clarkwgriswold

More Matt news for those interested- https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/01/08/oscar-winner-give-virtual-talk-akron-library/6582495002/

Can you imagine the furor on here if they would have fired KD? The Bowden firing (of a sub- .500 coach) is a constant point of debate to this day on ZipsNation. I can't what a firing of KD would have brought.

Basketball- 1-8 Football- 0-6 Baseball- 7-10 Soccer- 7-10-1 Tennis- 6-6 Women's BB- 4-5 Women's Soccer- 2-14-2 Softball- 7-15 There's an awful of athletics misery in DeKalb.

Yep, tough to get too up or too down in this weird year. Following the same timing as in past years, they'll be in mid-season form at the end of the season. My biggest concern yesterday was as Groce described- “We’re soft." "We weren’t very tough with the ball. We weren’t very tough defensively." With limited practices and games in this weird year I can excuse missed shots and players being out of sync with their teammates, but being soft and bad defense are effort things. Not the end of the world. On to NIU. Here's hoping that game was a one off and not a not a blueprint for future teams stopping the Zips.

The team was disjointed. Nobody, especially LCJ ever got into a rhythm. Nobody stepped up when LCJ struggled. They often got outhustled/outworked. For stretches in the game EMU made everything. The Zips had trouble with the zone. Just ugly all around.

Beacon game story- https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/college/zips/2021/01/09/self-inflicted-mistakes-doom-university-akron-loss/6594397002/

Somebody has to step up and take the spot as the number 2 option. Last year, LCJ had Cheese and X while no one has stepped up this year.

Tall. LOL Tough to tell. Played 3 minutes of garbage time. Had a couple of rebounds and made two free throws. Also had two fouls in those 3 minutes. I would say he did not look clumsy as some young big men will.

Lovely DeKalb, Illinois awaits the Zips for a Tuesday night matchup with the 1-8 Huskies. The Zips are fresh off of taking a big slimy dump in Ypsilanti. Just last week, NIU “separated” from long time head coach Mark Montgomery. The sole Huskies win was on December 18th against Chicago State (apparently, they were unable to squeeze Olivet into the schedule). Thus far in the MAC they have lost to Toledo, BG, OU and Miami. 6’2” sophomore guard Tyler Cochran is the Huskies’ leading scorer and rebounder at 13.8 ppg and 7.4 rpg. They were picked 10th in the MAC Pre-season poll.

Bandaogo get a couple of minutes.

I get that, but EMU has only played 5 games to date.

This team thus far has nobody to be "the man" when LCJ's not on fire. Down 22. Give me some Clark and Currie. Might as well experiment a little. I wish somebody would t-bone all of those damn Nissan Rogues.

Some of the Zips think they can make up 16 points in one possession.

Zips in a funk and that happens sometimes, but damn, they're getting outworked and that's unacceptable. It only took Rob Murphy 10 years to discover have three huge lumbering players in the game doesn't make you a good defensive team.

Ugly finish to half.

Good to see Tribble in too.

A Currie sighting!!!!

Dailey finally starting to get a little more aggressive on offense.

Seems like the Zips have had slow starts against the zone since....forever.

Another slow start for the Zips.

...and poorly lit.

Eeeek!

Game day article from the Beacon- https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/college/zips/2021/01/09/university-akron-mens-basketball-team-still-learning-its-identity/4124999001/ It's refreshing to have someone covering the team that actually gives us valuable information.

Game is on ESPN+. Time to fire up the subscription again.

Damn, it feels like it has been a month since they played PCCC.