men against boys...

[RootforRoo44]

Another opportunity to prove something on a semi-national stage, another craptastic performance from the Zips. Guys looked uninspired and out of sorts. This one falls squarely on coaching. Ever since this game was announced KD took the approach that the game really didn't matter for the Zips and that he didn't even really want to play it. Well guess what KD, you just got embarrased on national TV. You got outcoached, your team got outhustled and you were simply overmatched. Normally I'm not a big critic of KD except for when it comes to scheduling. But one has to wonder if all the talk about being a "sleeping giant" and becoming the "Gonzaga of the East" that we've heard for so many years out of Keith was just a bunch of bull. This coach and this program seems perfectly content just trying to be at or near the top of the conversation in one of the weakest college basketball conferences in the country. There doesn't appear to be much interest at all in making a splash on the national scene. Open challenge here Keith, you want us (the fans) to continue to support you and you want to grow this program, show us you want it. Show us you want to be something more than just one of the top programs in the MAC. As far as individual performances and issues, not much more to say here. Zeke was flat awful today. He kept a few balls alive on the offensive end, but that was about it. His shot selection and finishing ability was as poor as I've ever seen it, and he was really a non-factor on the defensive end. I'm pretty well convinced that none of our big guys could have finished a wide open dunk if they had the opportunity today. Piss poor free throw shooting (a KD staple) and long scoring droughts (again a KD staple) and the Zips lose. Not much else you can say. Ohh well, at least we still have a shot at that #1 seed in the MAC tournament.

Amen...this game DID mean something and we got embarrassed on tv. Terrible effort.

[Let'sGoZips94]

Zips beat VCU or played them close to even on rebounds, blocks, steals and turnovers. They lost on shooting percentage.

Of course they did. They only scored 53 points. Points scored compared to the other team is the most important statistic. Turnovers, steals, blocks and rebounds lead to scoring opportunities, not necessarily points.In big games, you had better be able to score points and put pressure on the other team. Akron put no pressure on VCU to perform all day.That was just plain bad in every way.

Bad that the Zips came within 2 rebounds of a team that was supposed to kill them on the boards?Bad that the Zips had fewer turnovers against a pressing defense that was supposed to cause a Zips meltdown?Bad that the Zips had more steals than the team with the "more athletic" players?Bad that the Zips had more blocked shots than the team with the experienced big with the 7-foot-7 wingspan who's projected to be an NBA lottery pick?Bad that the Zips caused the projected NBA lottery pick to foul out?The Zips played like men against men. They lost because they couldn't get the ball through the hoop. It happens to the biggest, baddest, toughest men who play the sport.One thing I do believe is bad are fans who are so focused on pointing fingers at what went wrong that they refuse to acknowledge any good from the team they claim to support.

I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything, but what good do you see? I'm honestly just wondering.Here's what I see:PositivesIndividual performances from Jimmy and Nik are becoming more consistent.Zeke is changing SOME shots.NegativesLaid an egg on national TV AGAIN. Inconsistent.Horrible shooting.Lazy/lack of effort.Bad coaching.Horrible free throw shooting AGAIN.We have taken a step back from last year. I can understand a team taking a step back if they lose like 3+ seniors, but we only lost 1. Yes it was MVP, and yes he was a huge leader, but where are the McKnights, the McNees', the DRobs who have been here for 3+ years?I am a huge Zips fan, but to get better you have to learn from your mistakes. You can't just blow through life like NOTHING bad happens, and the same applies for sports. If you focus on just the positives, you will never get over the negative bumps in the road. That's why people are pointing out the negatives, they want to get better and improve. I hope we can get it back on track for Wednesday, or it's going to be a long game if Buffalo brings their A game. Go Zips! Win the MAC tourney.

[ZachTheZip]

We could have built a second press tower for Infocision Stadium with all those bricks.

