Zips Live last night

[zipboy]

I was able to catch most of the show last night. A few comments from KD that I thought were right on. When asked about scheduling (side note, credit to whoever in the crowd asked him this as I can feel his blood boiling everytime he talks about this)KD said - "We are not quite ready to step the schedule up yet. When Zeke develops and when we get more consistent guard play we will. He under scheduled the year of Romeo and Dru, that team could have handled a tougher schedule. You need to win games to get players."My thoughts is that he is right on. Schedule to win 20. If the team gets better, schedule harder. For my enjoyment I wish that we would play a couple better home games. But I will trust Dambrot with whatever he does. He has made March relevant the last 5 years for me.There isn't much of a margin with the rest of the league, but there is a margin. KD is generally the best coach on the floor that night, and the players are generally a cut above most other teams. 10-6 league play and schedule to go 9-5 or 10-4 in OOC play. I was also able to catch French's show last night. His comments on the game Friday - "should be a great night for NE Ohio. Athletic teams hurt Akron. Can't is more athletic. On paper Can't is the better team and should be favored but that is why they play."

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

When the Zips can meet expectations by beating the better teams on their schedule every year it'll be time to step the schedule up. When they sniffed better competition this year they got spanked.

[GoZips88]

When they sniffed better competition this year they got spanked.

This is what I'm afraid of Friday night. I agree with French ... Can't is better than we are athletically. Let's hope they bring the same team to Akron that they took to Buffalo a couple of weeks ago.

[johnnyzip84]

K.E.N.T. was undoubtedly better than us athletically LAST year, too.

[Let'sGoZips94]

K.E.N.T. was undoubtedly better than us athletically LAST year, too.

Yeah and thank god for Buffalo for knocking them out in the tourney, or else we're not MAC champs.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I was able to catch most of the show last night. A few comments from KD that I thought were right on. When asked about scheduling (side note, credit to whoever in the crowd asked him this as I can feel his blood boiling everytime he talks about this)

I double dog dare you to ask him again next week...

[Quickzips]

Not saying I don't trust KD, but this whole "we aren't ready to schedule tougher yet" thing kind of seems like a self-fulfilling prophecy. You schedule a bunch of mediocre to crummy teams and beat up on them and you look all big and bad, but you never really play a lot in terms of good teams so you don't get the experience on how to approach those games. Naturally you lose them because your guys haven't been in that situation before and then you can come back and say, "see, I told you we aren't ready to play those big games yet." I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now, but if we get to Zeke's junior or senior year and we are still seeing the same kinds of schedules I'm going to have some big time questions.

[Dr Z]

KD said - "We are not quite ready to step the schedule up yet. When Zeke develops and when we get more consistent guard play we will. He under scheduled the year of Romeo and Dru, that team could have handled a tougher schedule. You need to win games to get players."

Thanks for posting this ZB. I agree and disagree. I understand where KD says the team isn't good enough. But I disagree in not doing it. I think more can be gained by losing to a good team than beating a bad team (a couple times early in the schedule).BTW I wonder if his team considers it an insult when he says they aren't good enough for a tougher schedule?

[johnnyzip84]

K.E.N.T. was undoubtedly better than us athletically LAST year, too.

Yeah and thank god for Buffalo for knocking them out in the tourney, or else we're not MAC champs.

That was certainly a fortunate circumstance. BUT, don't forget the Zips DID beat Can't last year at home. Granted it took a Brett McKightmare of a game, but it still happened. This game will come down to a very simple statistic in my view. If the Zips shoot the ball well (45% or better) they will win. If the percentage is below 40% they will lose. If it's in the range of 40-45%, it's a toss-up.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Maybe we can get rid of the NC State's, Austin Peay's and Texas A&M's...replace them with Quinnipiac, SC Upstate and NE Utah... and shoot for 30-wins? We could REALLY recruit with 30 wins!

[Akron1]

Bottom line...We are better off today than we were prior to KD's arrival. NCAA appearance goes a long way with me. You must win the MAC to go to the NCAA, whether you have 12 wins or 27. The MAC just does not get two teams. So, to solve this problem we need to get attendance up and get into the Big East.

[skip-zip]

KD said - "We are not quite ready to step the schedule up yet. When Zeke develops and when we get more consistent guard play we will. He under scheduled the year of Romeo and Dru, that team could have handled a tougher schedule. You need to win games to get players."

