UAZippers

According to the article, he got his offer almost immediately after the coaches saw him at a camp. So he is a player with 3 years of starting experience (about to be 4) and physical tools that our coaches love, I am very happy to have him joining UA.

I'm not sure any of them are on paper anymore. I'm pretty sure that Akron's is fully digital. They just use the style because it is effective and what people are already familiar with.

Bravo to ABJ! I really enjoyed that article. I found it the perfect pre-media day preview. It talked about some of the issues surrounding the team and used quotes from the coach and general roster information to talk about how Bowden is planning to address them. Keep these type of stories up!

I guess that explains how we have been able to stay two over the scholarship limit.

Obviously it would have been better to never enact all of these initiatives in the first place, but you have to have a bit of respect for the fact that UA administrators are willing to admit that they have made mistakes and are taking steps to correct them. It shows that they are truly trying to make the university a better place, they just do not have any idea of what it will take.

Hoping that we see a whole lot more of this in 2017!

I haven't heard much about him before, but after a quick search, he seems like a quality guy. He was hurt most of his Freshman year and steadily lost minutes as this past season went on.

If Akron can convince a P5 conference that we are worthy, then that opportunity needs to be pounced on. I just don't see that happening any time soon. We have awful football attendance and a small, not very good arena. I don't see what Akron offers a better conference other than a great soccer program and a pretty good track program. Neither of those brings in enough money to play any role in the discussion.

Yep, he is just trying to get the extra workouts and advice. Its the same situation as Campbell from OU.

Why is our program so proud that they refuse to take a low payout, but are totally fine participating in early season tournaments that are completely stacked against them? I would much prefer getting a low sum of money to go to Villanova, then to join a tournament that openly admits that only the P5 teams have the opportunity to "win" the tourney. Its not like we are also getting quality home games out of the tournament, this past year they sent Charleston Southern to Akron.

I would love to get both of these players, but we are already 2 over the scholarship limit for next year. KD is going to have to make some tough decisions with his players. I don't see him inviting 2 more players in.

You are right. I somehow had 8-4 in my head and repeatedly typed 5-4.

I guess that you have higher expectations for the Big 10 than I do. You say that they have not had a successful tournament, which implies that they should have done better. Looking at the Big 10 this year, I really didn't expect anything from them except for MSU, which I mentioned as their major upset. The rest of their teams I saw as average to sub-average tournament teams. With that in mind, I find their 8-4 record to be performing slightly above my expectations. It is all a matter of perspective. I believed (even before their great tournament so far) that the ACC was the best conference this season. If they went 8-4 in the tournament I would have called it a disappointment. If the MAC ever goes 8-4 in the tournament, I will be jumping for joy.

That is really the only line that was needed to prove your point. I don't understand this thread. The same people who are arguing for more mid-majors are at the same time saying that P5 schools should never lose to a lower seed. If you think that P5 teams are so much better that they should always win, then the tourney should be nothing but P5. If mid-majors deserve to be in, then the P5 schools have to lose. The Big 10 has had an above average tourney with the obvious, major exception of their best team being upset. Saying that Purdue losing to Little Rock (one of the top name mid-majors all year) is a bad loss implies that you think the team that finished 4th in their P5 conference is automatically better than nonP5 teams.

It looks like many OSU fans, at least the ones at this thread: http://www.scout.com/college/ohio-state/forums/3156-the-schott/14629836--6-akron-3-ohio-state-a-good-matchup?page=1, are scared about this game. Even if it is because they are down on their own team, I am glad that we are able to get at least a little respect from fans of that school in Columbus. Also interesting is the fact that OSU was considering turning down the bid if they had to travel. Seems pretty convenient that they ended up in the same bracket section as a Florida team without an arena. Might have influenced the committee into moving the game from Akron to Columbus also.

Various reporters on Twitter are claiming that the Zips would host the second round. I haven't seen anything official though.

The game is on ESPN

Mid-Majors already have their own tournament. It is called the CIT and nobody actually wants to be in it. Most mid-majors are more than happy to have a chance to go to OSU with the small chance for the W. We Akron fans are just spoiled by a great team that sadly is not recognized nationally as being great.

Seriously. Did people already forget that we just played 3 games in the Q?

Not saying that I necessarily agree, but interesting. Teamrankings.com lists the Zips as having a 50/50 shot at getting an at large bid to the NCAA tourney. It surprised me, I haven't heard this from anywhere else.

Akron's press conference after the game. Dambrot's very last comment is the most interesting. He thinks that if Big Dog gets in shape, he will be one of the best centers in the COUNTRY next year. That is a lot of hype for any player in the MAC.

It is fantastic to hear a player call Akron his dream school. That is the first step to building a strong program long term. Lets hope that he keeps this view as he continues to be pursued. Michigan is hard to turn down if they end up offering.

From what I have watched, Campbell never had a "good" game. He either was on fire and dominated everything, or he was a slightly above average player. Akron seems to have figured out the best way to guard him, as he did not play particularly well in either game against us. Either that, or we just got really lucky to meet him on two nights that he was just off.