Zips @ Ball State

[MaxZIP]

maxzip i started a thread yesterday about steve.he is giving us nothing on the offesive end.yet kd still plays him alottof min.steve needs to start making the 3-ball, or it will catch up to the zips.kd needs to play humpty,and roberts as much as possible.it's kd team he can do what ever he wants.i just think playing steve 20-30 min game is crazy.

Humpty aka the black hole? I think he plays Humpty plenty. At least McNees can hold his own on defense. I think the last thing KD need to do is play Humpty more.

I disagree. Humpty is the one guy that has the ability to lead us to a MAC championship. The last three games have proven that.Has he had some awful shooting performances? yes. Is he inconsistent? yes.But everyone has had their problems.The last three games proved just how valuable Humpty is. We were awful on Monday while Humpty sat out. We were lights out on Wednesday and Humpty was terrific. And today he led us in scoring....As I said in December...Humpty and Nic would get the lions share of the minutes at their positions. The other seven would have to earn the other minutes.I do like that the rotation has been reduced to nine guys that last few games....A very nice win after letting the victory slip up, up and away in regulation.We score 26 points in 20 minutes in the second half and then score 15 in 5 minutes in OT...Hmmm..

Humpty misses from the line, field, and from behind the Arc. He is a shoot first kind of guy. Have you ever thought that maybe we win when he is on because if he misses 10-15 shots a game (not including from the line) it is like giving up 8-12 oppritunities on the offensive side. It is simple numbers. Give too many away and we lose. He handles the ball each trip up the court. He either must produce significant numbers of points or assists. Right now he is doing neither. Not to mention that some of his shots/turnovers are wreckless and lead to fast breaks going the other way. He is a part of the offensive attack but should be used with caution.

[Valpo Zip]

I am with you Zips Win. Humpty is one of the Good players on this team and i want him on the floor when the game is on the line. His shots may not be falling every night but that's the life of a shooter. He has a decent average and most importantly he is a winner. He seems to step up to the plate when a basket is needed. Remember Toledo games (last year in the Q and this year in the JAR).

[MaxZIP]

I am with you Zips Win. Humpty is one of the Good players on this team and i want him on the floor when the game is on the line. His shots may not be falling every night but that's the life of a shooter. He has a decent average and most importantly he is a winner. He seems to step up to the plate when a basket is needed. Remember Toledo games (last year in the Q and this year in the JAR).

He is a good athletic player. However...he is 13 on the team in field goal percentage at .381! He is seventh from the line. He is the hero when the shots fall at the end of the game but he is often a major contributor to some shots at the end of the game not mattering because the zips experienced a patented and epic early second half scoring drought. Humpty is a great player who can create his own shot. All that I am saying is that sometimes he rushes or just plain recklessly heaves the ball up. Please see the end of regulation today for an example of what I am talking about. He brings athleticism the zips are lacking across the board. His shot selection and game management skills are questionable at times. Overall he is a positive impact on the team but doesn’t have to be a one man show.

[Valpo Zip]

I am with you Zips Win. Humpty is one of the Good players on this team and i want him on the floor when the game is on the line. His shots may not be falling every night but that's the life of a shooter. He has a decent average and most importantly he is a winner. He seems to step up to the plate when a basket is needed. Remember Toledo games (last year in the Q and this year in the JAR).

He is a good athletic player. However...he is 13 on the team in field goal percentage at .381! He is seventh from the line. He is the hero when the shots fall at the end of the game but he is often a major contributor to some shots at the end of the game not mattering because the zips experienced a patented and epic early second half scoring drought. Humpty is a great player who can create his own shot. All that I am saying is that sometimes he rushes or just plain recklessly heaves the ball up. Please see the end of regulation today for an example of what I am talking about. He brings athleticism the zips are lacking across the board. His shot selection and game management skills are questionable at times. Overall he is a positive impact on the team but doesn’t have to be a one man show.

