Akron/ Cant't Game

[lance99]

I did not watch or listen to the game(I did follow it on yahoo sports however and being on the west coast did not help). It seems like, unless I am wrong, was a winnable game. and if thats the case, this loss(and this season) can be summed up by this linkhttp://www.bombombombomwooooo.com/

[ZippyTuba11]

To me it's just another frustrating end to the season. This team had several good opportunities to lock up the tournament and close out the season on top, and to me they blew it. I give them a lot of credit for being such a young team, but Dambrot's teams have always had a problem closing out. I think it's an Akron curse as it carries over to the other sports.I hope Zeke can add that "killer" instinct to the team next year, because I don't think they are going to find it anywhere else. This team is good enough to dominate the MAC as they are this year, but they just can't keep the intensity late in games and throughout the season. Is it conditioning? Coaching? Player Personality? Leadership or lack of it?Good luck in the Tournament. I really look forward to going to the Q. My hope though is with next season.

[lance99]

To me it's just another frustrating end to the season. This team had several good opportunities to lock up the tournament and close out the season on top, and to me they blew it. I give them a lot of credit for being such a young team, but Dambrot's teams have always had a problem closing out. I think it's an Akron curse as it carries over to the other sports.I hope Zeke can add that "killer" instinct to the team next year, because I don't think they are going to find it anywhere else. This team is good enough to dominate the MAC as they are this year, but they just can't keep the intensity late in games and throughout the season. Is it conditioning? Coaching? Player Personality? Leadership or lack of it?Good luck in the Tournament. I really look forward to going to the Q. My hope though is with next season.

I don't know if it's a curse or not. Following Akron for 20 years, I always try stay positive about what happens as far as games are concerned. However, waiting until next year is too much of a broken record. Their the AKRON ZIPS, not the Brooklyn Dodgers!

[ZippyforPresident]

To me it's just another frustrating end to the season. This team had several good opportunities to lock up the tournament and close out the season on top, and to me they blew it. I give them a lot of credit for being such a young team, but Dambrot's teams have always had a problem closing out. I think it's an Akron curse as it carries over to the other sports.I hope Zeke can add that "killer" instinct to the team next year, because I don't think they are going to find it anywhere else. This team is good enough to dominate the MAC as they are this year, but they just can't keep the intensity late in games and throughout the season. Is it conditioning? Coaching? Player Personality? Leadership or lack of it?Good luck in the Tournament. I really look forward to going to the Q. My hope though is with next season.

There is no such thing as an "Akron Curse". Get that notion out of your head... We had this game up until the last 90 seconds or so... We lost because of our failure to execute in the end and a lucky shot by some scrub who hadn't really done a thing all damned game. I think the killer instinct idea is right on though. Akron needs that killer instinct and needs to believe they are going to win and just execute accordingly. Just play to your potential and keep the confidence level high in the tournament and beyond. Just as LeBron goes by the statement that the Cavs are a no excuses team, Akron is the same. We make our own destiny, and have earned every victory and every loss on our record. The outcome is what it is, although we really gave one away today. I really just think the failure to close out comes down to inexperience and some self doubt down the stretch. Just believe in what you do and give it everything you have and the wins will follow. Keep the Positive Mental Attitude in the Tourney Zips, because 'The Nation' is right here with you.

[lance99]

To me it's just another frustrating end to the season. This team had several good opportunities to lock up the tournament and close out the season on top, and to me they blew it. I give them a lot of credit for being such a young team, but Dambrot's teams have always had a problem closing out. I think it's an Akron curse as it carries over to the other sports.I hope Zeke can add that "killer" instinct to the team next year, because I don't think they are going to find it anywhere else. This team is good enough to dominate the MAC as they are this year, but they just can't keep the intensity late in games and throughout the season. Is it conditioning? Coaching? Player Personality? Leadership or lack of it?Good luck in the Tournament. I really look forward to going to the Q. My hope though is with next season.

