wadszip

We'll see. Sometimes it just takes that opportunity for the light to click. It's clicking for him right now. He was also playing well (outside of FT shooting) with Pat playing. So this isn't out of nowhere. Obviously he isn't going to average 20 a game when Pat gets back, but I can see him giving a consistent 12-14 (he was basically already doing that if he was hitting his FTs earlier this year).

I think it has to be mentioned what a beast Big Dog has become. I think we are beginning to witness something special with him. He is playing smart and confident basketball, and with his size and intangibles, that makes him unstoppable at this level. It's a bit premature, but if he continues to play with this type of confidence, no doubt in my mind can he find a spot on an NBA roster. Guys his size who aren't black holes offensively once they get the ball in the post are very rare. Actually, we have two guys like that. While I'm not sure if Pat gets an NBA shot, he will carve out a nice pro career. Let's hope he can get healthy, because we saw what that combo Big Dog/Pat can be in the UCSB game.

Well, that didn't come close to happening. Luckily, they had no answer for Big Dog because that was a pathetic showing. SCSU had to have 20 layups. As it has been all season, quick guards simlply destroy this team.Edit: I will add one other positive. Again, mostly due to Big Dog, this was the best foul shooting I can remember.

I'm not sure, but I doubt it is much, if anything. SCSU is on the winter Tour De Ohio. They played OSU Sunday, play Akron tomorrow then play Miami on Saturday. I'm guessing OSU payed them enough to make a week long trip in Ohio worth it. At least, I hope that is the case. As for the team, I watched them against OSU on BTN. They aren't good, especially on offense. Of course, they have a couple of quick guards that could give Akron trouble. But they don't shoot well and don't really have much in an offensive set that should give the Zips trouble in the half court. It's drive and shoot, or drive and dish to a "big" who then makes a dribble and shoots a fallaway from the middle of the lane. Unless those guards get to the basket at will, don't see how they generate much offense. They look pretty good on defense, but they let OSU get a ton of open looks from 3. OSU is a pretty bad shooting team, but they went 8 of 22 against them. If things are typical, look for Akron to shoot another 30 from out there, and hopefully making 12 or 13. They should get a ton of good looks.

Up to 45 in KenPom. UCSB has almost played a Pac 12 schedule to this point. Them also beating an Iona team that will begin to win alot of games should really pay off for the Zips. But let's not talk at large. This team is going to lose at least a couple MAC games. They aren't that far in front of 8-9 teams that can beat them in league play. The goal has to be on winning in Cleveland, that's it. Sorry, any leeway went out the window by losing to Villanova. Of course, maybe Arkansas tears up the SEC to change it, but Arkansas is an borderline bubble team at best. And if they get on the bubble, it will probably be at Akron's expense, despite the H2H win.

For Utomi, while yes, a second played "burns" a redshirt, there are ways around it, and KD will have a strong case. Remember when Daniel went in the first time, it was at the end of the Villanova game. That game, Pat left early and Kretzer late due to what seemed like potential long-term injuries (broken rib, rapid heart). The Zips were already without Noah and Jimond Ivey. While the RS was technically burned, its something that can be revisited after the season, and the NCAA will probably agree that it was legit under the circumstances and give him the year back. Unless it has become more cut and dried the past couple years, without having a specific case to source, I know I've seen instances of guys playing in 3-4 early season games and still getting a RS granted. Anyway, I think KD knew what he was doing, and at the time, it was putting Utomi in not knowing if he would legitimately be needed this year. As it turns out, he hasn't been so far, but I doubt the 4 minutes he has played affects his overall standing. that will change if he plays again. But for now, lets assume he still will have four more years after this one.

No doubt. This is by far the best overall athletic department in the MAC. UA has overtaken Can't (which is also way above the rest of the league) a couple of years ago, and Akron is further distancing itself from Can't this year, with the gap growing larger.It's a good time to be a Zip! Edit: for some perspective: Soccer: NCAA final four (best MAC program, period). Men's track: top 10 national finish; a national champion (Barber); a top 3 finish (Clayton Murphy); Pan Am gold (Barber and Murphy!); World Champion (Barber) and world semifinalist (Murphy, 800). And Murphy was just a sophomore... Too bad Barber went pro or this year's track team had an outside shot at the NCAA title. ... The women are also very good (both teams were top 25 nationally in the rankings at one point last year). Men's basketball: currently no. 49 in the KenPom rankings (7 MAC title games in the last 9 years, 3 titles); women won the MAC two years ago and are still one of the best in the league. Swimming: Two-time defending MAC champs, right? And favorite to win again. Now even football is creeping in the mix.

