GP1

I'm watching a replay of the semifinals of this tournament. The energy is almost noticable.

I know a guy who spent time in the Federal minimum security prison in Morgantown, WV. It basically didn't have a fence around it. Maybe RT can go there. He'll be the best basketball player and maybe the captain of the team.

Exposure!

He played basketball and went to school so he is a student athlete. Never steps foot on the court during a game, but steps foot every day during practice. During practice he proves he shouldn't step foot on the court during a game. You never know. That's the risk, but I trust the coaching staff to make a calculated guess.

Sure, but there have been better Zips who never came close to the NBA.

Your mom is a Kent fan.

Exposure!

Exposure!

Freeman can return to Akron and become a legend, or he can go to a P5 school and become just another guy on the team. He's a fantastic Zip and MAC player. I think the nightly grind at a P5 school might be a bit much for him. His athleticism sets him apart in the MAC, but I don't think it's enough for the nightly grind of a P5 school.

Here is a little perspective and a lesson in high standards. UNC won 20 games this season and didn't make the NCAA tournament. They were offered a spot in the NIT and turned it down. The NIT is part of American basketball culture and I want it to mean something. At the same time, I respect UNC's reasoning. This is what programs with high standards do. I applaud the Zips for not participating in the CBI. It establishes a standard for the program and the standard is not playing in a trash tournament at the end of the year. The CBI is worse than Tuesday and Wednesday night MAC football games, which is a massively low standard the MAC has set for football.

I can't say I wouldn't find it interesting. A match-up between the Dukes and Zips brings an interesting storyline. I'd probably read whatever articles got published in the ABJ or Pittsburgh Post Gazette, and I would drop into this board to see how the fans are responding to the game. That's really about it. It isn't about interest to me. It's more about it being compelling or not. I don't feel I would be compelled to watch the game. If it was a game against a known mid major during the regular season like Butler, St. Mary's or St. Louis, etc. I would feel compelled to watch and probably would watch. As much as I complain about MAC football on Friday nights, I love watching MAC basketball on Friday nights and would love a compelling game against a known mid major during the regular season. In order for the regular season to be compelling, I need the coaches out recruiting the best players possible and not wasting their time preparing for trash tournament games.

When people say it isn't about the money, it's usually about the money. Let's say the cost is $25K. What do the Zips get out of this investment? Spend the money on recruiting and get more of of the dollars.

Amen. This tournament is absolute trash. If you associate with trash, you are trash. Imagine making the worst college football bowl game....imagine of they played a bowl game in the Bahamas and called it the Bahamas Bowl. This tournament is 10 times worse. How does this tournament help the players?... It doesn't, the extra practices are punishment for mediocrity and they aren't going to become better players by playing in it. Going deep in to the NIT could make a player better because the competition gets really good. How does it help the students?....It doesn't. It's not like they were going to go to the games. How does it help the alumni or fans?...I can't think of how it does in a meaningful way. How does it help the general Akron community?....I can't think of a single way. There is a good case to be made (I don't agree, but it is a good case) that there are too many bowl games. This trash tournament should be eliminated. The illusion it is some kind of program builder is just rubbish. If you aren't good enough to make the NIT, it's time to pack it up for the year. Not making this tournament is like complaining that your 6-6 football team didn't make a bowl. You probably didn't deserve it in the first place and the coaches would be better off on the recruiting trail.

I didn't say that.

I'm too interested in seeing if people understand the word.