GP1

I just got home from the game. Just some thoughs.1. As sports fans, I hope all of you at least have some understanding of athletic talent. Here is the truth of the game tonight. Winthrop had better players at every position than Akron. Period. They were taller.....they were faster......they moved better......they shot better (especially when it counted)....they smothered Akron with their athletic talent at the end of the game. Where are our 6' 3" guards? Where our 6' 9" centers who have soft shots from five feet? How come none of our forwards can gracefully drive to the basket or hit a pull up jump shot?2. Winthrop was absolutely horrible for 35 minutes of the game and they still won by 10 (I think). Had Winthrop played the way they are capable for 40 minutes, Akron would have lost by 25. When Winthrop was playing bad, Akron did nothing to burry them. Winthrop couldn't have thrown the ball into the ocean for about five minutes. Had Akron poured it on the first 35 minutes, they would have won easily.3. I said earlier on the board that Akron should schedule big time teams, because according to you folks, they have a good team. I didn't think they would get run out of the gym. I am here to say that I was completely wrong and I should stop listening to you people until I see things myself. The team I saw tonight would lose by 30+ to a UNC or someone like that.4. Coaching. Outside of recruiting better athletes, I'm not certain what else KD could have done tonight. My only question is why when Winthrop was pressing the last ten minutes, was Dials bringing the ball up with his parallel partner as Quaid? Wouldn't Middleton have been a better partner?5. I'd sure like to know where the muscle is Nate L. and Quaid M. added to their frames. HGH and now.6. I like the Dials/Middleton back court better than the Dials/Dru back court. I also really like that McNees (sp?) kid. He hit some good shots tonight.7. Winthrop looked like a team that plays higher level competition than Akron. When they hit the gas, they went. When Akron hits the gas, they sputter.8. Wood was absolutely smashed in the head with about four minutes to go. It happened right in front of me.9. Akron is what they are. At half, I was convinced they would win the MAC Tournament this season. Now, I'm hoping they will win the MAC Tournament. There is a big difference.10. No inside/outside game again this year. It's either all inside, or all outside. When our big guys had the ball, they didn't seem to be able to get the ball to a smaller player on the perimeter easily. This has always troubled me with the team. I like all five players being involved.11. Lots of local UofA grads at the game. None of us knew each other and we all live in the area. I wish the Univeristy would have alumni organizations around the country so we could watch games on TV with like minded people. Every other school does it......and we wonder why there is no alumni support.

Good thought out points by everyone. I can't get the following thought out of my head.If UofA loses the MAC Tournament, even with 25 wins, and does not even get in the NIT, what good is the schedule we are playing other than winning a lot of games? If the answer is that they are building the program, the question is then, into what? The Gonzaga analogy is a really good one. However, they mixed in winning their conference tournament with a lot of wins every year. If the Zips want respect, they are going to have to earn it through a Tournament championship either this year or next (For some odd reason, I think it is going to be this year as college athletics have a theme this year of "expect the unexpected"). If not, they will increase the reputation as a program that wins a lot but can not win the big game.Why play one or two big teams early? Sometimes getting your butt kicked is a good indicator of where the program is and needs to go. It can also expose the players to a higher level of play and thus improve the players expectations and performance by putting them in a higher pressure situation. I still believe everything should center around the MAC Tournament and those three days in March. These early season games teach a good team like UofA a lot. From what I read, it seems as if Akron is playing well and should not get run out of the gym by anyone. They need to step up the scheduling to find out how far they have come. KD is a good coach and would have them ready to play against anyone.Again, really good posts everyone.Have a nice night.

Rock Hill Newspaper ArticleAbove is a local paper article for the game tonight. The theme of the article is Winthrop needs a win bad tonight after losing three of their last four.No coverage in the Charlotte Observer. The reporters must not want to make that 15 mile drive from Charlotte to Rock Hill.Good Luck Zips!

Actually, you are all right!Like a Robert Mondavi brand of wine, it is average, but not great. It will provide some enjoyment, but not enough to make the skilled pallets of the powers that be in the NCAA to take a second look come March.skip-zip, the point about Miami is correct, but the final analysis of their schedule is incomplete. At the end of the year, Miami will be better off because of playing a rigorous schedule. The most boring coach in the world, Charlie Coles, knows it's all about preparing for the MAC Tournament and that is what Miami is doing. Coles plays top teams so his team can become accustomed to playing high level competition in the Tournament. Akron, on the other hand, prepares for the MAC regular season. Akron will pile up a lot of wins, but not a lot of people will take a second look at them if they don't win the MAC Tournament. There is really no right or wrong, just a matter of what you think best prepares the team for the MAC portion of the schedule. If Akron wins the MAC Tournament, everything will be fine. If they don't, it doesn't matter because based upon last year, wins are not enough.

