mes102

Schedule updated. 4-0 so far in my picks

Last post for me in this thread. Just wanted to say congratulations to the Lady Zips on their first EVER win at Bowling Green yesterday. Hopefully we can get a little winning streak going at the Stroh.

My picks: Western Michigan over Bowling Green Central Michigan over Northern Illinois Eastern Michigan over Can't State Toledo over Miami(OH) Western Michigan over Central Michigan Eastern Michigan over Toledo Western Michigan over Buffalo Akron over Eastern Michigan Western Michigan over Ohio Ball State over Akron Ball State over Western Michigan

First Round - March 9th, 2015-Campus Sites Western Michigan 65, Bowling Green 42 Central Michigan 49, Northern Illinois 44 Eastern Michigan 70, Can't State 52 Toledo 62, Miami(OH) 47 Second Round - March 11th, 2015-Quicken Loans Arena Western Michigan 81, Central Michigan 68 Eastern Michigan 74, Toledo 57 Quarterfinals - March 12th, 2015-Quicken Loans Arena Buffalo 63, Western Michigan 60 Eastern Michigan vs #3 Akron, 2:30pm ET Semifinals - March 13th, 2015-Quicken Loans Arena Buffalo vs #1 Ohio, 12:00pm ET EMU/UA winner vs #2 Ball State, 2:30pm ET Championship - March 14th, 2015-Quicken Loans Arena TBD, 1:00pm ET

Yes, we do differ on this. I think part of it is how young these kids are that are coming off the bench. They have to get used to taking on different roles. They were so used to starting and being the nucleus of their high school program, that they're not sure how to take a "back seat" without feeling that they're stepping "out of their role". Playing time plays a huge factor in how a player may gel on the court.I think this team has had three great recruiting classes in a row now. Scipio, Ricketts and Plybon I believe will elevate their game over the next two seasons. McMahan, Hung, Sefcik, Ball, and Burry is the class that give them another season and they will be even better. Piper and Walker may take some time, but I can see them making a limited impact as freshmen as well. It's not like the men's program where players that come into the program stay the same or slightly improved(or worse) throughout their career at Akron. Coach Kest and staff gets these players to improve not only each season, but in practice too. When Cassell, Luburgh, Young, and King came to Akron, they didn't have the hype as they did when they graduated from Akron. Same with Tecca and Ruper. Same with Murphy as well. Give it time. As long as Coach Kest is at the lead, no way are these players not progressing. Sometimes you have to regress in order to progress even further, and hopefully that's the cause of the bench play right now. Also, I don't think even with bench play at average production would we have the top seed locked up. I think we could have been the 2 seed, but not the 1 seed. Ohio has been just too good this conference season. Let's see who steps up in the MAC tourney. Two seasons ago, Luburgh played outstanding in the tournament. Last year, Anita Brown stepped up. So who will it be this year? A freshmen, sophomore, or junior? That's what I'm excited to see.

I understand the league itself has been down this season, but to lose Cassell, Guyton, Luburgh, Tecca, and Young when they had the #3 seed, and still have the #3 seed this season?!!??!!?! That would be a successful season in my eyes. I feel the WNIT is not a long shot, or at least a trip to the WBI again. They will be in the postseason again. This is starting to sound like a broken record, but another great recruiting class coming in. It's only two players, but they're top notch. Our bench is so deep, I think they may start losing some to transferring out for more playing times. Scipio, Ricketts, and a couple others would be starters or one of the first ones off the bench on most teams in the MAC. Instead, they're in the second, sometimes third unit right now on the team. This is the breakdown right now after this season: PG - McMahan(SO), Barilla(SR), Scipio(JR), Flowers(SO) Wing - Brown(SR), Ricketts(JR), Piper(FR) Wing - Plybon(JR), Hung(SO), Sefcik(R-FR) Forward - Gibson(SR), Ball(SO), Walker(FR), Simone(JR) Center - Nunan(SR), Burry(SO), Dunnigan(SR) *A couple more interesting facts. It's nice to see them break the most home victories in a season record two seasons in a row. Hopefully next year will be three Also, Lilli Piper will not only play for Coach Kest and the women's basketball program, but she will also play for Coach Jones and the softball program as well. That's how great of an athlete she is.

