Zips vs. Bobcats

[ZachTheZip]

Tough, hard-fought game from both teams. Glad Akron was the one to win.The difference between the two teams is that, even though this was a close game, I thought that OU gave it everything they had but Akron could have done a lot more. It was a game almost exactly like this last year against Toledo that gave them the confidence to win the MAC tournament. Hopefully winning three close games in a row is allowing them to figure out who they are and what they're capable of.Zeke didn't have his best game, but you could see him altering shots on defense just by being there. Will someone who does the stats for GoZips.com do a +/- stat line? I overheard conversations about putting up content that people want to see, and this is the #1 thing I want to see right now. It's something you can't get from ESPN or any other "3rd party" media outlets.

[Zip Watcher]

Zeke didn't have his best game, but you could see him altering shots on defense just by being there. Will someone who does the stats for GoZips.com do a +/- stat line? I overheard conversations about putting up content that people want to see, and this is the #1 thing I want to see right now. It's something you can't get from ESPN or any other "3rd party" media outlets.

It might magically appear here at ZipsNation.Org ... stay tuned.Go Zips!

[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!!!!

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

Not through rose colored glasses like some folks apparently did.

[tpsjugglerdude]

Here is one of those games where our depth came into play. OU had 6 guys at 29 or more minutes. Akron had 3. The Bobkitties were getting a little tired at the end of the 2nd OT.

[akronzips71]

Nik showed some real athleticism today. He is gonna get better and better. For once, it was not all brute force and I like it!

[johnnyzip84]

Zeke didn't have his best game, but you could see him altering shots on defense just by being there. Will someone who does the stats for GoZips.com do a +/- stat line? I overheard conversations about putting up content that people want to see, and this is the #1 thing I want to see right now. It's something you can't get from ESPN or any other "3rd party" media outlets.

Introducing a ZN.O Stats Blog, with +/- and Help Value. Any suggestions/comments are appreciated!

Man, THANK YOU for taking the time and effort to investigate and develop this. I do have a question though. I am curious as to how Cooper ended up with a +/- of zero when he played the entire game and his team lost by 3?EDIT: Razor's blog said he played the whole game, but the ESPN box score only had him with 49 minutes played. Maybe it has something to do with that.

[Dave in Green]

I suppose I could say I was disappointed that the Zips didn't simply demolish the last place team in the MAC east on the Zips' home court. But, as I said before the game, the Bobcats deserve respect. They started the season slow, but have been much improved in recent games. Bobcats fans should be proud of their team for playing so well. They will be a force to be reckoned with in the future. I knew this was going to be a tough game.It's always tempting to focus on the things that the Zips did wrong. But since other posters here handle that aspect so well, I'd like to focus on a good feeling I had sitting through that marathon. As good as the Bobcats were shooting, and as many mistakes as the Zips made, I never got that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that the Zips were going to throw it away. Even though I knew there was a possibility that the Bobcats might shoot the lights out and the Zips might not be able to match them shot for shot, I never felt the Zips gave up or thought they weren't going to win. They continued to play aggressively and with confidence, even when they misfired. They kept coming back for more.Regardless of what went right and what went wrong in this game, I liked the Zips' attitude. I'd like to see some aspects of their execution improve. But I have no doubt they have it within them to do it.Bottom line is, Can't lost, Miami lost and the Zips won. That's all that really matters right now. The Zips have moved into a really good position with just 4 regular season conference games left, and I think they have more in them to show when it's needed.

[johnnyzip84]

Man, THANK YOU for taking the time and effort to investigate and develop this. I do have a question though. I am curious as to how Cooper ended up with a +/- of zero when he played the entire game and his team lost by 3?EDIT: Razor's blog said he played the whole game, but the ESPN box score only had him with 49 minutes played. Maybe it has something to do with that.

That is the difference, in the first half he was taken out in the 12:19 mark and put back in at 11:26. During that time, McNees hit a 3 pointer, which would have put him at -3 (where he would be if he were in the entire game, since the Zips won by 3).

Thanks! Great job!

