WinZip

Looks pretty promising to me. He's a small forward from Cincinnati (OH) with offers from schools like Penn State, St. Josephs, and West Virginia. Rivals LinkHoop Scoop ranked him 10th in the Ohio '10I remember reading somewhere he was waiting on a Michigan offer...

Josh Sewell looks like an interesting recruit. He's from Lousiville, Kentucky and had quite a few offers from big programs. Rivals Link

I agree, and I really don't wanna think about transfers...The point is it would be crazy not to have Weatherspoon as interested as possible. I would not count on Payne. We'll hopefully know in a few weeks if he's still interested but I have a feeling he's gonna hold off on committing for awhile. I'd have other options and from what I see it would be crazy not to pick Weatherspoon up. Is he not what we're looking for?

I've also heard Bob Huggins quite a few times but I think most are set on the fact he wants to retire in West Virginia. Chris Mack is strong possibility.

Roberts earned his scholarship in my opinion. The chance of us landing even one of these guys is slim, but both......I'm looking for a 5 point half court shot rule first.

and just for a little exclamation...

I would be excited about this guy too!!! Tell me that isn't awesome...

Great win!!!

So I was stumbling around and ran across some new info. After Xavier head coach Sean Miller's departure to Arizona State, it looked like it shook things up a bit. Here's another recruit who looks to be considering Akron. Judge for yourselves, I think he looks pretty promising:J.D. Weatherspoon Columbus (OH) NorthlandRivals Link

I agree we are on a short list of schools, but I think Dayton is still number one by a mile. I don't count us out and duh I'm excited at the possibility, but we have a long way to go.

You're just a doubter!!!!I'm thinking more like 1 out of 500

Wow! I really was under the impression that most people were very neutral when it came to the band.So I started typing out this list of things I didn't like about the band, but realized that I was looking at things the wrong way. I was VERY involved in the music program at my high school and participated in marching band for three of those years. To help rather than criticize, I think it would be better if I take a different approach...What makes a program successful? (and in particular a marching band program) Pride- The students, as well as the members should view the band as exemplifying what the University of Akron stands for. This will lead to increased student involvement, turnout, attention, members, etc. Effort- Give 100%! It's contagious and motivating. Funding-When proven successful, the band should be rewarded so it can grow accordingly. I agree with what most people have been saying, the band needs to find an identity. I would love to have a huge, screaming, in-your-face band but it takes time and dedication. Keep taking those steps in the right direction you guys are doing a good job!!

Im pumped for AK soccer!

thanks for the great pics!!!

PS... maybe he could watch the soccer game Sunday the 26th. I hear Akron's playin someone

I think we should make sure he feels at home

I don't want us to give up the relationships we have in the MAC... at least not until we can really win in a big conference like the big east. I want to have some dominating seasons and God knows we need the fan support....and for anyone who is offended by God I meant Zippy

Yes I hear OSU is out, and the short list is now:Dayton Akron Xavier U Cincinnati West Virginia Dayton to me seems the heavy favorite. I view Akron's stock as rising while Xaviers seems to be falling. I don't think UC stands a chance and WVU could be pretty tempting. I worry about the closeness he has with Dayton (team and location) and hope we can get his attention.

Hey that seems like a solid idea to me! I really think he's narrowed his options down and we're in a good position here. We have a chance to put everything we have into recruiting this kid. The only thing I know is we have a lot of ground to make upcross your fingers

thats great! thank you. Worth a watch everyone.

So I had a bit of time to poke around online and thought I would research this guy. Looks like he is raw talent, the type that could have quite a few turnovers but turn around and beat you every time with pure athletic ability. Dayton seems to be his top choice cus one of his friends signed there (almost like a package deal huh) and it's close to home. He wants to major in business, pointing out that academics is also a major factor in his decision. Lastly, he wants that connection and closeness with the coaching staff and team. Dayton seems to be most worried about OSU and XU picking up this guy, pointing out that he is waiting to hear from OSU, and has attended a few Xavier games. Lastly, some posters seemed to think he was slightly overrated. They referenced ref friends who said they were unimpressed. General impression is, however, that he's improving. The conclusions I drew (from others opinions ) are that while he may be a disposable talent at XU, Dayton fans are pretty much penciling him in their lineup. OSU seems to look like an option, and UKentucky as well. Didn't see much about Cinci. The fact that we're not mentioned probably only means the fans aren't aware of our potential. I don't count us out for a second, but Dayton looks like they have the advantage realistically.Here are some reasons I could see Payne coming to Akron:He wants to stay close to home: Adrein is being raised by his grandmother. So she can attend games it is vital he is relatively close to home. Coming from Dayton this seemingly works against us, but most college kids want a little space. Hmm maybe a 3 hour buffer *Rank: UD, UC, X, OSU, UA, UK He wants to go somewhere where he feels comfortable: Adrein visited OSU some time ago and stated the campus is way too big and he prefers a smaller campus. I'd say that gives Akron some hope, with what is in my opinion a gorgeous campus. He stated that he liked the size of UD’s and X’s campuses. *Rank: UA, UD, UC, X, UK, OSUHe wants to play in the NBA:Well the first time I read this I thought, "self this is not something Akron is known for" but as I thought about it more, if Payne were to come here the uproar would be enough to get him attention. Then, when we're "dancing with the stars" one can only imagine. *Rank: OSU, UK, UA, UC, XU, UDHe wants to connect: I think after hearing what Zeke said about the coaches and team, I feel quite confident that ours are top-notch. Also, I have a feeling his grandmother is very important to him. The coaches seemed to make a good impression on Zeke's mom, I imagine they could do the same.*Rank: UA, (and the rest)Visits:I'm sure one of the most effective recruiting tools occurs when a player becomes a fan. I know that he has visited several of the closest schools, in addition to attending an OSU football game. Chances are he came away quite impressed. Interestingly, he is planning his first official visit to Akron and will get to play in some games here. We have our chance to make an impression too.*Rank: UD, OSU, X, UA, UC, UKalright thats good enough... *all rankings are my opinion and are based on one hour of reading His coaches have advised him not to verbal to or sign with any school until late his junior year, and he has a TON of respect for his coaches. He will not verbal to UD right now, upsetting UD who feels they discovered him and his talents. In the end, I wouldn't rule out the grandma factor. She's supposedly living in Dayton and raising 6 foster kids.Chances are what grandma says goes!

They need to have entertainment all over campus, whether it's a parade, bands, food, a pep rally, whatever: Just get people out of their dorm rooms and into the game! We could maybe get a decent band that people would be excited about to have a concert at EJ, followed by a pep rally and then a huge parade through campus with zippy and all his antics. Hey maybe even some free food from our food services here. Then end the festivities maybe 2 hours before so students can make their own traditions (tailgating and whatever else).The entire campus needs to be PACKED...and not just with UAkron students, but visitors and recruits as well. Charge up the energy and surge the Info.

I've never understood why people have such a lackluster view of Akron athletics, and I am referring to many students. I'm not sure there's an easy answer to that question but heres one that I think will work:WinningKeep winning and I'm sure (slowly) people will be overwhelmed with spirit. On a very similar note: I have some friends who are into other sports teams (professional & college) who view Akron sports as if they are a minor league team. Also, I have friends who aren't into sports at all (I dunno whats wrong with them either). The point I wanted to make is that all of them are excited about the Info and are eager to attend games. It's a perfect opportunity to turn the page and gain some true fans.

I'd be cool to have the band march through campus and wake everyone up for the game. Really build up the excitement and make sure the whole day has a special feel to it. Would be almost like a UAkron parade.

Great stuff!