BirdZip

If we have concerns about our walk-ons transferring out, then we have bigger concerns than our walk-ons transferring out.

I thought it was a great game. As to being sloppy--5 turnovers per team and 28 fouls total. The teams shot a combined 73% from the line and 44% from the floor. Not my definition of sloppy.

Valpo got robbed twice in the last couple of minutes. Once on the out of bounds (wrong call even with replay) and again on the no call foul on the last shot.

It's been discussed that we need every recruiting advantage we can get. Right now one of our bragging points is that we've played in the postseason x years in a row. Choosing not to play throws that away. Also, KD said, "we've played 35 games already, why play one more?" I agree...let's play 5 more.

Lamont sets at least one moving screen each time down the court.

ZTZ Said: What exactly have we won? Yes, we beat the occasional power conference team, but those are always away from the JAR. We beat up on cupcakes at home, and then we beat MAC teams which doesn't mean much because most MAC teams have been awful for decades. We beat more MAC teams in the conference tournament, and then we lose in the post-season. (Sorry, Quote function doesn't work on my work computer.) I've been thinking about this a lot. I've been a season ticket holder for a while now, driving an hour each way to any home game I come to. A few years ago, I wouldn't miss a game. This year, I find myself less than enamored with the drive and find myself staying at home, trying to watch a poor internet feed instead. Why am I less excited this year? I think it comes down to complacency. Once you've seen something several times, it's not as attractive any more. Even if it's really good stuff, it's natural to view it as "been there, done that". Seeing Mount Rushmore the first time is amazing. Seeing it a second time, still cool. But do you want to see it a third time? There are some things, like the Grand Canyon, that awe you regardless of how many times you see it. Duke, Kentucky, Kansas: They're the Grand Canyon. Gonzaga has become Niagara Falls. The Zips in their current form--they're Mount Rushmore, if they're lucky. Is going to the Big Dance three times in the past 6 years a great accomplishment? Compared to what Akron did before that, of course. But we're kind of in an eternal DO-loop here. Not only with losing in the first round of the Tournament, but in everything else as well. The opponents are still the same as they were 5 years ago--literally. The game day experience is actually worse. KD still talks about the MACC being the only thing that matters. It's all well and good to say "yes, but look at the recruits we're getting now". The problem is, we said the same thing 5 years ago. At some point, even if something is really good, it goes stale and loses its luster if it stays the same too long. if you're not moving forward, you're being left behind.

I believe these are likelihood to make the championship game (especially since they add up to 200%). Chance to win it is next column over. Akron at 15.7%. Edit: You are correct. Thank you. I corrected above. -Dr Z

I think that one hire actually warranted his firing 5 years ago. And exactly how much stuff does he get to take credit for?

The problem was a lame offensive first half by the players. We had 7 points at the 10:00 mark. How excited are we supposed to be? Should we be feeling tingly at the prospect of breaking double digits before the first half ended? I remember thinking (and I think saying out loud) that this may be the most boring game I've ever been to. I remember thinking, "I drove an hour for this?" Some folks just love to attack the fans. Everyone says they want more fans, but when they come, if they don't cheer enough, they're too quiet. If they cheer too loud, they're labelled obnoxious. If they're not clad in full Akron gear, they're scorned. If all you want is people exactly like you, it will be a very empty arena indeed.

About 8 hours from tip-off and no game thread yet. Ouch. Interest must be waning. When asked about the game in Illinois this week, Tom Wistrcill responded, "The Buckeyes will definitely win this one. We're better than Northwestern. Go Team Ohio!" The rest of us, though, are focused more on DeKalb. Seems that, much as Dambrot owns some teams, NIU at least occasionally rents Dambrot. Never easy there. Zips 70-60.

We seem to have taken our amazing baseline inbound strategy (throw it to the tall guy) and used it for our press break (throw it to the tall guy). We even had Forsythe dribbling the ball up several times against BG. It's kind of sad. I also got a chuckle out of the post-game where Frenchie mentioned the free throw percentage and said "but those things are fixable". If so, then please fix them.