Thanks for posting this ZB. I agree and disagree. I understand where KD says the team isn't good enough. But I disagree in not doing it. I think more can be gained by losing to a good team than beating a bad team (a couple times early in the schedule).BTW I wonder if his team considers it an insult when he says they aren't good enough for a tougher schedule?

I couldn't agree more with that statement. AND, if you do win the game, it's a big-time extra bonus.

[Blue & Gold]

I was also able to catch French's show last night. His comments on the game Friday - "should be a great night for NE Ohio. Athletic teams hurt Akron. Can't is more athletic. On paper Can't is the better team and should be favored but that is why they play."

Athletic teams have hurt Akron for too long now. This year alone we've seen Rhode Island, VCU, Can't State, and (needless to say) NC State & Texas A&M out-athlete us. After 5 years of KD recruiting, we really need to be getting more explosive athletes to don the Zips' blue & gold. I'm tired of seeing forwards lay the ball up. Get guys in here who abuse the rim when they play. Or how about a 2G who can actually dunk the ball on a fast break?

[zipsbandman]

I was also able to catch French's show last night. His comments on the game Friday - "should be a great night for NE Ohio. Athletic teams hurt Akron. Can't is more athletic. On paper Can't is the better team and should be favored but that is why they play."

Athletic teams have hurt Akron for too long now. This year alone we've seen Rhode Island, VCU, Can't State, and (needless to say) NC State & Texas A&M out-athlete us. After 5 years of KD recruiting, we really need to be getting more explosive athletes to don the Zips' blue & gold. I'm tired of seeing forwards lay the ball up. Get guys in here who abuse the rim when they play. Or how about a 2G who can actually dunk the ball on a fast break?

That's what I've been saying for the last four years. That's what scares me in the tournament. If Can't brings their A game I don't think our A game will be enough to beat theirs. We are a top flight MAC program. Why don''t we get the athletes Can't and OU get?

[Captain Kangaroo]

Bottom line...We are better off today than we were prior to KD's arrival. NCAA appearance goes a long way with me. You must win the MAC to go to the NCAA, whether you have 12 wins or 27.

It depends upon the 27 teams you beat.If we had beaten NC State and Texas A&M, there would have been a good chance for an at-large. Or beat URI, VCU and either NC State or Texas A&M. But we didn't, so it's a moot point.Once we merit an at-large with our performance, we'll get one. Of course, if we merit an at-large, chances are we'll run away with the MAC tourney and it won't matter anyhow.

[Quickzips]

Someone tell me what I am missing here in terms of Can't's vastly superior athletic ability. The only guy on their team that I don't think we can match is Rod Sherman and that is just because Humpty and Ronnie are about 5-6 inches shorter than him.

[Dave in Green]

I was also able to catch French's show last night. His comments on the game Friday - "should be a great night for NE Ohio. Athletic teams hurt Akron. Can't is more athletic. On paper Can't is the better team and should be favored but that is why they play."

Athletic teams have hurt Akron for too long now. This year alone we've seen Rhode Island, VCU, Can't State, and (needless to say) NC State & Texas A&M out-athlete us. After 5 years of KD recruiting, we really need to be getting more explosive athletes to don the Zips' blue & gold. I'm tired of seeing forwards lay the ball up. Get guys in here who abuse the rim when they play. Or how about a 2G who can actually dunk the ball on a fast break?

You will like Josh Egner.

[Z.I.P.]

I was also able to catch French's show last night. His comments on the game Friday - "should be a great night for NE Ohio. Athletic teams hurt Akron. Can't is more athletic. On paper Can't is the better team and should be favored but that is why they play."

Athletic teams have hurt Akron for too long now. This year alone we've seen Rhode Island, VCU, Can't State, and (needless to say) NC State & Texas A&M out-athlete us. After 5 years of KD recruiting, we really need to be getting more explosive athletes to don the Zips' blue & gold. I'm tired of seeing forwards lay the ball up. Get guys in here who abuse the rim when they play. Or how about a 2G who can actually dunk the ball on a fast break?

That's what I've been saying for the last four years. That's what scares me in the tournament. If Can't brings their A game I don't think our A game will be enough to beat theirs. We are a top flight MAC program. Why don''t we get the athletes Can't and OU get?

