clarkwgriswold

I like Okonkwo buy he whines too damn much.

29 minutes in and Sparks has played only 16, the least of any starter for Ball. 1 point, one rebound, 0 fouls.

Hardman can shoot it when he comes set and isn't drifting.

Lewis apparently did not get the memo on defending the Zips three game. I love Enrique but I have issues with his optician.

He was gassed in warmups. Sitting on his keester in Bloomington followed by 6 months of Fortnight will do that to you. It does not appear that there was a disciplined off-season. That guy should dominate the MAC. He's not even playing like the best big residing in Muncie.

Not just you 1981 grad.

Sparks playing zone. The other 4 Cardinals playing man. They guard switches to Lyle on a pick and Sparks stands under the basket pointing at the guard at the 3 point arc. LOL.

AGAIN! Showing that who's in the starting lineup means very little.

I'd like to see that to, if good threes are available. I just don't think the threes are readily available as much anymore as the MAC coaches have finally figured out that the best way to attack the Zips is to sell out to defending the three. In the first 10 MAC games, the Zips averaged 31 threes a game. In the last three they have averaged 19 a game. I think that decrease has been caused by the MAC teams now focusing on preventing the three as opposed to the Zips passing them up and I suspect we'll keep seeing that trend. Here's hoping that when that happens the Zips are prepared to attack inside and in mid-range. I hope that tonight they run Payton Sparks ragged. I remember an NIU game at DeKalb years ago when they had a decent Euro center that beat Big Dog down the floor over and over for easy points and ran him ragged. I'm hoping Okonkwo and Amani do some of that tonight.

Akron -8.5; under over 156.5.

Sounds like it.

Good riddance NIU.

Here's a little trivia to bring some perspective- How many D1 basketball teams are undefeated in conference? One. Yale. 11-0. That's also fewer games than other conferences have played.

Muncie, Indiana's Worthen Arena awaits the Zips Tuesday night as the Zips face off against the Ball State Cardinals. The Cardinals come into the game at 14-13/7-7. The teams met at the JAR on February 4th, a game where the Zips led by 2 at half then pulled away to an 81-73 win. The Cards are 4-1 since that loss, the only loss being by one point at Toledo. Two of those wins came in OT. Payton Sparks appears to be finally recovering from a year and a half of sitting on the bench and not exactly dedicating himself to his cardiovascular health. Jermahri Hill continues to lead scoring at 15.7 ppg. Sparks is second in scoring at 13.3 ppg and leads rebounding at 7.8 rpg.

Step away from the bridges people. These things happen every season. The other MAC teams have figured out how to attack the Zips reliance on the 3 point shot. It was all a matter of time. This team has the coaching and talent to adapt to how they are now being defensed and will respond. Groce, Ford and a staff will figure this out and the players have the experience, maturity and leadership to carry it out. They've lost one game in 2025. It's not time to shake up the lineup or the rotations. Pay attention to who is in the game at crunch time, not who plays the first 5 minutes. That will show you who Groce trusts.

Into each season a little misery must fall.

My feed's not working. Thank goodness.

Awful half. Unfortunately, this is not NIU at the JAR. The second half will be a real character tester for the Zips.

Another team running the Zips off of the 3 point line. OU is not playing well but the Zips thus far are.... I had a bad feeling about this one this week.

Sloppy...sloppy...sloppy...

I have Zips/Bobcats on one screen and Beterbiev/Bivol II on another.

Now they are saying 6:04 on the ESPN app.

Last year's thread.

They are prohibited from using it under the ADA due to the PTSD you suffer from the cannon in years past.

Good point. Bud's checkbook is certainly an advantage, but that view (often voiced by residents of Brimfield and environs) fails to recognize their own failures in building their own programs. It also doesn't recognize the other factors where the Zips have an advantage- better coaching...tradition of winning and championships...nice facilities (other than the JAR)...