Humpty can definitely improve his FT shooting. Same applies to every ZIP except D-Roberts. However, it is unfair to compare the FG% of your PG to that of a center. I am sure that Bardo has a higher % because he only takes a shot from a foot or two away. Swiech may have a carreer FG% of 100% because he only dunks, while Humpty often finds himself in a short shot clock situation where he has to throw the ball the best way he can.I agree that Humpty can do a better job not rushing a shot but that's something that can be taught. You can teach shot selection and game management skills but you can't teach speed, athleticism, and the winner attitude.

[Dr Z]

Here are my notes from yesterday (in no particular order):Most amazing stat I have read on the basketball team this year: Keith Dambrot is 43-44 in games in which his team doesn't score 70 points or more!?!? I had no idea. That stat really surprised me. I'm sure a lot of you knew that, but that was the first time I saw that stat.The team looked like they were ready to play early yesterday. Totally opposite from the KSPU game. It faded in the second half, but at the very least they looked like they were interested in winning a basketball game. We need that intensity throughout the rest of the season if we are going to make a good showing in the tournament. It's up to the coaching staff to make that happen.I had the exact quote in my head ready to type it this morning when KD said it after the game. Steve Mix asked KD about Nic...."he wants to win, we need more guys like him" I hope Nic can figure out how to stay out of foul trouble and start logging more minutes on the floor. Right now he is our best weapon and hardest worker on the team. Yesterday he was driving to the hole, hitting outside shots, working the post, working hard for rebounds, taking charges, he even hit a three. Great job Nic, your play alone makes me want to watch my alma mater play.I wish we had a PG like Randy Davis played yesterday. Man that kid does a lot right. He knows how to get penetration, good passing, knows when to dish, can create his own shot, and can shoot the lights out all over the floor. If we had this kind of player, I think everybody else would fall into place. Can we get one of those next year?I thought Steve Nix was very good yesterday. He is the kind of color guy I like to listen to. Very knowledgeable. Reghi wasn't too bad, but I wish I had a dollar for every time he said "we got a foot of snow here" or "we're going to try to melt the snow with hot play", good gawd, say it once and move on. I watch so many sports in HD now a days, it is really hard to watch a game in SD. The clock at the bottom of the screen was unreadable and a couple of times I was even confused who our players were. I watched the Zags game later in HD and actually enjoyed that game better. Come on MAC, step it up, give me my HD!!!If I were guarding B Mac, I would be in his ear the entire game "step back your open for the three"...okay, great shot at the end of OT, but seriously he should be limited to two attempts a game. If our offense depends on him launching up threes, well you know what. I'll give him credit, he seemed to be working hard on setting screens yesterday, both him and Nic, I think I lost track counting around seven screens yesterday. I meant to count, but forgot. That's my new game while watching Zips games, counting screens.Congrats to Jimmy, pass of the year. Nice heads up pass from the seat of your pants. Now with that said, the team can use a couple full practices of going over the basics of passing the ball. We look like a junior high team passing the ball into the post. Best pass into the post yesterday was Zeke's pass. #4 looks so uncomfortable making passes most of the time it makes me nuts, and can he please stop dribbling the ball up by his eyes. He needs to pick up his play, even Steve Mix made the comment yesterday "#4 is only shooting 27% on 3's in MAC play, that needs to pick up for the Zips to be successful"Happy to see the Zips pull out an OT win on the road, should have never gotten to that, but good teams find a way to prevail and win games like that.AND the Zips went 7-for-8 from the foul line in the final 43 seconds, that is a good sign!