[vmd9]

We could have built a second press tower for Infocision Stadium with all those bricks.

haha thats hilarious. I've been noticing the past few games how ironic the cheers the rowdies do really are. "he can't make a layup" and "airball" can be said fairly often when cheering for our own team. Seriously on my 6th grade basketball team if I ever missed a layup I would be benched in a heartbeat, and an airball on a FOUL SHOT?! even shaq hits the rim. It's just the fundamentals of basketball this team does not understand. Don't take shots when you aren't open, if you're a forward you shouldn't be shooting 3's, make layups, control the ball, and make dang free throws! Seriously I've always backed KD but if this keeps up we may be able to find a local YMCA rec league coach that can teach this stuff

[Dave in Green]

Point is, fans shouldn't just focus on either the positives or the negatives. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Constructive criticism is good. Negative player bashing is not.All the people who really understand college basketball predicted that VCU would beat the Zips by about 10 points. It would have been a great upset for the Zips to win, and we'd all be celebrating. The Zips didn't overperform and pull off the upset. But they didn't really underperform either. They performed about as expected according to the prediction of knowledgeable analysts.The Zips underperformed in some areas and overperformed in others, and it's fair to point out both. Fans have a right to be disappointed that the Zips didn't pull off the upset. But that's no excuse for not giving the team credit for what they did right.

[wadszip]

Only the biggest Akron homer in the world can say that they really didn't see a difference between the two teams. Conyers has been the Zips most consistent player all year. He would be the first or second guy off the VCU bench. No question this program is better than what it was under Hipsher, but it's begining to be obvious that it is growing stagnant. Yes, they'll continue to win 20 games as long as the MAC stays down because they will load up on cupcakes in the non-conference and scrap their way to 10 MAC wins. But is that what fans want to settle with?I think one of the reasons attendence has been as bad as it has this year is because of how boring this team is to watch. It's a bunch of guys with decent skills, who try hard and scrap. But the lack of athleticism for a 20-win D1 team is glaring. It makes for some painful basketball to watch.Is there anybody on this team that can play above the rim? No (dunking on a fast break doesn't count). Is there anybody who can create offense for themselves off the dribble? Conyers and Brett McKnight (though with McKnight is usually ends up in a bad shot). Humpty has the athleticism to make plays off the dribble but his decision making and shot selection is something to be desired. Is there anybody who can consistently score in the post? I haven't seen it. C. McKnight and Cvetenovic have had their moments, but neither are going to be confused with Romeo Travis or Jeremiah Wood. Both those guys also spend too much time on the perimeter. I know some of it is by design, but it pains me everytime one of them gets the ball 18 feet from the basket and put there head down and bull into the paint, usually resulting in a charge or a wild layup (though it seems like those wild layups have been semi-successful because they've led to some offensive rebounds and second-chance points. Still, not exactly how you want to draw up a play.) Zeke is a long way away from being an offensive threat.Is there anybody who will give 100 percent and scrap on defense. Yes. Basically the entire team. Unfortanutely grit and hustle will only get you so far on a basketball court.

[RootforRoo44]

Point is, fans shouldn't just focus on either the positives or the negatives. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Constructive criticism is good. Negative player bashing is not.All the people who really understand college basketball predicted that VCU would beat the Zips by about 10 points. It would have been a great upset for the Zips to win, and we'd all be celebrating. The Zips didn't overperform and pull off the upset. But they didn't really underperform either. They performed about as expected according to the prediction of knowledgeable analysts.The Zips underperformed in some areas and overperformed in others, and it's fair to point out both. Fans have a right to be disappointed that the Zips didn't pull off the upset. But that's no excuse for not giving the team credit for what they did right.

I dont see much player bashing...maybe coach bashing (and rightfully so). Maybe you perceived someone saying our players for being lazy and playing with no heart as "bashing". It's more like calling them out. Which their coach should be doing!

[Dave in Green]

You do not outperform a team like VCU on their homecourt in the areas where the Zips outperformed them by playing "lazy" and with "no heart."I suspect that Districtballer will have more good things to say about the Zips than some Zips fans.

[Let'sGoZips94]

Is there anybody who will give 100 percent and scrap on defense. Yes. Basically the entire team. Unfortanutely grit and hustle will only get you so far on a basketball court.

