BG in game

[zippyfan34]

Interesting, looks like we are burning Mclanahan's redshirt. I wish he would have been playing all year or let him sit and get 4 full years out of him. Tied at 15 with 6 minutes in the first half. We are still struggling on O.

[Quickzips]

Very interesting move by KD burning McClanahan's redshirt this late in the season. I'm not sure I like it. Our problem all year hasn't been a lack of guys willing to jack up 3's, it's been a lack of an interior offensive presence who can loosen up the defense and make those 3's a little easier look. I don't exactly think Brett helps that problem too much. Guess we will have to see. As for the game. It got ugly for a little while there, but the Zips have fought back. As usually Brett McKnight is a black hole often trying to fight through double and triple teams instead of making the pass out to an open man. Our foul shooting has been erratic again. Defense fell apart for a few minutes there late in the half, but otherwise has been alright. Hitchens is having a pretty nice game. We need to stay aggressive attacking the basket in the 2nd half. BG's only real defense when we've driven to the basket has been to foul us. Wear a path to that freethrow line if we can and make Lou Orr have to make some decisions as his guys get into foul trouble.

[FromdaBurgh]

62-52 NICE WIN ZIPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We needed that boost of confidence....

[Quickzips]

I can't believe only 2 comments on this game so far. It was a pretty nice road win, and definitly a game that this team can build on. Come on Zipsnation, wake up. This team isn't THAT bad.

[Let'sGoZips94]

I can't believe only 2 comments on this game so far. It was a pretty nice road win, and definitly a game that this team can build on. Come on Zipsnation, wake up. This team isn't THAT bad.

My dad and I were talking the other day. He had mentioned that there always seems to be that sleeper that wakes up in the MAC tourney. He and I agreed that the Zips could be that team. Great win by the Zips though. I was at Can't State ice skating and feeling very dirty ( Long story short, I'm going to take a very long shower to get all the Hippy off of me ), so I couldn't really listen to the game, but I kept calling my dad for updates. The fact that we won by 10, and came back from being down by 10 is a good sign. The Zips are just like babies, feeling around for what works and what doesn't. By the end of the season, though, I think the MAC may be a bit surprised. KD has this team on the right track. GO ZIPS!

[johnnyzip84]

Awesome display of guts tonight Zippers! It won'r get any easier in Athens on Tuesday, but this was most certainly a welcome result for the program this year. That's the way to keep playing defense guys (holding BGSU to 28% fron the floor!!!!)! Humpty may have been only 5-15 in shooting, but he had 3 assists to only ONE turnover.I admit that I'm also a little surprised at burning Brett McClanahan's RS, but I'm thinking that with Steward's injury being perhaps worse than initially thought, KD felt that he needed more depth at guard for the stretch run.

[w00t]

Nice to see that ESPNU picked up one of our road games for a change.This was a quality win for such a young team to pull out on the road. Hitchens makes some silly decisions and takes some ill-advised shots, but I think he has emerged as the very clear gem of this sizable freshman class... can't wait to see what kind of player he turns out to be when he's more "seasonsed". Cventinovic seems to play better the more chances he gets as well. It's also nice to have a guy (Roberts) who shoots 97% at the foul line to help close out close games.We started out losing two games that we shouldn't have, but I'm perfectly happy to give such an inexperienced team a couple of free passes (next year will be a different story). We're three points away from being 3-0 against three MAC East teams. If everything comes together by March, no one would count us out of the hunt for a trip to the dance. Oh, and can anyone enlighten me as to what's the point in burning McClanahan's redshirt this late in the season?

[Z-Pouch]

I can't believe only 2 comments on this game so far. It was a pretty nice road win, and definitly a game that this team can build on. Come on Zipsnation, wake up. This team isn't THAT bad.

All I could do this week was shake my head at the glass empty people writing this team off after close winnable losses to two of the leagues better teams. Oh ye of little faith- it's early in the MAC season, this team plays good defense and that will keep them in games when the youth lapses are kept in check- If the shooting comes around, anything will be possible as it looks like the East will continue to beat up on each other. It's a wide open league with no one taking the drivers seat right now. Funny, you wouldn't know it from the board but the Zips are a point blank miss by Humpty and traveling call away from 3-0 with ugly defensive wins.Good solid road win tonight with defense. Of course, there's still issues....I'm sure SZ will be happy to point them out and exaggerate their importance but KDs teams always get better as the season goes, I'm expecting no less with this team.