I looked it up yesterday and there is a possibility the Zips could have the fourth longest winning streak in college football heading into next season. Need Cincinnati to beat San Diego State (tonight) and TCU to beat Oregon. There may be one other team we need to lose (can't remember). That happens and you'd have: 1. CFB champ 2. Western Kentucky (6) 2. Tennessee or Northwestern (6) ... They play each other 4. Akron (5) Looking a bit further, there is a slim chance Akron could have the longest streak in the nation early next year. Here's how it happens. 1. Anybody but Michigan State wins the CFP. Then lose the opener next season ... Bama against USC (in Dallas); Clemson at Auburn; or Oklahoma at Houston. MSU plays Furman in the opener, then has a bye. 2. Akron beats VMI. 3.Tennessee or Northwestern lose their openers. Tennessee against Appalachian State or Northwestern against WMU. I'm rooting for Tennessee over Northwestern, though, because if Tennessee wins their opener, they have Virginia Tech in Week 2 in what will be a crazy environment at Bristol Motor Speedway in front of 150,000. Northwestern has Illinois State in Week 2. So Tennessee has a better chance of dropping an early game. 4. Western Kentucky has a week 1 bye, meaning if the Zips beat VMI, they would be tied with WKU at 6. WKU opens Week 2 at Alabama (same day Akron plays at Wisconsin). So if the other teams all lose their openers, the Zips and Hilltopers would be tied for No. 1. And I think Akron has a better shot at beating Wisconsin than WKU beating Bama. A big if, but if Akron can shock Wisconsin, there definitely is a decent shot that their 7 game streak could be No. 1 in college football. Even if it doesn't happen, just talking about a scenario that isn't too far fetched is something that would've been so laughable, no point of even trying to think of some off the wall scenario, even a year ago. But we are actually at that point where it is no longer laughable to think about it. BTW, as for Bowden, I think the fact that all he has to do is look at what his father did at Florida State, is reason why I think he COULD retire as a Zip. Of course if WVU or FSU come calling (or any of the 20 can't turn down jobs), he will leave. But that is pretty unlikely. Plus, the Bowden family seems to place a high value on the legacy the name has on the history of college football. What is better for the family lineage than to say that "Bowdens" were responsible for two of the biggest turnarounds in CFB history? Look at where Bobby took FSU. Doak Campbell was a 15,000 seat stadium when it was built. It was still only 25,000-40,000 early on in Bobby's early years. He turned it into an 80,000 seater, and FSU into a power. Here is a good site that shows the transformation of Doak Campbell. http://stadiafile.com/2012/08/31/7-doak-campbell-stadium/ Bobby built FSU along the same lines Terry could build Akron. 1. FSU was a large public school that was transforming from a women's college to a full-fledged state university. Akron is a large public school that is transforming from an open-enrollment public to a polytechnic focused school. 2. FSU was in a talent-rich area for HS football players. Akron is in a talent-rich area for HS football players. 3. If you took a time machine back to 1963, I'm sure Florida, Alabama, Georgia, etc., fans were laughing at the thought FSU could be a power. In 2015, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame fans are laughing at the thoughts Akron could be a power.

Akron jumps up to No. 50 in the KenPom rankings. A bigger jump than I expected. Say what you want about rankings, but KenPom is 10 times better than RPI, IMO. Still doesn't mean the Zips are in the at large mix, because they aren't.

RPI hasn't meant anything for about 10 years since the MVC systemically found a way to exploit it. A top 40 RPI wouldn't do it anyway. The only shot at an at large was beating Villanova. I guess if the Zips run the table from here to the MAC title game, they may still have a shot. But once you get that far, just win in Cleveland. And this team has the ability to do that. FWIW, the Zips should jump into the top 60 once KenPom updates (a better ratings system, IMO) after today. Still, that also doesn't mean much.

Great second half. Big Dog has become a monster down low. Once they went down to him, Iona had no answer. Like I said the other day, the offense needs to run through the two bigs (once Pat gets back). Both can feel the doubles so well, and if the double doesn't come, nobody (outside maybe the elite high majors) can handle them. The best sequence was midway through the second. They went to Big Dog. The double came, he quickly passed to an open man on the wing, who then kicked to the corner (when the defender had to come over) for a wide open three. That is this team's offense. And when they play like that, they are a legit top-tier team, despite the few flaws they do have. It was nice to see Antino and Jake get to the rim, too. The Reggie dunk was also a thing of beauty. Overall, they did a nice job of attacking the offensive boards off of threes. Very good game, overall. A lull at the end of the first half, but they responded in the second. Also, while Iona didn't have English, that was moot since Pat also wasn't playing. While English has the PPG advantage, Pat is just as important to this team than English is to theirs,IMO.