I don't think our defense has been good at all to be honest. I was watching Western Carolina take Can't down to the wire tonight. You know how they did it? They made shots and played the best D I've seen in a while at the college level. Akron USED to be a good defensive team, now we've sort of slacked off. We don't get up into players, we don't scrap and pick at the ball, we don't come from behind and poke the ball away like a smart defensive player would. We foul and let them drive to the hoop.

[GP1]

Zips beat VCU or played them close to even on rebounds, blocks, steals and turnovers. They lost on shooting percentage.

Of course they did. They only scored 53 points. Points scored compared to the other team is the most important statistic. Turnovers, steals, blocks and rebounds lead to scoring opportunities, not necessarily points.In big games, you had better be able to score points and put pressure on the other team. Akron put no pressure on VCU to perform all day.That was just plain bad in every way.

Bad that the Zips came within 2 rebounds of a team that was supposed to kill them on the boards?Bad that the Zips had fewer turnovers against a pressing defense that was supposed to cause a Zips meltdown?Bad that the Zips had more steals than the team with the "more athletic" players?Bad that the Zips had more blocked shots than the team with the experienced big with the 7-foot-7 wingspan who's projected to be an NBA lottery pick?Bad that the Zips caused the projected NBA lottery pick to foul out?The Zips played like men against men. They lost because they couldn't get the ball through the hoop. It happens to the biggest, baddest, toughest men who play the sport.One thing I do believe is bad are fans who are so focused on pointing fingers at what went wrong that they refuse to acknowledge any good from the team they claim to support.

Whatever you are smoking, please send some down to South Carolina.It's OK to say the Zips got their asses kicked today. It happens to everyone and it happened today. Living in a statistical fantasy world does not help.Again, the only stat that matters is point differential. VCU scored more points today than UofA.

[GP1]

Only the biggest Akron homer in the world can say that they really didn't see a difference between the two teams. Conyers has been the Zips most consistent player all year. He would be the first or second guy off the VCU bench. No question this program is better than what it was under Hipsher, but it's begining to be obvious that it is growing stagnant. Yes, they'll continue to win 20 games as long as the MAC stays down because they will load up on cupcakes in the non-conference and scrap their way to 10 MAC wins. But is that what fans want to settle with?I think one of the reasons attendence has been as bad as it has this year is because of how boring this team is to watch. It's a bunch of guys with decent skills, who try hard and scrap. But the lack of athleticism for a 20-win D1 team is glaring. It makes for some painful basketball to watch.Is there anybody on this team that can play above the rim? No (dunking on a fast break doesn't count). Is there anybody who can create offense for themselves off the dribble? Conyers and Brett McKnight (though with McKnight is usually ends up in a bad shot). Humpty has the athleticism to make plays off the dribble but his decision making and shot selection is something to be desired. Is there anybody who can consistently score in the post? I haven't seen it. C. McKnight and Cvetenovic have had their moments, but neither are going to be confused with Romeo Travis or Jeremiah Wood. Both those guys also spend too much time on the perimeter. I know some of it is by design, but it pains me everytime one of them gets the ball 18 feet from the basket and put there head down and bull into the paint, usually resulting in a charge or a wild layup (though it seems like those wild layups have been semi-successful because they've led to some offensive rebounds and second-chance points. Still, not exactly how you want to draw up a play.) Zeke is a long way away from being an offensive threat.Is there anybody who will give 100 percent and scrap on defense. Yes. Basically the entire team. Unfortanutely grit and hustle will only get you so far on a basketball court.

Attention ZipsNation posters and readers. The Great GP1 did not post this.....

[GP1]

