Zips vs. Bowling Green

[UA Fan]

http://www.bgsufalcons.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball&Falcons have lost 5 games, all against quality opponents. We are their next game, giving them a week to prepare. Thankfully, it's at the JAR...they will be tough.

[Zipmeister]

http://www.bgsufalcons.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball&Falcons have lost 5 games, all against quality opponents. We are their next game, giving them a week to prepare. Thankfully, it's at the JAR...they will be tough.

Yes really tough. The official line will probably be about 12. I say give the points cause the Zippers will win by 14.

[vmd9]

Before the season started I predicted a 10-4 record going into MAC play, so most likely I will be right with that one. I just hope we can play strong the rest of the season and finish with under 10 losses.

[Let'sGoZips94]

Looking at their schedule and results, they dont look too good. They beat teams by pretty slim margins and get killed by good teams. We should take care of em if we play well, but let's not look past URI.

[Quickzips]

Not too worried about BG just yet. We need to send a statement to the MAC Tue. night by winning a significant OOC game just before conference play starts. Then we can worry about BG.

[skip-zip]

Lets start by expecting that we "should" win every conference home game. And then go from there, and get as many as we can on the road.I won't be happy being the 5th seed in the MAC tourney again. Not with the current expectations, and our desire to start to separate ourselves from the rest of our league.

[Zipmeister]

Before the season started I predicted a 10-4 record going into MAC play, so most likely I will be right with that one. I just hope we can play strong the rest of the season and finish with under 10 losses.

OK. Just don't tell us at seasons end that you predicted before conference play started that we would finish with less than 10 losses.

[Dave in Green]

Come on, you guys know the drill. In the MAC, OOC games don't really count. In the MAC, conference record doesn't really count. In the MAC, it doesn't really matter what any team should do in any given game. In the MAC, it only matters what a team does in the MAC tournament. We're all in the MAC, so we all live by MAC rules. To discuss other scenarios is pure wishful thinking. Doesn't mean we have to like it. But that's our reality.

[RowdyZip]

I think the only way the MAC gets an at-large is if one of the top teams (wmu/east team) goes undefeated in league play and loses in the tourney championship. Whens the last time that happened?

[Zip Watcher]

Last at large was in 99 when Can't upset Wally's Miami team .. but Miami hadn't run the table or anything I don't think. Wally ended up taking the RedHawkSkins to the Sweet 16.

[RowdyZip]

Hmmm, I can't seem to find any standings archives going back further than 5 years for the MAC. Does anyone know if it exists? One would think the conference website would provide it...

[Zip Watcher]

Grasshopper .. I bestow on you the bible of college hoops records online. Use it *wisely*.

[UA Fan]

Wow, great 2nd half D and much improved FT shooting at 78%.

[Quickzips]

Big win for the Zips who didn't just come out ice cold, they were chyrogenically frozen. 3-22 from the field to start the game and we still win by 26??? Another big game from Conyers who is just playing like an absolute beast lately. Zips defense was as good as I've ever seen it. Only two Falcons hit more than one shot on the night. Otis Polk who went 2-11 and Joe Jakobowski who went 5-9. Bowling Green shot 27.7% from the field overall. Outstanding. We also had a Chris McKnight sighting tonight as he had a nice game including 6-7 from the FT line. McNees, Humpty, Cvetinovic and Brett McKnight also had nice games. Not much out of Zeke tonight as he sat the entire second half. Looked like his right knee was bothering him over there on the bench. Mike Bardo stepped in and actually did play some decent interior defense tonight. Very interesting that KD came out to start second half with Bardo and Chris McKnight up front instead of Zeke and Brett McKnight.Good win for the Zips. On to Athens.

[Hilltopper]

Great defensive effort tonite. Holding BG to 17 points in the second half was impressive. Other than Jakubowski and Polk, BG didn't show me a thing. Bardo and Cventinovic kept Polk from being a factor on offense. Chris McKnight had a good all around game and Jimmy was having a dunkfest. Lots of fun at the JAR, now lets take care of Ohio.