They miss Pat big time, can't get anything inside. Also, still no penetration from the guards, and again they are getting abused by athletic guards on the other end. At least they are knocking down a decent percent of open threes. In other words, a typical game, but without Pat in the second half, I have a bad feeling about this. Bid Dog and Kwan are in foul trouble and Iona will continue to attack.

This photo shows the amount of talent that comes from the Akron-Canton area (not even counting Cleveland which is top 10 in the country). Akron-Canton, alone, had five HS teams reach the state final four in Ohio this past year. And that was with Hoban taking out SVSM and Perry taking out Hudson (two other state worthy teams). Bowden is getting kids to buy in, even if the general public is still on the fence. This is a bit OT, but I passed Newman Williams' mom on I77 the other day. How did I know? She was displaying a bumper sticker on the back of her car that said "my son plays football for the Akron Zips" with a No. 35 on it. Yeah, moms are always proud of their sons, but there is a not too distant past where that wouldn't be something even a mother would like to announce to the world ... Or even the Akron-Canton area.

This seems like a perfect fit. A kid who can come home and play at a school that has built one of the nation's top front 7s under Amato with guys who transferred in from "bigger" programs. Hopefully, Sevon can get in his ear.Wonder if another Canton kid, Brionte Dunn, may consider a transfer? He will be a fifth year guy (so guessing a grad transfer). Even with Ezekial Elliot going pro, it sounds like he may still not be at the top of the depth chart at OSU. He could come to Akron, easily be the bell-cow, tear up the MAC and have a shot at the NFL (think Thomas Rawls at CMU). It makes too much sense. Plus, I believe Sevon and Dunn are pretty tight. Edit: just looked up Rawls vs. Dunn in college. Both seem like mirror images. Rawls: http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/thomas-rawls-1.html DuDunnhttp://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/brionte-dunn-1.html Same size, similar Big Ten stats in limited time. Rawls parlayed his big year at CMU to spot on the Seahawks, where he is looking like the future RB there (despite an injury that cut his season short). No doubt that Dunn, who was way more touted coming out of HS (5 star, top 30 prospect ... Who Michigan also wanted badly even though they already had Rawls in the same class) and more productive in a limited role in the Big Ten, could find himself in a similar situation, especially since a big RB is what this team needs with the losses of Hundley and Alexander. Put Dunn in an Akron uniform and he could rush for 1,2000-1,300 yards and be a legit NFL prospect. And "going down" to Akron won't hurt him, since all NFL teams would have to do is look at what Thomas Rawls did at CMU as a reason to take him. A big year at Akron, combined with the Rawls effect, and it wouldn't shock me to see somebody take him in the mid rounds of the NFL draft. If he stays at OSU, is relegated a backup, he still may stick with an NFL team, but probably as an undrafted player. True Rawls was also undrafted, but if he stayed at Michigan and split carries, he probably never even gets a shot.

That's the team in a nutshell, and the reason it works is because both Big Dog and Pat are good passers and they have both improved at feeling when the double team is coming and kicking it out to the open man on the perimeter (which is why the team is better at shooting the three this year). They are figuring this offense and have become very proficient. Evey set should consist of going to either Pat or Big Dog in the post and let them be the decision makers. If the double comes, kick to the open guy. If the double doesn't come, make a post move and get a high-percentage shot down low. We saw that today. We'll see how they play against a solid Iona team. That game will be a nice measuring stick to how league play may turn out (Iona is probably an upper tier MAC level team ... KenPom has them at 88, which would be No. 2 behind Akron). But if the Zips play the type of game they did today, it should result in another W. Now for a critique, the one thing that is gonna stop this team from really making the next step to being aa legit top 30-40 team is the lack of athleticism at the guard play. While the guards are probably the most athletic in the KD era, they are still having trouble staying in front of the opposing guards defensively. Offensively, outside of Antino in the Arkansas game, they haven't created much going to the basket. Not sure if that can change this year, which caps the upside of this team. But they play good enough team defense and have good enough shooters where they should win the MAC and have a decent shot at winning a game, maybe two, in the tourney if they continue to play to their strength, like they did today. While UCSB is hardly great (probably about Arkansas level, or mid tier MAC level) a double digit win on a neutral court is still something that should give them a boost of confidence heading into Wednesday and then into MAC play.

