t900442
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Posts posted by t900442
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@Kep, I catch some heat around here for trying to evaluate players by considering stats in addition to what I see at all the games. Sometimes the stats align with what I think I saw and sometimes they don't. But I'd consider it a major challenge to try to analyze Zeke's performance almost exclusively based on studying box scores in Bangkok. Zeke's most ardent admirers consider him an NBA lottery pick while his biggest detractors say he'll never get a whiff of pro ball. Reality usually lies somewhere between the extremes. Right now I'm inclined to go along with Jeff Goodman at CBS Sports, who spends a lot of time talking with NBA scouts. Goodman projects Zeke as a mid-second round NBA draft pick (#46 overall) with the following comment: Still a work in progress, but there's plenty to work with.
As I said earlier, I've been a Zips BB season ticket holder for the last 10 years until relocating here a few months ago, so my observations are based on watching him in person for almost all of his home games his first 3 seasons plus several road games and 2 games this season when I was back in Akron in December, as well as reviewing his box score stats. I'm not saying that he won't be drafted in the NBA, because as we know any 7 footer with a sniff of talent will draw interest, but he will not play in the NBA. Europe likely, D-League maybe, but not the NBA. They might be able to beef Zeek up to be physically capable of handling NBA play, but I do not believe that he can develop the necessary mental toughness required for that level. I hope he proves me wrong, as I truely would like to see him make it, but unfortunately I don't think he will.
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Let me ask you the same question that I have asked other fellow fans, since you seem like someone who may have lowered their expectations substantially.
If someone would have told you 4 years ago that Zeke would "develop" from a 6 ppg scorer to a 10 ppg scorer through the course of his career here, would you have been excited?
My sentiment exactly. Glad to see an objective. fact-based comment rather than blaming his lack of development on "biased referees" and "double/triple teaming defenses. Great kid, solid contributor, but anybody who thinks Zeke will someday play in the NBA is dreaming......
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He's our leading scorer.
Oh yeah, that's impressive on a team with this kind of balanced scoring
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@Kep, have you read this thread?
No, I had not seen this thread. Thanks for that --very interesting.
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I would suggest you either go to a game or watch one on TV or the internet to get your answer. In the WMU game, the minute he touched the ball on the offensive end, he was double and triple teamed. Same thing with NIU. Why do you think McAdams was able to go 6-6 from the field including 4-4 on three pointers.
I was a season ticket holder and attended all home games as well as a few road games since 2001, but I relocated to Bangkok in September and have only been able to see the Zips play 2 games when I was home for the Christmas holiday. There is no access to "watch" the games here, or even listen to them, so obviously my only visibility to results is via written recaps and box scores. That is why I asked this question, since he seemed to be playing much better in those 2 games, but since then he his stats have been less than impressive. I do find it hard to believe that any team would double and triple teaming Zeke, as he is certainly not a great offensive threat, and it would only open the door for others like Harney and Treadwell to hurt them.
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Two games into this Mac season and Zeke has a total of 11 points and 10 rebounds (only 2 offensive). It appeared that Zeke was finally starting to put things together with some dominating games in late December, but it appears based on his recent games that he has returned to his old form. I understand that he was in foul trouble in the W Michigan game which reduced his minutes, but against a woefully weak N Illiinois team only 6 points and 6 rebounds, no blocked shots, and 2-5 on FTs? It is time for Zeke to start playing like a 4th year starter and be a leader of this team.
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So lets see, since he has been here:
Three straight championship appearances
One conference championship
One NCAA
One NIT
20+ games each year
And you don't think he is a dominant player?
That's correct, he is NOT a dominant player. He is an inconsistent "contributor", with some flashes of dominating defensively. All of the achievements that you have listed are TEAM accomplishments, which are attributable to the talent and coaching of the overall TEAM. You like many others make the mistake of attributing team achievements to individual players. Kyle Peterson also "achieved" all of your listed accomplishments, so is he a "dominent player"?
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While I agree that Zeke's continued development is a key for next season, I respectfully disagree with most of your other analysis.
First basketball-related-- Zeke isn't the typical guy who started playing a lot of ball as a kid and focusing his life in that direction. He has said he kind of got steered into playing competitively a lot later than most players after people just expected that a kid his size belonged on the court. In high school, his size alone allowed him to dominate, but he didn't arrive in Akron with the kind of honed skills most D-1 recruits already possess. And it showed, just as KD said that it would. He's had to learn on the fly, and he's gotten better, bit by bit, every year. I credit him as a person and KD and the coaching staff for that, and I'm not willing to concede that his progress has been hindered by poor coaching. In fact, I'd argue just the opposite. I'm not at all in doubt that Zeke's senior season will be his best and that he'll continue to be a primary reason the Zips will be one of the favorites for the MACC and a team with a chance to make a post-season run.