Another opportunity to prove something on a semi-national stage, another craptastic performance from the Zips. Guys looked uninspired and out of sorts. This one falls squarely on coaching. Ever since this game was announced KD took the approach that the game really didn't matter for the Zips and that he didn't even really want to play it. Well guess what KD, you just got embarrased on national TV. You got outcoached, your team got outhustled and you were simply overmatched. Normally I'm not a big critic of KD except for when it comes to scheduling. But one has to wonder if all the talk about being a "sleeping giant" and becoming the "Gonzaga of the East" that we've heard for so many years out of Keith was just a bunch of bull. This coach and this program seems perfectly content just trying to be at or near the top of the conversation in one of the weakest college basketball conferences in the country. There doesn't appear to be much interest at all in making a splash on the national scene. Open challenge here Keith, you want us (the fans) to continue to support you and you want to grow this program, show us you want it. Show us you want to be something more than just one of the top programs in the MAC. As far as individual performances and issues, not much more to say here. Zeke was flat awful today. He kept a few balls alive on the offensive end, but that was about it. His shot selection and finishing ability was as poor as I've ever seen it, and he was really a non-factor on the defensive end. I'm pretty well convinced that none of our big guys could have finished a wide open dunk if they had the opportunity today. Piss poor free throw shooting (a KD staple) and long scoring droughts (again a KD staple) and the Zips lose. Not much else you can say. Ohh well, at least we still have a shot at that #1 seed in the MAC tournament.

Are you harshly saying all of the "growing" and "building" is an illusion?

I think we've grown, and I think we've built since Keith has been here. I don't think anyone can fairly argue that Keith's teams aren't significantly better than Hipsher's teams were, and honestly, under Hipsher we wouldn't have even been in position to get a bracketbuster game against a team like a VCU, so there has been progress. The problem is that we have stalled out all together. We've gotten to the point where we are one of the top programs in the MAC now, but we have no idea where to go from here. There doesn't seem to be any attempt to go for bigger things. We're perfectly content trying to win the MAC tournament to get to the NCAA's, but we have no plan of action after that. Seemingly every time we have an opportunity to show something outside of the MAC we fail. Apparently at this point we aren't even going to try. Just win your 20+ games against a watered down OOC schedule and your crummy West teams, try to win the MAC tournament then bow out early in the NCAA's. Again, we've gotten to a new level for this program by being able to get to and win MAC tournament titles, we just don't seem to know what to do next.

I don't disagree at all. Your posts today are excellent in fact. My worry is you are right on the money. Maybe this is all there is. We are a good team with a good coach in a bad conference with a weak schedule that produces twenty wins a year. An illusion? Maybe....Today should have been a wake up call. Is there anyone out there who still believes we are anywhere near being even a top twenty five mid major? We were out everythinged today.

[ZachTheZip]

People want us to schedule tougher games. Would that have prepared us for this, or would it have simply resulted in more losses like this one? The team doesn't seem to progress from one game to the next. Can you say with some certainty that the team now is better than the team we saw at the beginning of the season?I would say to schedule more games against the upper A-10 or MVC teams if I thought the team could learn from their experiences at a faster rate than other teams. Every team learns a bit from every game and experience. Some "get it" faster than others, and those ones turn out to be the good teams. Others never get it and end up looking like they're regressing as the teams around them improve and put their past experience to good use.

[Dave in Green]

Zips beat VCU or played them close to even on rebounds, blocks, steals and turnovers. They lost on shooting percentage.

Of course they did. They only scored 53 points. Points scored compared to the other team is the most important statistic. Turnovers, steals, blocks and rebounds lead to scoring opportunities, not necessarily points.In big games, you had better be able to score points and put pressure on the other team. Akron put no pressure on VCU to perform all day.That was just plain bad in every way.

Bad that the Zips came within 2 rebounds of a team that was supposed to kill them on the boards?Bad that the Zips had fewer turnovers against a pressing defense that was supposed to cause a Zips meltdown?Bad that the Zips had more steals than the team with the "more athletic" players?Bad that the Zips had more blocked shots than the team with the experienced big with the 7-foot-7 wingspan who's projected to be an NBA lottery pick?Bad that the Zips caused the projected NBA lottery pick to foul out?The Zips played like men against men. They lost because they couldn't get the ball through the hoop. It happens to the biggest, baddest, toughest men who play the sport.One thing I do believe is bad are fans who are so focused on pointing fingers at what went wrong that they refuse to acknowledge any good from the team they claim to support.

Whatever you are smoking, please send some down to South Carolina.It's OK to say the Zips got their asses kicked today. It happens to everyone and it happened today. Living in a statistical fantasy world does not help.Again, the only stat that matters is point differential. VCU scored more points today than UofA.