Didn't Speight start out SVSM? Too bad we couldn't land him.

How much of a loss is Akron gonna take on this? I can't imagine they sell more than 1,000 tickets.

And he can jump out of the gym. I didn't see it, but figured it was Jimond. I'm guessing he was more upset about allowing his man to get a couple buckets in a row. That's a good sign, IMO.

I missed the Green Bay debacle, but the amount of threes this team is taking overall has been OK because they are doing a good job of going inside out, and Big Dog and Pat are doing a good job of kicking out when the defense collapses on them. Pat has always been good in that aspect (his touch inside should also get better). But Dog has really improved. This is the new wave in basketball. Even on the highest level the best teams are 3 point relient. The Warriors and Cavs were No. 1 and 2 in the NBA last year and both made the finals. Both teams, without looking, are probably right back up near the top this year and are a combined 29-4. As long as the ball is being moved around (most importantly, inside-out), the 3 pointer is an efficient shot. With that said, the Zips did take at least a half dozen ill-timed 3s (which all seemed to miss). But they were very good a knocking down the rythym 3s, probably something like 15 of 28. Those shots will continue to come and with the shooters this team has. I say keep launching them. Especially with the size advantage the Zips have on the offensive glass. I also 100 percent agree on Josh. He really needed a game like tonight to gain some confidence. He is going to make freshman mistakes, but if he can contribute by knocking down open looks, he is an asset on the court. He should also continue to grow overall with the more experience he gets. Overall, even with the clunker against Green Bay, this team continues to show the signs that had most of us optimistic that this can be a special season. Right now, IMO, only Reggie and Aaron Jackson are playing at a level higher than anybody thought. True, we knew Reggie was going to play well, but .500 from 3, on nearly six attempts per game, is probably higher than anybody expected (I figured he would be around 42 or 43 percent). Aaron Jackson was a nice prospect coming out of Gahanna, but compared to last year, he has improved by leaps and bounds. Big Dog is playing pretty close to what I thought was his best case, but I can see even more improvement from him. Other than those two/three, the best basketball, hopefully, is still to come for everybody else. And it looks like Noah will be back for Coppin State, which should really help out Antino as he has had to shoulder a huge load in his absence. And with Antino, Josh and Jimond looking like they can play meaningful minutes, it will help ease him back in. Reading the Green Bay thread, it seems like people were jumping off the cliff. On well, a top 25 ranking and at-large shot is probably off the table, but it doesn't change anything about what this season could be. I think most will agree with me that this is easily the best Zips team in then KD (and probably Akron's D1 history). This team has played inconsistent basketball, but has essentially four double digit wins, an OK loss at one of the best teams in the country (and Villanova is rolling everybody so far) and a three point loss on the road to a mediocre team ... But the way it sounds like Akron played, in most other years, that would have been a double digit loss.

With the injury situation, maybe I should be more concerned, but for some reason I'm not. Even if Green Bay has taken a step back, going up there on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving is tough. But I'm feeling pretty good about this one. I think the injuries will allow Antino, Reggie, Kwan and Big Dog to play big minutes. And those four have been very good this year for the most part. So, its not a bad thing if three of those guys play 30-plus minutes (not sure if Big Dog quite goes 30, but he is in line for 25-plus). This also seems like a game where Josh can start rebuilding his confidence. His shot was fine against Villanova, but again struggled with turnovers. But I doubt Green Bay has the type of athletes Nova or Arkansas do. Aaron Jackson also looks like he is ready to contribute more minutes. Finally, I think Utomi is going to prove that the fact he was going to be redshirted wasn't because he wasn't ready. He looked good in the scrimmage, and physically, he has a D1 body. Until this team proves otherwise, I'm not going to get that "typical Akron" mentality, which I will admit I have had in previous years every time adversity has struck (to be fair, it does seem like it has hit this program more than any other). This group, even without four key players, has the talent to beat anybody on the remaining schedule.

