
1981 grad
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2019-2020 Akron Zips Basketball- Looking Forward
1981 grad replied to clarkwgriswold's topic in Akron Zips Basketball
11 returning? I have 5 scholarship players returning that have experience playing. Riak, Banks, Cheese, Jackson, Roscoe. Roscoe I believe is the only true frosh. Sayles has missed more games than he has played and has not been impressive when he has played. (no fault of Groce or Sayles, cannot control injuries). This is not a recipe for success. -
2019-2020 Akron Zips Basketball- Looking Forward
1981 grad replied to clarkwgriswold's topic in Akron Zips Basketball
I expected more than what we have received. I expected players who want to play for a coach. I expected players who do not punch out other players. I expected to score more than 4 baskets in a half of basketball at the Q. I expected not to lose a quarterfinal game by 40 points, no matter how good the team. I expected that our team would not lose by 30 to an Ohio U team that had a losing record. I expected to have at least one center of our 4 centers that has an interest in scoring. (not from the 3 line) I expected our team to shoot better than 25% from long distance. I expected Groce's recruits to stay with our team after playing here for a year. With Utomi and E Man leaving, this looks more like a revolving door than a team. I hope that Groce will be successful but with these 2 Zips leaving I feel like we are starting all over again. Another year of new players and empty seats. -
2019-2020 Akron Zips Basketball- Looking Forward
1981 grad replied to clarkwgriswold's topic in Akron Zips Basketball
Utomi leaving. I did not see that coming. I agree that he had an off year. Now you have to wonder how much of that was that he wanted to get out of town. I think Groce has done a good job with what he had but what is going on when players constantly leave the program. If he is a good coach and great guy, why leave? With Kd, we had stability. With Groce, we have had anything but stability. The more turnover we have each year, the angrier I get at the AD for not keeping KD. Parish left program Cotton left program Patton left program Kostlec left program Gueye left program punched Kostlec Hester left program Never played Utomi Left program -
Somebody on this board indicated that KD would get his 20th in a post season tournament. I just checked and they were wrong. KD will not win 20. Here is an article on the Dukes season. https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2019/03/17/reviewing-the-2018-19-duquesne-mbb-season/ Basically, the Dukes improved from last season and did better than their preseason pick of 11th. KD"s main point is that he took over a losing program and has turned it around into a winning program that has gotten better each season.
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There was another bad call right before that one on a foul where the defender did nothing except touch a Buffalo player on the back down low. Even the commentators replayed it and indicated it was not a foul. It was a terrible call in the last 2 minutes. I thought it was the same ref we had yesterday.
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When KD was coach I would get upset that we would get to the MAC final and then lay a big egg. I also got upset when we played in the NIT tourney and lost to a terrible Ohio State team and would have hosted a major program if we won that game. Yesterday, I got upset that we lost to a team by 37 points that we had played close during the season. The old saying is that you don't realize what you had until it is gone. I think any Zip fan would have buyers remorse in that we dominated the MAC while KD was coach and now that is gone. I agree that KD inherited a much better program than Groce. Remember, he was the asst. coach for Akron before he was head coach. He did not have players leaving the team and he was familiar with players that were on the team. It was a seamless transition. Groce had none of that. In hindsight, Akron made a mistake in not doing the right thing to keep KD at Akron. Basically, it blew up the program and we are still paying the price. I think that Groce has done a good job with what we have and we need to be patient to see if he can bring this program back to its former glory and get us that first NCAA victory or at least that first win over a ranked team.
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The Dukes ended up 19-13. Needed that win to hit 20.
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Reading the above comments indicate to me that people on this board have done a great analysis of this program. I agree with all of the comments thus far and will add a few of my own. Highlights. The athleticism on this team. Watching Tyler Cheese take someone on one on one on a fast break and Euro stepping to the basket. Watching any and all dunks by Ivey. Watching this team shoot over 50% from beyond 3 against Miami and thinking what if they can do that against Buffalo. Upset!! Watching Ivey make his last 3 ball attempt at the JAR. Watching Cheese miss a layup when the nearest defender was at half court. (He got rebound and made 2nd layup) Watching the opposing player get stuffed on a dunk by the rim and then seeing it on sports center over and over again. Beating Kent big time at home. Watching LCJ drive to the hoop and finish among the bigs. Lowlights Watching Riak rebound the ball 2 feet away from the basket and then look to throw the ball out to a shooter instead of going toward the basket. After Riak passes on the 2 foot shot Riak then launches a 3 point shot. Watching a pick and roll with our center on almost every possession and never seeing it being executed for a basket. Missing the front end of a one and one time after time. Watching Groce bring in Walters today and have him play with Jackson. Going small is one thing but that was crazy. The small crowd against Miami on Monday. Noticing how there is less and less interest in this team after KD left. Watching this team shoot the 3 ball. Groce bragged how this team consisted of great 3 ball shooters. WE were almost the worst in the nation at shooting the 3 ball. Watching a close game on the road and know in the back of my mind we will find some way to blow it. And being right!! (Only time I hate being right)
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In his frosh year E man had a few games where he had some nice offense and post up moves. Early in the season I also remember Riak posting up and at least make an attempt at scoring. It seems that all of our centers digressed on offense. Does Groce have anyone who works with these guys. Maybe we need an asst. big man coach who know how to make centers better on offense.
