clarkwgriswold

Nice run. Hopefully the end of Daniel's woes.

Zips getting killed on the boards.

Nice general admission crowd today. Still way too many blue seats empty.

Still digging the yellow unis.

Entire section empty up top waiting for some group that hasn't arrived.

Miami info from the Zips gameday article- Scouting the RedHawks Miami enters the contest with an 14-12 overall record and 6-7 in MAC play. The RedHawks won 6-of-9 games since they played the Zips with the three losses coming against Toledo (66-63), @Kent State (70-67) and @Western Michigan (84-79). Miami is 10-3 (4-3 MAC) at home, 3-7 (2-4 MAC) on the road and 1-2 in neutral site games. Miami has seven players that average over 6.2 points per game and eight with 10 or more made 3-point field goals. The three players scoring in double figures are Nike Sibande, Dalonte Brown and Bam Bowman. Sibande leads the way with 15.8 points per game. He is shooting 40.0 percent from the floor with 132 made field goals on 330 attempts. More than half of Sibande's attempts are from long distance (183) as he buried a team-high 62 made 3-pointers while shooting at a 33.9 percent clip. Sabande adds 30 assists and a second-best 14 steals and 12 blocked shots. Dalonte Brown follows with 12.2 points per game and averages a team-best 5.4 rebounds per game (141 rebs). Brown has made 46 long-distance buckets while shooting 44.0 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from deep. Bam Bowman rounds out the double-digit scorers with a 10.2 average and 26 made 3-pointers on 48.9 percent shooting from the floor and 38.8 percent from deep. He owns a team-best 5.4 rebounds per game (135 rebs). Jalen Adaway and Darrian Ringo contribute 7.7 and 7.6 points,respectively. Adaway has 13 made triples with a team-best 54.1 shooting percentage from the field while Ringo leads Miami with 131 assists and 60 steals with 14 made shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Isaiah Coleman-Lands and Mekhi Lairy add 6.8 and 6.2 points per game. Coleman-Lands made 10 field goals all from long range while Mekhi buried 18 3-point field goals with 34 assists. Abdoulaye Harouna has made 20 long-distance shots, averaging 5.0 points per game. Defensively, Miami limits its opponents to 69.1 points per game on 43.1 percent shooting from the floor and 32.3 percent from 3-point range, allowing 7.3 long distance strikes per night. The RedHawks caused 307 turnovers (11.8 to/g) with 143 steals (5.5 stl/g). Miami holds the edge on the glass, outrebounding the opponent by a +3.3 margin and limiting the opponent to grab 872 total boards compared to the 957 total rebounds secured.

Agreed B & G. Some highlight Groce quotes from the article: * “I can’t look [the media] in the eye and tell you we’re not doing some things really, really well,” UA coach John Groce said after Friday morning’s practice. “We are. So, we have to find a way to try to control the controllables a little bit better.” * "I’ve always told him and Manny that if we could get them to score 10 points or more collectively in that 40 minutes between the two of them and shoot 60 percent on dunks, layups and paint shots and then protect the rim and be our best defenders around the rim, then they’re doing their jobs,” Groce said. * “Obviously, we’d like it more if he could get a couple more baskets,” Groce said. “He’s never going to be a primary scorer, but he needs to catch and finish better. Him and Manny need to be able to catch and finish.” ZipsNation couldn't have said it better.

Parrish looks like he's in witness protection with no picture.

Do we have a Nike rep that can "talk" to the #9 kid?

I have really liked what little I've seen of Reece. He should be able to come right in and contribute.

Many ways to win at basketball. They generally all have two primary factors- 1) good players and 2) good coaching.

Oh, ummmm, wellllllll, I take it back. LOL.

I think Parrish could be a big help right now too.

I'm not completely sold on Groce quite yet but his situation and Dambrot's were considerably different in the players inherited and the situation. KD had continuity from being on the staff and inherited some talent while Groce had essentially bare cupboards and a late start. Do I wish they were further along and won these close ones? Hell yes. But, Rome wasn't built in a day. If they don't take a substantial step forward next year, then I'll be far more critical. In the interim, I reserve my right to pee and moan along the way.

Also, this is the MAC. The Zekes and Bog Dogs are pretty few and far between.

KD also had a better base to recruit in inheriting Darryl Peterson, Wood, Futch, Travis, Joyce, Goddard and McFadden. I too want Groce to get good bigs and better shooters, but his situation is far different than KD's was the first couple of years.

With KD, the three point shooting didn't kick in until 06-07 when they were in the top 30 in the country and he played a lot of undersized big men until he got Zeke in 09.

akronzips71, I am curious as to where you think the Zips should be in the process right now. I sense you think Groce is behind and that they should be better at this point.

2003-04 class was Wood, Travis and Joyce. Pretty solid last recruiting class under Hipsher with KD as an assistant.

They were there under Hipsher (though KD gets major credit).

To be fair, none of those types of players were recruited in by KD his first two years. The freshmen on the 2004-05 team were Walther, Middleton, Goddard, Milum, Kanaan and Sowers. The 05-06 squad brought in Linhart and Rybak. I do hope Groce brings in players of the quality of those on your list in the future (and fast).

I suspect it is tough to tinker with something that's worked for long and got you 29 ppg in high school.

I'm curious to see how the Zips come out Saturday. This latest string of games could test their resolve. I'm a little concerned about Utomi. This "slump" has extended to a point that I wonder if something else is up. Injury maybe? He stuck it out at Akron when others bailed and he's worked hard, so I am rooting for him.

Remember the good old days when that MAC home playoff game ticket in the season ticket packet was worthless?

Fresh off of three close losses, the ZIps host Miami this Saturday at the JAR. The Deadhawks are 14-12 overall and 6-7 in the MAC. They beat the Zips 68-61 in Oxford on January 19th. 6'4" sophomore guard Nike Sibande (brother of Adidas, Puma, Reebok and Keds Sibande) leads Miami scoring at 15.8 ppg while 6'7" sophomore forward Delonte Brown and 6'8" junior forward Bam Bowman lead rebounding at 5.4 rpg. In their last six games they've alternated wins and losses and they just beat Ball State. Let's hope this pattern continues Saturday. On an unrelated note, I am off to read the Bobcat Attack forum. This should be fun.