[ZachTheZip]

Zeke didn't have his best game, but you could see him altering shots on defense just by being there. Will someone who does the stats for GoZips.com do a +/- stat line? I overheard conversations about putting up content that people want to see, and this is the #1 thing I want to see right now. It's something you can't get from ESPN or any other "3rd party" media outlets.

Introducing a ZN.O Stats Blog, with +/- and Help Value. Any suggestions/comments are appreciated!

Yes! Thank you! This is something that no other MAC message board has.Hopefully this quiets the McNeese detractors out there. Once you get a good sample size going of a few games or more, patterns emerge and you can see who the most reliable overall players are.

[Zip Watcher]

I've added an RSS import into the Hoops forum. So whenever Nav publishes a new entry .. it will show up here in the forums. Like say .. when he has no life and goes back and does all the games in the MAC schedule .. hypothetically.Great job NAV!

[Valpo Zip]

Thanks Nav for the addition.About the game, man am i glad we played the bobcats in Athens earlier.I am thankful we mannaged to win this one. Believe it or not, the bobcats' chances of winning it all at the Q are as big as Akron's Can't and anyone else.The biggest problem in my head now is playing against the duo Cooper/Keely for three more years. I hate to even think about it.How can they get a kid like Cooper to go to OU?

[akronzips71]

Thanks Nav for the addition.About the game, man am i glad we played the bobcats in Athens earlier.I am thankful we mannaged to win this one. Believe it or not, the bobcats' chances of winning it all at the Q are as big as Akron's Can't and anyone else.The biggest problem in my head now is playing against the duo Cooper/Keely for three more years. I hate to even think about it.How can they get a kid like Cooper to go to OU?

They promised not to suspend him? :lol: :lol:

[RootforRoo44]

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.

I love how the ref that was 40 feet away made the call but that slick back dark haired ref couldn't make the call when it was right in front of him.That guy is a joke. The North side rowdies were booing him and he went to the police officer during a timeout in the first half and told her that he would have a few of us thrown out if we continued. I know this because an usher came over and spoke with me about it. I actually spoke with that officer following the game and she said that he actually wanted the entire section cleared if they couldnt calm us down. Now THAT is getting in a refs head.

[RootforRoo44]

Zeke didn't have his best game, but you could see him altering shots on defense just by being there. Will someone who does the stats for GoZips.com do a +/- stat line? I overheard conversations about putting up content that people want to see, and this is the #1 thing I want to see right now. It's something you can't get from ESPN or any other "3rd party" media outlets.

Introducing a ZN.O Stats Blog, with +/- and Help Value. Any suggestions/comments are appreciated!

You should do a stat on how many times Zeke blocks people and is called for a foul instead. He had 4 of them tonight.

[Dave in Green]

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.

I love how the ref that was 40 feet away made the call but that slick back dark haired ref couldn't make the call when it was right in front of him.That guy is a joke. The North side rowdies were booing him and he went to the police officer during a timeout in the first half and told her that he would have a few of us thrown out if we continued. I know this because an usher came over and spoke with me about it. I actually spoke with that officer following the game and she said that he actually wanted the entire section cleared if they couldnt calm us down. Now THAT is getting in a refs head.

From our perspective upstairs, the "slick back dark haired ref" was the one who was making all the bad calls against the Zips and swallowing his whistle at the other end of the court. He's the one who should be removed from the court by the police officer for impersonating an impartial ref.

[Quickzips]

Nice game for the Zips. I had to skip out at the end of regulation to make it to a Valentine's Day reservation, but was listening in on French all the way. Ohio is going to be a tough team if they ever find some depth. I am not looking forward to the DJ Cooper show for 3 more years. Kid is talented. Senior leadership made the difference today. For once we had a Chris McKnight sighting. I said before the game that the Zips had the advantage in the front court if they would just be patient enough to keep pounding OU down low. Turned out to be pretty much spot on. When the Zips were pounding it inside with the McKnights, Cvetinovic and Conyers they got just about whatever they wanted. When they settled for long jumpers early in the shot clock OU was able to get out on the break and make a game of it. Hats off as well to KD for making some adjustments. We don't play very good zone defense, but throwing it at a team for a minute or two every now and then confuses them. You could see that tonight with OU. When the Zips went zone, they fell out of rythm. I'm so looking foward to not having to see KVK anymore. From a basketball prespective you'd like to see five of him on the floor, he is just that bad, but the kid throws his body around so much that it is only a matter of time before he hurts someone. On to Miami, a win in Oxford would be a big boost for the Zips division title hopes.