[Let'sGoZips94]

You know, I might rustle some feathers with what I'm about to post, but it's just my opinion. If I'm the AD, I'm telling Dambrot his seat is getting a little warm. Don't get me wrong, I was happy with the win, but let's face it, his coaching has been subpar for a stretch now, and it's happened 2 years in a row. Yes, players make mistakes that coaches can't control, and yes, coaches make mistakes, but I'm not seeing any learning from the mistakes. For 4 years we've had pretty much the same game plan. Teams are starting to figure out how to stop us. It doesn't look like Dambrot is adapting. For example, we finally started to press against Toledo, but then we stop because it's working. Plus, it seems to me that we continue to ignore the one thing that can win a game: putting the ball in the basket. Again, Dambrot preaches defense, which is a good thing to a point, but I think he's ignored the shooting aspect of the game a little bit. Also, is it just me or is Dambrot starting to coach like Charlie Coles? Has our offense started to slow down like Miami's does? I'm not sure if it's because of our lack of athleticism, or the coaching. If I was coaching, I would press a lot more than we do. I'd throw Zeke on the inbounder and put Jimmy at the safety position. Put Nik, Drob, and Humpty on the rest, then trap. This way we may get more turnovers, which leads to more points, which leads to a win. Again, these are just my observations and opinions. Great win though for the Zips. STRONG OT. We cooled down a very hot team, but now hopefully they are mad and take it out on Can't State. Come on BSUcks and let's go Zips! BEAT CMU!

[RowdyZip]

You know, I might rustle some feathers with what I'm about to post, but it's just my opinion. If I'm the AD, I'm telling Dambrot his seat is getting a little warm. Don't get me wrong, I was happy with the win, but let's face it, his coaching has been subpar for a stretch now, and it's happened 2 years in a row. Yes, players make mistakes that coaches can't control, and yes, coaches make mistakes, but I'm not seeing any learning from the mistakes. For 4 years we've had pretty much the same game plan. Teams are starting to figure out how to stop us. It doesn't look like Dambrot is adapting. For example, we finally started to press against Toledo, but then we stop because it's working. Plus, it seems to me that we continue to ignore the one thing that can win a game: putting the ball in the basket. Again, Dambrot preaches defense, which is a good thing to a point, but I think he's ignored the shooting aspect of the game a little bit. Also, is it just me or is Dambrot starting to coach like Charlie Coles? Has our offense started to slow down like Miami's does? I'm not sure if it's because of our lack of athleticism, or the coaching. If I was coaching, I would press a lot more than we do. I'd throw Zeke on the inbounder and put Jimmy at the safety position. Put Nik, Drob, and Humpty on the rest, then trap. This way we may get more turnovers, which leads to more points, which leads to a win. Again, these are just my observations and opinions. Great win though for the Zips. STRONG OT. We cooled down a very hot team, but now hopefully they are mad and take it out on Can't State. Come on BSUcks and let's go Zips! BEAT CMU!

Hands down, post of the year. Keith Dambrot's seat is like sitting on a block of ice. The guy is 17-7 and in 2nd place in the conference. On the way to his 5th straight 20-win season in 6 years, and has the program on course to have a good chance to win it's second consecutive (and 2nd overall) MAC tournament championship. Don't forget, this team isn't made up of stars. This team is made up of a lot of guys that other schools weren't going to offer scholarships too. If we were consistently bringing in guys as heralded as Zeke and we didn't begin to see complete domination of the conference, I might be inclined to agree with you just a tiny bit. The bottom line is that Keith Dambrot is taking this program to heights not seen since the days of Huggy stalking the sidelines. I'm not going to be nasty and biting as a lot of people on here can be, as I'm in a line of work where I'm forced to respect other peoples' opinions. Just know that you are in the VAST minority if you think anyone associated with the program would even have the thought cross his mind to relieve Dambrot. He's nearly as untouchable as Coach Porter.

[GP1]

You know, I might rustle some feathers with what I'm about to post, but it's just my opinion. If I'm the AD, I'm telling Dambrot his seat is getting a little warm. Don't get me wrong, I was happy with the win, but let's face it, his coaching has been subpar for a stretch now, and it's happened 2 years in a row. Yes, players make mistakes that coaches can't control, and yes, coaches make mistakes, but I'm not seeing any learning from the mistakes. For 4 years we've had pretty much the same game plan. Teams are starting to figure out how to stop us. It doesn't look like Dambrot is adapting. For example, we finally started to press against Toledo, but then we stop because it's working. Plus, it seems to me that we continue to ignore the one thing that can win a game: putting the ball in the basket. Again, Dambrot preaches defense, which is a good thing to a point, but I think he's ignored the shooting aspect of the game a little bit.

