Can't say anything bad about Dambrot?

[UAZipster0305]

I want to be mad about this game. I want to rant about the schedule. I want to complain about the poor footspeed of our guards. I want to scream about some of the late game sets we ran. I just can't. That team left it all out on the floor tonight. Chris and Jimmy, can't complain at all about those guys. They played their hearts out. McNees, didn't make every play, but when we needed one he was coming up with them. He can only do so much. Roberts was HUGE for us down the stretch in regulation. Zeke had a rough day on the defensive end, but got some big rebounds and his touch is getting better and better. I just can't complain about any of it right now. We got beat because our guards couldn't stay in front of Bassett and Cooper. We all know our guards struggle against quicker backcourts. Humpty did a nice job with Bassett in the first half, but apparently he stiffened up at the half and couldn't go down the stretch. In the end, Ohio just made more plays than us in overtime. Are there things I would have liked to have seen done differently? Ofcourse. Am I excited about the CBI (or even the NIT)? No. I've said it all year, and I will remain consistent now. I have no interest in either of these tournaments. As long as we treat them as a great consolation prize we won't be able to take the next step. Again, I want to be mad. I just can't. I'm numb, but not mad.

I'm with you 100%. After driving back and forth to the Q for three days, I thought I was going to be angry and depressed if the Zips lost tonight. But they played their hearts out and almost came up with yet another miracle finish.Numbness is a great description. I do feel numb. I also feel sad for the players that their season is ended after they tried so hard to make it two straight trips to the NCAA tournament. They came so darn close, and I'm so darn proud of them for never giving up. They were just outplayed tonight by the smallest of margins. A different bounce of the ball on a single possession could have produced a different result.Kudos to KD for getting his team to the MAC championship game for four straight years. How many other coaches have ever achieved that in the MAC?I'm already looking forward to next season.

bunch of damn apologists, you better be furious about this loss....3 outta 4 and here we go with the "oh it's ok" attitude...

it is time to hope for more I agree. heres the question. is KD what we need to take us to the next level? personaly I don't know enough about basketball to put in an opinion here other than to say it's a high risk move especially for a mid major like Akron where people aren't exaclt foaming at the mouth to be here

I support Dambrot 100%! In terms of loyalty/commitment and results in improving and making this program an annual competitor for the MACC, Dambrot deserves at least another 5 years regardsless of those seasons. Let's also not forget about the upward trend in the quality of student-athletes he has been recruiting. Zeke was a huge get as are the players for the incoming class.Go Zips!

[UAZipster0305]

Man is it refreshing to see Zip fans who after a loss, aren't acting like a bunch of 4 year olds who just had their toys taken away. Kudos.

As Keith Dambrot is fond of saying -- "Each game is a mutually exclusive event."If the Zips go out and get pounded by K.e.n.t. (rival)...in a nationally televised...sell-out...home game...the fans will react differently than if the team goes toe-to-toe for 45 minutes and simply fall short.I think most fans have been very fair in any criticism this season. There are a few that consistently go way overboard. Conversely, there are fans that really don't seem to care if we get waxed by K.e.n.t....they're just always happy, and looking towards the future.Welcome to the phenomena known as the Internet Fan Message Board.One guy says ZipsNation is WAY overmoderated. The next guy says "The moderators let WAY too much stuff go." Who's right?

I AM RIGHT! :screwks: Enough said.

[GP1]

Feel free to bash Dambrot or call him a choker, but you'll just look silly IMO. He's turned this program around and will take it to another, nationally recognized level.

I don't have a problem with the way the coach is coaching this team. My only question is....when? When are we going to be a nationally recognized level team?Talk is cheap. KD says he wants a nationally recognized team, but the actions aren't there. I'd be happy if he said he just wants to win the MAC every year and then goes out and does it.

[Valpo Zip]

Man is it refreshing to see Zip fans who after a loss, aren't acting like a bunch of 4 year olds who just had their toys taken away. Kudos.

