clarkwgriswold

Don't sweat the trolls. At the end of the day, the Zips played their worst game of the season against a team that played their best game of the season and was benefited by outrageous officiating and they nearly pulled it off. While we're worried about the Zips losing their chance to be ranked, they're excited that the win may qualify them for the CIT.

Ugh. Lots of blame to go around. Awful possessions after they went up 5 completely changed the game and let the momentum swing back to OU. Let me say first that I'm not one generally to b!+ch about the refs. Keith implied in the post-game that the refereeing in the MAC contributes to the MAC never getting an at-large bid. The refs can't take the best players in the league out of games without it adversely impacting the product under review by the selection committee. A double tech on kids jawing at each other on the way to the locker room is ridiculous, as is a 38-16 free throw disparity. All of that being said, the Zips had their chances and should have capitalized. They also showed a lack of composure at times today. The realists on here recognized they lose at some point. Time for the Zips to move onto Ball State and put this one behind them.

I don't expect Big Dog to be Mark Price at the line, but he's better than he's shown. It is pretty apparent at this point that it is in his head.

I feel bad for OU having to go through the season without Antonio Campb.......naaaaaaaaaaaah.......screw 'em. I hope we beat them by 50.

Curious to see how the Kittens have adjusted to the loss of Campbell. I think they were still reeling from it at the JAR a couple of weeks ago. They're 2-2 since they saw the Zips, so the adjustment doesn't look like it is going well. Of particular note is a loss to 7-14 WMU.

So, you're saying it's better than the average GT article? I heard Franshon Bickley is also back on campus.

I remember a tight game at the JAR earlier in the year when Jimond had a transition dunk and the team came back down the floor and every kid on the Zips was pumped up, up on the balls of their feet and in the grill of the kid they were guarding. They were chomping at the bit. I remember thinking how great it would be if it didn't take a big play to bring out that intensity. Last night's second half performance gave me a similar feeling. It's kind of funny. Now that we've seen them do it, we know they can do it and it will cause even more grief when they don't. Keith knows what he has here. He's made it very well known that "we can't guard anyone." He deserves credit for recognizing what he has and doing well with it, even if it drives him a little nuts.

Maybe they're one of those teams that will always do just well enough to win.

We need to see that defense for entire games, not just when their backs are against the wall.

Whew, stole one.

Let's hope this is a preview for the rest of Antino's season.

Exactly. NIU's strategy seems to be to double him when he puts the ball on the floor, generally from the blind side. Worked well early.

I hear HGTV is a good option.

I don't need to see Josh Williams or Austin Jackson until they find their games.

Or TDM.

He's become a specialist with no specialty.

Even the damn commercials are irritating tonight. Same ones over and over and over. I've had enough of Antonio Brown at the reception desk!

Kwan and Antino are going to have to win this for us.

This is the worst Zips team defensively I've seen.

The NIU fan is going crazy.

I made my wife turn off HGTV for this?

I'm sensing a "dysfunctional" Zips locker room at half.

Another nice NIU crowd.

I think NIU did a 5 for 5 substitution.

Rough start. If Maric's going to keep beating Big Dog down the floor then somebody needs to step up, stop him and look to switch if and when Dog gets there. Big DOg looks completely out of sorts.