clarkwgriswold

I got the sense Utomi was slow to get in games as a freshman as KD wanted to see him play harder, especially on defense. When he did get in, he showed some real range. As I recall, he averaged 27 ppg and 14 rpg in high school so it had to be discouraging sitting out a year for a bad foot and seeing the floor so inconsistently as a redshirt freshman. As a sophomore here, he led the team in scoring and was a decent rebounder. This year, he fell off some. I thought going in we may be looking at an all-MAC type player, but he just never seemed to have the fire. Maybe it's just a personality thing. He did commit to remaking his body. Also, the offense occasionally seemed to screech to a halt when the ball went to him on the wing, with 4 guys watching while he went to iso.

Utomi is a good player and can play immediately, but if he thinks he's going to see any meaningful time at a place like UNC or UVA, he's delusional. He hasn't been dominant in the MAC. He certainly will not be a meaningful contributor at a top 5 program.

News flash- Zips point guard is short. GT's article this morning has Ivey in the transfer portal. Sigh.

Being tall is all important in the MAC. EMU had a huge front line this year (6'9"; 6'10"; 6'11") and it led them to...15-17. Oops. Sorry.

Did Tree grow before or after he was a Zip? I have only ever seen him listed at 6'7" and that was generous. I agree that height sure helps but coincidentally Treadwell is the perfect example of how a smaller guy with grit can play larger. Other examples are Romeo Travis and Jeremiah Wood.

You're forced to do that some with a lack of depth (like Utomi guarding bigs and playing in the post). Having a number of interchangeable athletic and long players like Buffalo makes tossing labels aside much easier too.

Banks is a shooter who lost his shot. If he regains it, he'll play meaningful minutes. One of the problems is that now, with Utomi and Ivey gone, they don't have a real 3.

I think he moves up in the pecking order with Utomi moving on. I could see them running a three guard starting lineup with LCJ, Cheese, Banks, Williams and Riak.

That's the beauty of the MAC- a long term as a head coach can only be sustained by consistent mediocrity. See Steve Hawkins. If you're awful, you get moved on. If you're successful, you move on. If you tread water, you hang on and on and on... The grand prize for mediocrity is being the all-time winningest coach in your school's history- i.e. Rob Senderoff. KD was the exception to all of these rules based in large part on his Mount Pleasant melt down.

No point, just a joke.

Why yes it is!

Shouldn't a guy by the name of Oats be the coach of the Penn Quakers?

Can we trade Northern Illinois for Northern Kentucky?

Who would ever want to leave DeKalb?

Oats is in a good spot, a spot arguably better than a lesser team in a better conference. The grass isn't always greener, just ask Dustin's brother Geno.

I was thinking about the criticism of the MAC and it struck me that in my time on ZipsNation we have gone from a suggestion that the Zips were joining the ACC to a suggestion they should join the OAC. Talk about a wide range of perspectives.

I would think ASU's associates are responsible for taking away Bobby's neckties and shoelaces for the foreseeable future.

Too slow.

Ummm, sorry you missed the reference to prior posts on here.

Boals needs to recruit more guys like Gary Trent and DJ Cooper.

We've placed you in the transfer portal.

The point is that UA football does not have the support of the community. I know of many people who have never been to a UA football game at Infocision but have been to many high school games there. That's Arth's challenge- get the area interested.

They did, but the the channel name "Comedy Central" was already taken.

A few points: 1) KD was successful at US and...people b!+ched...offense is too predictable...they don't play enough zone...they can't stop dribble penetration...they have no out of bounds plays...there are players of questionable character on the team and kids getting into trouble...the OOC schedule is weak...they can't win the big game...he can't win in the tournament...yada...yada...yada... 2) Groce came into nothing, the team improved in year two and...people b!+ch...players are transferring...the big men are offensively challenged...their shooting is awful...there was a fight between players...the OOC schedule is weak...yada...yada...yada... 3) People will b!+ch no matter what. 4) Groce is going nowhere. Love him or hate him the University of Akron does not have the financial resources to dispatch him.

We are quickly closing in on my yearly non-basketball season ZipsNation hiatus. Sigh...