mes102

Agreed, but if that can't happen, I much rather have the MAC tourney title. I think everyone wants to win both, but we're just being realistic at this moment. As a coach, you're looking to win every game. As fans, we can be a little more realistic. I think this upcoming season will be one where we're hitting our stride in February and March. I believe Ohio should be the favorite to win the MAC regular season title next season, especially if Campbell gets a medical redshirt for last season. It will be how we develop over the season and make a run at it in Cleveland.

No one is saying they wouldn't want to win both. But if I had to choose, I much rather win 15-20 games and win MAC tournament than to win 20-25 games and win MAC regular season title but lose in the MAC title game.

Rob Fulford's twitter account I like his profile picture

Podcast of Groce's interview Saturday morning in Illinois. Interview starts at http://www.news-gazette.com/audio/2017-04-08/04-08-17-saturday-sportstalk.html Interview starts at 52:40 and ends at 1:16:50

This was about the coaching hires, not the conferences or even the schools. But the fact UMass made it on the list and not Duquesne, is what surprised me where both of them are terrible. Just makes me wonder some things, but apparently all I'm doing is angering people on this topic, so I'm going to stop there.

I 2016-2017 JUCO Recruits list In case anyone is passionate enough to look through this list of JUCOs, I won't have time until maybe Sunday afternoon/evening.

Closer to home for him. I think his short list will be Oregon, Gonzaga, Utah, and USC.

Correct. It was their first season last year, Z.I.P. This would be their second season

Tennis wins their 20th consecutive match to move to 21-2 overall, 5-0 MAC on the season. Scary part is this tennis team will probably be even better next season.

Well said. Some of the things you said is what I tried to say, but didn't do it as well as you. As for meeting Coach Groce, I hope that maybe the university could attempt to have a couple more of these meet-and-greets with Coach Groce? Maybe in the student union before a football or soccer game? Maybe a student only event as well? What made Caleb Porter so likeable and student attendance was amazing, was the approachability of Porter to the students and how he tried relating to them. I think Groce can and will do that. But seriously, if anyone that works at the university reads this, maybe have a meet-and-greet with Coach Groce in the Fall or even later in this Spring and advertise it for a month or so in advance. That way some of us that couldn't make it last night, may have a chance to work our schedules around to personally support Coach Groce, his family, and the program.

Correct. Donnal being from Toledo area, Jeter went to same high school as Noah, and Bragg being from Cleveland and Groce recruited Bragg, I can "maybes" from this list...

Groce interview with Illinois radio station starting at 19:50 into the podcast

Apparently this started at 6:15. I will post the podcast of it when it gets posted within the next couple hours. As for the article about grading college basketball's biggest hires, I posted it because we were on it and Duquesne wasn't even though other A-10 schools like UMass, Dayton, and VCU were on it. I thought that was interesting.

Grading college basketball's biggest coaching hires

Groce will be on at 5:30 Interview on this radio station http://espncu.com/ EDIT: I forgot time zone difference. Check at 6:30 ET/5:30 CT

That's why I asked the question. We may have different opinions on our ultimate goal, but that's okay. I was just curious what everyone's thoughts were when it came to that. As a coach, I always look at the highest level possible. As a fan, I do think Sweet Sixteen is very realistic for us. My follow up would be this though: Would that still be your goal even after we make it to the Sweet Sixteen? How many of those MAC tournaments did we have the better talent? And how many of those times did we have better talent and lost? Like you said, it's easy to cherry pick a stat to fit your narrative.

As a coach, I can't stand that mentality. Where I coach high school basketball, our ultimate goal is to win a state championship. Will we ever win a state championship? Maybe not, but if you don't put the work and commitment into what it takes to win a state championship, you never will win a state championship. Now, we're nowhere near a state title right now. But we're working towards giving ourselves a chance. Won our first tournament game since 2010, and we're now set up to make a nice tournament run the next few years, with a chance at a state championship. It doesn't happen overnight at the high school level, and you have to go through lifting, conditioning, practicing, and game preparing like a state championship-caliber team would. And over time, you give yourself a chance. What's your ultimate goal here as a Zip fan? Mine is a national championship. It's not realistic, but should be the ultimate goal of every college basketball program. Maybe the coach is hindering my mind as a fan, but I just can't stand the mentality of it's okay to lose in the MAC Championship game just because we've been there 9 times in the past 11 years and the history of the last 30+ years of the program.

Thanks for the recap, CK. I was wondering how it went last night, I felt bad not being able to make it. I had AAU practice last night from 6-7:30, and with no assistants, I couldn't pass it off to anyone last night. We have a tournament this weekend, so I couldn't just cancel the practice. We had a few things we needed to clean up before the tournament(for example, needed work on our press-breakers). Plus, it's almost an hour drive for me one way, but I wouldn't have cared about that if it wasn't for my AAU practice last night.

Going 3-6 in MAC Championship games isn't a black mark? And don't give me the "At least we made it to the 9 MAC Championship games." That's not the mentality we need to have with this program. Our goal should be to be in the NCAA tournament every year. Not be happy that we were one step short of that...

No one is downplaying how he did here in the regular season. It's strictly about MAC tournament and NCAA tournament performance. I'm getting really tired of people still bringing him up when he's not our coach anymore. Support Coach Groce and his staff or get out.

Dan Dakich Show interview with John Groce Starts at 53:45 and ends around 59:35 on the 4/6 show http://www.1070thefan.com/personalities/dan-dakich-show

I was watching it at work hoping someone would ask him that question. Of course it was a student at WZIP and not a professional that is getting paid to do this. Good job kid But as for the local media(GT, TP, EA)....