clarkwgriswold

Watching now. This alone is worth the price of my ESPN+ subscription.

Sounds like we got a 2 for 1 on that this weekend.

Doesn't look like it is available on ESPN+ yet. Well shucks, it was on CBS Sports. Please send me a VHS copy. I think Stan Heath is happy to be rid of Bates. It has been addition by subtraction for them.

While everybody else is losing people we have All-MAC players returning. I think that speaks volumes as to Groce's program culture.

Today's history lesson: The location of today's Ball State University had its start in 1899 as a private university called the Eastern Indiana Normal School. Was there are Eastern Indiana Abnormal School? In the early 1900's, the close relationship between the Ball Brothers, local industrialists (Ball jars) and philanthropists, and the school led to an unofficial moniker "Ball State." a shorthand alternative to its longer, official name. Through many transitions it eventually became Ball State University. Ball State University enrolls approximately 21,500 students. Prominent alum include David Letterman and Jason Whitlock.

I think I just lost post of the year. 😡

The empty blue seats increased for some reason when KD left and has never completely rebounded. It's a damn shame and I don't get it. The Groce teams are every bit as entertaining as the KD teams. I guess they're people who feel some allegiance or loyalty to make the donation but have established no connection with the program. Last night's crowd seemed decent. However, according to the official stats (not that I trust them), it was the second lowest attendance on the year, second only to Heidelberg. Those who were there were very engaged and involved.

They were all over the place. They missed obvious calls while calling a bunch of ticky tack soft stuff. The Tribble technical was a perfect example of how bad it was. On its own, it may have warranted a T but after a game of trash talking and posing, you don't suddenly start enforcing the rules with under 5 minutes to play to foul a kid out.

Dang, how are we already at the 15th game of the season?! The Zips head to Muncie, Indiana Tuesday to play the Ball State Cardinals. The Cards are 8-5 heading into a game against Central Michigan, a likely win. The Cards had a very soft OOC schedule. Ball State was picked to finished eighth in the preseason Mid-American Conference coaches' poll, four spots lower than its fourth-seed placement in the MC tournament. The Cards had a rough off-season, losing former All-MAC athletes Payton Sparks, Jarron Coleman and Jaylin Sellers who transferred to larger programs after the Cards rebounded under Michael Lewis to 20 wins last year. Between that exodus and graduations, the Cards returned only 6 players and one player with any starting experience (Pearson). Five of the new Cardinals are true freshmen. One of the returners, 6’9 junior forward Bashid Jihad leads the team in scoring (18.7 ppg ) and rebounding (7.3 rpg). 6’3” junior guard Jalin Anderson, a Loyola Marymount transfer, kicks in 15.8 ppg and 4.5 rpg. 6’8” junior forward Mickey Pearson averages 11.8 ppg and 4.6 rpg. In a 13 point loss in Brimfield last week, the Cards started : Bashir- 6’9” Bailey- 6’4” Anderson- 6’3” Pearson- 6’8” Hendriks- 6’10” 6’7” freshman forward Mason Jones also played 30+ minutes. I had a chance to watch a little of their game against PCCC last week and was surprised that with their size they now primarily run a five-out, fast-paced offense that focuses on ball movement on the perimeter rather than trying to establish a post game.

Tribble's technical was for chirping at BG. Groce mentioned it in the post-game, saying the entire game had a lot of chirping all night and questioning the sudden decision to penalize Tribble for it.

I just got to it. I parked all of the way down by South Street!

I'm not a fan, but at the same time the refs have to call it both ways.

Great second half. 47-26, outscoring them by 21. That BG team is going to win a lot of games in the MAC; @NWAkron- The Zips clearly wanted it more and left it all on the floor.

Chicken $h!+ Technical there. Trey Thomas did the same thing to start the game and they looked the other way.

Sammy's just not an adequate second big man.

Nice crowd for a late game.

Nice job by the Zips to get back in it. Now they get to try to combat BG with their best player, Agee, back in the game.

He's clearly better than Drake Maye, projected to go 2nd in the NFL draft, based upon this clear video proof!

I'd rather park somewhere down off of Brown Street and walk in for the thrill of the adventure.

Another issue created by the 9:00 p.m. game time is that many of the GA regulars are resistant to paying the $10 parking fee for the deck and have been parking and walking in from other places in and around campus. That feels much better from a safety perspective and 6:30 and 9 than it does at 8:30 and 11.

I hope they "leave it all on the floor."

.....and at 9 freaking o'clock!

News to me!?

Amen. The job of a guy like Groce is now more difficult than ever. You still need to work those high school lines to bring freshmen to the program. While you're doing that you have to foster relationships with kids you won't get just in case they have the potential to come back to you at some point in the portal. All the while, you have to work to manage the minutes and egos on your roster to make sure your better kids don't enter the portal. While you're doing that, you're often helping your struggling players find a new home. Throw in monitoring the hundreds of kids in the portal, sorting through them and recruiting those that might help your program. Along the way you're dealing with kids and parents whose perception has been distorted by the AAU culture. God bless John Groce.

Zips will need to get on the boards to help out Enrique Friday night. Agee is a good rebounder. Towns has been out injured but if he's back he can rebound. The 7 footer Spurgin has also been rebounding at a decent pace. Enrique is tearing it up on the glass but no one else on the team is averaging more that 3.8 boards a game.