[ZippyforPresident]

That was exactly the kind of statement game the Zips needed to make entering conference play, especially after the heart breaker against URI. They bounced back and took care of business in an almost mechanical fashion in the second half.A complete domination like that, especially against a fellow member of the MAC East (Although I'm not sure how good BG is really going to be this year because they did lose some significant talent from last season) is kind of like putting up a big 26 point middle finger and saying "come and get us" to the rest of the conference. You'd better bring all you've got if you want to knock off the defending champions.Now the test is to knock off both solid OU and UB squads on the road. If the Zips can make it 3-0 come sunday evening next weekend (I'm not going to be hoisting a regular season championship banner or anything) but I do think that it is an indication that the rest of the season may prove to be a very enjoyable one for anyone sporting blue and gold.Very nice win tonight Zips! Keep the momentum going and give those "pussies" (as in cats ) a dose of championship basketball! The power of the lasagna compels you!

[bandzip]

To say Bardo had some "decent interior defense" is a HUGE understatement. The kid totally shut down and frustrated Polk and anyone else BG put in the middle. For once instead of hearing KD scream "GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME MIKE!" he was smiling and giving him a pat on the back when he came to sit down, and the crowd gave him his due recognition. Zeke just doesn't have enough meat on him to match up with those bigger centers and it may actually prove useful that he got a little bit of a break to heal up and it's probably a bit of validation for Bardo. Conyers was again a beast. Say all you want about McNees not being a point guard, he was moving the ball well and when he did put up a big shot he made it. Roberts had a hot start to the season but the last several games he's started looking tentative, like he's afraid to take the shot when he's open. After that horrendous start everything seemed to click and BG didn't have a chance. The crowd was on it's feet several times over the course of the game and it's good to see a decent student turn out when a majority of them aren't back from break yet since the dorms don't open until tomorrow. Good win Zips!P.S.- How about those refs? ESPECIALLY the bald guy who seems to ref every single home game...

[ZippyforPresident]

Local Recaps: Gaffney: Zips Open MAC with Rout Elton: Akron Dominates the Second Half to Rout Bowling GreenGo Zips!!

[Zipmeister]

I think the only way the MAC gets an at-large is if one of the top teams (wmu/east team) goes undefeated in league play and loses in the tourney championship. Whens the last time that happened?

The only way! You have got to be kidding. There are scores of ways the MAC gets multiple bids. For example, before selection day a bus accident wipes out all but 60 division I teams (not including any in the MAC).In this scenario we get 5 bids (2 of them in the play in game).

[Quickzips]

Few more thoughts on last nights beatdown of the Falcons:How weird must it have been for Humpty to actually match up against a guy smaller than him for once? That little guy from BG is quick, and is a hounding defender, but it looks like he is going to struggle to get decent shots in the MAC because of his size.I have to go ahead and ask the question. Could it be possible that Jimmy Conyers is actually better than Nate Linhart? I love what Nate did for us, but damn. Conyers was absolutely the catylyst for us last night. I think back to all the big plays last night, Jimmy was involved in most of them. The chasedown block in the first half that started to swing the momentum our way. The two big threes at the end of the first half to push us to the halftime lead. Another big three early in the 2nd half to set the tone. Finally, the two dunks late in the game to seal the deal. Not to mention how stellar he was on defense. I can't even count the number of balls he flicked away from BG. He didn't always get the steal, but he made it so difficult for BG to get into their offense. At this point he might just be a darkhorse for conference player of the year.Finally, FINALLY our big guys knocked down some free throws. Chris McKnight 6 of 7, Brett McKnight 5 of 5, Nik Cvetinovic 2 of 2. Whatever those guys were doing last night, they need to keep it up. The only weak spot was the normally consistent Conyers who went 1 of 4.I'll echo what was said above about McNees. He isn't a pure PG, but he doesn't do anything that I can honestly say contributes to us losing games. He knocks down his shots (including one that Dambrot almost strangled him for taking), he's adequate when it comes to initiating the offense and he plays tough defense. I will sure be glad to see Otis Polk's fat behind out of the MAC. We frustrated him last night, but he still scares me. The one thing that frustrates the hell out of me with the officiating last night was the lack of 3 second calls on him. He didn't just have a tent pitched underneath, he was in the process of building a nice two story condo for himself. Can someone please tell me what Brett McClanahan brings to this team? I'm hoping his is just a situation like Jimmy's where KD has him on such a short leash that he isn't playing with confidence, because this guy is starting to look like a wasted scholarship.