That shows fan maturity and proves that our fans are reasonnable people who are not asking for the moon.When the team is playing in the MAC championship to the wire and the players are leaving it all out there but come short because of a shot that didn't fall or a call that went the other way, fans can't be upset. On the other hand, loose to a mediocre AP or EMU, get destroyed by Can't, or not have a chance against RI, all at home, fans better not be happy. Something is wrong if they're not upset.

[Roo]

I think the Zips program has been so bad for so long that they are fooled with what they see now.

Dambrot is an ok coach, but he schedules so poorly that if he doesn't get 20 wins, itd be a crying shame.

He constantly gets out coached, we get embarrassed on our home court by our rival, and then choke in the MAC final against a #9 seed. He ran the same out of bounds play like 15 times and this guy was going over out of bounds plays for an hour and a half before the game? (commentators said that..) How can you not draw a decent in bounds play?

People have said he is doing well with the players he has had. HE IS THE ONE RECRUITING THEM! Outside of Zeke, he has done a poor job in recruiting. This upcoming class is another example of that. He is getting solid players, but he isn't getting game changers (Outside of possibly Zeke again.)

I think he has run his course here. If we want to take this program to the next level we need a coach that can recruit, make adjustments during the course of the game (not subbing three players every three minutes), play a real schedule that will get the team ready for the tournament, and be able to close out a very very very weak conference.

Its time to get to the next level, I don't feel Dambrot is that guy. Luckily we have an AD that is not tied to this guy in any way. Akron is never going to get to the next level with Dambrot. He is scared to play real teams and he doesn't recruit good enough.

[akronzips71]

I think the Zips program has been so bad for so long that they are fooled with what they see now.

Dambrot is an ok coach, but he schedules so poorly that if he doesn't get 20 wins, itd be a crying shame.

He constantly gets out coached, we get embarrassed on our home court by our rival, and then choke in the MAC final against a #9 seed. He ran the same out of bounds play like 15 times and this guy was going over out of bounds plays for an hour and a half before the game? (commentators said that..) How can you not draw a decent in bounds play?

People have said he is doing well with the players he has had. HE IS THE ONE RECRUITING THEM! Outside of Zeke, he has done a poor job in recruiting. This upcoming class is another example of that. He is getting solid players, but he isn't getting game changers (Outside of possibly Zeke again.)

I think he has run his course here. If we want to take this program to the next level we need a coach that can recruit, make adjustments during the course of the game (not subbing three players every three minutes), play a real schedule that will get the team ready for the tournament, and be able to close out a very very very weak conference.

Its time to get to the next level, I don't feel Dambrot is that guy. Luckily we have an AD that is not tied to this guy in any way. Akron is never going to get to the next level with Dambrot. He is scared to play real teams and he doesn't recruit good enough.

Now the old guy has to speak his mind!

I would LOVE to see Akron get national recognition. But you must remember who we are and where we are from. OK, I know I am almost 40 years behind the times. But still, when we compete for players, remember what we don't have:

1. A nationally know name, like an Ivy League school or OSU

2. A history of winning/national championship football and basketball programs

3. A huge and fulfilling on campus life for out of town students. And let me make this clear, some of the big time schools have THOUSANDS of students living on campus. When I attended UA were were DIV II and had FOUR DORMS, three small ones for women and one tower for men. OK, there is more today, but the school is still, I am certain, dominated by TOWNIES. A townie school is NOT going to attract top recruits from all over the country. Because most of the commuter students attend classes and leave to go home or to their jobs. Big time schools have their community life ON CAMPUS, not like UA, where so much of the "community" is the same High School friends.

4. FANS ATTENDING GAMES. Back in the DIV II days of Memorial Hall we packed in over 5000 for big games. Now they seem lucky to get 1/2 that in the JAR, for a team that has won 20 games+ four years in a row. Again, this is because most of the student body goes home after class.

Dambrot has done a GREAT JOB. Best coach Akron has ever had. You want a better team, build a better community!

[ksu sucks]

Now the old guy has to speak his mind!