Thanks for your support I think Akron could get a big time program to play them the Q. UNC came to the Convocation Center, or whatever they call it now, a couple of years ago. The place was packed. The purpose of playing the major programs early is to prepare the team for high level competition. While Davidson lost a close game to Duke yesterday, they are now better prepared for their conference play than they would be had they played a cupcake.If a mid major wants respect, they need to do these things.

I think if you reread my two posts above, I agree with you that there is good competition in the MAC and I like it. Most people don't. If they did, more people would go. I also encouraged KD not to encourage free tickets as the team is good and has come a long way.The MAC is it's own worst enemy right now for many, many reasons. The near future, unfortunatel, does not look good for the league in any sport.

I think you may be right, but I'd like proof. Did WMU, Toledo and Miami have early season increases in ticket sales after their tournament runs?Miami had a big early season crowd (according to my nephew) at the X game earlier in the year, but has that translated into season ticket sales?I like the MAC, but I think that is an indication that there is something wrong with me and not others. Ultimately, is the product the MAC puts on the floor enough for people to spend money on BB or FB tickets? Clearly the answer is no. The MAC is straight Dollar General. Everyone should take a look at UofA's BB schedule...does anyone really get excited about the home OOC games? While the Zips have a better OOC home schedule than last year, they are still shopping in the bakery. Davidson played Duke yesterday in a home game at a sold out Bobcats arena.....they played UNC two or three weeks ago at a sold out Bobcats arena. Davidson gets large crowds in their arena in Davidson and doesn't win the conference every year. These types of games give the perception that Davidson is a big time program and people go to their games because they believe they are a big time program.Some on the board believe the Zips schedule is great as it gets the Zips ready for the MAC. I think just the opposite. The Zips are trying to pile up wins against average teams in the hopes of drawing crowds with a good record. They are now winning and people are not going. They don't go because the team is not perceived as a big time program because they don't play a very good OOC schedule. If Akron wants to win the MAC, they need to grab their balls and schedule tougher teams early in the season, take their lumps and learn from the high level of competition playing the major programs offers. Miami does this every year and they are very competitive come MAC Tournament time with average talent. We learned that last year. Why can't Akron schedule a game against OSU or some other regional major program at the Q early season?You're right though Capt., it is a lot of things. I get very frustrated. Now that I'm further away from it, I'm understanding why I get frustrated and I don't like the reality I see. I'm just glad all I have to do now is buy my way out of not having to watch it.

I like Coach D., butt he is half right/half wrong.Is the BB program good cheap entertainment? Of course. College BB games last only two hours, the seats are close to the floor in almost every seat in the arena and the team is playing well.Shoud they be giving away free tickets? Absolutely not! Never devalue yourself or your players Coach D.! You guys have come too far. Giving away tickets is exactly how Akron stays at a mid level, mid level program. At some point, money has to come in. Akron has spent decades giving away tickets and people expect it. Change expectations.Is the personal touch Coach D. is talking about needed? It is long overdue. I don't know the answer to the following question, but I'd like to know how many public speaking engagements were lined up for KD and JD during the off season? Butch Davis spent the summer speaking almost every day in North Carolina about the football program and trying to sell tickets. Sometimes there were 35 people at the events, sometimes there were 350. The point is they are making the effort to sell the program. The had good crowds for the team even in a bad season.Remember, it's not billboards and newspaper advertisements, it's selling the program to people on a personal level. It is something UofA Marketing has NEVER done and is long overdue.

Getting rid of the Odd Corner is very simple. The student government should organize a campaign to encourage all university customers of the Odd Corner to buy their bowls, bongs and rolling papers at another store. Boycotts have traditionally worked well in US history. Why not one here?

If you don't laugh at the broadcast, you will cry. This is completely on ESPN.I like following trends. The trend of the mac this year is that it sucks. The suckiness (sp?, word?) of the mac has taken over a great network like ESPN.As far as the game, Miami is having the same problem as Akron did. They are trying to run the read option with a QB that never keeps the ball and runs. No disrespect to CMU, but the only difference between them and the rest of the MAC is their QB. If Akron has a decent QB, they win last week. If Miami has a decent QB, they win today. Miami has guys open and this QB can not complete a pass to them.Here is something funny, my dog just gave himself a boner and is having trouble walking.