[skip-zip]

I sure hope people aren't basing their thoughts about our fortunes this year on a single performance. For the most part, good performances have been few and far between. And many of us pesimistic folks I'm sure have based our thoughts on that, and not on a performance in one, single game....a game which still showed a team that struggles to make baskets. Listen folks...we do indeed play good enough defense on most nights to stay in games. And we will remain one of the best programs in the conference, regardless of what happens this season. There's just a lot of signs that this will be a down year for us. I hope that changes, and I'll look forward to the OU game. Nice to see that we got our fair share of rebounds tonight. And what a joy it was to see that Humpty took care of the basketball. This team needs to get as many shots at the basket in a game as they can get. The appearance of McClanahan might indeed indicate a more long-term problem with Ronnie. But...can he play point? And I sure hope they don't pull Sullivan's redshirt as well. We can't have all of these guys who are the same age playing at the same time, or Senior Day in 3 years is going to be a long, long evening

[Zip Watcher]

I can't believe only 2 comments on this game so far. It was a pretty nice road win, and definitly a game that this team can build on. Come on Zipsnation, wake up. This team isn't THAT bad.

All I could do this week was shake my head at the glass empty people writing this team off after close winnable losses to two of the leagues better teams. Oh ye of little faith- it's early in the MAC season, this team plays good defense and that will keep them in games when the youth lapses are kept in check- If the shooting comes around, anything will be possible as it looks like the East will continue to beat up on each other. It's a wide open league with no one taking the drivers seat right now. Funny, you wouldn't know it from the board but the Zips are a point blank miss by Humpty and traveling call away from 3-0 with ugly defensive wins.Good solid road win tonight with defense. Of course, there's still issues....I'm sure SZ will be happy to point them out and exaggerate their importance but KDs teams always get better as the season goes, I'm expecting no less with this team.

Great post Pouch!

[Blue & Gold]

I DVR'd the game & watched it late last night. Chris McKnight had a good game and was very active down low. B-Mac is aggressive offensively and, on this team, I like that. Bardo played well and Roberts is an athletic defender, amazing @ the line, and not afraid of clutch shots. I do like the athletic back court of Roberts and Hitchens. Nik is BIG, confident and skilled - I still wish he got even more PT. McClanahan played what, 4-5 minutes? Kind of a waste of a red-shirt, but, as someone mentioned, this probably sheds light on the severity of Ronnie Stewards' condition. Get better, Ronnie! You're in our prayers! Humpty was the best player on the floor. By the time it is time for the all-important annual trip to The Q this team is going to be just fine. Perhaps even feared!

[Zip Watcher]

Regarding McClanahan .. I'm thinking if it was motivated by Ronnie's injury .. they'd have burned Sullivan's redshirt, not McClanahan .. that would have allowed McNees to be back to the 2. I think KD is telling it straight that he needs more scoring .. gotta make more shots.

[skip-zip]

ZipWatcher....there's the big question. Which do we need more? Some relief at point guard so that we have solid ballhandlers in the game all the time who can optimize our possessions? Or, another shooter? Or...could we have continued to get by with what we had, considering that you are now trying to develop another new play, in mid-season? I trust that the coaches made the right decision because it could be a decision that has long-term effects on this era of Akron Basketball. Blue and Gold...I respect your observations, but would be hard pressed to name a 5-15 shooting night, including 1-4 from 3-point range, as a performance that would deserve my high praise. But at least he cut out the dumb turnovers for one night.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Great road win by the Zips. BG is now 1-21 when trailing with <3minutes remaining in a the game under Louis Orr? That's amazing. :blink: I thought Humpty was excellent. His shot selection obviously needs work, but I love his aggressiveness. Chris McKnight is putting together a string of solid performances. McClanahan's redshirt. If KD sees that the kid is lighting it up in practice, I say Burn Baby Burn! We need a guy that can consistently drain the 3...like Joyce/Dials/Middleton...and if McClanahan can do it, play him. The MAC is WIDE freaking open this year, and we're in the mix as much as anyone. But we've lacked any sort of explosiveness to our offense. Once McClanahan's jitters wear off, I look for him to add a much needed offensive dimension to our team.Thanks to ESPNU for giving me something crisp and clean to watch last night. The hamsters that power the 1350AM transmitter seem to tire at night. Bardo...Linhart...everyone...nice team road win...held BG to 28% from the field! One last note - Despite the teams sluggish start, I have to say this Zips bench is the most enthusiastic ones I've ever seen. Probably because of the youth...but I'll take it however I can get it. It's fun to see the team rooting for each other so actively. If a team like OU was as seemingly close knit the past few seasons, they'd probably have had a couple championships.Kudos to KD for removing BM's redshirt and aggressively going for a championship this year!! Will it work? Beats me. But since you can't trade or pick up free agents in college sports, it's the best you can do.