That Iowa State team is immediately that came to mind. And that game played out pretty similar to the Nova game... In fact, I looked up a write up of the game to make sure I wasn't misremembering.http://m.cyclones.com/mobile/ViewArticle.dbml?atclid=209348530&DB_OEM_ID=10700& That's almost mirror imagine to the Nova game, except Akron was able to hang around longer in the second half against ISU (but actually lost by a bigger margin). That game was also on a neutral court, not on the road like Nova. That ISU team beat eight ranked teams in the regular season, won the Big 12 tournament title and made the Sweet 16 where they lost a close game to eventual national champ Connecticut. That Pitt team was also very good, and I recall, they also hammered us down there. I don't think Akron was ever in that game. We'll see how the season plays out, but this Villanova team could be better than either of those teams.

Thanks for stopping by. Akron was just way too injured in the backcourt to really hang around with what may be the best backcourt in the country. Akron only has four true guards and two were out, and the third, Josh Williams, is still probably not 100 percent. He essentially missed the Arkansas game. In a perfect world, I would've liked to have seen Akron at full strength against you guys. But it is what it is, and I think this may be the best the best Villanova team since that Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry, Alan Ray team of about 10 years ago. This backcourt, IMO, has the same type of potential as that group. I'm rooting for you guys from here on out. Good luck in what looks to be another very strong Big East. Even with the loss, this was nothing but a great test for an Akron program that is looking to take the next step into being a team that can win some games in the tourney.

Well, that was the best team we'll see all year, and unfortunately we were short handed in the spot (guard) that a team is going to have to be strong at in order to hang with the studs they have in the backcourt. Outside of foul shooting, the good today was the play of Big Dog and Kwan. While Kwan was 2 of 6 from 3 (still not the percent you want for so many attempts), I thought he did a nice job of playing inside and out. If he is playing inside, I can can certainly live with him taking open 3s. He got some good looks out there, just have to knock a couple more of them down. Big Dog was a force down low (when Akron went down to him). The one thing I really like about his improvement is he is no longer a black hole when he gets the ball down there. He is seeing the kickouts, and had a nice assist to Aaron Jackson out of the post on a cut to the rim from Jackson. Big Dog also did a nice job on the glass and defending Ochefu (Pat also rebounded and defended well on Ochefu as well). With Pat out for what could be an extended period, its time for Big Dog to continue his strong play. Obviously, Big Dog and Kwan have to do a better job at the line. I'm not sure Big Dog will ever be more than a 50 percenter, but Kwan has a nice stroke. No reason he should be a sub 70 pecenter. I also thought Aaron Jackson played some quality minutes. With injuries are what they are, he will have a big role for the foreseeable future. I'm rooting for him to take advantage of this opportunity. I'm not going to dwell on the negatives since this was a legit top 10 (and maybe top 5) team, and it was a game at one of the toughest places to play in the country.

Also, anybody hear anything on Josh? I heard KD mention in the Arkansas pregame he was only at 30 percent. Hopefully, he can at least be at 60 or so percent and tough out 15 or so solid minutes. Another tough thing to ask for a true freshman, but something the Zips will have to get to have a shot.

This wouldn't be the biggest upset in the history of college basketball, but it would be pretty monumental with only having, at best 1.5 guards. The Zips got away with it against Arkansas, but this team is a lot better than Arkansas, especially at the guard position. Unfortunately, Villanova has the depth that they are going to go in with the thoughts of harrassassing Antino all game long. They will do that with Brunson, Ryan Arcidianoco, Josh Hart and Phil Booth, who are all athletic and in the 6-3 to 6-5 range. To have any chance, Antino is going to have to again be almost superhuman. But if they can swarm Antino and disrupt the offense, the Zips, right now, have nobody else who can create for themselves or break down a defense to set up others for open looks. I think Jay Wright recognizes that Antino is the key to slowing down the Zips, and he has the players that can do it (even if it takes a combo of four different guys). On the bright side, Antino proved he can play all 40 minutes, and he got stronger as the Arkansas game went along. So, maybe he can take on this huge task and, even if he doesn't necessarily look to score, break down the defense enough to set up open looks. Like others have said, knocking down open looks, especially from 3 is going to be a must. IMO, the Zips have to knock down 10 and be around 40 percent in doing that. Again, a lot to ask, but something they are capable of. Also, like others have said, rebounding is also going to be huge. The Zips have to limit second chances. If they can somehow do all that, then they have a shot at the upset. I'm realistically going into this game, with the Zips situation in the backcourt being what it is, hoping to be within 10 with 10 remaining. If they can do that, they would have a shot down the stretch, but even if Nova would pull away (which they probably would), the Zips could walk away with a moral victory. Moral victories suck, but Villanova is good enough where they can beat any team in college basketball, who are at full strength, at home. As good as this Akron team is, they aren't elite, nor are they remotely at full strength.