Buffalo

[GoZips]

Nothing quite like being up at 2:45 AM. Well, how did you like Steve McNees at the two guard? Is he a load or what? Steve can flat out drain the three ball if set up and wide open. He took the starch out of Buffalawho in mere minutes.Of course, to poke all you "I love Steve at the point" people .... Steve gacks the last fifteen secondsof the first half once again. He has no business playing the point. How many of these non-turnoverscan you accept? I already went way past my limit.Zeke Marshall played his best game yet. What an improvement since the start of the season. And, this kid is just going to get BETTER.The McKnights deliver again. As KD said, when they score twelve and fourteen, we are going to win alot of basketball games.Nice to see the role players deliver as well. Hats off to hard working Tim Carroll.Saved the best for last. Jimmy gets his SEVENTH double-double ... in front of his mother. How sweet is that? Any one thinking MVP? Way to deliver, Jim.

[Dr Z]

Well, how did you like Steve McNees at the two guard? Is he a load or what? Steve can flat out drain the three ball if set up and wide open. He took the starch out of Buffala who in mere minutes.

I guess it's true what they say, early bird gets the worm. I guess I should have posted after the Finland victory to beat you to the punch.You stole my thunder. I loved watching Humpty pass down low to Zeke. We are FINALLY working the inside out game with Zeke and Steve.THAT is the way to create a match up problem that nobody in the MAC can answer. Would have loved to see that in the VCU game.Steve draining those open threes is a thing of beauty. Even if he is missing those shots, THAT is where he should be.Welcome to the party Jimmy. Who's dunk was better Jimmy or Zeke? I liked Zeke's.Only thing you missed, who was that Nic guy at the free throw line, he is good.

[Dave in Green]

Nothing quite like being up at 2:45 AM. Well, how did you like Steve McNees at the two guard? Is he a load or what? Steve can flat out drain the three ball if set up and wide open. He took the starch out of Buffalawho in mere minutes.Of course, to poke all you "I love Steve at the point" people .... Steve gacks the last fifteen secondsof the first half once again. He has no business playing the point. How many of these non-turnoverscan you accept? I already went way past my limit. .....

As you know, there are no "I love Steve at the point" people on this forum. Some fans who recognize what a great shooting guard McNees can be simply ask that other fans not pile on to McNees for doing the best he can at running the point, which is not great but not bad. McNees is playing the point because his coach doesn't believe that any of the other point guards have stepped up and taken the job away from McNees. I personally like some of the things that happen when Hitchens and Steward are making their slashing attacks. But both of them make errors that McNees does not make. So whoever runs the point is not going to be faultless.Believe me, I would love to see one of the other guards earn the point position away from McNees, if for no other reason than to end the relentless griping by a few "I hate Steve at the point" people on ZN.

[skip-zip]

Nothing quite like being up at 2:45 AM. Well, how did you like Steve McNees at the two guard? Is he a load or what? Steve can flat out drain the three ball if set up and wide open. He took the starch out of Buffalawho in mere minutes.Of course, to poke all you "I love Steve at the point" people .... Steve gacks the last fifteen secondsof the first half once again. He has no business playing the point. How many of these non-turnoverscan you accept? I already went way past my limit. .....

As you know, there are no "I love Steve at the point" people on this forum. Some fans who recognize what a great shooting guard McNees can be simply ask that other fans not pile on to McNees for doing the best he can at running the point, which is not great but not bad. McNees is playing the point because his coach doesn't believe that any of the other point guards have stepped up and taken the job away from McNees. I personally like some of the things that happen when Hitchens and Steward are making their slashing attacks. But both of them make errors that McNees does not make. So whoever runs the point is not going to be faultless.Believe me, I would love to see one of the other guards earn the point position away from McNees, if for no other reason than to end the relentless griping by a few "I hate Steve at the point" people on ZN.

This is pretty much where I stand right now too. I've always felt that Humpty makes poor decisions. I still feel like I see him running when he should be stopping, throwing ill-advised passes, and (my biggest frustration) trying to dribble through traffic and traps too often. And in my opinion, he's simply not a good enough shooter to play on the wing. Although, I have seen him show a few instances of good play-making ability this year. Maybe he can still develop into a good player at that role. With Ronnie, I can only wonder what could have happened with him if he did not have to sit these last couple of years. Sometimes he looks like he has what it takes, only to follow that up with a mistake that's typical of someone who hasn't played much. I really do like his energy, and hope that he can still work his way back to being a productive point guard in his career here.Steve may not ever be a great point guard, but he seems to be the reliable choice right now. Kinda reminds me of Dials playing the point by default a couple of years ago. And knowing how he performed last year in Cleveland when the MAC title was on the line, I still believe our best option is to have the ball in his hands.