[Dave in Green]

Wouldn't you know the Zips would finally come through right after I lowered my expectations for them. Their play, especially in the second half, is more what I'd been hoping to see all season. They played with intensity and aggressiveness in crunch time instead of being back on their heels. The one caveat is that the TV announcers kept saying that BG's biggest problem is that they fall apart in crunch time at the end of games. But if the Zips can play this way consistently against other teams for a few games, I would raise my opinion of them from average back to above average.It's telling that the end of McClanahan's redshirt immediately follows the statement that no timetable has been set for Steward's return. The Zips style dictates having four strong guards in the rotation -- two points and two shooters. I think the coaching staff is comfortable with McNees' performance at the point in place of Steward, which leaves them short a reliable shooting guard. They need McClanahan playing now to get him ready for the MAC tournament, which will really determine the success of the Zips' season.B. McKnight is not delivering the consistent firepower expected of a pure shooter. The team needs a second threat. Hopefully, McClanahan can deliver. And, hopefully, B. McKnight can develop his overall game (defense, rebounding, passing, etc.) to compensate for the fact that he is not lighting up the scoreboard. Who'd have guessed the Zips could win with B. McKnight shooting 0-6 from the field?Despite the improvement shown by Conyers, he still appears to be tantalizingly short of being able to deliver consistent performances. The fact that the team won with Conyers out of the starting lineup and playing only 5 minutes will probably keep him on the bench a lot more. Maybe he can establish himself as an effective role player at certain times against certain teams. Most good teams have a mix of steady, consistent players and various role players. At mid-season, KD is still moving players around to find the optimum balance.Cvetinovic continues to grow, and could well become the X factor for this team. He needs to focus on channeling his passion and enthusiasm for the game into positive energy, which can be contagious, and is exactly what this team needs. There are times that they get too tentative and back on their heels. Hitchens helps loosen things up, but having a big man playing that way in the paint can have a huge effect on the team. If he can continue to elevate his play to where he earns 20 or more minutes per game, this will become a different Zips team.

[Zips Win!]

A nice win indeed! It was even nicer to see in person. Kudos to the Zip faithful who showed up, especially to those who put together the bus trip. Our crowd made more noise down the stretch than I hear from most home crowds.Agree all the way on McClanahan..Burn that redshirt if he can score. But I hope we are committed to at least 10 minutes a game to make it worthwhile. I really liked his agressiveness on defense and on the boards. Let's see what he can do.We got 12 points from the Bardo/Cvetinovic combination last night. Now if we can get this on a consistent basis, we have a shot. Nice games from Chris and Humpty...When will Brett's shots start falling? All were nice looks...Seems to be a lesser reliance on the number of threes taken...11 v. Buffalo and 21 yesterday. Down from the 27 taken vs. St Francis.. Holding BG to 21 second half points and 5 made buckets was awesome. I did question some of the ticky tack fouls that put them at the line..luckily they missed 5 from the line to help the cause. Holding to 28% FG and no threes in the second half was crucial...Finally, I'm glad it was shown (and pointed out) about our bench's enthusiasm. Every big shot, defensive rebound, etc down the stretch, our bench did indeed jump up and support the guys on the floor. This was very cool indeed.

[GJGood]

I think Darryl Roberts showed a lot in this game. I'd like to see him get some more time on the floor. If nothing else he seems to be a decent shooter and can defintely make his free throws.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I think Darryl Roberts showed a lot in this game. I'd like to see him get some more time on the floor. If nothing else he seems to be a decent shooter and can defintely make his free throws.

He did have a nice game. If he can continue to hit the mid-range jumper, and keeps being aggressive in driving to the hoop, the sky's the limit.

[Hilltopper]

I wonder if burning McClanahan's redshirt was a planned event or a spur of the moment decision? Since it happened, it would be a shame if he didn't get decent floor time. I think we need another shooter on this team and I hope he can hit the open looks we are getting on offense.

[Blue & Gold]

I wonder if burning McClanahan's redshirt was a planned event or a spur of the moment decision? Since it happened, it would be a shame if he didn't get decent floor time. I think we need another shooter on this team and I hope he can hit the open looks we are getting on offense.