DAMN!! You beat me to it. For all love Charlie gets on this board, the silence for Dwight is pretty deafening. Did you know he has 22 career NFL interceptions? He trails Vic Green by only 3INTs as the Zips all-time NFL INT leader!Dwight StatsVic GreenGiven the love for "suburban" players on this board, the silence should be expected.Great pick up on the statistics. I had no idea Smith was that close to Green in interceptions. Although, Smith plays a more interception friendly position than Green did.The Green vs. Smith debate would be a good one. Green had a Hell of a long career, which proves how good he really was. He also only played two years at Akron so he was not around long enough for people to really remember. I guess the debate should wait until Smith finishes his career.

NFC Defensive Player of The WeekJust in case any of you forgot, the best player from the Owens era keeps on keeping on in the NFL. Great job Dwight!!!!

While I appreciate your enthusiasm, I have to respectfully disagree.The problem isn't just the marketing department or the record or the AD or just about anything else. The problem is the product (the MAC) and it's not just Akron. Look around at the other MAC games on TV. They are crap. I still can't figure out why I watch them.Last weekend I watched the OU vs. Miami game in the Winking Lizard. As we all know, many other D-1A games were in progress. The Miami/OU game was the most difficult to watch. Compared to the other games, the quality of player, execution, crowd and athletic level was much higher in every other game. The people of NE Ohio are not stupid, with the exception of YSU fans. Maybe someone could dupe them into going to a MAC game once, but developing repeat customers is difficult.Zips Win! made a good point about supporting the team a couple of weeks ago. He said that people should support the Z Fund. For those alumni who believe the MAC is bad entertainment and don't want to attend games, tax free donations are an easy way to support the school. I don't go to games anymore (I don't miss the Rubber Bowl, bad weather, etc. for one second), but I still support the foundation at the same level. The nice thing about it is it is only money. I can earn more money, but I can't ever get back the wasted hours at the RB or easily get over the depressing feeling the RB gives off. Football games are an all day affair. Most games last 3.25 hours with long halftimes. That's brutal. The best ticket value at UofA is the MBB team. While MAC BB is crap as well (that's why the UofA games don't sell out), the time spent watching it is only two hours.As long as the MAC remains as bad as it is, IMHO the best bet is to grow the Z-Fund donations. Selling tickets should come second as bringing people to the product the MAC is selling will result in an unhappy customer and no repeat business.

Our fans are no dummies. They know just like the rest of us that the season is defined by the MAC tournament. The rest of these games are almost exhibition games to prepare for the MAC tournament. I blame it on this garbage of a conference. Oh, and the MAC east football champ needs to win the championship game in order to be bowl eligible. What a joke....Thanks for preventing me from making fun of the conference. Like many of you, I still like the MAC. While down about it, I still like it. It reminds me of the following joke:A man hires a prostitute and disrobes in the brothel. Upon noticing the man was not well endowed, the prostitute says, "Who do you think you are going to make happy with that?"Grinning, the man says, "Me."While I think the MAC is becoming a bigger and bigger joke, if it makes us happy to watch, then God bless us all and enjoy the ride. Not everyone likes the same thing. Like what you like.

I'd like to hear more. What luck? What so-so play calling brough us back from 20 points down in the fourth quarter? Please expand.I would challenge you to find any other season in the history of the MAC (prior to these stupid divisional games rules) when a team went 5-3 in the conference and won the championship. Heck JD's predecessor got fired for going 5-3 in the MAC. We had a three way tie at the top of the East and because of some third tier tie breaker got in. We depended on the failures of other teams and a few back of the books rules. In a court of law, if the Zips were charged with Championship by luck in 2005, it'd be pretty hard to acquit. I really don't see what their record going in to the MACC has anything to do with JD calling a great game in the MACC and them winning.As far as a jury, I guess if the jury was filled with a bunch of little jealous surburbanites, then they probably would be found guilty.Enjoy the memories of the bad old days. At least you guys are gone.

D II is exactly where they all belong.......Were there many photos of his players crying in the lockerroom after their playoff loss? That would really be reliving the bad old days.