Balsy pointed out that it costs about $4900/semester according to UA's website. Honestly, I had no idea it was so cheap.

Very well spoken student athletes............"We ain't come to play school"...........

3's don't draw fouls. Properly executed plays for 2 do.

According to NCAA.com, we're 168th out of 345 D1 teams. Average indeed, but average stinks.

My favorite part of the Marshall game--we actually ran an inbound play that wasn't just "throw it up high to the big guy". Been a couple years since we did that.

Couldn't disagree more (with ZtZ--not sure why Quote's not working for me). I've been a season ticket holder for several years. Love college basketball. But UA lost two games in a row on lackluster performances. While I was deciding if I wanted to drive an hour to watch the next game, I see the opponent is Bluffton. I pass. The opponents we play in the JAR stink. The halftime shows this year have consisted of chuck-a-duck and, well, nothing else. The seats are uncomfortable. The concessions stink. The sightlines stink. The student attendance / support stinks. The promotions stink. The reason we can't agree on the problem is because there are so many. A few years ago we had the slogan "Think Bigger". We need to do more than think about it.

One way to help justify a large expenditure is to show what it's going to cost you if you don't make the large expenditure. To be legitimate, it has to be a real study, done as though you're going to do it. Then you publicize that this is the idea (renovate) and this is what it will cost. Then you come back and say, for just x million more, we can build a brand new arena. The true cost, then, is the delta.

DIG, a list of the only D1 teams that Middle Tennessee and North Dakota State HAVE beaten isn't all that impressive: Southern Northern Arizona Kennesaw State Hampton Montana State Hard to say either way...

When Can't students are buzzing, it typically has nothing to do with football...

Difference to me is that the PSU used time outs to at least try to swing the momentum. Dambrot watched a big lead turn into nothing and never called a time out. It was obvious that PSU came out strong and we were struggling. This is Dambrot's MO and I don't think it ever works. Burn a time out and stop the bleeding.

Sounds like the JAR staff needs to do some creative editing and go old school, blasting "Domo Arigato, Mister Robotham" when appropriate?

I meant early afternoon. Schedule them late Saturday afternoon or evening. Noon and 2:00 starts are difficult to get to if you have kids in sports or other activities. Ignoring that fact does not change it. Family packs went up significantly, regardless of whether or not you remember it happening.

I hope that many of the people here commenting on attendance don't run a business. If so, you might want to start stashing some cash away for when your business fails. I envision a guy making battery operated toothpicks or something like that. People aren't buying them, but instead of deciding to try something else, he/she just keeps making the toothpicks and marketing them the same way, complaining all the time about how the potential customers are just stupid and, if they were smart, they'd be buying the Pick-O-Matic. It is the right of each individual to decide whether or not they attend an athletic competition. It is the job of the Marketing and Athletic Departments to make them decide to come. If what you're doing isn't working, maybe consider trying something else. If that isn't working, try something else. Don't get caught in the entitlement mindset that UA deserves people to come. Earn it. For those that say that 8-3 in our last 11 should be enough to fill the stadium, in 2012 when K-ent was 10-1, did you attend their game vs. Ohio? If not, why not. They were 10-1--it's a requirement to attend at that point. I live in Chardon. I used to drive an hour each way with the whole family to every home game and an away game every once in a while. Not for a huge amount of time but we were really getting into it for a few years. Then we went 1-11 twice, then UA raised the prices. I dropped the season tickets. Now that they're getting good again, I need to decide whether or not to go. Saturday afternoon and weekday games make that decision for me. I watch at home on ESPN3. You can say all you want that I'm an idiot and a horrible fan, but I don't care. It's my money and my time. The challenge for UA is to figure out how to get my money. It is their right to continue to do the same thing and just hope it works. If they do, I'll continue to do the same thing as well.

I'm confused. How do the women go from tied for 2nd with just three vaulters left, win the pole vault, and finish in 10th place? And the men are in 7th with no events left and finish in 20th? ???