I'm truly baffled about your continuing misconception that anyone is disputing the final score, or that it represents anything other than the sum of all components of the game. VCU whipped the Zips just as the experts had predicted. Pomeroy predicted that VCU would win, 77-66, and that the Zips only had a 16% chance of winning. I believed Pomeroy and other credible sources who made similar predictions. Apparently others here did not, as there was some trash talking about VCU not being as good as people thought and the Zips being better. Now most of the talk is about how bad the Zips players played and the coaches coached.I'm just reading the cold, hard numbers. If the experts had been told that the Zips would be within 2 rebounds of VCU, and would have outperformed them in the areas of turnovers, steals and blocked shots, the experts might have given the Zips a better shot at winning. But the good performance in those areas was offset by the poor performance in shooting, which did nothing more than bring the final score back to the area where the experts predicted it would be.So I think I had realistic expectations for the Zips before, during and after the game. There's really no mystery here as long as you consider all of the facts. If you want to ignore some of the facts and focus on others, then you will probably end up at a different location.

[Let'sGoZips94]

People want us to schedule tougher games. Would that have prepared us for this, or would it have simply resulted in more losses like this one? The team doesn't seem to progress from one game to the next. Can you say with some certainty that the team now is better than the team we saw at the beginning of the season?I would say to schedule more games against the upper A-10 or MVC teams if I thought the team could learn from their experiences at a faster rate than other teams. Every team learns a bit from every game and experience. Some "get it" faster than others, and those ones turn out to be the good teams. Others never get it and end up looking like they're regressing as the teams around them improve and put their past experience to good use.

What an eye opener! Love your thought here. I have always been on the boat that was called "TS=BP" (tougher schedule=better play), but you just brought up a great point. I put this on coaching for not getting the players prepared. Yes a lot of the times the players just flat out suck, but coaching can play a huge role, too. Great post!

[RootforRoo44]

Zips beat VCU or played them close to even on rebounds, blocks, steals and turnovers. They lost on shooting percentage.

Of course they did. They only scored 53 points. Points scored compared to the other team is the most important statistic. Turnovers, steals, blocks and rebounds lead to scoring opportunities, not necessarily points.In big games, you had better be able to score points and put pressure on the other team. Akron put no pressure on VCU to perform all day.That was just plain bad in every way.

Bad that the Zips came within 2 rebounds of a team that was supposed to kill them on the boards?Bad that the Zips had fewer turnovers against a pressing defense that was supposed to cause a Zips meltdown?Bad that the Zips had more steals than the team with the "more athletic" players?Bad that the Zips had more blocked shots than the team with the experienced big with the 7-foot-7 wingspan who's projected to be an NBA lottery pick?Bad that the Zips caused the projected NBA lottery pick to foul out?The Zips played like men against men. They lost because they couldn't get the ball through the hoop. It happens to the biggest, baddest, toughest men who play the sport.One thing I do believe is bad are fans who are so focused on pointing fingers at what went wrong that they refuse to acknowledge any good from the team they claim to support.

Whatever you are smoking, please send some down to South Carolina.It's OK to say the Zips got their asses kicked today. It happens to everyone and it happened today. Living in a statistical fantasy world does not help.Again, the only stat that matters is point differential. VCU scored more points today than UofA.

EXACTLY. Winning is winning, and i took nothing positive from that game today. It was a downright awful loss and there is no excuse to lose like that.

[wadszip]

Zips beat VCU or played them close to even on rebounds, blocks, steals and turnovers. They lost on shooting percentage.

Of course they did. They only scored 53 points. Points scored compared to the other team is the most important statistic. Turnovers, steals, blocks and rebounds lead to scoring opportunities, not necessarily points.In big games, you had better be able to score points and put pressure on the other team. Akron put no pressure on VCU to perform all day.That was just plain bad in every way.