[Dr Z]

I've always felt that Humpty makes poor decisions. With Ronnie, I can only wonder what could have happened with him if he did not have to sit these last couple of years. Sometimes he looks like he has what it takes, only to follow that up with a mistake that's typical of someone who hasn't played much. I really do like his energy, and hope that he can still work his way back to being a productive point guard in his career here.

I used to agree, but I'm starting to come around to GoZips line of thinking. I think we may have a pg on this team. Both Ronnie and Humpty need more game time at the point to get comfortable at the position. They have skills needed to play the position. I wish they would have got it at the beginning of the year. Mistake IMO.

[Dave in Green]

I do like that McNees mixed it up a little more last night. Instead of always just dribbling around outside the 3-point line, he made a number of drives. He went all the way for layups, he pulled up for short jumpers and he passed the ball to the open man when the defense moved to block his drive. That's the kind of varied offense that keeps the defense off balance.But for those who continue to question KD's judgment on who to play at the point, I've seen folks on ZN who claim to have close ties to the team. Why can't someone simply ask KD why he doesn't play Hitchens or Steward more at the point than McNees? I'd be curious to know the facts.Seriously. Someone with access please ask KD if he thinks he's given Hitchens and Steward enough opportunity to take over the point, and what it would take for them to move McNees over to shooting guard.

[Quickzips]

I thought there was a lot to like about last nights game and a few things I didn't like.The Zips offense was working smoothly. They were pushing the ball down the floor a little quicker, getting position down low and abusing Buffalo's post men. When the Zips make a concerted effort to work the ball into the post I don't think there is a team in the MAC that can beat us. I think this is reflected in Dambrot's comments about the McKnight brothers, but it also applies to Cvetinovic, Conyers and even Zeke at times. Playing McNees off the ball some more is certainly not a bad thing for the Zips as it creates space for him to shoot those threes. I still think Steve can be an effective point guard in spurts for us, but I agree that playing him 25-30 minutes at the point is not the most effective use of his talents.Zeke bounced back from a particularly bad game against VCU with a nice game against the Bulls. He was aggressive on the boards and most of his shots were good ones (although he still has a lot of work to do when it comes to finishing layups at the rim, he's still missing a lot of those pretty badly).Big game from Conyers was great to see, but what is with the three clanked FT's in a row? Speaking of FT's, I am still praying that we don't have a point in the tournament where the Zips need to make free throws to win or ice a game. We are still wildly inconsistent from the line. On the plus side, I think Cvetinovic is leading the nation in drawn lane violations. If I'm a Zips opponent the first thing in the scouting report on him is to hold your water when he's shooting free throws.Shout out to Ronnie Steward who got a little more of a run at point guard and looked pretty good. I like the added dimension he gives to the offense by being a guard who can get into the lane and finish at the rim.Absolutely terrible ballhandling at the end of the game. Teams have been pressing the Zips seemingly all year, but I have never seen them handle it that poorly. I am hoping it was just a lack of focus/interest as a result of having the game well in hand throughout, but damn.I am a bit concerned with some of the offensive board performances our opponents have been putting up lately and last night was no different. It seems like since Zeke has come in everyone is more concerned with blocking shots and less concerned with boxing out on rebounds. Blocking shots is a good thing, but someone has to be going after the rebound as well.Congrats to the Zips for locking up that first round by. Now lets go take another road win agains the Falcons and get ready for some roast turkey on national TV for the regular season title.

