Scrimmage vs. John Carrol

[The Hip Zip]

51-24 half

Positives: Zeke, Steve, Dakota, Overall team defense. Also Alex looks pretty smooth out there but having a tough time getting them to drop. Quincy had a very impressive behind the back drive to the hoop. All three of the new guys have made a favorable impression on me.

Negatives: McClankahand, Will this guy ever step up and become a respectable D1 player ? Roberts also has shot it badly. Maybe I'm a little tough on Brett but he has yet to impress me in a Zips uniform.

He must have heard me, he's running a clinic on 3 pt shooting in the second half.

I admit it, I should have kept my mouth shut.

[MDZip]

Wow, 74-28 with about 15 minutes left. Starting to think that Keith "he deserves this" quote means he actually hates the guy.

[zipsfan13]

Am I imagining things or did KD say that they were going to be running a more exciting, upbeat offense this year?

[Quickzips]

Abreu, Diggs and Egner are going to have to learn that showboating doesn't fly with KD. Doesn't matter how much you are up by.

Team looks about as good as can be expected right now. Some of the new guys started out a little slow, but it seems the nerves are settling down. Zeke looks really good, but then again he looked really good in the exhibition game against Mount Union last year. I'll temper my enthusiasm for a little bit at least. McClanahan is showing that 3 point stroke we've heard so much about in the second half. Cvetinovic has been a beast as well, but you have to remember that JCU has no size inside. If we have one weakness it continues to be FT shooting. Hard to imagine how a team that relies so heavily on the 3 can continue to be so horrible from the charity stripe.

[akronzips71]

Wow, 74-28 with about 15 minutes left. Starting to think that Keith "he deserves this" quote means he actually hates the guy.

Just turned it on. Looking a little sloppy, but much more athletic than in recent years.

It feels SO good to be leading and not getting blown out. Damn iCoach

[Quickzips]

Wow, 74-28 with about 15 minutes left. Starting to think that Keith "he deserves this" quote means he actually hates the guy.

Just turned it on. Looking a little sloppy, but much more athletic than in recent years.

It feels SO good to be leading and not getting blown out. Damn iCoach

I'm getting the impression that the guys are getting a little bored with this game.

[akronzips71]

Wow, 74-28 with about 15 minutes left. Starting to think that Keith "he deserves this" quote means he actually hates the guy.

Just turned it on. Looking a little sloppy, but much more athletic than in recent years.

It feels SO good to be leading and not getting blown out. Damn iCoach

THIS IS AMAZING

There is AUDIO and it is even in synch with the video!

Who screwed up and got the audio and video on the same channel?

[tbozeglav]

McNees is lookin solid. That is all

[Quickzips]

Abreu has such quick hands. JCU can't get a pass off if he is anywhere near the ball. Took him a bit to settle down, but he's looking pretty good now. Garbage time as KD has all the freshmen and walk-ons on the floor.

[Quickzips]

Zips break the 100 mark on Michael Green's first collegiate FG.

If tonights playing time is any indication the rotation will be made up of Abreu, McNees, Roberts, McClanahan, Diggs, McKnight, Cvetinovic, Euton, Bardo and Zeke. Trying not to get too pumped up about this performance as JCU is totally overmatched, but the Zips look pretty sharp. This may not be as much of a re-building year as people think.

[The Hip Zip]

Damn, CJ even looked really good out there. Very assertive and athletic. It's a shame that there won't be any minutes for him because he can play a little ball.

[Quickzips]

My post-game thoughts:

McNees was...well McNees. He shot the 3 ball lights out, ran the offense pretty well, even had one of his best nights passing the ball that I can remember. He's such a constant on this team it is almost weird when he is not on the floor.

Roberts was kind of invisible. Don't really remember much of him.

McClanahan had a bit of a rough first half, but turned it on in the 2nd with a shooting clinic and ended up with an impressive double double. More of that 2nd half performance and he might be in line for a Jimmy Conyers award.

Cvetinovic was a beast in his time out there. JCU had nobody to match up with him. His free throw stroke even looked better going 9 of 11 from the line.

Zeke had a nice game. You would still like to see him board more, but when you are always looking for the shot block (which by all means he should be doing) you can get yourself out of position sometimes. That little baby-hook from the baseline is getting almost automatic which should be a big concern for our oppoenents.

Abreu started off shaky, but turned it on as the game went on and he got more comfortable. He's got a nice stroke from 3, great handle on the ball and he plays the passing lanes very well. He's got some learning to do, but you can see the potential.

Diggs is the kind of player Zips fans have been clamoring for for years. Long, athletic, good handle and looks like he wants to take his man off the dribble. Still needs to learn the system a little more, but I think he will become a favorite of Zips fans.

