clarkwgriswold

Current Zips MAC rankings: 1st in points per game 4th in points surrendered 1st in margin of victory 3rd in team field goal percentage 2nd in opponent field goal percentage 2nd in Team 3-Point FG Percentage 2nd in Opponent 3-Point FG Percentage 1st in 3-Point FGs Made per game 4th in Team FT Percentage 1st in Combined Team Rebounds 3rd in Team Offensive Rebounds 1st in Team Defensive Rebounds 1st in Rebounding Margin 7th in Turnover Margin 1st in Assist/Turnover Ratio 1st in blocked shots 1st in steals Conclusion: Good offense + good defense = wins

Jarusevicius's development has turned CMU into a MAC contender. If they can keep him healthy and out of foul trouble and a third player steps up to help him and Pritchard, I could see them making a dent in Cleveland. They're certainll battle tested given their OOC schedule.

Game 25? How is that possible? NIU comes into the JAR Tuesday night to face the Zips on Enrique Freeman Night. The Huskies come in at 5-20/1-11 and are coming off of an 89-83 OT loss at Ball State. 6'5" sophomore guard Quentin Jones continues to lead the Huskies with 16.5 ppg. 6'5" senior guard James Dent scores 13.8 ppg while also contributing 5.8 rpg. They are 10th in offense and 8th in defense in the MAC. Here's hoping Akron gets out to show Enrique some love.

Now changed to 85-82.

85-83.

Some troubling decision making down the stretch. They still have some work to do on their "neck stepping."

Awful basketball to get trapped there on an inbounds pass.

...and there's the over!

Weird game. Only 18 three pointers taken but huge points inside.

BOOOOOM! Wow Shammah!

15th in the MAC in scoring; 25th in FG%; 11th in FT%; 3rd in steals. He may be the Zips MVP but he won't get votes for POY without being higher in the stats.

The Jarusevicius kid is a player.

They balance it out by being slow.

It's really going to come down to who wants it more.

They have to take it one game at a time.

One thing I thought we might see more of this season with the increased depth is more pressure on defense. We've seen little or no backcourt pressure and the 1-3-1 trapping defense has been used only sparingly. I guess that the fact that the Zips have often been in the lead could have impacted this as well as there being so many new players and the priorities of getting them up to speed being different.

The line is Zips -4.5. The under/over is 155.5. The over has been a good play this season. My WCSD (worst case scenario disorder) is starting to kick in with this upcoming stretch.

My superstitious side fears that it is too early to start this conversation. Like Michael Scott, I'm not superstitious, I'm just a little stitious.

That elusive ACC bid would finally come.

I have a scooter and some circa 1980 Corell plates and would do it for $50 a show.

I think UA should establish a Red Panda residency like the Vegas venues do with the big stars!

The 6'10" guy ruins that stat. He'd have to average 93 rebounds a game to bring them up to the Zips dwarves level.

Two words to increase attendance- RED PANDA.

The Zips head off to Central Michigan Saturday for a 7:00 p.m. game against the 11-13/4-7 Chippewas. The Chipps are coming off of am 91-83 loss in Brimfield (where I had the Chipps +8.5). The Chipps were decimated by the transfer portal after a 12 win MAC season where it looked like the program was coming around. They were able to retain All-MAC guard Anthony Pritchard but lost 6 of their top 7 scorers to the portal. 6’10“ junior forward Ugnius Jarusevicius leads the Chipps in scoring and rebounding at 14.6 ppg and 7.3 rpg.

Groce was not happy with the rebounding, defense or effort by the Zips. Essentially said that WMU was more physical and put forth a greater effort and that the Zips won due to their shooting.