[Dave in Green]

On another subject, did anyone else notice that Zeke looked as if he didn't have his normal speed and range of movement? It wasn't that he played badly. In fact he looked good. But he just seemed a half step slow, as if he might have some minor problem in the ankle/knee/leg area. With the experience he's gaining and the skills he's developing, I think we all want to see Zeke playing more minutes. But if he's hurting in any way, it's critical that he not play too many minutes now if rest and recuperation will help his performance in the upcoming tournaments.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I do like that McNees mixed it up a little more last night. Instead of always just dribbling around outside the 3-point line, he made a number of drives. He went all the way for layups, he pulled up for short jumpers and he passed the ball to the open man when the defense moved to block his drive. That's the kind of varied offense that keeps the defense off balance.But for those who continue to question KD's judgment on who to play at the point, I've seen folks on ZN who claim to have close ties to the team. Why can't someone simply ask KD why he doesn't play Hitchens or Steward more at the point than McNees? I'd be curious to know the facts.Seriously. Someone with access please ask KD if he thinks he's given Hitchens and Steward enough opportunity to take over the point, and what it would take for them to move McNees over to shooting guard.

Not everyone needs to check with the coach before offering an opinion. You may need to do so, and that is perfectly ok. But don't belittle people with opinions for exercising their free will.Have you ever considered that, by constantly harping on and belaboring your Steve McNees point guard shtick that you grossly exacerbate the very situation you're attempting (in vain) to diffuse? By rambling on and on and on and on...by responding to every minor critique or opinion with a rambling, pointless, passive-aggressive condescending post....do you realize you're fanning the flames of otherwise self-extinguishing embers?You complain about the moderators because they don't have YOUR threshold for what is appropriate or inappropriate. You complain about the Buffalo fans, because they don't meet what YOU consider appropriate behavior.You complain about people who don't share your opinion about a given player. Have you ever considered that you, yourself might be as big a wingnut as those whom you endlessly rail against?

[The Hip Zip]

Plenty of highlights:McNees geeting the zips off to a good start and getting the crowd into the game and loud early.Ronnie Stewart's play at the point : Ronnie is getting better, no doubt about it. He seems cool as ice out there and despite his inexperience he really takes charge of the offense and makes good decisions. His dribble drive and off balance scoop shot last night was a thing of beauty. He needs some work fighting through or around picks on defense though. The Bulls hot a couple of wide open 3's from the corner because Ronnie was late getting to the shooter.The play of Chris McKnight: Chris has become more consistant and a real force the last quarter of the schedule. Jimmy Conyers : Nothing more be said other than he has come frome nowhere to become the Zips best player. Jimmy brings the goods every night. He plays so much bigger than his size.Zeke: Took another step forward tonight : Buffalo ran a lot of offense designed to bring Zeke out towards the point in the Akron man to man. Despite this he had a decent defensive game and and some key blocks and rebounds. He also attacked the basket well on offense but was unable to finish on a couple of easy ones.AK Rowdies : Good show last night ! The bull crap signs just about had me on the floor.Negatives:The Zips lost intensity in the 2nd half and got beat to the punch on Buffalo's offensive glass several times. We need to rebound better.From behind the bench it appeared that Keith and Humpty had some issues last night. They had some words and Humpty walked to the end of the bench. His minutes were cut back after that.Officiating: How on earth the MAC would pair Larry Scirotto and James Ferrari on the same crew is beyond belief. I watch the officials pretty closely and IMO these are the two poorest officials that work our conference. Actually, they got off to a good start as they let the guys play in the early going. The game had some flow and the Zips took advantage by running out to a 24-4 advantage. They then reverted back to their usual level of incompetence. This resulted in 46 fouls being called of which several should have been no calls and some just bad calls. The 2nd half had no flow at all and was not at all fun to watch because these guys blew their whistle on nearly every other trip down the floor.

[BirdZip]

Of course, to poke all you "I love Steve at the point" people .... Steve gacks the last fifteen secondsof the first half once again. He has no business playing the point. How many of these non-turnoverscan you accept? I already went way past my limit.

Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but I thought Steve made a very nice pass to Zeke for a dunk that was called off for a "charge" on McNees that, IMHO, wasn't anywhere close to a charge. Nice play without that bad call.

[GoZips88]

On another subject, did anyone else notice that Zeke looked as if he didn't have his normal speed and range of movement? It wasn't that he played badly. In fact he looked good. But he just seemed a half step slow, as if he might have some minor problem in the ankle/knee/leg area. With the experience he's gaining and the skills he's developing, I think we all want to see Zeke playing more minutes. But if he's hurting in any way, it's critical that he not play too many minutes now if rest and recuperation will help his performance in the upcoming tournaments.