Euton might not have been as flushy as some of the other newcomers, but I rather liked what I saw. He gets himself in good position for boards and seems to have a nice bag of tricks on the offensive end. Like the rest of the new guys he has some learning to do, but I think you'll see him in the rotation this year.

Bardo was Bardo. Made things difficult for JCU inside, grabbed some boards, didn't make much of an impact on the offensive end. After four years here it is pretty clear what his role is, but he plays it pretty well. Not sure I like the idea of playing him and Zeke on the floor at the same time. I have to believe that if McKnight was dressed that wouldn't have happened.

Egner had some nice moments in the second half, but got by mostly on athleticism. He's going to need to learn to play the system better against higher caliber competition. Might need a redshirt, but his athleticism is tantalizing.

Speaking of redshirts, Green certainly looks like he is headed towards one. He was the last scholarship player into the game and had the pre-2009/10 Jimmy Conyers look when he got in.

Oldham was a pleasent surprise at the end of the game. Might have our next walk-on superstar for the fans to clamor for at the end of blowouts.

Peterson ran the offense in the last few minutes of garbage time. Didn't do horrible with it.

[akronzips71]

My post-game thoughts:

McNees was...well McNees. He shot the 3 ball lights out, ran the offense pretty well, even had one of his best nights passing the ball that I can remember. He's such a constant on this team it is almost weird when he is not on the floor.

Roberts was kind of invisible. Don't really remember much of him.

McClanahan had a bit of a rough first half, but turned it on in the 2nd with a shooting clinic and ended up with an impressive double double. More of that 2nd half performance and he might be in line for a Jimmy Conyers award.

Cvetinovic was a beast in his time out there. JCU had nobody to match up with him. His free throw stroke even looked better going 9 of 11 from the line.

Zeke had a nice game. You would still like to see him board more, but when you are always looking for the shot block (which by all means he should be doing) you can get yourself out of position sometimes. That little baby-hook from the baseline is getting almost automatic which should be a big concern for our oppoenents.

Abreu started off shaky, but turned it on as the game went on and he got more comfortable. He's got a nice stroke from 3, great handle on the ball and he plays the passing lanes very well. He's got some learning to do, but you can see the potential.

Diggs is the kind of player Zips fans have been clamoring for for years. Long, athletic, good handle and looks like he wants to take his man off the dribble. Still needs to learn the system a little more, but I think he will become a favorite of Zips fans.

Euton might not have been as flushy as some of the other newcomers, but I rather liked what I saw. He gets himself in good position for boards and seems to have a nice bag of tricks on the offensive end. Like the rest of the new guys he has some learning to do, but I think you'll see him in the rotation this year.

Bardo was Bardo. Made things difficult for JCU inside, grabbed some boards, didn't make much of an impact on the offensive end. After four years here it is pretty clear what his role is, but he plays it pretty well. Not sure I like the idea of playing him and Zeke on the floor at the same time. I have to believe that if McKnight was dressed that wouldn't have happened.

Egner had some nice moments in the second half, but got by mostly on athleticism. He's going to need to learn to play the system better against higher caliber competition. Might need a redshirt, but his athleticism is tantalizing.

Speaking of redshirts, Green certainly looks like he is headed towards one. He was the last scholarship player into the game and had the pre-2009/10 Jimmy Conyers look when he got in.

Oldham was a pleasent surprise at the end of the game. Might have our next walk-on superstar for the fans to clamor for at the end of blowouts.

Peterson ran the offense in the last few minutes of garbage time. Didn't do horrible with it.

I know that JC was a very inferior team, but last year we had a history of choking against inferior teams.

I like what I saw. We have some guys who can PLAY

Biggest thing they have to do is settle down and make those layups.

Missed layups and dunks (ZEKE) KILLED us last year.

If we can make the easy buckets, I think we may have ourselves a real team this year (and maybe the next two as well)!

[ZachTheZip]

This team has great POTENTIAL. We're not where we want to be, but we are much more athletic, even a little out of control. One more game to get things locked down before we hit the meat of the schedule.

[akzipper]

kind of disappointed this was only an exhibition. Hopefully we blow Millikin out of the water on the 12th, just like we did to JC. Funny that Can't fans said we'd lose tonight...

[Dave in Green]

Here's what I saw:

Nitro was all over the place defensively in the first half, getting his hand on the ball, altering passes, creating turnovers. Even if he didn't start hitting 3s in the second half, he showed that he's trying awfully hard to take over the Linhart/Conyers role. When he did start hitting 3s, they were relaxed and easy, unlike last season. He appeared to me to be the most improved player on the floor.