Bad that the Zips came within 2 rebounds of a team that was supposed to kill them on the boards?Bad that the Zips had fewer turnovers against a pressing defense that was supposed to cause a Zips meltdown?Bad that the Zips had more steals than the team with the "more athletic" players?Bad that the Zips had more blocked shots than the team with the experienced big with the 7-foot-7 wingspan who's projected to be an NBA lottery pick?Bad that the Zips caused the projected NBA lottery pick to foul out?The Zips played like men against men. They lost because they couldn't get the ball through the hoop. It happens to the biggest, baddest, toughest men who play the sport.One thing I do believe is bad are fans who are so focused on pointing fingers at what went wrong that they refuse to acknowledge any good from the team they claim to support.

Whatever you are smoking, please send some down to South Carolina.It's OK to say the Zips got their asses kicked today. It happens to everyone and it happened today. Living in a statistical fantasy world does not help.Again, the only stat that matters is point differential. VCU scored more points today than UofA.

I'm truly baffled about your continuing misconception that anyone is disputing the final score, or that it represents anything other than the sum of all components of the game. VCU whipped the Zips just as the experts had predicted. Pomeroy predicted that VCU would win, 77-66, and that the Zips only had a 16% chance of winning. I believed Pomeroy and other credible sources who made similar predictions. Apparently others here did not, as there was some trash talking about VCU not being as good as people thought and the Zips being better. Now most of the talk is about how bad the Zips players played and the coaches coached.I'm just reading the cold, hard numbers. If the experts had been told that the Zips would be within 2 rebounds of VCU, and would have outperformed them in the areas of turnovers, steals and blocked shots, the experts might have given the Zips a better shot at winning. But the good performance in those areas was offset by the poor performance in shooting, which did nothing more than bring the final score back to the area where the experts predicted it would be.So I think I had realistic expectations for the Zips before, during and after the game. There's really no mystery here as long as you consider all of the facts. If you want to ignore some of the facts and focus on others, then you will probably end up at a different location.

Like you, I had realistic expectations and knew VCU was the favorite. But I didn't automatically believe the Zips were going to lose, despite what the formula Pomeroy uses to come up with his predictions showed. The game of basketball isn't played in a vacuum. This was a poor performance and I think people have every right to be upset and even question the direction of the program. Especially since the head coach wants to say they are building up to be "The Gonzaga of the East."Well if you want to be the Gonzaga of the East, games like today are a measuring stick. Once again, the Zips failed in a big way on the big stage. It's something they have done with regularity the last two years.Maybe my expectations are high, but this is a program that early on in Dambrot's tenure was winning some of those games ... Mississippi, Temple, Florida State, etc. Why has this program progressively gotten worse against these types of teams? I think it has to do with talent.I think every player on this roster can play a role on a tournament team. I also like Zeke's potential (though I think it won't be until his junior year until he's developed enough to be an impact player on both ends). But there is not a go-to guy on this team. It's a team of role players. The fact that nobody on this team is averaging double figures shows that. I would think after four straight 20 win seasons and a couple of postseason appearances, Dambrot could've recruited at least one or two difference makers (again maybe Zeke will be, but he is raw right now).With all that being said, the Zips still have a solid shot at making the tournament. Despite my frustrations, I'm not going to give up on them.

[RACER]

we lose one game and all of a sudden we are taking a step backwards.it's amazing how we lose one game,and everyone piles on the coach.they forget the 20 win seasons we had under kd.maybe we should bring back coleman crawford,and dan hipsher.we lost because we did not shot the ball well.sometimes no matter how you play if shots are not falling you lose.some of this was vcu defense,but alott of it was wide open shots we missed.some of the touch calls on zeke were ridiculous.kd needs to play him.if he fouls out so be it.zeke gets a touch foul called on him and kd yanks him back to the bench.i have seen zeke play great if he is given extended min.this would have been a game to play him.i hate to say thisbut if he is not going to play zeke then the kid should have been red shirted.that's really the only complaint i have is the way kd is handling zeke.kd needs to get on the refs for some bad calls agasint zeke.the zips are going to have to play him next year,and they are not going to have the option of pulling him after every foul.let him play if he fouls out so be it.

[RACER]

if vcu is so much better than the zips how did they lose to western michigan.if they were that good they would have won that game.if conyers would be sub they should have beat wmu by 30,but they lost.the same wmu team we beat at k-zoo.i think people are talking crazy things after this loss.bring vcu to the jar, and then see what happens.we have had to play them two years in a row at thier place.vcu is a decent team,but to say conyers would be a role player is insane.