[johnnyzip84]

I agree with the sentiment that Polk can't run out of eligibility soon enough for me. I will say that if you can get BG out of their 2-3, Polk becomes a liability in the man-to-man. Nikola made him look silly later in the game when the Zips isolated him at the top of the key. Of course, I think by then Polk was tired and frustrated. It sure is nice to have a big guy like Nikola who is able to put the ball on the floor in situations like that. He also gave another hilarious post-game interview with Frenchy :lol:

[Quickzips]

Nikola made him look silly later in the game when the Zips isolated him at the top of the key. Of course, I think by then Polk was tired and frustrated. It sure is nice to have a big guy like Nikola who is able to put the ball on the floor in situations like that. He also gave another hilarious post-game interview with Frenchy :lol:

That was probably my favorite play of the game. You could just see the look of sheer terror on Polk's face as Nik was dribbling him down from the top of the key. When Nik spotted up at the FT line and knocked down that jumper it was priceless. By then the game was pretty much already decided but that was a nice little cherry on top.

[MDZip]

I have to go ahead and ask the question. Could it be possible that Jimmy Conyers is actually better than Nate Linhart? I love what Nate did for us, but damn. Conyers was absolutely the catylyst for us last night. I think back to all the big plays last night, Jimmy was involved in most of them. The chasedown block in the first half that started to swing the momentum our way. The two big threes at the end of the first half to push us to the halftime lead. Another big three early in the 2nd half to set the tone. Finally, the two dunks late in the game to seal the deal. Not to mention how stellar he was on defense. I can't even count the number of balls he flicked away from BG. He didn't always get the steal, but he made it so difficult for BG to get into their offense. At this point he might just be a darkhorse for conference player of the year.

I think we may have found our senior leader. He is just playing lights out right now. I think Keith may hold the same opinion after viewing the following quote from the Elton article. "The guy is becoming one of the best players in the league," Akron head coach Keith Dambrot said of Conyers, who averaged less than three points a game prior to this season. "He's getting better numbers than Nate [Linhart, Akron's 2009 MVP]." Wonder what set him off - other than the Captain calling him out.

[MDZip]

I agree with the sentiment that Polk can't run out of eligibility soon enough for me. I will say that if you can get BG out of their 2-3, Polk becomes a liability in the man-to-man. Nikola made him look silly later in the game when the Zips isolated him at the top of the key. Of course, I think by then Polk was tired and frustrated. It sure is nice to have a big guy like Nikola who is able to put the ball on the floor in situations like that. He also gave another hilarious post-game interview with Frenchy :lol:

I'm just glad Nate Miller is finally out of the league.

[Zips Win!]

I agree with the sentiment that Polk can't run out of eligibility soon enough for me. I will say that if you can get BG out of their 2-3, Polk becomes a liability in the man-to-man. Nikola made him look silly later in the game when the Zips isolated him at the top of the key. Of course, I think by then Polk was tired and frustrated. It sure is nice to have a big guy like Nikola who is able to put the ball on the floor in situations like that. He also gave another hilarious post-game interview with Frenchy :lol:

I disagre. Polk can have five more years of eligibility if he wants it. His fat ass is useless...