UAZip0510

From what I have gathered from other Zips fans and people close to the program, McFadden has been our main recruiter over the last few years, playing a large role in getting Zeke, Abreu, Betancourt, Walsh, Treadwell, and Harney here. Be careful what you wish for when you wish for change, as I'm sure McFadden will start getting head coaching offers elsewhere soon, if he hasn't already. Good assistants don't get noticed until they're gone...look at what Jeff Boals and Shaka Smart are doing now. Boals, by the way, had zero coaching experience before coming to Akron. Your post is ironic to me...after six straight MAC Championship games and two trips to the NCAA Tournament in the last four years, I would think we'd want continuity.

When did I say anything to this effect? The question presented was what would get the average fan more excited about Zips basketball. I said winning an NCAA Tournament game. That's all...

I was looking at recent history only...sorry, I should have explained that in the original post. Butler made it one other time too, in the 60's maybe?

Patience. Butler didn't win an NCAA Tournament game until their 4th attempt. It takes time and we need to stay the course. Butler 1997: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 1st Round to Cincinnati (86-69) 1998: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 1st Round to New Mexico (79-62) 1999: NIT Tournament - Lost in Quarterfinals 2000: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 1st Round to Florida (69-68) 2001: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 2nd Round to Arizona (73-52) after defeating Wake Forest (79-63) in the 1st Round 2002: NIT Tournament - Lost in 2nd Round 2003: NCAA Tournament - Lost in Sweet Sixteen 2004: No Postseason Tournament 2005: No Postseason Tournament 2006: No Postseason Tournament 2007: NCAA Tournament - Lost in Sweet Sixteen 2008: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 2nd Round 2009: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 1st Round 2010: NCAA Tournament - Lost in Championship 2011: NCAA Tournament - Lost in Championship Akron 2009: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 1st Round to Gonzaga (77-64) 2010: CBI Tournament - Lost in 1st Round 2011: NCAA Tournament - Lost in 1st Round to Notre Dame 2012: NIT Tournament - Lost in 1st Round 2013: ?

But to this extent? I agree it exists in some fashion, but not as much as we have seen this season.

Thank you.

Usually he gets in much earlier. He played 26 minutes and was on the floor for crunch time. Isn't that what matters most? Only Zeke, Abreu, and Cvetinovic averaged more time on the floor this year.

I agree with you there. Your son will be better for it in the long run though. I forget who wrote this, but I saved it after LeBron left the Cavaliers...I think it applies here in some ways. "Plain and simple, being a fan of a loser means more than being a fan of a winner. It takes a bigger person. It takes a better sports fan. Even though every loss, every bad break, every pang of heartache feels like a step backward, it's really just another plank in the path toward something no Yankees fan, no Cowboys fan, no Lakers fan will ever feel: a championship that erases eons-long suffering. A championship paid for with blind, oft-thankless loyalty. A championship that its fan base truly earned through unwavering devotion to a seemingly hapless cause. No, it hasn't materialized yet -- but it's coming. Oh, man, is it coming. And it's financed in moments like Thursday night's. Trust me." I've been to the World Series (1995, Indians won), ALCS, and the Eastern Conference Finals. My favorite and most memorable sports moments - our MAC Championship win last year and Getsy-to-Hixon. Being a Zips fan sucks sometimes...but when things work out like they did in those two games, there's nothing better (sports-related) in the world.

The talent is there. The coaching is there. We have a team capable of not only winning the MAC, but also making some noise as an at-large contender. My biggest worry going into next season is this team coming together. None of the players have openly complained about anything in public. That hasn't stopped it from getting out though - either on here, other places online, or just word of mouth. We have players who don't think they get the ball enough. We have players who don't think they are used the right way. We now apparently have players who don't feel they're appreciated enough. And that's just what we know...who knows what else is happening behind closed doors. This team needs to come together this offseason. The players need to stop just worrying about themselves and start doing what the team needs them to do to be successful.

Quincy played 26 minutes last night and averaged 25 minutes per game this season. Only Zeke, Abreu, and Nik played more. I like him off the bench after the first few minutes. The initial energy from the start of the game is re-ignited when he steps on the floor. As long as he's on the court in crunch time - which he is - I'm fine with him repeating as 6th Man of the Year.

Exactly. Joe Lunardi had Northwestern penciled in as an at-large until they got upset in the NCAA Tournament. That's a pretty good team.

Hogwash! Aside from the two players covering him, Zeke was open!

Lobbing a ball to him while double-teamed was a better plan than Abreu shooting an open three?

Agreed there. After watching the 1st half, I was worried that they'd lose this one by 20. They kept fighting and fighting though. Definitely a good sign heading into 2012-2013.

Agree 100%. I have zero problem with going for the "W" there. Again, they had two open looks from three to end the game. Neither fell. That's just how it goes sometimes.

Zeke? He had two guys on him. They tried going to him and it wasn't there. Agree on everything else.

As I said, they did, against OU. OU doubled him and started picking off his passes out of the double team.

Mr. Abreu would have something to say about that.

All of them...for the past 12 years. They do get him the ball plenty, in fact, sometimes they force feed him the ball too much. They did against OU and their defense started picking off his passes out of the double team so they had to go away from it.

Funny, OU seemed to be able to do just that.

Is that something you want to rely on with the game on the line?

A) Why are people ignoring that they denied the ball to Zeke? B.) Has anyone it more clutch shots this season than Alex Abreu? Abreu is our go-to guy...the ball was right where it should have been. The shot just didn't fall.

Get out of here with your silly "logic"

I remember saying that on March 12th, 2011 too.

They tried getting it to Zeke...it wasn't there. Bottom line is they had two open looks from three at the end of the game and didn't hit either one.