There is no such thing as an "Akron Curse". Get that notion out of your head... We had this game up until the last 90 seconds or so... We lost because of our failure to execute in the end and a lucky shot by some scrub who hadn't really done a thing all damned game. I think the killer instinct idea is right on though. Akron needs that killer instinct and needs to believe they are going to win and just execute accordingly. Just play to your potential and keep the confidence level high in the tournament and beyond. Just as LeBron goes by the statement that the Cavs are a no excuses team, Akron is the same. We make our own destiny, and have earned every victory and every loss on our record. The outcome is what it is, although we really gave one away today. I really just think the failure to close out comes down to inexperience and some self doubt down the stretch. Just believe in what you do and give it everything you have and the wins will follow. Keep the Positive Mental Attitude in the Tourney Zips, because 'The Nation' is right here with you.

well said, the last thing needed is another Championchip week promo from ESPN wit the Zips loosing

[Dr Z]

Here are my observations from the game.I'll exclude any punching or seeding talk since it has run it's course already.I have a major problem with the way we defend the baseline, why does our team let an opposing player drive the baseline so easily. Ken+ scored way to many easy points there when our defense seemed to delibertely force them to the baseline, and then let them score like we didn't think it was legal to do that!?!? Puzzling.I can't believe that Parks guy had his way on the inside. He looks as unathletic as someone can get, and he used the Zips offensively and defensively. I really hope Zeke got a chance to see this game and was chuckling to himself, because that's all I could think when that Parks touched the ball.Has McNeese progressed offensively at all? He dribbles and dribbles and dribbles... He has no plan, he just reacts. I'm not sure what Nic yelled at him, and Nic probably picked the wrong time to do it, but I was secretively happy he did. Don't tell.Conyers cut to the hole and scored a basket. I've been waiting years to see that. Thanks Jimmy.Bardo, if you are reading this...stop, go practice free throws. Don't laugh, I'm serious.Did anybody else think the flushing sign that said "Failure" on that video screen on the floor was low class? flushing the word "Brick" I get, that's fun, but "failure" is low class to me.On a positive note, if they win Tuesday anything can still happen I still have not given up hope. At some point KD has got to win a big one. Stay tuned...

[zen]

Did anybody else think the flushing sign that said "Failure" on that video screen on the floor was low class? flushing the word "Brick" I get, that's fun, but "failure" is low class to me.

I saw it and though "ouch, nice dig".I mean, it may be a little bit weak because no one shoots 100% and thus it can always be used, but still, let's not get sensitive. Low class would say "yo mama so ugly"actually, that would be funny too.

[Zips Win!]

While I am a believer that anything can happen in the tournament, winning a close game sure hasn't been one of them thus far. 1.) With 34 seconds left in regulation at MU, we take a two point lead. Still winning with 24 seconds left, we lose in OT.2.) We take a two-point lead with 2:51 left in regulation vs. Buffalo. Still winning with 1:27 left, we go scoreless the last 2:51 and lose by 2.3.)With 2:57 left in OT, we take a 4-point lead vs. OU and have the ball. Still winning with 1:58, we lose by 5 scoring 3 points in the last 2:57.4.)Tied at 75 with 1:42 left in regulation at NIU, we get outscored 8-4 in the last 1:42 and lose by 4.5.)With 3:44 left in regulation we take a 1-point lead vs. BG. Still winning with 1:25 left, we go scoreless the last 3:44 and lose by 4.6.)We take a 5-point lead at Can't with 5:22 left in regulation. Still winning with 1:07 left in the game, we lose by 4 scoring a grand total of 5 points in the last 5:22.Yet, in the 10 conference wins, the closest outcome was a 5 point win over Buffalo.I sure as hell hope we can get some leads, increase those leads and have a comfortable margin down the stretch or it may be "wait until next year" .....again.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I sure as hell hope we can get some leads, increase those leads and have a comfortable margin down the stretch or it may be "wait until next year" .....again.

Since we're on the verge of the MAC Tourney, why not throw in the 2006 loss to WMU when we ran out the clock for the final 29 seconds of regulation, allowing Dru Joyce to launch his "best available" option....a 29 foot three pointer. We subsequently lost in OT.The 2007 loss to Toledo, where we blew a 13(?) point lead late in the 2nd half.The 2008 loss to Miami, where we blew a 7-point lead with about 2 minutes remaining.At least in 2009 (K.e.n.t.) we were blown out from the get-go, so it wasn't as crippling.And it isn't just the end-of-game situations. Our performance at the end of the first half is terrible too. Once the clock hits "3 minutes," the Zips offense typically stops.That's what happens when you don't have a "star" on your team. When it comes down to crunch time, which Zip do you want with the ball? Which Zip wants the ball? Who can create their own good look? Who can penetrate, suck-in the defense, and make the dish?The Zips have no Al Fischer. We haven't had one for a decade. Maybe longer. It kills us in tight games.

