Zips vs. Bobcats

[ZachTheZip]

Now that Can't has lost, it's time for Akron to take care of their own business. Ohio started off slow in the MAC, but has done well against the MAC West to get back to a somewhat respectable record.OU games are always intense. Stopping DJ Cooper and neutralizing DeVaughn Washington will make things easier.Bobcats message board

[Dave in Green]

The Bobkitties can score in bunches in select games. Over their last 7 games, they've scored big in 4 -- 89, 90, 99 & 99. All but 1 of those was against the MAC west. But one of those 99s was against Buffalo. So the Zips will need to be prepared on both defense and offense, and treat this team with respect even though they're at the bottom of the MAC east.

[OZoner]

It's a matter of controlling the pace. Those teams that allowed the Bobcats to get out and run were the ones that watched Ohio pile up the points. They've yet to show they can win when forced to play offense out of the halfcourt at a slower pace.I would suggest focusing more on Reggie Keely than Washington; Keely can actually create his own offense in the post while Washington can really only score in the open court, off pick-and-rolls, and putbacks. Keely is playing well enough to command a double team in the paint; problem is, that's going to leave someone open and the ball will find its way to Freeman's hands. Wonder if we'll see a freshman-on-freshman matchup with Marshall.Armon Bassett is playing the best he has since suiting up for Ohio, which makes it that much harder to key on Cooper. I imagine Akron is going to try and take the game inside, force Ohio into a zone, then exploit it.

[OZoner]

Free radio PBP available for this game. Go to athensi.com and click on the WXTQ link.

[Quickzips]

This should be an interesting matchup. OU played us close at their place. Logic says we should beat them at home, but OU has started to put it together a bit with the MAC West cupcake schedule. Bobcats and Zips are really contrasting teams. OU's strength is in their guard play as they have one of the better young backcourts in the league. Up front they are not very talented, very experienced or very deep. The Zips on the other hand are built around a number of strong frontcourt players like Conyers, the McKnights, Cvetinovic and Zeke. The backcourt has some talent and some depth, but has lacked the ability to put it all together on a consistent basis. Zips will need to keep the tempo slowed down in this one. A 90 point, up and down the court at breakneck speeds game is exactly what OU wants. We might not need to go Charlie Coles style, but we can't get sucked into playing a run and gun style either. Not saying we can't beat them at that game, but they can beat us at that game. If the game is set up in a half court set working the ball down into the post I don't think OU has a chance against us.

[vmd9]

Who's suspended for this game? haha just kidding...I hope we can get out of this slump we are in. Some of these games have been painful to watch! OU has been on a roll, yes it was against the MAC west, but look at how bad we played against those teams. I guess it just depends on if the Zips want to win this game or not...

[vmd9]

Free radio PBP available for this game. Go to athensi.com and click on the WXTQ link.

the video will be on channelsurfing.net...no one wants to listen to the OU announcers they were AWFUL the last game!

[OZoner]

Free radio PBP available for this game. Go to athensi.com and click on the WXTQ link.

the video will be on channelsurfing.net...no one wants to listen to the OU announcers they were AWFUL the last game!

Everybody hates the other team's announcers.

[MDZip]

Bobcats are definitely better than their record (and Cooper is a heck of a player, not looking forward to seeing him for the next three years), but man the Zips look sloppy today.

[zippy5]

Looks like BG over Miami @ BG today. March 5th is gonna be for all the marbles, I have a feeling.

[zippy5]

If we win today, that is.

[zippy5]

That's the best out of bounds play we could come up with, with 4.1 left? stand around, lon it to Brett McKnight who takes a fadeaway 18 footer. geeez.

[MDZip]

Chris McKnight is quietly having a really big game. If he could just hit a few more free throws.

[vmd9]

That's the best out of bounds play we could come up with, with 4.1 left? stand around, lon it to Brett McKnight who takes a fadeaway 18 footer. geeez.

hey it took us 2 timeouts to draw up that play!!! haha if KD took a 3rd timeout brett would have made that shot

[zippy5]

That's the best out of bounds play we could come up with, with 4.1 left? stand around, lon it to Brett McKnight who takes a fadeaway 18 footer. geeez.

hey it took us 2 timeouts to draw up that play!!! haha if KD took a 3rd timeout brett would have made that shot

that's what bothers me. two timeouts to draw up....nothing.

[#1 rowdy]

That's the best out of bounds play we could come up with, with 4.1 left? stand around, lon it to Brett McKnight who takes a fadeaway 18 footer. geeez.

hey it took us 2 timeouts to draw up that play!!! haha if KD took a 3rd timeout brett would have made that shot

that's what bothers me. two timeouts to draw up....nothing.

The problem with the play was Mcknight settled for a fade away jump shot and didn't go strong to the hoop.

[MDZip]

Speaking of not going strong to the hoop, what the hell was McNees shooting a 27 foot shot when they had enough time to drive to the hoop? Crap - Double OT.

[MDZip]

Lucky, lucky, lucky win - but a win!

[akronzips71]

Lucky, lucky, lucky win - but a win!

It counts.But I think Ohio plays better than their record.

[vmd9]

Lucky, lucky, lucky win - but a win!

Yes we got lucky they traveled, but we deserved to win that game we led for most of it...just had some poor play calling and shot choices at the end

[OZoner]

Game of the Year?

[akronzips71]

Lucky, lucky, lucky win - but a win!

Yes we got lucky they traveled, but we deserved to win that game we led for most of it...just had some poor play calling and shot choices at the end

To say nothing of that insane call by the refs that blew the whistle for no reason, that was game over at that point if that didn't happen.

[Zipmeister]

That's the best out of bounds play we could come up with, with 4.1 left? stand around, lon it to Brett McKnight who takes a fadeaway 18 footer. geeez.

hey it took us 2 timeouts to draw up that play!!! haha if KD took a 3rd timeout brett would have made that shot

that's what bothers me. two timeouts to draw up....nothing.

If I didn't know better, I'd swear instead of eating cookies and jam during the timeouts those rascally Ohio Bobkittens were scheming how to stop us from doing what we wanted!!!!

[zippy5]

That's the best out of bounds play we could come up with, with 4.1 left? stand around, lon it to Brett McKnight who takes a fadeaway 18 footer. geeez.

hey it took us 2 timeouts to draw up that play!!! haha if KD took a 3rd timeout brett would have made that shot

that's what bothers me. two timeouts to draw up....nothing.

If I didn't know better, I'd swear instead of eating cookies and jam during the timeouts those rascally Ohio Bobkittens were scheming how to stop us from doing what we wanted!!!!

It's easy to stop when there was no attempt of even running a play by the Zips. Did you even watch the game?

[bUAkronG]

Lucky, lucky, lucky win - but a win!

Yes we got lucky they traveled, but we deserved to win that game we led for most of it...just had some poor play calling and shot choices at the end

I wouldn't call it completely lucky. He was forced into the corner by great defense and tried to call a timeout which they had none of, which caused the travel.Some really good defensive possessions today. That Cooper kid was a beast though.Game ball definitely goes to Conyers. He had missed 2 dunks and finally came through on a huge one his third attempt when we were down 5. Then came up with 2 good rebounds. Then of course his two clutch free throws to seal it. He's beginning to become my favorite player to watch. I'll have to check the box score but he had to have had a double double. Fantastic game for him.