #156 | 4-7 (1-1)Duquesne #270 | 4-7 (0-0)The MAC Conference:Western Michigan #85 | 4-7Ohio #112 | 7-3Buffalo #131 |8-5Toledo #134 | 4-7Can't State #142 | 5-5Miami (OH) #149 | 4-8Akron #154 | 7-3Ball State #219 | 4-8Central Michigan #254 | 4-7Bowling Green #257 | 7-3Eastern Michigan #283 | 3-8Northern Illinois #286 | 2-8The win over Loyola Marymount jumped us up 26 spots. That is not bad at all. Youngstown State is up next, and is another big game before MAC play starts at Ohio on 1/6/07. We need a nearly flawless run in the MAC to even become a bubble team. Two conference losses at the most, otherwise the only way in is to win the MAC tourney. I hope to see at least 100 of Akron's loudest fans at Youngstown St. We are currently favored to win by about 5 points.

Akron 92, Loyola Marymount 52 Final

So, does anyone know when the north student section (in the bleachers) became a daycare center? I sat up there for a few minutes before coming down to the Rowdies, and I swear more than half of the people there were under 10 years old, and looked like they had no idea what they were doing at the JAR. The parents just sat there looking annoyed, and didn't try to get the kids into the game at all. That was pathetic.Oh, and Bleacher Bum, you were louder than the entire crowd over the course of the game. Good job.

He was sick today with a sore throat and and a fever.

Right now the Zips are favored by three points. We will see how that changes after we play tonight.

Please be a bowl... Please be a bowl... Please be a bowl...

Akron #180 | SOS #306Teams we've played:UALR #211 | 6-7 (2-1)Gardner Webb #229 | 1-9 (0-0)Niagara #301 | 4-7 (1-1)Oral Roberts #125 | 5-6 (0-0)Binghamton #262 | 6-5 (0-0)Winston-Salem State #303 | 0-15 (0-0)Illinois-Chicago #158 | 6-8 (2-0)St. Francis (PA) #324 | 3-7 (1-1)Nevada #47 | 10-1 (0-0)Remaining non-conference teams:Loyola Marymount #86 | 6-6 (0-0)Youngstown State #164 | 4-7 (1-1)Duquesne #274 | 4-7 (0-0)The MAC Conference:Western Michigan #88 | 4-7Ohio #116 | 7-3Toledo #137 | 4-7Can't State #138 | 5-5Buffalo #141 |8-5Miami (OH) #147 | 4-8Akron #180 | 6-3Ball State #223 | 4-8Central Michigan #263 | 4-7Bowling Green #268 | 6-3Eastern Michigan #283 | 3-8Northern Illinois #298 | 2-7Winning against Loyola Marymount will boost our SOS bigtime. The MAC looks better than it has been all season right now. It will be interesting to see what happens once the MAC season starts. Starting MAC play at Ohio is tough, but I think the Zips can pull out a win.

The line has us at Akron -16. I think that is a bit too high, but I do expect to win today. Loyola has lost their leading scorer but they are a solid team. A win today is great practice for when the MAC season starts.

Officials in NCAA basketball make too many make-up calls which can ruin a game. It's not just the MAC, WAC, or whoever we play, it's everybody and that needs to stop. Does anyone know if the refs get reviewed after every game on their performance, like in football? If not they should be.

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/16334165.htmYep. Way to drum up support for the team, burying the article in the middle of the sports section. Maybe we will get something on the front page tomorrow so people actually know there is a game being played.

We should see a jump in our RPI since conference play has started for some of our opponents. I think we will finish with an RPI of around 80 if everything goes well (beat all remaining non-conference games and only 2 losses in the MAC). Akron #178 | SOS #297Teams we've played:UALR #214 | 5-7 (1-1)Gardner Webb #218 | 1-9 (0-0)Niagara #272 | 4-6 (1-1)Oral Roberts #171 | 4-6 (0-0)Binghamton #232 | 6-4 (0-0)Winston-Salem State #305 | 0-15 (0-0)Illinois-Chicago #162 | 6-8 (2-0)St. Francis (PA) #321 | 3-7 (1-1)Nevada #48 | 9-1 (0-0)Remaining non-conference teams:Loyola Marymount #94 | 6-6 (0-0)Youngstown State #172 | 4-7 (1-1)Duquesne #312 | 3-7 (0-0)The MAC Conference:Western Michigan #92 | 4-7Ohio #112 | 7-3Toledo #132 | 4-7Can't State #139 | 5-5Buffalo #141 |8-5Miami (OH) #149 | 4-8Akron #178 | 6-3Ball State #228 | 4-8Central Michigan #264 | 4-7Bowling Green #269 | 6-3Eastern Michigan #282 | 2-8Northern Illinois #304 | 2-7I'll see everyone tomorrow at the JAR to cheer on the Zips to victory. Loyola Marymount is a pretty tough team, but if we play like we did against Nevada, with a little better free throw shooting, we should win with no problem.