I have to say I am fascinated by these comments about Akron being at an athletic deficit vs other MAC teams. From my distance, I'm lucky to see more than a half-dozen MAC games a season, but the Akron team I see doesn't look any less athletic than K-ent or the Big 'O'hio. Maybe they have one or two players who are more athletic than anyone Akron has -- and I can't necessarily vouch for that (haven't seen Ohio's frosh phenom), but there's no doubt in my mind that Akron has more depth of athleticism -- shooting, rebounding, intensity. And don't forget that intensity, especially on defense, makes more than a bit of a difference in a league the level of the MAC. It WOULD be nice to see the entire conference make an athletic 'jump', but I'm not holding my breath. That would require more athleticism than the Z.I.P. has at this point in time.

[Dr Z]

Maybe they have one or two players who are more athletic than anyone Akron has

Wouldn't that make our opponent forty percent more athletic than us if they had two more athletic players on the floor than we did? Seems like an advantage if it were true.

[Quickzips]

Maybe they have one or two players who are more athletic than anyone Akron has

Wouldn't that make our opponent forty percent more athletic than us if they had two more athletic players on the floor than we did? Seems like an advantage if it were true.

Where are you getting 40% from? Each team has 13 scholarship players and around 16-17 players overall taking into account walkons. If only two of your players are better athletes than the other teams, at best you are around 15%. Even if you are going by an average 8 man rotation that is only 25% of your roster that is more athletic than your opponent.

[Dr Z]

Where are you getting 40% from?

2 out of 5 of the players on the floor.In your scenario, would a 25% more athletic team have an advantage?

[ZachTheZip]

Where are you getting 40% from?

2 out of 5 of the players on the floor.

And what if the other 3 players are less athletic than Akron? Wouldn't that make them 20% less athletic than us?

[Dr Z]

Where are you getting 40% from?

2 out of 5 of the players on the floor.

And what if the other 3 players are less athletic than Akron? Wouldn't that make them 20% less athletic than us?

Maybe.

[Dave in Green]

A statistical debate in which I have no skin. I love it!

[Quickzips]

Here is how I see the breakdown of players and athleticism between Can't and Akron.Rod Sherman vs. Humpty Hitchens: Edge Sherman. This is where I see the biggest difference between the two teams. Not that Humpty isn't a good athlete, and he is probably one of the better athletes on the team. Sherman is just taller and a different kind of athlete. Humpty is more speed and quickness, Sherman can flat jump out of the gym. This is probably the toughest matchup for the Zips.Tyree Evans vs. Daryl Roberts: Push. You can maybe argue that Evans has a slight edge here, but it isn't much. Evans diminishes whatever athletic ability that he has by being primarily a spot up shooter. Mike McKee vs. Steve McNees: Push. McKee is a streaky shooter who can change a game when he is on from behind the line. McNees is a streaky shooter who can change a game when is on from behind the line. Only real difference here is that McNees starts and is asked to handle the ball more than McKee who comes off the bench and play off the ball. Both are great long range shooters who are only adequate athletes.Randall Holt vs. Ronnie Steward: Not really enough info available to judge these two. Both look like about the same type of player. Smaller, quicker point guards. I suspect athletically there isn't a whole lot of difference.Chris Singletary vs. Jimmy Conyers: Push. Singletary is a decent athlete, but gets by more on brute strength and size than hops and quickness. Jimmy is actually probably more sculpted but a little smaller than Singletary, but he's also got better hops and is probably a little quicker. In the end there isn't a significant athletic advantage to either one in my mind.Justin Greene vs. Brett McKnight: Slight Edge to Greene. I don't think there is a huge margin here. Both of these players are adequate athletes who are better off running post ups in a half court set. Greene probably has a little better hops to him than Brett.Anthony Simpson vs. Nikola Cvetinovic: Push. Simpson is a good athlete who doesn't have great basketball skills. He's good for a few good games here and there, but has never had much consistency. Cvetinovic is a deceptively good athlete in his own right and is much more fundamentally advanced.Frank Henry-ala vs. Chris McKnight: Push. Both guys are just decent athletes. Strong and physical more than quick and explosive. Henry-ala is probably the better defender while Chris is better offensively.Brandon Parks vs. Mike Bardo: Push. These guys are essentially the same player. Big bruisers who aren't particularly athletic but can come in for 5-10 minutes a game and make sure there aren't any easy baskets around the rim.??? vs. Zeke Marshall: Advantage Akron. Nobody on Can't's team matches up with Zeke in terms of size and athleticism. The problem is that Zeke isn't polished enough as a player for us to properly take advantage of this mismatch.