Abreu is the PG we've been waiting for. He's incredibly deceptive because he's the quickest player on the team, but he's so under control that he looks like he's loafing just before he blows by everyone and into the open. Let me repeat the under control part. Abreu is already close to what we all hoped Hitchens would grow up to be. I feel very good about the Zips' PG situation for the next four years.

Diggs is a little more polished than the freshmen due to his PT at UNO last season. Given a choice between taking the outside shot and driving to the basket, he likes to take it to the bucket, which is something the Zips have been missing. He can also bring the ball upcourt against pressure. He has the potential to develop into a nice all-around player. His drive to the basket with the behind-the=back dribble brought back memories of seeing players like him burn the Zips in the past.

I looked forward to seeing Euton live for the first time, and he was everything I'd hoped he'd be from all I'd read about him. He's a little on the slow side and can't jump too high. But he makes up for that with effort and fundamentals. Since he's not that fast, he tries to make up for it by running as fast as he can all the time to get back on defense. Since he can't jump too high, he focuses on getting position and getting more than his share of rebounds. But the absolute best thing I saw tonight is that he puts the ball in the basket when he's close to the hoop. He doesn't mess around and clank the ball off the rim. He plays the angles and uses the backboard well to get the ball down. We won't have to hold our breaths when Euton gets the ball inside and goes up for a shot.

Egner looked a lot like he did in the HS games I saw him play. He may be behind Euton in the rotation right now because Euton has such good all-around fundamentals. But based on what I saw tonight, Egner's tough HS defensive game will translate well to college play. He also had good form on both his jump shot and free throws, and just missed an alley-oop slam when the pass to him was a little bit off.

Green looked a little more tentative than Euton and Egner. He didn't stand out the way the other two new freshman forwards did, but he didn't stink up the show, either. He did show nice form on his outside shot, which was one of his strengths in HS.

Zeke looked a lot more confident on the floor, especially shooting his virtually unstoppable skyhook. When he got the ball and wanted to shoot, he didn't waste time thinking about what he wanted to do. He just shot with a quick but soft release, and the ball kept falling through. But of course he was shooting over players no taller than 6-6, so we're really going to have to see him against bigger, better players to get a better idea of how far along he's come.

Cvetinovic was much more under control. Even when he was hammered or when a questionable call was made against him, he didn't come close to a meltdown. He played under control, and looked good. But he could take some lessons from Euton on how to put the ball in the hole when shooting from close in.

Bardo looked slightly more polished, and is still working his butt off when he's on the floor. But it's unrealistic to think that he will ever score more than a few points a game.

McNees and Roberts were both steady, performing their roles as senior leaders well. Neither did anything terribly different from what they did last year. But we got a little hint of what the team would look like with Abreu at the point and McNees at the SG, and it looked good. When McNees and Abreu are both in the game, there should be no problem getting the ball up the floor when the Zips are pressed.

Oldham looked surprisingly good driving to the basket. He has good leaps, and also played reasonably under control. Petersen did OK in his few minutes. But neither Oldham nor Petersen is likely to see much PT during the season.

All in all, I think this Zips team is going to be much more entertaining to watch than recent Zips teams. I think the general ball handling, athleticism and fundamentals are all improved. There will be growing pains, as there always are. But I'm really looking forward to watching this year's players come together as a team.

[ZippyforPresident]

I was only able to make it to the JAR in time for the second half but, wow...

I've never seen a Zips squad push the ball like they did to start the second half tonight. Talk about up tempo, I'm surprised they didn't put up 150 points tonight. That was just plain fun to watch. Of course I'm sure its not all that hard to run on a team like John Carroll but if one half of basketball against an NAIA opponent in a scrimmage that counts towards nothing is any indication (haha) this is a very different looking Zips team.

It would be a huge advantage if we can be a balanced team like that. If this team can play great defense and run an effective half court offense and then just push the tempo like that at the drop of hat these guys could really catch some teams sleeping.

It was really fun to get to see all of the new faces on the floor at the same time. I thought they all showed some good things. Judging from only being able to see the second half: obviously Abreu won't be redshirting not only because we need another PG but he looked the most polished out of the incoming class.

I thought Egner probably looked the best out of the Freshman front court, even w/o a mohawk... (you should bring it back dude!).

I never had a chance to watch Green in HS, so I had no idea what to expect. I liked what I saw from him. Maybe #32 is fitting? (only one scrimmage against an NAIA team, I know. . .). Definitely some potential. Looked like he has some range.

Euton's a big dude and should be able to be a physical presence inside, especially in conference play. Doesn't hurt that he also has range.

As for the transfer Diggs: If he can lock down on defense, I think he'll see a fair amount of playing time. He certainly looks like a really athletic wing but a little raw still. Of course, it is only the second scrimmage of the season.

