1981 grad

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.

Interesting that UCLA went small to deal with the Akron pressure defense. Interesting to see if they play small in the second half. X is having a great game. Hate that he and Freeman both have 2 fouls. That turnover under our own basket really hurt. I wish they would have called time out. Our only really bad play of the half.

Clearly not as good as Freeman but who is. He just is not that quick to the ball but he will get better.

Hate to see Wynn airball an open three. He has been playing so well. Like the Zips aggressiveness on defense. Everyone is going for the ball. Need to keep up the d.

Clark for three. We are looking good. Need to keep playing with composure. The more we can keep up our good play the more pressure builds on UCLA.

I am glad to see Aziz get some playing time and score. He needs to get stronger. I cannot count how many times his shots have gotten blocked from behind. He will be much better next year.

Azziz with a strong rebound and put back. Zips playing great defense. Need to keep this close. Hate that Freeman picked up a quick foul.

I am hoping for a competitive game going into the last 5 minutes. In my mind, the pressure is on UCLA since we are not the team that went to the final 4 last year and has everyone back next year. The keys to the Zips being competitive Freeman staying out of foul trouble. The one thing that nobody noticed on Saturday is that Freeman did not pick up a single foul. I cannot tell you how many times MAC refs have taken him out of the game by calling ticky tack fouls on him. Will the refs let the boys play? Not running out the time clock and forcing a bad shot. Yes, we play slow. However, we cannot play so slow that we run out of time to take a shot or forced into a desperate shot. We have to play as well as we did during the tournament with no bad passes, no unforced errors, aggressive defense, points in the paint and good 3 point shooting. In other words, we must shoot around 50% from the field and at least around 40% from 3. Finally, we have to rebound. We cannot get beat off the boards. Unfortunately, when you play a highly talented team, there is little room for error. Go Zips!!!!!

Great article by Pluto on Freeman. Not sure if anyone posted but here it is: https://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/2022/03/akrons-enrique-freeman-from-an-unknown-walk-on-to-tournament-mvp-terry-pluto.html

Thanks for all of the posts. Obviously, I went to all of those games but I did not remember them being a lower seed. I must have a selective memory because what stands out in my mind are the Saturday nights I walked out of the Q disappointed by a loss and a poor performance by a team that had the talent to win but just did not play well in the championship game. (I also remember the bank shot that lost us a game and the missed jumper that gave Ohio U the championship and the run in the NCAA that lead to Groce going to Illinois)