I think you are reading to much into a lull. This is the MAC, and in the MAC, teams go through lulls. It does have a lot to do with talent, but UofA is still one of the most talented teams in the league.I don't like to look at years as points on a graph to be measured against the previous year. I like to look at what I call a "range" of performance. UofA is still performing in a good range based upon what their realistic possibilities are. As long as they continue to perform in that range of good, KD needs no discussion from the AD.In a few weeks, we will be playing in Cleveland for the championship. I would rather be going through a mid-season lull than a tournament lull. It's about the trend. We will know if the Zips are ready for the tournament if they win their last five or six games and go to Cleveland with some momentum.The only thing I'm concerned about is the record. I really thought they would be better than 17-7 right now. They only lost one player off of the team last year and have a high school all American on the team. Maybe I expected too much after winning the MAC, but I didn't think they would have so many L's at this point in the season.

[Let'sGoZips94]

Yes, I might be reading into the lull too much. Yes, I LOVE Dambrot's classy personality, but just think about this. Last year in the MAC tourney, Dambrot was out-coached. Humtpy saved our butt in the Toledo game. Linhart had the leadership to keep the team focused. McNees got hot. Everything went our way. Sometimes that's what it takes, but consistency for sure helps, and that's what I'm not seeing and haven't seen for 4 years.I probably am overreacting, but I want to win, just like everyone else should. I want to get out of the MAC, but this can't happen unless we dominate.

[Valpo Zip]

KD's seat is not hot and not even luke warm and will not be in the next 3 years at least. He's a local, loyal alum who's doing a decent job with the team and a great job with compliance, grades and the community.Keep in mind that KD has very little tools to recruit with. No great stadium, no big crowds, and no great history. So in a nutshell, why do you expect a recruit to come to Akron rather than anywhere else? and why do you expect Akron to dominate Toledo, Ohio and others?However, saying that KD took this program to unprecedented heights may be a stretch. If your reference is Hipsher than yes KD is a genius. But if you have bigger ambitions and a higher ceiling, you shouldn't be satisfied. Please spare me the 17-7 record and the many 20 win seasons. We all remember where we went with the 26-7 season, right?What is our biggest win of the season? 13-12 Niagara... Boo Hoo!!!!Do we have bad losses? let's count:1- killed @ 10-9 Buffalo2- destroyed by 14-9 NC St.3- loose at home to 9-11 EMU4- loose at home to 12-10 AP5- loose to archrival by double digitsI am not giving up on the team like KD wants to believe but am i not feeling that we have reached unprecedented heights with this program either. KD, I believe will be the head coach until he decides to retire or move on. All i am asking for is that he addresses the following issues:1 - the rotation (or the lack thereof) 2 - the FT% 3 - the slow development of players

[mes102]

Yes, I might be reading into the lull too much. Yes, I LOVE Dambrot's classy personality, but just think about this. Last year in the MAC tourney, Dambrot was out-coached. Humtpy saved our butt in the Toledo game. Linhart had the leadership to keep the team focused. McNees got hot. Everything went our way. Sometimes that's what it takes, but consistency for sure helps, and that's what I'm not seeing and haven't seen for 4 years.I probably am overreacting, but I want to win, just like everyone else should. I want to get out of the MAC, but this can't happen unless we dominate.

Just stick to analyzing Norton's AD...lol...jk...I wouldn't put him on warm or hot seat, but he better know that "People are watching"...