Zeke had a couple of free throws in the first half I believe and before shooting each one, he seemed to bend over and put his hands on his knees, rubbing the left one in particular. He seemed to be moving pretty well but I wonder ...

[Dr Z]

Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but I thought Steve made a very nice pass to Zeke for a dunk that was called off for a "charge" on McNees that, IMHO, wasn't anywhere close to a charge. Nice play without that bad call.

You remember right, nice play.

[Zip Watcher]

As you know, there are no "I love Steve at the point" people on this forum.

On this team, with this roster, in the current circumstances, I love Steve McNees at the point. He's my guy to run the show.Go Zips!

[Dave in Green]

I do like that McNees mixed it up a little more last night. Instead of always just dribbling around outside the 3-point line, he made a number of drives. He went all the way for layups, he pulled up for short jumpers and he passed the ball to the open man when the defense moved to block his drive. That's the kind of varied offense that keeps the defense off balance.But for those who continue to question KD's judgment on who to play at the point, I've seen folks on ZN who claim to have close ties to the team. Why can't someone simply ask KD why he doesn't play Hitchens or Steward more at the point than McNees? I'd be curious to know the facts.Seriously. Someone with access please ask KD if he thinks he's given Hitchens and Steward enough opportunity to take over the point, and what it would take for them to move McNees over to shooting guard.

Not everyone needs to check with the coach before offering an opinion. You may need to do so, and that is perfectly ok. But don't belittle people with opinions for exercising their free will.Have you ever considered that, by constantly harping on and belaboring your Steve McNees point guard shtick that you grossly exacerbate the very situation you're attempting (in vain) to diffuse? By rambling on and on and on and on...by responding to every minor critique or opinion with a rambling, pointless, passive-aggressive condescending post....do you realize you're fanning the flames of otherwise self-extinguishing embers?You complain about the moderators because they don't have YOUR threshold for what is appropriate or inappropriate. You complain about the Buffalo fans, because they don't meet what YOU consider appropriate behavior.You complain about people who don't share your opinion about a given player. Have you ever considered that you, yourself might be as big a wingnut as those whom you endlessly rail against?

Way over-the-top overreaction to a perfectly innocent and sincere post with no malice intended toward anyone. And that's a fact.

[The Hip Zip]

I agree, I do not dig the confrontational approach and general negativity of a couple that post here. I just used the "ignore poster" feature for the first time. It should brighten the place up a bit.

[Hilltopper]

I think Ronnie would see more PT if his defense improved. He was late getting back several times last night if I remember correctly, with one resulting in Zekes 4th foul. I really like what he brings to the offensive end. His ability to penetrate is a real pluse.

[gozips19]

watched the game on the tube. was i the only person that wanted to throw up every time Micheal Reghi called the a-k rowdies the ak rowdies?????? he even said it in front of the new ad and he didn't have the stones to correct him. the man calls mac games every week you'd think he'd get it right bring on bg and can't!!!!

[Dr Z]

I think Ronnie would see more PT if his defense improved. He was late getting back several times last night if I remember correctly, with one resulting in Zekes 4th foul. I really like what he brings to the offensive end. His ability to penetrate is a real pluse.

If there was an award for best 27 seconds of defense by an individual this year, it would go to Ronnie for his play against Rhode Island.

[Let'sGoZips94]

Well, how did you like Steve McNees at the two guard? Is he a load or what? Steve can flat out drain the three ball if set up and wide open. He took the starch out of Buffala who in mere minutes.

Welcome to the party Jimmy. Who's dunk was better Jimmy or Zeke? I liked Zeke's.Only thing you missed, who was that Nic guy at the free throw line, he is good.

I liked Jimmy's dunk. He switched hands in like mid air and got the foul! Zeke's was too wide open and at 7 ft., he should have just put his elbow through the rim. Both were great.

[Dave in Green]

As you know, there are no "I love Steve at the point" people on this forum.

On this team, with this roster, in the current circumstances, I love Steve McNees at the point. He's my guy to run the show.Go Zips!

I don't mind being wrong on this one.

[GoZips]

I thought there was a lot to like about last nights game and a few things I didn't like.Absolutely terrible ballhandling at the end of the game. Teams have been pressing the Zips seemingly all year, but I have never seen them handle it that poorly. I am hoping it was just a lack of focus/interest as a result of having the game well in hand throughout, but damn.

