72 Roo

I'd do it for the Spring game, or practice. Leave the fans feeling good about Zip football for a change. It sure as hell wouldn't cost much and would be a good test. Do something different for a change.

Please tell me you don't really believe I think we can get the #1 player in the country. Maybe I should include a sarcasm alert with my posts.

Go big or go home. We could have landed him and we would never have known with the amount of hype the team is receiving this off-season. Where is the 3 minute interviews with players and coaches that were done nearly every day two or three years ago? I asked Camden about this and he said they hoped to do more after basketball ended. Well we still have nothing. Camden is a good guy and part of the solution so I'm not on his back. Why can't we pay a student to take his phone and do interviews, anything? That is not a cost issue.

In sports a turnaround in a program is all about coaching. The right coach can find success even in the face of poor facilities, low budget or little administration support. None of those issues are applicable to the UA women's program. I still hope that Jen can build a team to match the men's, but to be honest I see little reason for optimism.

I am also glad Kent kept Sendy. He has helped heighten the intensity of the rivalry by building competitive teams. He is constantly pushing Akron to be better and we have responded by staying one step ahead. I have issues with the character of his players, but that's a Kent problem, not ours. Keep pushing us to a level above the Flashes.

Does Kent now go after Dustin Ford? That's where I would go if I were AD there.

At the pre-season basketball event on campus in the student union Bowen and Josh spent a lot of time with me during the early cocktails portion of the night. They were both extraordinarily nice, positive and kind. No pampered jock attitude from either. I became a fan of both. I wish Josh had found a home here, but he is moving on. I wish him well and regret it didn't work out at UA regardless of the reasons.

This was a great year. Thanks and appreciation to all involved. As we look to next season there is one thing to keep in mind. The Zips keep metrics on every practice. Before he got hurt Mahaffey consistently graded out the best. He may solve the guard/wing issues we have for height, athleticism and scoring ability. No doubt, though, we need a 6'10"+ presence in the paint and more height at PF. Groce will solve it. He knows all of this and more.

He's being called on to sacrifice for the team. NWAkron, take it like a man!

The talk in Cleveland by guys who are super closet the program, like Bud, was that a big was headed to Akron. No one would say who, but hey said we are very close to getting him. Stay tuned.

This a good post that shows your support for the program. Nonetheless it is headed for a rebuild again. Losing Mobley and possibly Brown adds to the loss of a foundation to build on. Compounding that is the questionable return of injured players and players with personal issues and you have little consistency, chemistry or culture. Groce caught lightning in a bottle when he brought in 9 new players, but his culture and tradition were firmly established and unchanging. Ryan does not have that advantage. I hope he rights this ship, but it is no knock on the program to cite reality. We welcome being proved wrong.

Like it or not we are already there in seeing players chasing money and forgetting about the benefits of staying at UA. It is called football.

Toledo is toast. They lose too much talent and are left with a coach who has not been able to adapt and make Toledo a good destination for transfers. Any good high school players he gets will eventually leave in the portal after they have developed into players.

Goodbye next season. Welcome another rebuild and a below .500 record overall and few wins in the MAC.

It is clear, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the road to the MAC championship now goes thru Akron.