A win @ Bowling Green, and we're a #3 seed for the third consecutive season. Hopefully what we did in the previous two tourneys as a #3 seed happens again. That #3 seed means a lot since if we get past our first tournament opponent, we get #2 seed Ball State instead of #1 seed Ohio.

How I see the seeding for MAC tourney working out: 1 Ohio 16-2 2 Ball State 13-5 3 Akron 12-6 4 Western Michigan 11-7 5 Buffalo 11-7 6 Toledo 10-8 7 Eastern Michigan 10-8 8 Northern Illinois 8-10 9 Central Michigan 8-10 10 Miami(OH) 4-14 11 Can't State 4-14 12 Bowling Green 2-16

Well, we already have an Akron version of that song. Just a bit off on the title(Rubber City instead of Akron)

Remaining games: March 4th Northern Illinois 68, Toledo 64 Akron 67, Miami(OH) 55 Buffalo 55, Bowling Green 47 Ball State 85, 7-9 Central Michigan 69 Eastern Michigan 74, Western Michigan 65 Ohio 69, Can't State 56 March 7th 10-7 Eastern Michigan @ 7-10 Central Michigan, 1:00pm, ESPN3 10-7 Toledo @ 12-5 Ball State, 2:00pm 11-6 Akron @ 2-15 Bowling Green, 2:00pm 10-7 Buffalo @ 3-14 Can't State, 2:00pm 4-13 Miami(OH) @ 15-2 Ohio, 2:00pm 8-9 Northern Illinois @ 10-7 Western Michigan, 2:00pm

If the tourney started today #1 Ohio #7 Eastern Michigan #2 Ball State #8 Northern Illinois #3 Akron #9 Central Michigan #4 Toledo #10 Miami(OH) #5 Western Michigan #11 Can't State #6 Buffalo #12 Bowling Green First Round/Second Round #12 Bowling Green @ #5 Western Michigan #9 Central Michigan @ #8 Northern Illinois #11 Can't State @ #6 Buffalo #10 Miami(OH) @ #7 Eastern Michigan Quarterfinals #3 Akron vs UB/Can't State/MU/EMU winner #4 Toledo vs WMU/BGSU/NIU/CMU winner Semifinals #1 Ohio vs UT/WMU/BGSU/NIU/CMU winner #2 Ball State vs UA/UB/Can't State/MU/EMU winner

Standings through 2/28 : MAC East Ohio 14-2 MAC, 23-4 overall Akron 10-6 MAC, 20-7 overall Buffalo 9-7 MAC, 16-11 overall Miami(OH) 4-12 MAC, 6-21 overall Can't State 3-13 MAC, 5-22 overall Bowling Green 2-14 MAC, 9-18 overall MAC West Ball State 11-5, 15-12 overall Toledo 10-6, 17-10 overall Western Michigan 10-6, 17-10 overall Eastern Michigan 9-7, 14-11 overall Northern Illinois 7-9, 12-15 overall Central Michigan 7-9, 12-15 overall

February 25th Toledo 67, Western Michigan 60 Eastern Michigan 56, Ball State 41 Northern Illinois 69, Central Michigan 62 Akron 54, Can't State 53 Miami(OH) 59, Bowling Green 51 Ohio 78, Buffalo 70 February 28th Miami(OH) 66, Can't State 59 Buffalo 87, Akron 80 Ohio 67, Bowling Green 47 Eastern Michigan 60, Northern Illinois 52 Toledo 62, Central Michigan 53 Western Michigan 51, Ball State 50

If the MAC tourney started tomorrow(2/21) 1 Ohio 2 Ball State 3 Western Michigan 4 Akron 5 Toledo 6 Buffalo 7 Eastern Michigan 8 Central Michigan 9 Northern Illinois 10 Can't State 11 Bowling Green 12 Miami(OH)