Good question. I'd hope that the coaches all put their heads together and mulled that one over for a couple of days before pulling the trigger.

[Dave in Green]

The best coaching staffs have multiple contingency plans in place, ready to be activated depending on circumstances. My best guess on McClanahan is that the Zips coaching staff had McClanahan penciled in if one of the top guards was out for an extended period. I think a lot of people have come to the conclusion that not having Steward available greatly diminishes the Zips' chances of pulling it all together at the end of the season and winning the MAC tournament. McClanahan could make a difference come tournament time. There may have been a better option, but I haven't been able to think of it.Good points about Roberts. When you're nursing a small lead at the end of a game and the other team keeps fouling to get the ball back, there's nothing more powerful than a deadly free throw shooter. Inbound the ball to Roberts, foul, bang-bang, 2 points. Roberts is the only player on the team who doesn't make me nervous when he steps up to the free throw line. If Roberts can also consistently drive to the basket and draw fouls, and if he can hit his 3s, he becomes an even more potent weapon.If they all continue to grow, Hitchens, McNees, Roberts and McClanahan have the potential to give the Zips the best deep backcourt in the MAC by the end of the season.

[skip-zip]

The real downside to the McClanahan situation is that we're working him into the flow more than half way into the season. He either progresses quickly, or it probably was not a good thing considering that he essentially would only have 3 years to play for us.

[Captain Kangaroo]

The real downside to the McClanahan situation is that we're working him into the flow more than half way into the season. He either progresses quickly, or it probably was not a good thing considering that he essentially would only have 3 years to play for us.

I disagree. He has 3.5 years to play for the Zips. How many minutes would he have played up until the BG game? MAYBE 10mpg? Probably less.Dambrot apparently sees the MAC is a total toss up right now. If the Zips can garner another 5 ppg they have a great shot at winning it all. The defense is already among the MAC's best.If McClanahan is producing in practice against one of the MAC's better defenses, it is fair to assume he's gonna be a viable contributor sometime soon."Burning" a shooter's redshirt year 1/2 way through a season, when your offense has come up consistently short to this point, is pretty smart. Especially when you have a very realistic shot at winning it all.While missed games vs. Urbana, Walsh, NC A&T, St Francis, etc. can be absolutely crippling....I think somehow, some way, McClanahan will overcome.

[Z-Pouch]

The real downside to the McClanahan situation is that we're working him into the flow more than half way into the season. He either progresses quickly, or it probably was not a good thing considering that he essentially would only have 3 years to play for us.

I disagree. He has 3.5 years to play for the Zips. How many minutes would he have played up until the BG game? MAYBE 10mpg? Probably less.Dambrot apparently sees the MAC is a total toss up right now. If the Zips can garner another 5 ppg they have a great shot at winning it all. The defense is already among the MAC's best.If McClanahan is producing in practice against one of the MAC's better defenses, it is fair to assume he's gonna be a viable contributor sometime soon."Burning" a shooter's redshirt year 1/2 way through a season, when your offense has come up consistently short to this point, is pretty smart. Especially when you have a very realistic shot at winning it all.While missed games vs. Urbana, Walsh, NC A&T, St Francis, etc. can be absolutely crippling....I think somehow, some way, McClanahan will overcome.

Beat me to it. What he said.Why not win this year? Our chances with a little adjustment here and there are as good as any other recent year with the way the league is playing out.

[skip-zip]

I think you are both missing the point. And this is coming from someone who has been involved in basketball in various capacities for my entire life.The issue is....as a true freshman, and a guy who has never played in a game with his teammates....how likely is he to get decent playing time, get comfortable with his teammates in game situations, adjust to the speed of the game, AND produce, with only roughly a dozen games left?? When he is not likely to get any kind of significant minutes because we are in the middle of our conference race??This is not to say that we don't need guard help....because we do. And I am sure to some extent you can justify that anything he would contribute will be helpful. But, he was likely redshirted because he was deemed as being not as ready to play as the other 12 or so guys on the roster. And there are a lot of things that can happen to a kid in this kind of situation, many of which are negative, when you decide to go down a road like this mid-way through the season when you are in the heat of your conference schedule.So the real question that is raised here is....if this guy ends up playing 5 minutes or so a game, in a "let the other guys get some rest" capacity....was it really worth pulling the red shirt? I sure hope so, but I would have been much more optimistic about it being a positive experience if it had happened 5 or more games ago when we had some real opportunities to help him get his feet wet.