I would LOVE to see Akron get national recognition. But you must remember who we are and where we are from. OK, I know I am almost 40 years behind the times. But still, when we compete for players, remember what we don't have:

1. A nationally know name, like an Ivy League school or OSU

2. A history of winning/national championship football and basketball programs

3. A huge and fulfilling on campus life for out of town students. And let me make this clear, some of the big time schools have THOUSANDS of students living on campus. When I attended UA were were DIV II and had FOUR DORMS, three small ones for women and one tower for men. OK, there is more today, but the school is still, I am certain, dominated by TOWNIES. A townie school is NOT going to attract top recruits from all over the country. Because most of the commuter students attend classes and leave to go home or to their jobs. Big time schools have their community life ON CAMPUS, not like UA, where so much of the "community" is the same High School friends.

4. FANS ATTENDING GAMES. Back in the DIV II days of Memorial Hall we packed in over 5000 for big games. Now they seem lucky to get 1/2 that in the JAR, for a team that has won 20 games+ four years in a row. Again, this is because most of the student body goes home after class.

Dambrot has done a GREAT JOB. Best coach Akron has ever had. You want a better team, build a better community!

I'm going to agree with you on almost every single one of your points EXCEPT #3. I think I'm almost offended by that one(especially being from out of town).

I think you drastically underestimate how much Akron has changed. Do you realize that over 4,000 kids live on campus? That's larger than a LOT of division one schools. Even some smaller BCS schools. If you add everyone who lives off campus you're looking at another few thousand students. You do realize that's larger than a few entire schools, right? Almost 30,000 people go to Akron. Name one school that has 30,000 spots for residents. Not gonna happen.

Where I will agree is that UA needs to work on the community aspect. We can still grow the on campus community and improve the area around campus. It's happening as we speak. Now if the U would just stop these slum lords around campus(as others have mentioned before) and quit being so strict with parties, things would go a lot smoother. Akron cops ruin any kind of night life that could be possible around campus. It needs to stop. And the university has to help us out or this 'University Park" community will never flourish the way they want it to.

Its time to get to the next level, I don't feel Dambrot is that guy. Luckily we have an AD that is not tied to this guy in any way. Akron is never going to get to the next level with Dambrot. He is scared to play real teams and he doesn't recruit good enough.

If Akron fired a 24 win coach we would be the laughing stock of division one basketball. Get a freaking clue, man.

[akronzips71]

Now the old guy has to speak his mind!

I would LOVE to see Akron get national recognition. But you must remember who we are and where we are from. OK, I know I am almost 40 years behind the times. But still, when we compete for players, remember what we don't have:

1. A nationally know name, like an Ivy League school or OSU

2. A history of winning/national championship football and basketball programs

3. A huge and fulfilling on campus life for out of town students. And let me make this clear, some of the big time schools have THOUSANDS of students living on campus. When I attended UA were were DIV II and had FOUR DORMS, three small ones for women and one tower for men. OK, there is more today, but the school is still, I am certain, dominated by TOWNIES. A townie school is NOT going to attract top recruits from all over the country. Because most of the commuter students attend classes and leave to go home or to their jobs. Big time schools have their community life ON CAMPUS, not like UA, where so much of the "community" is the same High School friends.

4. FANS ATTENDING GAMES. Back in the DIV II days of Memorial Hall we packed in over 5000 for big games. Now they seem lucky to get 1/2 that in the JAR, for a team that has won 20 games+ four years in a row. Again, this is because most of the student body goes home after class.

Dambrot has done a GREAT JOB. Best coach Akron has ever had. You want a better team, build a better community!

I'm going to agree with you on almost every single one of your points EXCEPT #3. I think I'm almost offended by that one(especially being from out of town).

I think you drastically underestimate how much Akron has changed. Do you realize that over 4,000 kids live on campus? That's larger than a LOT of division one schools. Even some smaller BCS schools. If you add everyone who lives off campus you're looking at another few thousand students. You do realize that's larger than a few entire schools, right? Almost 30,000 people go to Akron. Name one school that has 30,000 spots for residents. Not gonna happen.