Standings through 2/21 : MAC East Ohio 12-2 MAC, 21-4 overall Akron 9-5 MAC, 19-6 overall Buffalo 8-6 MAC, 15-10 overall Can't State 3-11 MAC, 5-20 overall Bowling Green 2-12 MAC, 9-16 overall Miami(OH) 2-12 MAC, 4-21 overall MAC West Ball State 11-3, 15-10 overall Western Michigan 9-5, 16-9 overall Central Michigan 7-7, 12-13 overall Toledo 8-6, 15-10 overall Eastern Michigan 7-7, 14-11 overall Northern Illinois 6-8, 11-14 overall

The problem is students are laughing about the problem on twitter. For them, it's not cool for them to go to the game. Some want to socialize, and others want to get into the game. The problem is those type of students despise the other kind. Everyone keeps blaming the Rowdies themselves. People are blaming the athletic department to an extent(as am I). People are blaming the product itself. The biggest problem that no one has mentioned(on this thread at least) with the student attendance/involvement in the sporting events, is the location of students at these sporting events. You have some down low, and majority up high. Now some say the students should all have to sit together. With the way the JAR is constructed, the students that want to be "involved" into the game, feel that they're too far away from the action to have any impact. I don't see the student problem getting any better until there is a new arena or a bleacher renovation of the JAR by taking out that track. As for people saying that it doesn't include the football attendance problem? Those are two entirely different situations. Weather may play a factor in football. That is an outdoor sport. Some people rather watch it online inside than watch it in the rain, cold, wind, etc. Others go home on the weekend when the weather is somewhat decent. Less people go home in this weather because it's harder to get there and back. That's why I feel basketball student attendance is more unacceptable than football student attendance. I went to numerous sporting events. Volleyball, Women's Soccer, Men's Soccer, and even a golf and XC event here or there if I had the time. Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, and the home Indoor Track & Field event. I'll even go to a couple Women's Tennis, Softball, and Baseball games. Even when they had a outdoor track meet when they had a baseball or softball game going on, I checked that out for a bit. When it comes to Football when I was a student, it depended solely on the product. Why should I go to my high school alma mater to watch high school football, and then the next day come back and watch a game that takes twice as long that is twice as worse? Just not worth it for me. Even the past year or so, I have been disappointed with the coaching staff(more of Milwee and Bowden than Amato). It's not worth it for me right now. Especially since I would have to pay.

But that's the problem with your comment. It's CHEAPER for students to take the membership fee and go on bus trips, than to not pay a membership fee(t-shirt fee will probably be added to their tuition, so don't be naive that it'll be free) and have to pay their own way for a bus trip. Plus, the trip usually includes a meal and admission ticket to the sporting event. It's not as simple as you're making it to be.

Some are going to look at my comments and agree with some of it. Majority will probably call me an idiot for saying them. I understand whichever way you feel about this post. None of it is clear cut, or we wouldn't be having this discussion. Having experience of being an AK-Rowdie, I wanted to share what I felt the problem has become. Majority of it is the leadership(or lack of) of the organization. But that's not the only reason for it: I was a member from Fall 2009-Spring 2012. Earlier on it was what I was hoping for. I was at a high school that had good to great athletics(depending on the sport), and our student section lacked enthusiasm and creativity. That was there my first couple years at UA. Before the athletic department stepped in, and wouldn't allow certain things to be done anymore that made it to an extent, " really fun". Now it's almost coming across as a job or a chore to be part of it because there's so many things you cannot do that could get the organization in trouble with the athletic department. I may be wrong, but I believe that trips taken by organization have to be approved by higher authority than just the organization. So when the athletic department has a beef with the organization already(College Cup in 2009), they'll make it almost impossible for anyone to have any fun with it. Which is why it's terrible now. No one wants to lead it with the burden of the athletic department always breathing down your neck on every little detail. Plus, the Roo Wards was a thing that the AK-Rowdies started, and was presented to the athletic department as how to get more students in attendance at games for the organization. Department stole the idea and put it out there for the entire student body. Which I didn't think was a bad idea, I just see that AK-Rowdies funds from membership fees(which includes the cost of the t-shirt by the way), gives you perks that go beyond the price you pay for it. But with the athletic department under the necks of it, that value of those perks have started to vanish and make the group that much more sad. My last point: Porter always stood up for the Rowdies, and the department couldn't do much about it because that was the top college coach in the sport(multiple college and MLS offers every offseason). Then he took the Portland job, and the Rowdies are no longer "protected". Nothing against Embick, but Porter just had the star power that Embick doesn't have right now. That is why I think you're seeing this dramatic fall of the AK-Rowdies.