Quick, the extremely bad ball handling at the end of the game can be traced back to not playingthe full rotation. The kids were dead on their feet at the end. Notice how they also clanked a number offree throws off the front of the rim during that time frame.KD had his best free throw shooters on the floor at the end. They were also darn tired. The brain tendsto run slower when we are tired. The same thing happens to basketball players. A little better floortime management by assistant coaches might have given the Zips fresher legs at game's end.Just an observation.

[GoZips]

I do like that McNees mixed it up a little more last night. Instead of always just dribbling around outside the 3-point line, he made a number of drives. He went all the way for layups, he pulled up for short jumpers and he passed the ball to the open man when the defense moved to block his drive. That's the kind of varied offense that keeps the defense off balance.But for those who continue to question KD's judgment on who to play at the point, I've seen folks on ZN who claim to have close ties to the team. Why can't someone simply ask KD why he doesn't play Hitchens or Steward more at the point than McNees? I'd be curious to know the facts.Seriously. Someone with access please ask KD if he thinks he's given Hitchens and Steward enough opportunity to take over the point, and what it would take for them to move McNees over to shooting guard.

Not everyone needs to check with the coach before offering an opinion. You may need to do so, and that is perfectly ok. But don't belittle people with opinions for exercising their free will.Have you ever considered that, by constantly harping on and belaboring your Steve McNees point guard shtick that you grossly exacerbate the very situation you're attempting (in vain) to diffuse? By rambling on and on and on and on...by responding to every minor critique or opinion with a rambling, pointless, passive-aggressive condescending post....do you realize you're fanning the flames of otherwise self-extinguishing embers?You complain about the moderators because they don't have YOUR threshold for what is appropriate or inappropriate. You complain about the Buffalo fans, because they don't meet what YOU consider appropriate behavior.You complain about people who don't share your opinion about a given player. Have you ever considered that you, yourself might be as big a wingnut as those whom you endlessly rail against?

Darn, Cap'n, where did you get that picture of me? I wasn't really yelling at the cloud. I wasyelling at the crowd. Or, was it the danged refs? I forget.Dave, actually I frequently talk to coach Dambrot. Often I attend the Monday night conclaveat the Tap House on Waterloo Road. The crowd tends to be small, so the opportunity todirectly ask KD questions exists.Dave, KD tends to play it conservative. He has a known quality in Steve at the point. He wouldlike to move Steve to the two and play Humpty or Ronnie at the point. Its largely a fear factor ofgetting behind in a game. So, KD is slow and a bit timid in making the move. I am sure his confidencein Ronnie skyrocketed the first ten minutes of the Buffalo game. It worked out beautifully like wewould all like to see.

[Dave in Green]

Dave, actually I frequently talk to coach Dambrot. Often I attend the Monday night conclave at the Tap House on Waterloo Road. The crowd tends to be small, so the opportunity to directly ask KD questions exists.Dave, KD tends to play it conservative. He has a known quality in Steve at the point. He would like to move Steve to the two and play Humpty or Ronnie at the point. Its largely a fear factor of getting behind in a game. So, KD is slow and a bit timid in making the move. I am sure his confidence in Ronnie skyrocketed the first ten minutes of the Buffalo game. It worked out beautifully like wewould all like to see.

Excellent. I trust you to ask the right questions and share KD's response here with us. While I appreciate the overall results the conservative KD produces, I've always been fascinated by the combination of a fundamentally conservative approach along with an unpredictable riverboat gambler streak. I'd like to see KD roll the dice just a little more often, and give his players more of a chance to prove themselves. They're all going to make mistakes. But you never know what a player is capable of doing until you give the player a full opportunity to prove himself. Jimmy Conyers is a good case study.You may be on to the key to KD growing from a reliable 20+ game-winning coach against so-so competition to an unpredictable giant-killer coach. Other coaches have found the magic formula with similar talent to what the Zips have now. KD needs to make that last little step out of the comfort zone. He just needs to know that the fans are going to support him in this gamble, win or lose.

[Dave in Green]

Just remembered one play I really liked. Nitro had the ball and drove to the basket. The defense collapsed on him and he flipped the ball to Zeke, who nailed an uncontested 8-foot bank shot. Good play for both Nitro and Zeke. I want to see more plays like that!