[Dave in Green]

Back to the discussion about Hitchens and McNees, they are now tied in an important statistic for point guards: They are both averaging 2.1 assists per turnover.This is a big accomplishment for Hitchens. As Skip-Zip pointed out last season, Hitchens had more turnovers than assists, for an assist-to-turnover average of less than 1. So he deserves a lot of credit for the huge improvement. Likewise, McNees has improved from last year, when he averaged 1.5 assists per turnover.Even if Hitchens and McNees are not currently shooting at a high percentage, they contribute to the final score when they average more than 2 assists for each turnover. Their styles are different, but they have both grown into effective point guards who can protect and distribute the ball.EDIT: Forgot to mention that the assist-to-turnover percentages above are for conference play only. They are somewhat lower for the entire season when all the early games are included.

[RowdyZip]

Well fellas, if you think there's a season out there or a coach out there that'd allow us to not have any losses that we "should" win, you should probably stop following sports, especially the Zips.

[ZippyforPresident]

KD's seat is not hot and not even luke warm and will not be in the next 3 years at least. He's a local, loyal alum who's doing a decent job with the team and a great job with compliance, grades and the community.Keep in mind that KD has very little tools to recruit with. No great stadium, no big crowds, and no great history. So in a nutshell, why do you expect a recruit to come to Akron rather than anywhere else? and why do you expect Akron to dominate Toledo, Ohio and others?However, saying that KD took this program to unprecedented heights may be a stretch. If your reference is Hipsher than yes KD is a genius. But if you have bigger ambitions and a higher ceiling, you shouldn't be satisfied. Please spare me the 17-7 record and the many 20 win seasons. We all remember where we went with the 26-7 season, right?What is our biggest win of the season? 13-12 Niagara... Boo Hoo!!!!Do we have bad losses? let's count:1- killed @ 10-9 Buffalo2- destroyed by 14-9 NC St.3- loose at home to 9-11 EMU4- loose at home to 12-10 AP5- loose to archrival by double digitsI am not giving up on the team like KD wants to believe but am i not feeling that we have reached unprecedented heights with this program either. KD, I believe will be the head coach until he decides to retire or move on. All i am asking for is that he addresses the following issues:1 - the rotation (or the lack thereof) 2 - the FT% 3 - the slow development of players

I only have one or two comments to make about your post. (And I do enjoy reading your posts and know that your intentions are always in the right place )1. You can't call the loss to NC State a bad loss, that squad is competitive in nearly every game they play, they've got some athletes on that roster. Not to mention the fact that they are in the best basketball conference next to the Big East. Although, yes, I thought Akron should have won that game by double digits at that point in the season. But per the last 2 seasons the team starts a little slow at the same time that my Blue and Gold shades are at their deepest hue.2. The slow development of players. You have to keep in mind that this team is still very young. In our conference it's ALWAYS the upperclassmen that win the big games. The Zips are still heavy with underclassmen despite the great run into the dance last March. Although McNees, Brett McKnight, Bardo and Daryl are Juniors this season, we only have 2 Seniors that see regular playing time this year and I think Jim still hasn't completely found his niche despite the great games he's been having. Hitchens, Cvetinovic, McClanahan, Steward and Marshall are all still totally underclassmen and the rest of the guys are either just as young or younger. In summation, I think we need to save the slow development argument for this time next season. I'll tell you what, if this team hasn't won 15 games by this point next season I'll buy your ticket to a game. (I can spare the ten bucks, plus it would be great to meet some of the other posters that go to games anyway haha.)And as far as any of the guys out there that would say that Coach Dambrot's "seat" is any sort of warm, I don't think that's even close to the case at all. Not only has Coach Dambrot taken Akron Basketball to unprecedented heights, but he is a leader and a role model for many young men in this community, not just his players and the students that attend this university. A large faction of Zipsnation needs to take a collective deep breath and look at the SEVENTEEN wins that this team has. For the fifth year in a row this crew is going to bring home twenty plus wins and has put themselves in the position to claim the regular season title as well as find a spot in the big dance. It's just now getting to the point of the season that separates the men from the boys and there is no doubt that coach Dambrot has these men poised to make Akron proud. Lets just enjoy it while it lasts.