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I just got back from the Q. All I wanted was a competitive game. The closest we came in the second half was 14 points. I walked out when we were down by 30. This was an embarrassment. The first half is what we have seen all season, a team that cannot put the ball in the basket. Riak and E man are fading away from 3 feet. Take the ball strong to the hoop and stop acting like little boys. Nobody could make a 3 point shot. Buffalo was not that good in the first half. They were missing their 3 point shots and their foul shots. This game should have been close in the first half but we played like crap! Didn't someone indicate that Groce had his team play their best ball come tournament time. So much for that. This team looked terrible. On the way up to the Q all I heard on pregame was how Akron has dominated at the tournament. That was all KD. That era is gone. I agree that the refs sucked the first half. They called 2 illegal screens that were phantom calls. The second half they let the teams play and it was much easier game to watch.
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Bobby Hurley parlayed his short time in Buffalo into a $2.1 million/year gig at ASU (plus bonuses). And Hurley really looks like a happy guy with all that money.
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Who the hell would want to be a college b ball coach. You get bounced around like an old tennis ball. I think KD had the right idea of staying in one location. But even that can be problematic when a new athletic director wants to spread his wings.
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The Mac used to give the top seed a great advantage by giving them a double bye into the semi finals. If you were not a top seed you had to play a game on Monday and then go to the Q and play on Wed and to win the MAC you had to win 4 straight games, an almost impossible task. Not sure if any team ever won the tourney winning 4 straight. IN the 2014-2015 season our starting guard Noah Robotham got hurt in the middle of the season and we lost a bunch of games toward the end of the season and had to win 4 straight to win the title. Antino Jackson was a frosh and had hardly played until Noah went down. He had a great tourney and we won 3 straight, Mon, Wed and Thursday and played Buffalo in the semi final. The game was close until the end but we lost. Bobby Hurley was Buffalo's coach and had them pressure Antino bringing the ball up the court and it wore him out. I always thought that KD made a mistake not having someone else bring up the ball. If LCJ could play as well as Antino did that year in the tourney we will stand a chance of an upset.
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Since Ivey stuck with this program, if he would want to continue playing in a post game tournament then we should do it. A post game tournament would help us for next year.
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With Buffalo being ranked, this will be the Zips 5th game against a ranked opponent this year which is probably a record. There are many negatives for the Zips including never beaten a ranked team, we have only 2 players that have played at the Q, we have sucked away from home. But there are many positives. Buffalo has not blown out teams when playing away from their building. The Zips have shown that they can play with anyone and have just blown games in the last 3 minutes, they are coming off their best shooting game of the season, and their defense has been good all season. Daniel Utomi has been driving to the basket and scoring both inside and outside the last 3 games. The problem with this team all season has been making shots, especially behind the 3 point line. If they can shoot about 40% from behind the 3 point line or if Riak goes 2 for 2 behind the 3 point line this game will be very competitive. I have said this many times but LCJ seems to be the key. He needs to play well and shoot the ball well. The ball is in his hands so much, especially at the end of a close game that his play often determines the outcome of the game. I think we could win this game. Go Zips!
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I thought OU would win because they have been playing well recently and killed us at home. I am lucky I do not bet these games.
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The last 2 of our 3 games we shot the lights out. Where did that come from? I think the hoop gets a lot bigger when you are up by 20 late in the second half. I thought our offense was sloppy but when you shoot like that it makes no difference at all. There were a lot of whistles tonight. The went to the foul line a lot more and killed us on the offensive boards but when you are making your shots this game gets a lot easier. LCJ had another great game. He made one the best passes of the season to Utomi on a fast break. Utomi has had 3 solid games in a row. We are playing this well without Cheese leading the offense. When we can shoot over 50% from beyond the arc we are going to be tough to beat. If we shoot this well against Buffalo it will be a very interesting game. Go Zips!
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I feel the same way about Groce. I love how he has brought in athletic players such as Cheese, Banks, Jackson and Roscoe. However, KD always recruited some great big men such as Big Dog, Zeke, Treadwell and numerous others. Hughs is playing great for the Dukes. Riak is a great defensive center but we miss having a dominant center on offense. I will hold off my review to see how we do in the tournament. If this team makes a run Groce will be a genius. If not, it will be another mediocre team in the MAC.
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Is Daniel Utomi getting hot at the right time. The last 2 games he is shooting 16 for 30 from the field and 10 for 20 from the 3 line. I noticed that he is scoring both inside and outside. He actually scored on a fast break against Kent. We need somebody on the team to generate some offense. A go to guy. I think those players could be Daniel or Cheese. I think we need Jimond (238%) and Jackson (227%) to try to limit their 3 point shooting as they are the worst 3 point shooters on the team.
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Other than the Ohio game, the Zips have played well at home. The old adage is to take one game at a time so why worry about Buffalo until we get past Miami. Utomi had a great game at Kent and maybe he is regaining his shooting touch at the right time. He scored both inside and outside against Kent. We need someone on the team to provide some offense. I still think Jackson is the key to this team's offense. When he struggles with turnovers and poor shooting this team suffers. Looking forward to the game on Monday. I will be curious if they will draw any type of crowd.
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Loren Jackson went 1 for 9 from the field and 0 for 4 from beyond the arc. This seems to be his typical stat line whenever we play away. He did have some nice assist and he made all of his foul shots. He just cannot hit a 3 on the road and his shooting percentage on the road is terrible. Ivey, Cheese and Jackson combined for 1 for 15 beyond the arc. Daniel is the only one who shot the 3 ball well and kept us in the game. Why can't Jackson shoot the ball the way he did on Tuesday. For the 2nd year in a row this team only had one road win. That is pathetic! How many times in a close game do we lose because we cannot get a rebound. Banks had position on the last play and just got muscled away from the ball.
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I would still rather play Miami than Ohio U at home since Ohio just kicked out butt. I still think Buffalo is beatable if we play our best basketball like we played against Bowling Green.
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No he came in for a few minutes took one shot and got pulled.
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Can we pull out one close game on the road? Just one?