clarkwgriswold

Good point. My mindset is a little off by being spoiled over the years by the Zips always qualifying for Cleveland.

As a coach in the MAC, given the very clear history of the conference as a one bid league, why would you ever have a different focus than building towards the tournament? It makes me crazy when they lose to a "lesser" team and I'd enjoy them winning every game but next week is really all that matters. I am very much encouraged by the recent run but I am still concerned about the offensive doldrums the team occasionally falls into. A decent team won't allow them to pull away while playing poorly like Ball State did in the first half of last night's game.

The Zips conclude their 2021-2022 regular season this Friday by hosting the Central Michigan Chippewas. The Chippewas are 7-21, 6-11 MAC and in a precarious eighth place in the MAC standings. The Chips need a win against the Zips or a loss by ninth-place Bowling Green at Toledo to hold onto 8th. 6’0” freshman guard Kevin Miller leads CMU at 13.2 ppg. From the Zips online schedule, it does not clear if this game will be televised. The site references “TV: 21-DAY WILDCARD SELECTION”, so we'll see.

Zips getting outrebounded and only shooting 29% from three and still up 15. Ball State is bad and they are in the middle of the MAC. I've now guaranteed a run by them.

Did the Zips just try to get the ball to Freeman on a pick and roll? Be still my heart! I want a DNA test on Bumbalough. I suspect he may be Whitford's love child. I can find no other explanation for him playing,

Zips D is really outstanding so far, closing out strong, giving up no easy shots. It is as good as I have seen it this year. Good thing as the offense is struggling.

Yikes, 6 total points through 6 minutes. Ugly.

Patellar tendonitis.

Wow. I like it. A nice early test. They must not have had room for Point Park or Wheeling.

I think if we were going to see more of Kalle we'd have seen it by now. He's played 1 minute in the last 2.5 months (BG on 1/20/22). I don' think we'll start seeing him now.

Here's hoping there are a lot of dads who told junior they'd get to a game this year and take advantage of this last chance!

New Ohio cases on December 28, 2021- 15403 New Ohio cases on January 28, 2022- 9044 New Ohio cases on February 28, 2022- 729.

No, the numbers significantly declined.

Agreed with exception to the JAR having "character." The JAR is a plain box; an empty canvas. There's no reason it can't be the foundation of a decent arena. There's also no reason it can't become a community asset. Don't get me wrong. I'd love a new arena, but the JAR is a facility with some potential.

Ball State beat EMU on Saturday to go to 13-15/8-9. Sparks had 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Heck, those are a treat compared to the old fiberglass bleachers at the Rubber Bowl that would make your keester itch for a couple days!

It needs a track and some glass rails. Those upper seats are way too close.

Three point shooters have generally driven ZipsNation nuts. Josh Williams...Kwan Cheatham...Xeyrius...Trimble... Some of those guys though, like X and Kwan, had other ways to contribute when their shot was off. Trimble does not.

I'm still waiting for my refunds from the Saul Phillips and Rob Murphy retention funds.

I suspect that the same attitude that allows you to be taken away from the team by Groce is the same attitude that won't allow you to take responsibility, buck up and earn your way back. I really hope I am wrong on the inner workings of what went down and that this is a situation of a good kid losing his self-confidence and that this is all a part of his process of a successful rehabilitation of that confidence. Time will tell, but the results on the floor tell us what's best for the team right now. I also think that we may be giving his absence a little too much credit for the Zips recent success. There's more to it than that.

As the season winds down the Zips head off to Muncie to face the Cardinals of Ball State. Ball State stands at 12-15 heading into today's game against EMU, having lost 4 of its last 5. Payton Sparks leads the Cards at 13.4 ppg with Tyler Cochran chipping in 11.9 ppg. Sparks also leads the team in rebounding at 8.2 rpg. Sparks, a 6'9" 240 pound freshman, has had an impressive season and has become one of the MAC's better big men. He has had 9 double doubles thus far. The Freeman/Sparks matchup should be a fun one to watch.

OU shot 36 three pointers to the Zips 15.

62.5% shooting for the Zips.

A 46 point half followed by a 45 point half. Nice.

Stay aggressive and don't get conservative trying to preserve a lead. It's the basketball equivalent of the prevent defense.