I'd like to hear more. What luck? What so-so play calling brough us back from 20 points down in the fourth quarter? Please expand.

http://www.mises.org/about/3248Ludwig von Mises was a famous economist/philosopher. See his biography above.LvM once wrote about the conditions necessary for someone to make a change (mostly in economic behavior). There will be a lot of posts in the next few days about changing JD. If anyone wants to change him, try to answer the three conditions before you decide to make a change. It is somewhat complicated, but to summarize, three conditions are necessary for someone to make a change in behavior. ALL three are necessary. They are as follows:1. Uneasiness or dissatisfaction2. A vision of a better state3. Belief that there is a possibility for a better stateHere is where the great GP1 comes down on the issue.1. Does GP1 have uneasiness or dissatisfaction about the program? Without a doubt, yes. Only a lunatic wouldn't.2. Does GP1 have a vision for a better state? Without a doubt, yes. Different defense and different play calling come to mind.3. Does GP1 believe there is a possibility for a better state? This is where it breaks down and the answer for GP1 is no. I've been with this program 20 years now at different levels and this is a 20 year assessment. UofA football has a long history of bad to really bad play. UofA has a history of student and alumni apathy. The Athletic Department functions at a financial loss that would make your nose hairs turn if you knew what it was. The people of NE Ohio just don't want to support the football program at the levels necessary to have a top notch football program.....The same can be said for almost all MAC schools. It's not just UofA, but the entire MAC is just bad entertainment and getting worse.If we let JD go now, will the overall state of the fans, alumni, students, community or tradition change? I don't see how that happens. The inertia is too great. Letting JD go, while it will give some of you short term happiness, changes little. Few cared long before JD came to UofA and few people will not care long after he is gone. Please don't bring up the new stadium as the fix. The new stadium, while necessary, is a short term fix for a long term problem.If anyone out there can answer yes to all three above, I'd be glad to listen. #3 is the toughest.

The two methods of making the NCAA Tournament are:1. Win your conference tournament2. At large bidWhat we learned last year was we are not going to get #2 for even the NIT. The only logical solution is to play for the MAC Championship and to spend the year preparing for the tournament. This doesn't mean losing games, it just means preparing the team for those three games in the winter. Actually, every team is trying to peak at the end of the year. Can it vanish in the blink of an eye? Of course, but we have to play the hand dealt. We are not in a good position.

A near perfect example of Faustian Logic. Nice work.

I had a chance to watch Winthrop play some the past two games. Good team, but beatable.They beat Georgia Tech 79-73 and looked great doing it. Then they followed it up with a loss to a very average Baylor team 62-54. Inconsistent play is normal this time of year until teams find their sea legs. As good as they looked in game one, they looked that bad in game two. They have a new coach this year so they may be getting accustomed to his style of play.Akron's ability to beat Winthrop will depend largely on the Eagles team that shows up. If the good Eagles show up, Akron will not stand a chance on the road against a very athletic team that is accustomed to winning. If the bad Eagles show up, Akron will have a punchers chance of winning the game. Either way, Akron will need to bring it's "A" game in order to win on the road.Good luck Zips!

This is an amazing statistic. Not in that we give up the rebounds........it's amazing in that somebody actually tabulates the statistic. Coming in last in the freaking country is just nonsense. Getting that rebound should be a given.I saw Charlie Coles once take out a kid for missing a free throw and yelled at him for missing it for a minute or two. In the past, KD has worried a lot about defense. He should start punishing players for not putting the little orange ball through the orange ring at critical points in the game.

If this is the strategy, I don't find fault in the logic. In fact, I think there are a lot of teams that look at it the same way. There are probably some programs like Duke, UCLA, etc. that know they are going to make the NCAA and spend all year preparing for March. Unfortunately, the college basketball regular season has become almost insignificant to the tournaments. Knowing they have no shot at an at large bid makes spending the year preparing for the MAC Tournament the logical move. Akron is going to win more than they lose so they are guaranteed a good season. The only question comes down to whether or not they can make the NCAA Tournament or not.

Ridiculous!Be careful of the ad homonym attacks.ZA is the type of person who would fart in a crowed room, blame it on someone else and then lecture the room on how inappropriate it is to fart in a crowded room.

I don't know how a post about JD makes it onto the basketball page other than petty and personal animosity.With that said, KD is a very good coach. The biggest difference between him and JD and the soccer coach is that JD and the soccer coach come through when they make it to the MACC. If JD gets fired after this week, he will leave here with a championship ring on his finger. A ring is something KD is still lacking and is largely at fault for not having one.Zips fans should be patient to see what KD does this season and probably next season. KD is a Zip, and as such, should be treated a little differently IMHO. After being badly out coached and out played in the MACC last winter, that team owes you die hard fans a championship in a season when they are not predicted to win. This season would be a good one to do just that.