[Districtballer]

if vcu is so much better than the zips how did they lose to western michigan.if they were that good they would have won that game.if conyers would be sub they should have beat wmu by 30,but they lost.the same wmu team we beat at k-zoo.i think people are talking crazy things after this loss.bring vcu to the jar, and then see what happens.we have had to play them two years in a row at thier place.vcu is a decent team,but to say conyers would be a role player is insane.

Food for thought. Zips fans said the same thing 3 seasons ago when we were coming to the JAR. Based on what I saw, the team we beat then with Jeremiah Wood, Nick Dials, and Cedrick Middleton was significantly better than the team I saw out there tonight. I remember a freshman Larry Sanders coming into the JAR and setting an all-time record in your building with 9 blocks in that game. Of course we are a different team from back then too, but with new weapons. At the same time, VCU has now beaten Akron 3 straight seasons and is 5-0 all-time in the series. At some point there should be a level of respect given to VCU. If Larry Sanders doesn't leave for the NBA this year, I think we have a very good shot at winning at the JAR next year. I wasn't particularly impressed with the talent on the Zips squad, but you have a team that works hard and maximizes what they get out of what they have. They really scrap it out and work hard. That kind of work ethic is something you can build on. Shaka recruited the McKnight brothers, Darryl Roberts and Mike Bardo for the Zips before he left Akron. In contrast we had a recruit from California at the the game to watch our two teams face off who is 6'11, 225 pounds and has a number of BCS offers. It's just easier to recruit when you have basketball tradition (9 NCAA appearances, 5 wins) and recent success (beating Duke in the 2007 NCAA's, losing by 1 with a shot to win against UCLA in last year's NCAA, Eric Maynor being a first round NBA draft pick, Larry Sanders being slated as a lottery pick etc). I could easily say that how is Akron so good if they lost to Eastern Michigan? Every team has bad games. You could say that Akron had a bad game, but it becomes more than coincidence when you lose repeatedly to the same team year after year. At some point you just have to give props to the better team. I like the Zips program a lot and Dambrot is a solid coach who cares about his players, but Akron is still not at the level of VCU as a program. I think they will get there, but it's not the case right now.

[GP1]

Why has this program progressively gotten worse against these types of teams? I think it has to do with talent.

I respectfully disagree. The athletic ability of this team is better than have seen in the KD era. From what I saw yesterday, I think there is a lack of cohesion with this team we have not seen in the past against better teams. Call it cohesion...call it rythm...call it what ever you want. I'm not sure if cohesion is even the right word, but is something intangible I can't exactly find a word for. Maybe someone out there could find a better word.

[RowdyZip]

I think VCU will find itself a VERY average team once Larry Sanders is gone, similar to the step back they've taken after Maynor left, only worse. Larry Sanders altered that game the way Zeke has altered some MAC games and will alter all games in the future. Our guys were pulling up for 10ft jumpers instead of driving to the hole, being intimidated from 10 feet away. I can see Akron being in the same boat in a few years after they begin to depend on Zeke as the enforcer in the middle. We're not there yet, but we will be.EDIT: In no way am I saying that VCU is not the better team here, but take a look at those stats. To me it seems the Zips were more intimidated at the environment. That could be more of a problem for us than anything. Shooting 30% from the field, 20% from 3-land, and leaving 8 points at the line is not this teams usual. If we hit near our averages, and we were getting PLENTY of good looks, and the Zips are right in this game all 40 minutes instead of for about 3 of them.

[ZachTheZip]

Why has this program progressively gotten worse against these types of teams? I think it has to do with talent.

I respectfully disagree. The athletic ability of this team is better than have seen in the KD era. From what I saw yesterday, I think there is a lack of cohesion with this team we have not seen in the past against better teams. Call it cohesion...call it rythm...call it what ever you want. I'm not sure if cohesion is even the right word, but is something intangible I can't exactly find a word for. Maybe someone out there could find a better word.