[RootforRoo44]

While i dont think KD's seat is even the least bit warm...it should be. We were lucky last year, and with even better talent coming in each year it seems like we still haven't been going anywhere. I'm sick of losing EVERY big game.Somebody needs to let him know that his job isn't secure by just winning 20 games against 19 crappy opponents.

[MaxZIP]

While i dont think KD's seat is even the least bit warm...it should be. We were lucky last year, and with even better talent coming in each year it seems like we still haven't been going anywhere. I'm sick of losing EVERY big game.Somebody needs to let him know that his job isn't secure by just winning 20 games against 19 crappy opponents.

Will Most of the quiet down if the zips beat kent3/5?

[Hilltopper]

While i dont think KD's seat is even the least bit warm...it should be. We were lucky last year, and with even better talent coming in each year it seems like we still haven't been going anywhere. I'm sick of losing EVERY big game.Somebody needs to let him know that his job isn't secure by just winning 20 games against 19 crappy opponents.

I think you should run out onto the floor the next home game so you can put KD in his place. I'm sure once you let him know he's on the "Hot Seat", the Zips will win out the rest of the season.

[Zip Watcher]

While i dont think KD's seat is even the least bit warm...it should be. We were lucky last year, and with even better talent coming in each year it seems like we still haven't been going anywhere. I'm sick of losing EVERY big game.Somebody needs to let him know that his job isn't secure by just winning 20 games against 19 crappy opponents.

Weren't the games at the Q last year big games?Was the MAC Tourney Championship a big game?Was a road NIT win @ FSU a big game?My observation of you is that you fail to remember the big wins the program has, and only remember losses that you deem to be "big games." Fact is, the NC St. game in game 2 this year isn't a big game when compared to a conference title tilt. It just isn't.Go Zips! B) B)

[Dave in Green]

Just one question for the few fans who have decided to put KD on their personal hot seats:Can any of you name any coaches that UA would have a realistic chance of getting to replace KD -- proven winning coaches who would be excited about coaching in the MAC at a typical MAC coach's salary?Once we have some names, we can start going through the resumes of these coaches, analyze their records in detail (including how many losses in big games and easier games they should have won) and compare those records to KD's.

[xu9697]

A few things:We don't have that senior leader like Linhart last year. Yeah, Conyers has come on, and Chris McKnight and Roberts have had their moments. But missing that leadership that he brought is big. Minimizing it is not understanding MAC/ "mid-major" basketball.The true players that have the potential to be difference makers are Hitchens and Zeke= a sophomore and a freshman. I can't tell you how many guards I watched at Xavier that looked A LOT like Hitchens in their freshmen and sophomore years, then made ENORMOUS steps in their junior and senior years. He can and will be a difference maker at UA..as long as he goes to class and keeps maturing as a person, student, player and leader. Zeke is going to be in the same boat. He will have moments this year, more next year..then BAM during his junior year= HUGE difference maker.Nik C.= not sure if he is a difference maker in the truest sense, but as only a sophomore he is definitely on track to be a high end MAC-level player. The game will slow down for him as well, much like it will slow down for Hitchens. If he can develop a 12 to 15 foot jumper..big things from Nik C.KD= nothing new to offer there. Just can't believe how some can take him for granted.

[ejcool27]

A few things:We don't have that senior leader like Linhart last year. Yeah, Conyers has come on, and Chris McKnight and Roberts have had their moments. But missing that leadership that he brought is big. Minimizing it is not understanding MAC/ "mid-major" basketball.The true players that have the potential to be difference makers are Hitchens and Zeke= a sophomore and a freshman. I can't tell you how many guards I watched at Xavier that looked A LOT like Hitchens in their freshmen and sophomore years, then made ENORMOUS steps in their junior and senior years. He can and will be a difference maker at UA..as long as he goes to class and keeps maturing as a person, student, player and leader. Zeke is going to be in the same boat. He will have moments this year, more next year..then BAM during his junior year= HUGE difference maker.Nik C.= not sure if he is a difference maker in the truest sense, but as only a sophomore he is definitely on track to be a high end MAC-level player. The game will slow down for him as well, much like it will slow down for Hitchens. If he can develop a 12 to 15 foot jumper..big things from Nik C.KD= nothing new to offer there. Just can't believe how some can take him for granted.