So basically after Caleb Porter left, right? I just find it sad that Caleb Porter has been able to get students to come to soccer matches easier than what UA has been able to do so in general for any sport.

Games for 2/17, 2/18, 2/21 : February 17th Eastern Michigan 54, 1-11 Miami(OH) 51 February 18th Toledo 73, Northern Illinois 57 Ball State 73, Central Michigan 64 Buffalo 59, Can't State 57 Eastern Michigan 73, Ohio 61 February 21st Central Michigan 63, Western Michigan 51 Miami(OH) 78, Buffalo 68 Toledo 81, Eastern Michigan 72 Ohio 71, Akron 55 Can't State 62, Bowling Green 58 9-3 Ball State @ 6-6 Northern Illinois, 6:00pm

If the tournament started today: 1 Ohio 11-1 2 Ball State 9-3 3 Western Michigan 9-4 4 Akron 9-4 5 Buffalo 7-5 6 Toledo 6-6 7 Central Michigan 6-6 8 Northern Illinois 6-6 9 Eastern Michigan 5-6 10 Can't State 2-10 11 Bowling Green 2-11 12 Miami(OH) 1-11

Standings through 2/14 : MAC East Ohio 11-1 MAC, 20-3 overall Akron 9-4 MAC, 19-5 overall Buffalo 7-5 MAC, 14-9 overall Can't State 2-10 MAC, 4-19 overall Bowling Green 2-11 MAC, 9-15 overall Miami(OH) 1-11 MAC, 4-19 overall MAC West Ball State 9-3, 13-10 overall Western Michigan 9-4, 16-8 overall Central Michigan 6-6, 11-12 overall Toledo 6-6, 13-10 overall Northern Illinois 6-6, 11-12 overall Eastern Michigan 5-6, 12-10 overall

Reminder: Akron's home game is the second game against Toledo this season. The first game was @ Toledo that resulted in that 102-101 in regulation thriller.

Schedule for 2/14 Ohio 67, Miami(OH) 45 Akron 82, Toledo 56 Ball State 77, Bowling Green 52 Can't State 54, Northern Illinois 52 Buffalo 54, Western Michigan 44 Eastern Michigan 85, Central Michigan 64

I've been busy with high school basketball, so I haven't been to keep up with the MAC WBB updates. Here's me catching up: February 7th Buffalo 66, Bowling Green 45 Ball State 69, Toledo 61 Western Michigan 69, Central Michigan 64 Northern Illinois 62, Akron 56 Ohio 58, Can't State 44 Eastern Michigan @ Miami(OH), ppd. February 11th Akron 81, Buffalo 70 Ohio 71, Bowling Green 46 Toledo 61, Central Michigan 46 Ball State 72, Eastern Michigan 62 Miami(OH) 69, Can't State 53 Western Michigan 60, Northern Illinois 51 Standings through 2/11 MAC East Ohio 10-1 MAC, 19-3 overall Akron 8-4 MAC, 18-5 overall Buffalo 6-5 MAC, 14-9 overall Bowling Green 2-10 MAC, 9-14 overall Miami(OH) 1-10 MAC, 4-18 overall Can't State 1-10 MAC, 3-19 overall MAC West Western Michigan 9-3, 16-7 overall Ball State 8-3, 12-10 overall Central Michigan 6-5, 11-11 overall Toledo 6-5, 13-9 overall Northern Illinois 6-5, 10-11 overall Eastern Michigan 4-6, 11-10 overall