LoyalZIP

While we’re on the topic, I am particularly a fan of getting 2021-2022 Mikal Dawson as opposed to 2022-2023 Mikal Dawson

I can think of some circumstances last year that prevented him from having a great year for Akron basketball, just a couple. As a true freshman, he was a spot starter for the best team in the MAC. Barely scored, but was a rotation player--as a true freshman--on what many consider to be one of the best Akron teams to ever take the floor. As a sophomore, he played far more meaningful minutes on a team that was tasked with replacing one of the best starting lineups the program has ever seen. In 13 more minutes per game, his FG% saw a 6% increase, 3PT% saw an 11% increase, and he scored 131 more points than he did as a freshman. In a short season. As a junior, he led the team in scoring (the team that went 14-6 in MAC play and beat Kent by 20 in the MAC Championship). He averaged 10 more minutes per game than the previous year, bumped his FG% up 2%, bumped his 3PT% up 6%, and missed 37 free throws in 133 trips to the line. He scored 308 more points than the previous season. I'm all for the idea of him not being as good as he once was in the Akron uniform. My guess as to his production will be somewhere between the 21 and 22 seasons. Lots of cooks in the kitchen this year. But calling that one season an outlier is entirely misleading. There is a graph of usage and production that suggests a trend. Had he never left Akron, who knows how good a year he would've had in 22-23. My main point in this entire business transaction is this. Would you rather bring back Ali to give it another shot with him, or take a shot on a random and increase your risk of another Maishe Dailey, Trimble, Currie, or KJ Walton while you try to land a Xeyrius Williams or even a Xavier Castaneda, who was anything but special for most of his first year at Akron? Or maybe we just go for another Prince Mosengo. Risk vs. Reward.

Outlier as in he progressively got significantly better each year he was at Akron? Like X in 2022-2023?

Kaleb Thornton, Shammah Scott, Greg Tribble, Nate Johnson, Mikal Dawson, Ali Ali, Darrion Baker, Ryan Prather, Tavari Johnson, Sammy Hunter, Enrique Freeman, Amani Lyles, Marvin Kamali. Plus Pat Mayfield and Evan Wilson. WOW. Get to work, fellas!!!!!

From GoZips.com: https://gozips.com/news/2023/4/28/mens-basketball-akron-basketball-welcomes-ali-scott-and-thornton

I don't know much about the whole process, but I don't see much, if any, chance at this point that Freeman WON'T be with Akron next year. He has been participating in practices and has been plastered all over UA social media. Maybe I'm wrong, but a guy that is getting serious looks at the NBA probably isn't practicing with his team deep into April/May

LET'S GOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This roster is LOADED.

I’m not sure what there is to be frustrated about. Sure, he’s either here or he isn’t. There is a process to things. It’s May.

I had a mini heart attack and felt so much relief once I fact-checked 😂

😍 That's a lot of All-MAC award winners. Freeman: 2022 DPOY, 3x All-Defense, 2022 2nd team All-MAC, 2023 1st team All-MAC, 2022 Tournament MVP, 2022 MAC tournament champion, 2020 regular season champion Ali Ali: 2022 2nd team All-MAC, 2022 MAC tournament champion, 2020 regular season champion Tribble: 2023 All-Defense, 2022 MAC tournament champion, 2020 regular season champion Thornton: 2023 Honorable Mention That starting lineup also has 22 combined MAC tournament games played. In the transfer portal era, those kinds of numbers are nothing to sneeze at.

Love it @catdaddyp!!!! Thanks for all of the hard work and observations this spring. That’s better than anything I’ve read in the local paper in years, as are most of your posts on here. I’m pumped to see how this team competes in the fall.

Thanks for the notes. I wish I could’ve gone, I don’t miss events like this often. Someone in the department told me they were very impressed with the turnout up on Club Level. Hopefully they were able to make some sales.

Midnight has come and gone. We are certainly doomed.

Is it a Kansas transfer??? 🤔

“The Friday the Earth Stood Still”

I’ve also heard we’re supposed to be getting some news today. I’d rather be blindsided than have it be like this.

Lot 9 is the best spot! It's the lot on the south side of the stadium, behind the scoreboard. Either there, or lot 10 next to the field house.

Nike gear is far more scarce, they barely have enough inventory to give enough to every coach, athlete, etc. that needs it right now. Hopefully it comes back in a few years, steeply discounted brand new Nike gear would be a fantastic selling point to get people in the building.

I would say last year, specifically, was a pretty good example of the times changing. As soon as the incident occurred with that horrible coach, it was addressed and she was let go. No BS suspension. UA has been just fine over the last 15 years in revenue sports, save for football but got the new stadium at least. As for the smaller sports in the margins—the baseballs, softballs, womens soccers, golfs, etc.—usually lagging behind. It says a lot about a school and athletic department when all of the programs, or most of them, are competing at a high level. I can’t really remember a time where all of those previously listed sports were regularly competitive. That would be great to see.

Emoni Bates to the draft. Stan Heath's nightmare may be over at last.

I gasped when I saw the Kaulig donation pop up. Really cool. I think yesterday showed how much support a lot of these more niche programs get. A lot of former athletes and former families hang on more than you may think. Specifically coach Peresie, he is a different kind of coach. Locked in with motivation and he gets a ton out of those swimmers. I would imagine he has to get a lot of his budget from donations, so that’s something he focuses on. Football, on the other hand, doesn’t rely as much on donations as it does the Kaulig name (technically donations I guess), TV contract, Gate revenue (though small), and other revenue streams. Basketball—Wentz Financial Group All in all though, I don’t think UA has come close to hitting its goal the last few years. But it looks like the donors were energized this year for some reason. Awesome to see.