1981 grad

Little known trivia, Kobe's dad, Joe "jelleybean" Bryant, was a star for the La Salle Explorers

Great point! On occasion I will check on our former players and share their successes.

I wish Ali the best of luck and I understand his desire to play closer to home. If he works on his game, he could be a good Big East player. However, my prediction is the MAC championship and the NCAA game against UCLA will be the highlight of his college career. Although Ali was our leading scorer, he also led the team in minutes and shots. Freeman actually made 10 more baskets with 100 less shots. Unless he improves his game, I just don't see him leading his new team in minutes or shots attempted and he will average less than 10 points per game.

Does anyone remember a time when after the season this board went pretty much silent and we did not have to worry about players transferring in, players transferring out, and where they were going?

Yikes, I wrote my post before reading your post.

This is the new college basketball. We can probably expect this every year. I sure Zips fans are disappointed in that we thought our students loved Groce and would not transfer after winning the MAC and almost knocking of UCLA. We also do not know what Groce told Azziz regarding his future. Azziz was a project in that he had bad hands, not a good rebounder and was very slow moving his feet even for a 7 footer. There is a reason that Wynn got playing time instead of him. Groce might have told him that next year was going to be a struggle because they were going to be playing pressing defense and he may not have fit into their plans. Thus far the only transfer that really hurts is Ali but I would rather him transfer than have a disgruntled player on the roster.

Ali had his moments but in the UCLA game he was a no show in the 2nd half. Big players shine in big games and he just faded. The last shot was terrible and cost us an opportunity to win the game. He is not a good rebounder and gets pushed around under the basket. He obviously had an attitude because he did not start in the Northern Illinois game. He score 20 points in that game and Groce put him back in the starting lineup. The one thing I disliked about Ali all season is that he would talk to the opposing bench. I think if he were a high character guy he would stay with Akron. He needs to put on some muscle and work on his inside game. I will keep track of where he goes but my prediction is that if he goes to a big program he will come off the bench and average 8-10 points. We still have a great nucleus of player and I just do not see his transfer as being a major body blow to this program.

Yes, come over Ben, the last MAC star transfer worked out so well. (LOL)

Thanks for the update. Great that Kwan is making money in the sport he loves.

The last call on the moving screen was very weak!!!

Being a graduate helps him play immediately since he would have had to wait a year since this would be his second transfer. I do not see him going to a bigger program. Tough to explain how your team went on an 8 game winning streak and played their best basketball of the season after you left the program when you had some sort of disagreement with the coach.

Any other Zips fans upset that we are not playing today? The Zips have never won an NCAA tournament game and we had an 8 point lead, momentum on our side, and statistics that indicated we were going to win the game. (personally, I hate that stat stuff but to each their own.) We played poorly in the last 5 minutes and the refs made some questionable calls to protect UCLA by fouling out Freeman on a illegal screen and call Azziz for a block when it was clearly a charge. On the last possession Groce should have got in the refs face to get a timeout and Ali should have brought the ball out when he was told by the coach to call a time out if they did not have numbers. He then forced up a shot and game over. The Zips lost the game in the last 5 minutes and UCLA did everything to win the game in the last 5 minutes. I once indicated that being a Zips fan is not easy. Thursday's game proves my point.

I saw that on the replay and I am okay with that no call and letting them play but then do not call an illegal screen on Freeman 10 seconds later. If you are going to let them play then do it on both sides of the ball.

Watching the replay, the Zips did not play very well the last 5 minutes. This is the difference of having the experience in playing in the tournament. We just did not make shots in the last 5 minutes except for an X bank shot and a Clark layup off a rebound. That drive by Ali was just stupid. Especially when the coach told him to call a timeout when they did not have numbers. However, every call in the last 5 minutes went against the Zips. UCLA did not get called for any fouls the last 7 minutes. Freemans 4th foul was a rebound where he knocked the ball backwards. It was 50/50 ball under the basket and there was no foul. The UCLA guy put his shoulder into Aziz and Aziz got called for the block. Even the announcers indicated it was clearly a charge. Finally, the moving screen in the last 2 minutes that took Freeman out of the game. It was an iffy call. Freeman did shift his body weight but it was not an obvious call and should have been a play on with 2 minutes left. If that had been the UCLA best player, do you think the ref would have made the same call? Finally, if Groce really wanted that timeout he gets into the face of the ref and calls timeout. Instead, he froze and watched Ali make his move to the basket. I am very disappointed in that you have so few games to make a statement and the Zips could have made a statement that they beat a top ranked team. However, the last 5 minutes showed that they could not close out this game. I feel the same way I did against Ohio State, we let another one get away. Bitter pill to swallow for Zips fans.

Groce told the team if they did not have numbers that the team was going to call timeout. Groce was watching Ali while he was trying to call time out. He should have gotten in the refs face. Instead he had his eyes on Ali while he was calling time out. Once Ali made his move to the basket there is no way the ref was going to call timeout. We needed to play a perfect game to beat UCLA and the last 5 minutes was anything but perfect. Once again we just could not pull off the upset. On the replay there is no question Wynn was wide open for the three. Just like the Kent game at he jar, we should have passed to the open player.

Great, Groce indicated that he called timeout on the last possession and the refs did not give him the time out. Once again we got hosed!!

One illegal screen call in the entire game and they call it in the last 2 minutes to foul out one of our best players. Tell me that is not crap. The refs should be ashamed of themselves for controlling this game. Every call the last 5 minutes went against Akron.

I would have like to see X with the ball in his hand for the last shot. Ali had not scored all half.

Key moment of the game was the offensive foul that was not called against UCLA and the illegal screen call against Freeman.

That was another bad call. We are getting hosed!!!

After they hit a 3 a bad possession when Tribble could not find anyone to pass to and then got his shot blocked. Great time out by Groce. We need to run some offense. Get the ball down low to Freeman or get it to X. Ali has not been as effective the 2nd half.

Tribble Tribble Tribble. I love Tribbles!!!!

With them going small and X on the bench we need to get the ball into Freeman. He has looked really good in the low post. We finally got a call on the offensive foul against Azziz. Groce great move to give X a rest after that air ball. We will need him in the last 10 minutes. He is having a great game.

Not a good pass especially to the guy who has the worst hands on the team. Another touch foul against Akron. The call on Freeman was very weak.

X has been making that jump shot all night. He has really played well.