Maybe if you surround him with a line that doesn't get a flag to negate every play, and some receivers who can catch absolutely any pass, along with a good running game... he might make a good back-up QB right now. Then again, anyone can be a decent QB if you are surrounded by the best players in the NFL, which Getsy will not get.

Well, it's MAC champs or bust now, unless we get to beat an awesome team for the Bracketbuster.Akron #179 | SOS #297Teams we've played:UALR #214 | 5-7 (1-1)Gardner Webb #219 | 1-9 (0-0)Niagara #272 | 4-6 (1-1)Oral Roberts #171 | 4-6 (0-0)Binghamton #233 | 6-4 (0-0)Winston-Salem State #305 | 0-15 (0-0)Illinois-Chicago #154 | 6-8 (2-0)St. Francis (PA) #321 | 3-7 (1-1)Nevada #48 | 9-1 (0-0)Remaining non-conference teams:Loyola Marymount #92 | 6-6 (0-0)Youngstown State #172 | 4-7 (1-1)Duquesne #312 | 3-7 (0-0)The MAC Conference:Western Michigan #91 | 4-7Ohio #112 | 7-3Toledo #132 | 4-7Can't State #139 | 5-5Buffalo #141 |8-5Miami (OH) #148 | 4-8Akron #180 | 6-3Ball State #229 | 4-8Central Michigan #266 | 4-7Bowling Green #269 | 6-3Eastern Michigan #284 | 2-8Northern Illinois #304 | 2-7The teams near the top of the MAC all have high SOS ranks, even if they don't have winning records. We would be much better off playing high-majors with a .500 record than we are now. Once conference play starts these numbers will change significantly.I bought many tickets to the Loyola Marymount game to give as gifts. I refuse to let the marketing department succeed with their diabolical plan to destroy our sports programs. Merry Christmas and

Stuff like that is absolutely great for the program. We get kids who actually WANT to play here, instead of being the "backup" school in case they don't sign with some "big-time" school. I see this happening all around the MAC, and the conference looks like it is on the rise, possibly because of the four bowl tie-ins. Right now we have 4 three-star recruits according to Scout.com, while no other MAC school has more than one. According to Rival's, we have 3 three-star recruits and are blowing away the rest of the MAC in terms of recruiting. Those students who wait until the last minute to commit are obviously waiting for an offer from a bigger school, and if we happen to run out of scholarships by then, it sucks to be them.

I was sittingon the north side in the student section, and by the second time-out, the people in charge of the Rowdies were begging for people to sit in the lower section. Maybe when the marketing department can promise 4000 fans, they can start making demands for more students.

"Before the game, Akron coach Keith Dambrot signed a new five-year contract."AWESOME!

Just got back from the game. Here are some of my thoughts , although my thinking capability will be limited for a while. 1.) The crowd absolutely sucked. ure they were loud near the end of the game, but only 3,000 people cannot help but suck for the biggest game of the year no matter how loud they are.2.) For some reason, even though the Zips lost, I feel sort of happy. They played their hearts out and you could see the emotion on the court. They played a good game, regardless of what sort of stats there were.3.)The officiating crew absolutely SUCKED! I have never seen so many bad calls go against a home team.Maybe when I can think straight I will post some more in-depth details, but for now I think I am going to watch some TV or something.

I agree that there will not be a sellout. Maybe if the Zips win against Nevada there will be enough of a buzz in the community to cancel out the lack of advertising. I also have figured out that win or lose, our RPI will increase bigtime just because of the strength of schedule improvement. Of course we all would like to see a win and I think we can definately pull it out with Rome, Dru, and Wood leading the way.