Where I will agree is that UA needs to work on the community aspect. We can still grow the on campus community and improve the area around campus. It's happening as we speak. Now if the U would just stop these slum lords around campus(as others have mentioned before) and quit being so strict with parties, things would go a lot smoother. Akron cops ruin any kind of night life that could be possible around campus. It needs to stop. And the university has to help us out or this 'University Park" community will never flourish the way they want it to.

Its time to get to the next level, I don't feel Dambrot is that guy. Luckily we have an AD that is not tied to this guy in any way. Akron is never going to get to the next level with Dambrot. He is scared to play real teams and he doesn't recruit good enough.

If Akron fired a 24 win coach we would be the laughing stock of division one basketball. Get a freaking clue, man.

I stand corrected on the number of dorm students. Back in the day unless you were in a frat (and mine had a house with around 25-30 residents) there was NOTHING to do after school. And I think our house had by far the most residents, most frat members lived at home and went to the House socially.

But with 4000 students living on campus THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR NOT FILLING THE JAR EVERY GAME. Especially with a winning team.

My freshman year (1967) we were HORRIBLE. It was just after the Turner/Williams era, and the coach (Laterza?) has not recruited anyone. The only holdover was a guy named Sloan I think, everyone else STUNK. There was no shot clock those days, and we actually tried to stall and win 2-0!! Didn't work of course. The following year we found LEN PAUL, and the rest is history. But my point is, in those DIV II days with only a handful of dorm students we filled Memorial Hall every game.

SO WHAT IS THE EXCUSE NOW?

[ksu sucks]

SO WHAT IS THE EXCUSE NOW?

There isn't one. At least not a good one. But if I could think of anything this might be it.

But I offer another reason, one that can only be changed if the decision makers at the university choose to rectify it.

That is, there is far too little excitement generated in the stands to make it a must-do, habitual experience. If the basketball is good, hoo-rah. But if the overall pleasuring of the senses is missing, the blahs give way to ennui.

Much of this — and I can't emphasize that notion without using a hundred exclamation points — is that the student sections are far too limited.

On the floor, there are 90 seat-back chairs available in the north stands and 86 in the south stands. (That's not an estimate, I can count to 176.) They are reserved for the AK Rowdies, a band of avid and special supporters who live up to their name with an acknowledged fervor.

But the rest of the students are scattered throughout the arena, and that lessens the idea that there is strength in numbers.

So, there are 176 allotted spots in prime cheering areas in a facility that can hold almost 6,000.

Huh?

[akronzips71]

It does not matter where you sit. I remember STANDING in Memorial Hall to watch my Zips.

The students have to come to the games. Until you can fill the JAR each and every game, you will not get top level recruits.

[ksu sucks]

It does not matter where you sit. I remember STANDING in Memorial Hall to watch my Zips.

The students have to come to the games. Until you can fill the JAR each and every game, you will not get top level recruits.

I agree 100%. The AD is trying. He sent an e-mail out to every single student with a picture of crowd at the Akron/Can't game. He actually asked if there is any way of improving the student experience so that more kids come out for the game. They are trying.

IMO, get rid of the damn track behind the student section and you'd see student attendance double.

[akronzips71]

It does not matter where you sit. I remember STANDING in Memorial Hall to watch my Zips.

The students have to come to the games. Until you can fill the JAR each and every game, you will not get top level recruits.

I agree 100%. The AD is trying. He sent an e-mail out to every single student with a picture of crowd at the Akron/Can't game. He actually asked if there is any way of improving the student experience so that more kids come out for the game. They are trying.

IMO, get rid of the damn track behind the student section and you'd see student attendance double.

I also remember sitting in a totally full Memorial Hall to see Richard Nixon in 1968. But that's another story.

[Zips Supporter]

I think the Zips program has been so bad for so long that they are fooled with what they see now.

Dambrot is an ok coach, but he schedules so poorly that if he doesn't get 20 wins, itd be a crying shame.