[WinZip]

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.

I love how the ref that was 40 feet away made the call but that slick back dark haired ref couldn't make the call when it was right in front of him.That guy is a joke. The North side rowdies were booing him and he went to the police officer during a timeout in the first half and told her that he would have a few of us thrown out if we continued. I know this because an usher came over and spoke with me about it. I actually spoke with that officer following the game and she said that he actually wanted the entire section cleared if they couldnt calm us down. Now THAT is getting in a refs head.

From our perspective upstairs, the "slick back dark haired ref" was the one who was making all the bad calls against the Zips and swallowing his whistle at the other end of the court. He's the one who should be removed from the court by the police officer for impersonating an impartial ref.

Did you get a mention in Rasors blog RootforRoo44? Blog

[Captain Kangaroo]

Hopefully this quiets the McNeese detractors out there. Once you get a good sample size going of a few games or more, patterns emerge and you can see who the most reliable overall players are.

McNees went Freddy Brown, tossing a bullet pass to absolutely no one with 30-something seconds remaining in regulation. We were in the driver's seat and it was a totally unforced error. It very easily could have cost us the game. He also hoisted an unnecessary 30-foot three pointer in OT with way too much time left on the clock. It too could have cost us the game.McNees has his strengths and his weaknesses. Being the off guard is his strength. Being the point guard in a tight game is not his strength. What's the stat that quantifies late game hyperactivity? If you figure it out, let me know. Please call it "The Ali Kart Percentage."

[WinZip]

Hopefully this quiets the McNeese detractors out there. Once you get a good sample size going of a few games or more, patterns emerge and you can see who the most reliable overall players are.

McNees went Freddy Brown, tossing a bullet pass to absolutely no one with 30-something seconds remaining in regulation. We were in the driver's seat and it was a totally unforced error. It very easily could have cost us the game. He also hoisted an unnecessary 30-foot three pointer in OT with way too much time left on the clock. It too could have cost us the game.McNees has his strengths and his weaknesses. Being the off guard is his strength. Being the point guard in a tight game is not his strength. What's the stat that quantifies late game hyperactivity? If you figure it out, let me know. Please call it "The Ali Kart Percentage."

Was that the pass where Darryl Roberts tripped? I agree with the comment about the 30-foot three pointer at the end. It looked as though he had time to make a move at the basket, at least making the shot a little easier.

[RACER]

everyone who said the game was close,and the zips were lucky to win need to look at the stat sheets.i am not trying to jump all over steve mc neese,but what is kd doing.steve played 39 min shot 2-8 from fg.1-7 from 3pt line.he had a grand total of 7 pts in a two overtime game. he did get 2 reb wow, along with 2 turnovers.i saw him launch two three pointers without even looking if someone else is open.there are other guys on this team who are playing less min with the same numbers, or better.humpty-(10 pts 4-8 fg,2-2 3pt ,in 27 min plus 3 asst.) roberts-23 min 2-7 fg, 5 pts, 4 reb,2asst. mc clanahan-10 min 4pts 1 reb 2-3 fg line.i just don't get why steve is in the game 39 min.we have three other guys who can do as good,or can do better.he ran down the court, and put up two 30 footers without even looking for an open teammate.yet kd keeps him in the game even if he misses every shot.any other player that did that would be pulled.when steve is hitting his shots especially his three pointers then keep him in the game.he helps this team win when he is shooting,and making points.games like yesterday should not have been that close if mc clanahan,humpty,or roberts played more min.to have a guy play 39 min when you have other guys like humpty,roberts,mc clanahan,steward is crazy.we probably would have won in reg if kd would have played are other guys more min.i know zeke was in foul trouble,but i hope kd plays him more.when he was in the game ou went more to outside shooting,and did not have any post up people who hurt us. i love kd, and i am not trying to pick on steve.steve has had some great games for us. i just hope kd decsions on giving pt from game to game don't cost in the mac tourney.some god news is eastern crushed western66-52.our loss to them is not looking so bad now.bg beat miami 67-64.everything is falling into place for the zips.they need to take care of business at miami.

