GP1

It's not about one game. It's about how everything looks. I'll just answer it because you guys won't figure it out. Not that long ago, NCAA games were played mostly at on campus arenas. It was awesome because everything looked different. From the arenas themselves to the courts (Anyone old enough to remember watching NC State win on New Mexico's home court?). Before ESPN had so many channels, fans didn't get to see what arenas and floors at other schools looked like very often so seeing that was part of the charm of the NCAA Tournament. How have the brilliant minds that run the NCAA changed how we actually see the game? Two ways: 1. Playing in generic arenas that all look the same. 2. Even worse than the arenas...The Soviet Era courts they play on now. Black out of bounds with a blue jumpball circle at center court and the blue half moons above the foul stripe. The courts themselves are the perfect example of everything that is wrong with the NCAA. Some bureaucrat believed this was going to be a good idea and a source of creativity for the Tournament. It's stupidity on display for all of America to see and nobody comments on it. How many of these courts did they have to buy and transport around the country and at what cost (I know a guy who sells basketball courts and could probably ask)? I'm sure that bureaucrat has a line on his resume somewhere stating he changed the look of the Tournament courts. Even worse, a Soviet style committee decided it was a good idea. I'm sure they have some lame excuse like they were concerned about any existing ads on the campus courts, which is nonsense because they were already making money hand over fist years ago. For those of you who think the NCAA will be the organization to save itself and college athletics, take note of these courts. They wouldn't know how or even where to start. The sooner they go away, the better...before every team has to wear blue and black uniforms.

Everything that is wrong with the thinking in the NCAA is on display with the basketball tournament. Look at the games closely. What is the glaring problem with the creativity of the NCAA? What do you see? Why has it turned a great sport like college basketball into vanilla ice cream?

Article My favorite part......"Well, lots of things "work." You could have kicked a couple guys off scholarship, to make your point. You could have hit them with a taser. Fear is a great motivator, in the short term. The sky's the limit. In the short term. Was the result worth the cost? That was your old man's problem, in the end. He couldn't lobby the refs without throwing a chair across the gym. He couldn't lodge a complaint without screaming obscenities. He couldn't ask for respect without manhandling someone. It worked for a long time, and then it didn't, and then his career petered out in bitterness and semi-obscurity. At which point he handed it off to you." I give Pat Knight four more years in D1 basketball. The best part of him ran down his dad's leg.

I think this whole issue of off the court personality problems is not much of an issue. If it was, we would have seen the results on the floor in a huge way. From what I saw, there was never a time during this season when the Zips weren't at least trying to do the right things on the court. There is a difference between trying and doing. They had trouble with the doing part so I write off personality problems when I see that. The effort was there. They need to channel their effort better. If you put a group of college kids together for six months, personality problems are going to come out. It's only natural. I didn't see that manifest itself on the floor.

We played this game last year and everyone likes it so let's play it again. Describe this past Zips season in one word and ONLY one word and tell us why. I'm going to use the word "controlling". This is going to sound strange, but it was almost as if the season controlled the Zips and not the other way around. It was a good season for the team, but there were setbacks I thought this team would have found a way through with the talent level. They let some of the old problems of the past, such as losing to OOC teams they should't lose to, trip them up. Next year, I want the Zips to take control of their season. Stop losing to teams like Valpo, Duquesne, MTSU, ,CSU and VCU. We have the talent to win many more of these types of games than we do and I sick of losing as much as we do to these types of teams. By these types of teams, I mean quality OOC teams. For some reason, we can lose to these types of teams and come in the MAC schedule and destroy a terrible league...I think it gives us an unwarranted heightened sense of success. Let's get control next year and take this program to the next level. We shouldn't be looking for incremental improvements in the program. We need to expect a big jump in the quality of program we see on the floor next year. The talent on this team is too good for incremental growth. It's time to take control and start winning big and against a lot of big name teams (meaning good OOC teams and not Arkansas Whatever State).

Good post. Lots of things hurt teams, but these two seemed to really hurt the Zips this year. 1. Slow starts 2. Gaps in quality play The Zips had both last night. Getting Q in the game will help prevent slow starts. I'm not sure what to do about gaps in quality play. The Zips went through five minutes last night in the middle of the first half where they looked helter skelter and just plain bad. Every team goes through that, but not letting it get out of hand is the key. Against the Central Michigans of the world, a team can recover. Against good teams, if the spell lasts too long, it is difficult to recover. One team that has a different type of five minutes, and I wish the Zips could do it, is Duke. Duke almost never plays poorly. They always play right with the other team and for about five minutes during the game, they turn it up and get leads the other team can't catch.

Bingo!

I agree...And, we have the talent to play with all of them.