+1

[MaxZIP]

While i dont think KD's seat is even the least bit warm...it should be. We were lucky last year, and with even better talent coming in each year it seems like we still haven't been going anywhere. I'm sick of losing EVERY big game.Somebody needs to let him know that his job isn't secure by just winning 20 games against 19 crappy opponents.

Weren't the games at the Q last year big games?Was the MAC Tourney Championship a big game?Was a road NIT win @ FSU a big game?My observation of you is that you fail to remember the big wins the program has, and only remember losses that you deem to be "big games." Fact is, the NC St. game in game 2 this year isn't a big game when compared to a conference title tilt. It just isn't.Go Zips! B) B)

They played a nice championship game LAST YEAR. The previous two years not so much. They have reached the big game three years running but came up short against Miami and got beat soundly by Can't. Win or lose in the conference championship game it still doesn't garner national attention and respect. Beat a team that has excelled on a mid-major level or been competitive power conference team will create what we are looking for. KD's seat isn't even the slightest bit warm. But give it a few years and we will see. He is an Akron guy as everybody has acknowledge over and over again. Will larger schools come calling if he starts coaching Akron to big time wins? Winning the tough road games against larger programs pretty much means that your coach will move on. Power conference level schools are looking for game day coaches that can make decisive adjustments and put fire in the team when they hit the court. Dambrot is still here because he hasn't yet proven that he can outcoach anybody. I know that is a rough statement but honestly if he starts winning games at all levels offers will come his way. Should we just be happy with what we have or wish for more? That is the mid-major dilemma. He is a winner...a Mac-level winner though. He is a good guy and obviously has Akron's best interest in his heart. Some of his decisions are questionable but successful against other mac teams. Moving up will be the only reason KD leaves Akron.

[akronzips71]

A few things:We don't have that senior leader like Linhart last year. Yeah, Conyers has come on, and Chris McKnight and Roberts have had their moments. But missing that leadership that he brought is big. Minimizing it is not understanding MAC/ "mid-major" basketball.The true players that have the potential to be difference makers are Hitchens and Zeke= a sophomore and a freshman. I can't tell you how many guards I watched at Xavier that looked A LOT like Hitchens in their freshmen and sophomore years, then made ENORMOUS steps in their junior and senior years. He can and will be a difference maker at UA..as long as he goes to class and keeps maturing as a person, student, player and leader. Zeke is going to be in the same boat. He will have moments this year, more next year..then BAM during his junior year= HUGE difference maker.Nik C.= not sure if he is a difference maker in the truest sense, but as only a sophomore he is definitely on track to be a high end MAC-level player. The game will slow down for him as well, much like it will slow down for Hitchens. If he can develop a 12 to 15 foot jumper..big things from Nik C.KD= nothing new to offer there. Just can't believe how some can take him for granted.

+1

The Zips happen to be a team without a star. That's right, not even one standout player. No one in the class (standout wise) of Kool or Al Fisher. Yet they continue to win way more than they lose. This year is not a great team. But we do have a great coach. Add just one star and this could be a great team.

[RowdyZip]

This thread has quickly dropped to the depths of idiocracy. I can't believe it's even being discussed. ONE team of 340 wins it all. Hope for continous improvement, which we have. Be patient, Zips fans

[BirdZip]

While i dont think KD's seat is even the least bit warm...it should be. We were lucky last year, and with even better talent coming in each year it seems like we still haven't been going anywhere. I'm sick of losing EVERY big game.Somebody needs to let him know that his job isn't secure by just winning 20 games against 19 crappy opponents.

You would make a great NFL owner.