[zipfan85]

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.

I love how the ref that was 40 feet away made the call but that slick back dark haired ref couldn't make the call when it was right in front of him.That guy is a joke. The North side rowdies were booing him and he went to the police officer during a timeout in the first half and told her that he would have a few of us thrown out if we continued. I know this because an usher came over and spoke with me about it. I actually spoke with that officer following the game and she said that he actually wanted the entire section cleared if they couldnt calm us down. Now THAT is getting in a refs head.

From our perspective upstairs, the "slick back dark haired ref" was the one who was making all the bad calls against the Zips and swallowing his whistle at the other end of the court. He's the one who should be removed from the court by the police officer for impersonating an impartial ref.

My only question is, do the refs ever take a look at the clock at any time in the game? That was the second game, that i noticed, where the clock was stopped and they continued to play.

[Dave in Green]

I was also mystified by the McNees pass to nowhere until the person sitting next to me explained that he had been watching Roberts, and Roberts had fallen to the floor just as McNees was launching a pass him.If McNees had a major problem with turnovers, it would show up in the stats. It doesn't.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I was also mystified by the McNees pass to nowhere until the person sitting next to me explained that he had been watching Roberts, and Roberts had fallen to the floor just as McNees was launching a pass him.If McNees had a major problem with turnovers, it would show up in the stats. It doesn't.

Some people watch the game, and others watch stats, I guess.Say a player plays 40 minutes per game, and in the last minute of every critical game that player throws the ball away. Otherwise, that player has a clean slate.Stat Guy can spin the statistic angle to say "Hey - He's great...he only has one turnover per game." Baloney.Crunch time is when players either wilt or shine. There's no stat for guys that are clutch, and those who aren't. Their box scores can look identical.How were Alex Rodriguez's stats when the pressure was off, vs. the playoffs for over a decade? You can give me all the A-rod stats you want...until he delivered in the clutch, he was a liability.How about Robert Horry? By statistics, a pedestrian journeyman. But who do you want to take the shot when you need to win an NBA game? Robert Horry.There are certain players who you want to have the ball when you need a bucket. There are others who take mysteriously begin taking ill-advised shots and turning the ball over in crunch time.I like McNees. I just don't like him handling the ball in crunch time. He should be running off screens, looking for the ball.

[Hilltopper]

My only question is, do the refs ever take a look at the clock at any time in the game? That was the second game, that i noticed, where the clock was stopped and they continued to play.

Its my understanding that the clock is now controlled by on of the refs on the floor, not by someone on the scorers table.

[GoZips]

Hopefully this quiets the McNeese detractors out there. Once you get a good sample size going of a few games or more, patterns emerge and you can see who the most reliable overall players are.

McNees went Freddy Brown, tossing a bullet pass to absolutely no one with 30-something seconds remaining in regulation. We were in the driver's seat and it was a totally unforced error. It very easily could have cost us the game. He also hoisted an unnecessary 30-foot three pointer in OT with way too much time left on the clock. It too could have cost us the game.McNees has his strengths and his weaknesses. Being the off guard is his strength. Being the point guard in a tight game is not his strength. What's the stat that quantifies late game hyperactivity? If you figure it out, let me know. Please call it "The Ali Kart Percentage."

CK, I see that you now see the light. Much as I like Steve at the "two" he is not a great point guard.Steve also did his excessive dribble, dribble, dribble, throw up a wasted shot at the end of the first half. McNees is not reading the floor and making like a point guard. He is trying to be Mr. Hero akaSuperman.The errant throw is likely that same old bug-a-boo of failing to communicate. The Zips, as a team, arestill not vocally communicating to each other. Fortunately two bigs is more than equal to a DJ Cooper.Had to laugh at the Ali Kart reference. Most of these folks weren't even alive when Ali chucked up asenseless desperation shot when he could have driven to the basket uncontested and given the Zipsan upset win over then ninth ranked Xavier.