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Kreed, I'm quite "financially invested" in helping Akron to raise their athletic profile. So, I want nothing more than for the "Next Step" to happen. But you won't see me debating that it's not worth it if we lose in the first round. I'll take the MAC title and the chance to play in the Big Dance any day vs. watching someone else from the MAC while sitting in front of the TV at home.

I guess people need to decide what was a bigger disappointment: 1) Playing and getting eliminated in the 1st Round of the NCAA, while getting a chance to play in front of a big TV audience. 2) Going home on Friday night in Cleveland (like the last two years) without ever getting the chance to experience #1 I'll take a MAC Title any day. And I'll take a bid to the NCAA tournament and a chance to play, any day.

Does it surprise anyone else that we've actually moved UP to #39 over the weekend? I guess when you look at it closely, it was a road loss to a team that's in the Top 100. I'm not necessarily thrilled about a system that rewards you for simply playing a team that has a decent ranking, regardless of whether you win or lose. But hey, that's why so many teams in the "power conferences" keep good standing every year, and have crappy records. I guess that's the game we have to play. I think it further supports the idea that upgrading the OOC schedule will help us, regardless of whether it might cost us a couple more losses each year.

I would like to challenge anyone who would say this to find me any person, who purchased a game ticket, who went there only to receive a bobble head.

Yes, Buffalo can put Ken+ two games behind us with only 3 games left, making it very difficult for the Flushes. Ball State is a little less of a concern for me right now because we already own the tiebreaker against them. That would leave OU as the primary target that needs to be eliminated from the race when they come here a few games from now.

Very nice of you to explain to novices that this is normal business-world activity. But if the motive here is really to "get a foothold into a different market", that's exactly the huge red flag that would alarm me, and the reason why I responded in the thread. Parent companies become synonymous with the companies that they acquire. So, if our leadership is really trying to stomp out the "Akron wants to be a Tech School" impression, this move would make that nearly impossible. Worse yet, it's likely to turn the growing snowball rolling downhill into a complete avalanche.

Great point. Like someone else already pointed out, Jake and Reggie were defending the post at one point when both Kwan and Isiah were sitting. You're thinking that there had to be a better option. Although, I believe at that point in the game we really needed the pressure defense since we were down late? I can't remember. I'm telling you folks, we'll explode on these guys in Akron in a couple of weeks. I sometimes hope that the title will be on the line that game. It will make it so much sweeter. The atmosphere will be big-time.

Jake had to pick up Hall on the defensive end during some stretches in the 2nd half, which wasn't part of the plan, and is a total mismatch on paper. He did a fantastic job, and provided his overall hustle, and was hitting shots too.

I'll sum this up. Someone would have to be stupid if they believed that any association with something like ITT Tech would not damage our reputation as an institution of higher education.

A couple of surprising stats this morning that I really didn't realize while watching the game: 1) Noah, Antino and Reggie were a combined 3 of 22 from 3-point range. 2) The free throw attempts were a 33 to 11 advantage for Ken+. This may seem shocking, but the guys who got the FT opportunities were the two guys who were taking the ball to the basket on this team: Big Dog and Antino. This reminds me of some of the many typical Ken+ teams, who have athletic guys who attack the rim and attack the offensive glass. But, we have a couple of week to figure out how to get more open looks from 3-point range, and those shots will fall, and it will be an entirely different game.

I don't mean to make anyone this morning, but wait until you read the article about the "high character" guys at Ken+ who have rescued their season in the ABJ.

I felt like this was a repeat of a few games ago, where our opponent decided to put pressure on the wings and guards, and let Kwan shoot the long range jumpers. That game, he hit them. This game, those shots were all over the place. Lets face it, these guys were athletic and quick enough to fight through the screens and stay with all of our primary long-range shooters. Reggie wasn't "non-existent". They made him non-existent by never giving him much of any makeable looks. Why the criticism from a few of you about saying we could run the table? As I've made known, it was stupid to talk about it in January. But, winning these last 5 games of the schedule should have been very doable. Instead, we're now going to have to battle for this title again, and now need Ken+ to lose another game, or they are coming to Akron in a couple of weeks with a chance to steal the title from us with the tiebreaker. I'll definitely be rooting for Buffalo to beat them on Tuesday in Canada.

I think sometimes we just need to listen to ourselves, and stop making excuses for everyone else who's not coming. 1) Not a recognizable enough former player. (but he is the all-time assist leader) 2) It was a Tuesday and not a Friday/Saturday. 3) It was Buffalo, not OU. (Buffalo is the reigning champ, was right behind us in the standings, and has really grown as a rivalry) 4) It snowed that day (It didn't snow past noon on Tuesday). 5) If only there were more students on/near campus........ And these are just the ones I see in this thread alone. They either don't know enough about what we are accomplishing here (a failure in marketing), and/or it just doesn't appear significant enough to get involved. And I bet most people who don't care right now wouldn't be able to tell you that we have a 21-5 record, a #40 RPI, or lead the league by 2 games.