He constantly gets out coached, we get embarrassed on our home court by our rival, and then choke in the MAC final against a #9 seed. He ran the same out of bounds play like 15 times and this guy was going over out of bounds plays for an hour and a half before the game? (commentators said that..) How can you not draw a decent in bounds play?

People have said he is doing well with the players he has had. HE IS THE ONE RECRUITING THEM! Outside of Zeke, he has done a poor job in recruiting. This upcoming class is another example of that. He is getting solid players, but he isn't getting game changers (Outside of possibly Zeke again.)

I think he has run his course here. If we want to take this program to the next level we need a coach that can recruit, make adjustments during the course of the game (not subbing three players every three minutes), play a real schedule that will get the team ready for the tournament, and be able to close out a very very very weak conference.

Its time to get to the next level, I don't feel Dambrot is that guy. Luckily we have an AD that is not tied to this guy in any way. Akron is never going to get to the next level with Dambrot. He is scared to play real teams and he doesn't recruit good enough.

Now the old guy has to speak his mind!

I would LOVE to see Akron get national recognition. But you must remember who we are and where we are from. OK, I know I am almost 40 years behind the times. But still, when we compete for players, remember what we don't have:

1. A nationally know name, like an Ivy League school or OSU

2. A history of winning/national championship football and basketball programs

3. A huge and fulfilling on campus life for out of town students. And let me make this clear, some of the big time schools have THOUSANDS of students living on campus. When I attended UA were were DIV II and had FOUR DORMS, three small ones for women and one tower for men. OK, there is more today, but the school is still, I am certain, dominated by TOWNIES. A townie school is NOT going to attract top recruits from all over the country. Because most of the commuter students attend classes and leave to go home or to their jobs. Big time schools have their community life ON CAMPUS, not like UA, where so much of the "community" is the same High School friends.

4. FANS ATTENDING GAMES. Back in the DIV II days of Memorial Hall we packed in over 5000 for big games. Now they seem lucky to get 1/2 that in the JAR, for a team that has won 20 games+ four years in a row. Again, this is because most of the student body goes home after class.

Dambrot has done a GREAT JOB. Best coach Akron has ever had. You want a better team, build a better community!

This argument absolutely makes perfect sense. It's like for businesses trying to hire quality employees. They may complain about not finding the best candidates, but they have to do an above average job of creating the best business friendly atmosphere first to get people to ponder to them. If you want players to come from further away, you better have superb residence life and on campus student life. Then the larger loyal following will fall into place, programs will consistently get more money to offer, and better national recognition will happen.

Compared to other MAC schools, Akron's community atmosphere and student life options aren't exactly swift. I visited several other MAC schools and I gotta tell ya, schools like Bowling Green, Ohio, and Central Michigan, blow Akron away when it comes to residence life, student life, and the fan community. I went to Akron for my undergrad, and never understood why the JAR never gets filled except for Can't games maybe. It's a shame with how well the Zips record is at home over the past 5 years and how many 20 win seasons we have had, that the attendance can't be close to selling out every game. Those Atlantic 10 schools who get 20 wins every year are small schools but their home games are packed. It doesn't take them long to get tons of fans to come to home games.

So I agree, I refuse to criticize the program, I just don't think Akron is laying out as many reasons as they could out there to get more outside players to come here. As I mentioned in another post not too long ago, we always seem to have at least 8 or 9 players from Ohio. Remember Can't State in 2008? They only had 1 player on their roster from Ohio. Even Toledo diversifies their recruits, at least when Joplin ran things they did.

[GP1]

Its time to get to the next level, I don't feel Dambrot is that guy. Luckily we have an AD that is not tied to this guy in any way. Akron is never going to get to the next level with Dambrot. He is scared to play real teams and he doesn't recruit good enough.

If Akron fired a 24 win coach we would be the laughing stock of division one basketball. Get a freaking clue, man.

Good point Can't State sucks. In addition, this is the next level....this is as high as it gets. UofA WILL win more MAC Tournaments under KD because as often as he gets there, he is bound to win one now and then. KD will and should be the coach for a long time.