I call it lack of leadership. Who is the floor general? Who do you see out there directing traffic and making sure teammates don't run into each other or are in position? McNeese is a SG that can handle the ball well, the McKnights do their thing but don't inspire others to play better, Conyers was a follower his whole time here and never had a chance to grow into a leader, Roberts has determination but doesn't steel the nerves of his teammates. Not a single upperclassman has stepped up and become the heart and soul of the team. Nobody rallies around them. The best leader we have on the team is Humpty but he's taken a back seat to McNeese.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Hilaroius rationalizations going on within this thread. God bless those of you that take pride in a lacklustre 17-point ass-kicking on national television.Looking at our starting 5 vs. VCU's starting 5....I would feel very comfortable in saying VCU had the better player at every position. None of our starting 5 would sniff the court if placed on VCU's roster.And we are talking about VCU, not Gonzaga. The 4th place team in the CAA is miles ahead of the Zips program.It was to be expected. We get smoked in OOC games like this all the time. But you never get numb to it.We are slow...we can't finish around the rim...we can't shoot...can't hit a free throw...and people wonder why there's 2000 empty seats at the JAR every home game.If VCU's players magically appeared on Akron's roster. And we saw their athleticism, tenacity, skill, giant-killing ability, NCAA tourney-worthiness, etc. on display on a weekly basis, we'd all be fighting for seats on game day, paying PSL's along with our season tix, and legitimately expecting to make some noise in the post season. Could you imagine watching a great team like that, with great opponents, on a weekly basis? It would be awesome.The VCU game was yet another wake up call to a lot of fans who've been very patiently waiting for our program to elevate. I'm tired of hitting the snooze bar. Other than Mississippi State, we've lost every one of these regular season OOC games for the past 6 seasons. When does it stop? I'm not asking for the moon here...I just want to be competitive with a middle of the pack CAA program. Is that asking too much?The upcoming Buffalo game will be very fun. The K.e.n.t. game will be a blast. The MAC Tourney is always a great time. No I'm not chugging Drano after a loss to VCU. But I am dispondent over the reality of the state of the Zips program with respect to the remainder of mid-major college basketball. UA should write a letter of apology to ESPN who's given us GREAT opponents, and by doing so also give us a guaranteed GREAT return game (thank God, becuse otherwise we'd see more NC A&T's)...and we never hold up our end of the deal. I look forward to a game against Detroit or Robert Morris next year.And by the way - Congratulations to K.e.n.t. Very exciting win last night. Looked great on TV. Unfortuanately, it was a hollow victory. They had fewer rebounds and steals than Western Carolina.

[mes102]

Here's my beef for the whole season:1) I like Dambrot on what he does as a person and classy when it comes to disciplinary actions; however, I don't know if I would agree on his philosophy as a coach.2)Why would you put Nik at Center when you got Marshall, Bardo, Sweich, McKnight brothers at a better fit at that position than Nik. With Nik's speed, I think he's more of a Small Forward. 3)I think our defense is doing as well because of the matchup problems we're getting after screens and would be resolved if we play some zone here and there. If they're shooting well...fine, go man to man...if not, stay at them with that zone until the figure it out.4) Why isn't Ronnie Steward getting more playing time. We need more than one person on court at one time that can bring the ball up to help dissect traps and presses.Here's my lineups(which would vary to opponent and who's playing extremely well, but positions stay same just about)Starters=*6th=^7th=^^8th=^^^9th=^^^^10th=^^^^^PG- McNees*, Steward^^^^, Hitchens, SG- Hitchens*, Roberts^^^^^, Petersen, SullivanSF- Conyers*, Cvetinovic^, B. McKnight, CarrollPF-C. McKnight*, B. McKnight^^^, Bardo, SweichC-Marshall*, Bardo^^, SweichIf I was coach this year, I would be running a little Flex offense with some 1-3-1 offense to break zones, and a defense of 3-2 and 2-3 zones with some alternations of man to man and also put some 1-2-2 full court zone press and 2-2-1 half court press...that might be what i do and what i might do when i get a chance to coach D1 basketball someday...But I know nothing since I'm a UA student and working on my sport/exercise studies major with concentration in coaching...and that's why Dambrot is where he is, and that's why I am where I am...