Of course that's the goal, and it should be the goal. But, you just described the entire problem. It doesn't happen. Maybe a few here and there. It's been that way for the decades I have been around here, and probably for decades before that. For example. there's about 5-6 different people I lived with at different times during my 4 years at Akron. Many of us went to football and basketball games together. And I can tell you, only ONE of them (besides me) has ever gone to any game since we graduated in the mid-80s. The rest of them chuckle and say, "You still go to Akron games?" So many of the things that have been tried over the years serve no purpose, and the history proves it. It has to matter to people. They have to want to participate.

You know the sick part of all of this? We're talking about a "lottery", where someone could win thousands of dollars, just to try to entice maybe 1,000 students into a basketball game. Where's the pride in YOUR University? Where's the desire to want to witness YOUR University being successful in athletics, especially in a major sport ?

Guys, I get the idea that Current Akron Students aren't familiar with Dru Joyce, but Akron Basketball Fans, or anyone who has ever been an Akron basketball fan, an area high school basketball fan, etc., is another story. The lack of those people showing up for something like this is a little surprising. A game against Buffalo in the heat of a conference race that we are about to win, outright? We would have drawn 3,000 or more, regardless of the bobble heads. To say the least, I think there's plenty of basketball programs who would have filled their house for a bobble head of their All-Time Assist Leader.

Keep in mind the cost, and the return. Sure, we get students to a game, possibly create a great atmosphere if they participate, and help our team with a game. But since they are all getting in for Free, there is no financial return on the investment.

This is sad, but true. I bet you that more OSU Honks who live in this area would buy a ticket to an Akron basketball game to see him vs. local sports fans buying a ticket to get a bobble head of an Akron basketball legend. My guess is that it would cost less than the price of thousands of bobbleheads too.

Morris. Great point. I've often said that the giveaways, even the more valuable ones like this one, are just giving perks to people who are already going to the games. Which is fine with me, but I think they hope that they will draw tons of new people to the ticket windows so they can get free bobbleheads. And that is obviously not the case.

The key part of the story is that their ticket sales have dropped significantly over the last few years, dropping about 2,000 per year. But, their national standing has been dropping over that same period as well. They've lost 10 games, and their RPI is up about #80 or something. We're moving in the other direction. We're at one of our high points right now, possibly the highest ever? An RPI around #40 that could still climb higher? We should have rising attendance.

Kreed. Thanks for throwing some numbers in there. I made the point earlier that it's much, much higher now. And I don't see why we use that as an excuse anymore. But out of curiosity, I would like to know how significantly it has changed. All I can say is that the on-campus population when I was in school in the early 80s was limited to the old "towers" that still sit in the middle of campus, a few off campus apartments, and some of the old houses in the blocks around campus. That was it.

Forsythe has a shoulder injury that is day-to-day, and may be able to get a shot in it to allow him to play. I have not even been told that there are any issues with Kretzer that would prevent him from going tomorrow.

You're right, the "Game Today" signs are worthless. If you can't get people interested in going, they aren't going to be there because the sign informed them that there is a game. They already know that Akron has a basketball team, and that they play basketball games. But.....the "Akron is a Commuter School" excuse has to end. There are infinitely more students on campus, or near campus than existed 30 years ago. We went to basketball games when the entire student residences consisted of the old 3-dorm cluster on the old Buchtel Ave.

I think you're getting somewhere on your own. Pat is gone in a few weeks. And Kwan isn't going to develop into a Center at this point either. Consider that Buffalo game as a preview for next season. Mr. Big Dog is going to be carrying a very heavy load. I'd agree with you if you look ahead maybe a few years. But next year, we're loaded with talented and experienced guards. Although, I do think those guys are going to be taking more shots with Reggie and Jake gone. I'll hope, along with you, that Josh's 41% 3-point percentage is not just beginner's luck. I remember McNees going on 3-point streaks as a freshman too.

Great question. Easy answer. Look at the lineup for next year and I think you'd conclude that he'll HAVE to log 30 min. per game when Pat is gone. He just logged 34 minutes on Tuesday, and put in a 14/11 performance. So, why would one question whether he's capable and could be very productive with that much court time? I think a couple of you are vastly underestimating the potential of a man of that size and strength in this league. And vastly overestimating the availability of personnel among the other schools in this league to defend someone like that.