Thanks for the info. I'm looking forward to the match-up. N'Western got a lot of run for potentially being the 7th Big Ten team to make the NCAA Tournament. A match-up with a solid "bubble team" early will be a good challenge for the Zips. To be the best team in a tournament, you have to beat the best teams. UW would be a great second round challenge for the Zips. We have good enough talent to beat both of these teams and anyone else in the NIT.

Please read again with particular attention to the English language. There isn't a word in my post that says we couldn't beat them.

I meant a low scoring defensive game. The Zips played good defense (not great) and still lost. Akron had 16 turnovers and with good defense was able to be within one point of winning. It was our game to win and we didn't.

Nice summary. I thought the same thing. That could have easily been a four point play. Good late game no call, but it was a foul and we got away with one.

I watched the game from beginning to end.

Whatever. They are in a better conference than either the Big Ten or ACC. Depending on the reports, academics had nothing to do with it. There is not difference in the academic stadards of the Big 12, Big 10 or ACC.

It sounded and looked great on TV. Last night was a good night for the MAC. Two quality teams playing an exciting basketball game. Anyone watch the Big East Championship?....Horrible for college basketball. The MAC game was much better for college basketball than the Big East game. I'd go as far as to say that if someone didn't have a dog in the fight and bought tickets to the MAC Tournament because they like basketball, that person got their money back ten times in excitement. This weekend was everything that CAN be right with the MAC. They just don't do it enough.

Absolutely. Years ago I said the BE would take Temple back in a second and nobody believed me. Last year some told me nobody would take WVU other than the BE because of academics and the Big 12 came calling with excellent schools like Baylor and Texas. When are some of you going to start listening. Nobody cares about anything other than money. The NCAA pimps the conferences. The conferences pimp the schools. The schools pimp the players. This is the state of college athletics.

What? OU had three more fouls called on them than the Zips. The Zips had two more foul shot attempts than OU. Last night was a very physical game where the referees didn't call nearly the number of fouls they could have. The officiating was in favor of the Zips style of play and they didn't take advantage of it.

Good post. No easy answers. I know I was calm at home and even expected a Zips comeback with less than a minute to play. Maybe I would have been one of the quiet people last night. OU who live in NE Ohio don't get to see their team play in person much so I can see them reacting that way. Those that travel are dedicated fans and will be loud. I'll say this and I don't mean it in a mean way. NE Ohio fans don't know how to react to success with their teams. Even when things are going well, they can find a thousand reasons why their team will lose because they normally do in most sports. Their beatdown is complete.

Read again with particular attention to sentence 3.

WSU beat Alabama. I remember watching the game. It isn't really about what everyone else thinks. It's about an opportunity for some college kids to go out and win a championship in a tournament. I'd be impressed if the Zips made it to that finals in MSG and beat a name program like Alabama. Dayton beat UNC the year before so their fans had to be impressed. Joe Akron is a 1,000 years old and remembers when the NIT was important. It will impress Joe Akron if the Zips win.

I think this begs the question. Is OU a better team than us right now and going into next year? I'm not saying they are head and shoulders above us, or even above us for that matter. Are they an ever so slightly team than the Zips? Are they not better than the Zips and just had the cards fall their direction last night? I don't know what to make of it. I believe we are better but did not prove it on the floor. Proving it on the floor is all that matters though. Here is what we know: 1. We beat OU playing our style of game at the JAR this year. 2. OU beat the Zips playing their style of game in Athens. 3. OU beat the Zips playing the Zips style of game in the MAC Championship. To me, it is more impressive when one team can beat another not playing their style of game, but the style of the other team. It is an impressive way of winning as it shows a teams ability to adapt to adversity during a game. The Zips delivered a 7-0 punch late in the game last night and OU recovered and pulled out the win. I really thought the Zips were going to pull it out during that 7-0 run as they were in the zone of what they do best.

Is it the losers bracket? In some ways, yes. So is the play in game for the NCAA Tournament. So is the #16 Seed and most of the #15 Seeds. Let's not pretend that every team in the NCAA Tournament is a titan of basketball. It doesn't matter where you've been. Only where you are going. Right now, we are in the NIT with a team talented enough to win it all. None of us would have said that even four years ago. How would a banner saying, "NIT 2012 Champions" look hanging in the JAR? This team should not be looking at the NIT as a chance to make some waves in the tournament. They should be looking at it as a chance to win the whole tournament.

When Marshall used to play in the MAC, they used to talk about their team winning football "Championships". They didn't care if it was the MAC or a bowl championship. This is how I believe they should look at the NIT. It is a chance to win a championship. I hope they take advantage of the opportunity.

The bottom line is this. We got them to play our game and they beat us at our game. Congratulations to OU for a well played game. They earned it.

I'd blame it on the refs.