Second, only partially basketball-related-- Zeke says chose Akron because of the school and the overall environment as much he did to play basketball. Does he want to help the Zips win? Heck yeah. But he also wants a degree in computer science. From everything I've heard, he's thriving in the classroom and enjoying his experience as a student. As fans, I understand that a lot of us don't really care about that. But as an alum of UA, I'm nearly just as proud that Zeke is getting it done in the classroom as I am that he's helped us win quite a few basketball games. And I'm really glad for him and his family that he'll be leaving Akron with something far more useful than just memories. And with the coaches' help, he might even have developed enough of a game to get a serious look at the next level. Whatever his future holds, I expect Zeke Marshall will leave Akron with the same love for the school most of us here have because of the tremendous impact it has made on our lives. And, bottom-line, that's what college athletics is supposed to be all about.
Anyway, my two cents.
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Despite all of the Zip's returning talent next year, they are destined to a runner-up finish to OU in the MAC and another NIT bid unless Zeke can step up his game. Yes, he is obviously a great kid, has shown improvement each year, and at times can be a game-changer with his shot-blocking skills, but for the Zips to be a true top 25 team. we need him to play with emotion and desire. Throughout the MAC season and tournament, he showed flashes of how he can be a dominating player as long as things are going well, but too often after a questionable foul call, a bad pass or turnover, or just getting out-muscled for a rebound, the head shaking starts and the play deteriorates. This was understandable as a young freshman and sophomore, but it can no long be blamed on his youth and inexperience after playing almost 100 games through 3 seasons. Some of Zeke's inconsistency and lack of development must be blamed on the Zips' coaching staff. When Dambrot states that he has to take Zeke aside and personally work with him (as he did a couple weeks ago), you have to question how much benefit a 5 ft 8" head coach is going to be able to provide him as opposed to a "big man" assistent coach like Jeff Boales. Let's hope that Zeke's apparent desire to be a NBA draftee following his senior year will motivate him to play at the level of consistency that this team needs to take them deep into the NCAA tourney next year.
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I believe Zeke will be a lottery pick at the conclusion of this year.
Also would like to nominate this thread for "thread of the year."
A lottery pick at the conclusion of the year??? You have got to be kidding. Zeke has a long way to go skill-wise, physically, and mentally before he could ever be considered an NBA prospect. IAnybody that thinks he would be a lottery pick in the 2012 draft is not watching the same Zeke that I have seen getting pushed around and out-muscled throughout the MAC season so far. But he is a smart kid, and he knows what he has to do, and I would not bet against him making it in a couple years, or after a year in the D-League.
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OU travels well, students are back, Saturday afternoon game, Zips coming off 2 exciting wins..... expect 4200 attendance. Zips should be able to dominate in the paint and win this game, as long as we keep OU's quick guards reasonably under control.
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I was unable to listen to the Zips/Miami game last night, but in reading the brief summaries of the game it seems that Zeke was a non-factor with only 2 pts on only 4 shots, no free throw, zero rebounds or asssts, in 31 minutes. He only had 3 fouls, so it wasn't like his play was restricted by that. Just when he started to show some flashes over the last few games that he is starting to "get it", he apparently took 2 steps back last night. Can anybody tell me what happened? Was he simply not able to handly Miami's physical big men (Mavunga and McGhee)?
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Maybe this is why KD is (apparently) delaying AA's knee surgery until after these next few games? Maybe he feels we really do need AA for Pine-Bluff & YSU. It'd be pretty devestating to go 1-4 over the next few weeks.
Is AA really having surgery on his knee or will he just be "rested" after these games?
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Went to the CSU-Can't State game a couple weeks ago and both teams are extremely quick, athletic, challenge every pass and shot. The Zips have not shown that they can handle pressure well, and with both Abreu and Walsh hurting, it could get very ugly very early Saturday. The key for the Zips is to get back quickly on defense, stop CSU's transition game, and force them to play in a set offense that does not suit them as well.
I DON'T HEAR YOU??!!!
in Akron Zips Basketball
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Yes, a great game by Zeke and the team. We know that Zeke is capable of having these kind of games where he takes control of a game. The question is, why can't he play at this level more often? Obviously nobody can be on top of their game 100% of the time, but if he really aspires to play in the NBA, he cannot take 3-4 games off between these kind of efforts. Sorry I was not able to reply earlier to your post. But some of us have full time jobs and are not able to sit around all day blogging......