[Zip Watcher]

CK .. your years are shifted by 1, FYI. But I think we can add UMass to the list. Double digit lead midway through the 2nd half. Took foot off the gas, combined with failure to adjust to a different defensive tactic by Coach Ford .. late loss.I posted the other day that the Zips can beat anyone by 10 or lose to anyone by 5. Win!'s post kindof spells it out. Pretty clearly if you ask me.Here's my questions:1. Why do the Zips allow the MAC style to affect their late game strategy? Generally speaking (broad strokes here) .. most of the conference can not stick with the Zips in a higher scoring affair where the ball moves inside out quickly and there's game flow. That flow requires energy .. most teams play 7-8 guys. The Zips play 10. Coupled with the good defense, the Zips can wear teams down midway through the 2nd half .. if they keep the foot on the gas.2. Why do we dribble the ball so much at the end of halves / games? I used to think it was Joyce who did that (see WMU game CK referenced) .. and it drove me NUTS to the point of looking forward to having a different PG. I owe you an apology Dru, as it now appears to me to be a component of the Zips late game strategy to milk the clock by dribbling. I imagine that the point is to shorten the game and try to get the best free throw shooter fouled .. but generally it means the Zips don't get the ball inside the arc until late in the shot clock or never .. they don't get fouled .. or they turn it over.3. Why not have Roberts as the primary ball handler late in the game? He's money at the line .. and steady with the ball. Steve's doing his best .. but he's a 2 guard. The 30 foot post up isn't really helping us.4. The Zips NEVER take a 2 for 1 at the ends of halves or games. Why not? Down 1 with 50 seconds or whatever yesterday. Why not get the best look you can in 15-20 seconds and make Can't State run their offense against the Zips strength (Defense) to get a shot. Once you run the clock down .. they don't have to do anything but wait for you to foul. The Zips NEVER take 2 for 1 .. I don't understand why.I'm not a basketball expert .. and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night .. but I'm confused by these things.I still believe the Zips are good enough to get this done this week. I just don't have a lot of comfort in late game / late shot situations. It appears to me that they're playing / coaching not to lose (See: Shottenheimer, Marty) rather than pushing the ball to finish the game strong. Think back to the OU game last week. Up 6 or 8. The McKnights have a WIDE open 2 on 1 against a single slow OU defender. Go in for the dunk or easy layup to ice the game? NOPE. Pull it back out into a sideline trap and turnover.This team and coach can be better than this .. I'm there pulling for them. Cause when they figure it out .. it'll be a boat race for the Zips. I'm hoping that's this week.Go Zips!! B)

[Hilltopper]

CK .. your years are shifted by 1, FYI. But I think we can add UMass to the list. Double digit lead midway through the 2nd half. Took foot off the gas, combined with failure to adjust to a different defensive tactic by Coach Ford .. late loss.I posted the other day that the Zips can beat anyone by 10 or lose to anyone by 5. Win!'s post kindof spells it out. Pretty clearly if you ask me.Here's my questions:1. Why do the Zips allow the MAC style to affect their late game strategy? Generally speaking (broad strokes here) .. most of the conference can not stick with the Zips in a higher scoring affair where the ball moves inside out quickly and there's game flow. That flow requires energy .. most teams play 7-8 guys. The Zips play 10. Coupled with the good defense, the Zips can wear teams down midway through the 2nd half .. if they keep the foot on the gas.2. Why do we dribble the ball so much at the end of halves / games? I used to think it was Joyce who did that (see WMU game CK referenced) .. and it drove me NUTS to the point of looking forward to having a different PG. I owe you an apology Dru, as it now appears to me to be a component of the Zips late game strategy to milk the clock by dribbling. I imagine that the point is to shorten the game and try to get the best free throw shooter fouled .. but generally it means the Zips don't get the ball inside the arc until late in the shot clock or never .. they don't get fouled .. or they turn it over.3. Why not have Roberts as the primary ball handler late in the game? He's money at the line .. and steady with the ball. Steve's doing his best .. but he's a 2 guard. The 30 foot post up isn't really helping us.4. The Zips NEVER take a 2 for 1 at the ends of halves or games. Why not? Down 1 with 50 seconds or whatever yesterday. Why not get the best look you can in 15-20 seconds and make Can't State run their offense against the Zips strength (Defense) to get a shot. Once you run the clock down .. they don't have to do anything but wait for you to foul. The Zips NEVER take 2 for 1 .. I don't understand why.I'm not a basketball expert .. and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night .. but I'm confused by these things.I still believe the Zips are good enough to get this done this week. I just don't have a lot of comfort in late game / late shot situations. It appears to me that they're playing / coaching not to lose (See: Shottenheimer, Marty) rather than pushing the ball to finish the game strong. Think back to the OU game last week. Up 6 or 8. The McKnights have a WIDE open 2 on 1 against a single slow OU defender. Go in for the dunk or easy layup to ice the game? NOPE. Pull it back out into a sideline trap and turnover.This team and coach can be better than this .. I'm there pulling for them. Cause when they figure it out .. it'll be a boat race for the Zips. I'm hoping that's this week.Go Zips!! B)

It appears to me that KD has morphed into some kind of Charlie Coles clone. Slow it down, keep it close and try to win the last 3 minutes. ITS NOT WORKING! I thought that with our deep bench we would try to run other teams out of the Gym in the second half of most games.

[Dave in Green]

The Zips did a couple of things better in this game. They brought the ball upcourt more quickly and they didn't run the shot clock down on every possession before having to rush off a poor shot. Both of these improvements will help in the tournament. They also had a good run late in the game, coming from behind and taking the lead. But Can't turned up the pressure and the Zips made a few mistakes that appeared to kill their confidence.Their weak points have been well documented here over the last few months. You would hope they could look at game films, see the mistakes and improve. But for whatever reason they continue to struggle in many of the same areas even after showing brief flushes of being able to do it right.The Zips were predicted to finish 4th in the MAC East in the MAC News Media Association preseason poll, so they neither under-performed or over-performed in the regular season. It was about what was expected, with the usual highs and lows along the way.In the post-season, some teams that did well during the regular season may stumble, and some that stumbled during the regular season may get hot. If the Zips play up to their full potential in 4 straight games, they could win the tournament. I'll be headed to the Q tomorrow hoping for the best, even though the the odds against the Zips will be about the same as they were prior to the start of the season.Bottom line to me is that the Zips are not horrible and they're not great. By virtue of their winning record in the MAC and overall, they are an above average team in a below average conference. They're entertaining to watch, and only rarely get blown out so badly that you want to walk out midway through the second half knowing they have no chance at all to come back. Teams like that can really break your heart when they lose so many close ones they could have won. But it beats the heck out of trying to get up for a team that loses more than it wins.

[zippyrifle32]

Did anybody else think the flushing sign that said "Failure" on that video screen on the floor was low class? flushing the word "Brick" I get, that's fun, but "failure" is low class to me.

I saw it and though "ouch, nice dig".I mean, it may be a little bit weak because no one shoots 100% and thus it can always be used, but still, let's not get sensitive. Low class would say "yo mama so ugly"actually, that would be funny too.

I did not like the flushing during the free throws ONLY because it was like having two strobe lights on. flushing signs aren't the issue, rather the speed and colors they picked. I was secretly hoping someone would have an epileptic seizure just to make them stop.

[ZachTheZip]

Did anybody else think the flushing sign that said "Failure" on that video screen on the floor was low class? flushing the word "Brick" I get, that's fun, but "failure" is low class to me.

I saw it and though "ouch, nice dig".I mean, it may be a little bit weak because no one shoots 100% and thus it can always be used, but still, let's not get sensitive. Low class would say "yo mama so ugly"actually, that would be funny too.

I did not like the flushing during the free throws ONLY because it was like having two strobe lights on. flushing signs aren't the issue, rather the speed and colors they picked. I was secretly hoping someone would have an epileptic seizure just to make them stop.

It's only a matter of time before they get sued for that.