I think this new look team has a lot of upside and potential. It should be an exciting season. If this team can really gel and some of the new guys can make some contributions and start to get it all put together as the season progresses and just trust Coach Dambrot and his system as much as possible, I think we've got the arsenal to cause some upsets this year. I sure hope so, anyway. . .

[ZachTheZip]

Look for the Zips to clean up their style a bit against Millikin. Also look to see who doesn't get any playing time among the freshmen even if the score is out of hand because that's who is redshirting.

[yazan07]

I'm mad because Tim Carroll didn't get to play. I don't care if he isn't a player anymore, I wanted to see some TC. I could see him over there on the bench, in his tie and sweater vest, itching to go in, knowing that a year ago, this would have been the type of game he would have been all over.

Haha but in all honesty, this was a really fun game to watch. I know right now Dambrot probably has his heart set on McNees at the point with D-Rob at SG, but I really liked Abreu and McNees in together. When I heard Nitro would be starting I was skeptical because of his performance last year. In the first half he resembled his self from last year but in the second half he showed up to play. On the other hand, Diggs was fun to watch and could maybe give Brett a run for his money. Nik was great, Zeke has improved, and how scary it must have been for that little JCU team having him AND Bardo in at the same time. No one has really mentioned that everything that happened tonight happened without McKnight. His presence could probaby change things a little. Oh and disclaimer, I'm by no mean basketball expert, or even a novice haha. But that is what I saw, and I enjoyed it.

[ZippyforPresident]

I'm mad because Tim Carroll didn't get to play. I don't care if he isn't a player anymore, I wanted to see some TC. I could see him over there on the bench, in his tie and sweater vest, itching to go in, knowing that a year ago, this would have been the type of game he would have been all over.

Last time I saw Tim on the court was a month or so ago at the Rec ruining the opposition. Just like this John Carroll game, you don't realize how talented Akron basketball is until you watch them play against guys who thought they were hot stuff in high school etc, etc...

Yeah, I wasn't close enough to get in on that game... Although, it would be fun to see how one could fare against a legit Div. I basketball player.

Tim is an awesome basketball player, just as any players are that can make it on Coach D's squad.

[ZippyforPresident]

I'm mad because Tim Carroll didn't get to play. I don't care if he isn't a player anymore, I wanted to see some TC. I could see him over there on the bench, in his tie and sweater vest, itching to go in, knowing that a year ago, this would have been the type of game he would have been all over.

Last time I saw Tim on the court was a month or so ago at the Rec ruining the opposition. Just like this John Carroll game, you don't realize how talented Akron basketball is until you watch them play against guys who thought they were hot stuff in high school etc, etc...

Yeah, I wasn't close enough to get in on that game... Although, it would be fun to see how one could fare against a legit Div. I basketball player.

Tim is an awesome basketball player, just as any players are that can make it on Coach D's squad.

[yazan07]

I'm mad because Tim Carroll didn't get to play. I don't care if he isn't a player anymore, I wanted to see some TC. I could see him over there on the bench, in his tie and sweater vest, itching to go in, knowing that a year ago, this would have been the type of game he would have been all over.

Last time I saw Tim on the court was a month or so ago at the Rec ruining the opposition. Just like this John Carroll game, you don't realize how talented Akron basketball is until you watch them play against guys who thought they were hot stuff in high school etc, etc...

Yeah, I wasn't close enough to get in on that game... Although, it would be fun to see how one could fare against a legit Div. I basketball player.

Tim is an awesome basketball player, just as any players are that can make it on Coach D's squad.

From everything I have heard and seen he seems like a good guy, I think it's great that he is still involved with the program

[RowdyZip]

I'll post this here because I don't think anyone has mentioned it: Our atheletic dept as created a PROMOTION! Lord knows they won't market it, so spread the word here. Next Friday vs. Milliken is $1 hotdog and $1 pepsi night. GREAT IDEA, albeit simple.

[Zip Watcher]

... and thus begins another winter of my content.

- Great to be back at the JAR for some Zips hoops last night. Most of the comments above captured my first half observations. Had to leave at the half to get the kids home, but I loved what I saw in 20 minutes.

- Saw Zeke's parents outside before the game. Great to see them again. Optimism abounds for a great Zeke sophomore stint, with good reason. I was able to catch a practice about a week ago, and in the practice you could really sense his comfort and confidence within the offense. The ball can and will go through Zeke a bunch this year.

- Guards looked good. I'm certainly intrigued by AA. And it was awesome to see Steve able to spot up on the angle a few times and let fly.

- The Zips can be BIG if they want to. I hope they want to. They can probably force most conference teams into jumpshooting teams with the inside strength and numbers. I for one like the double stacked bigs we saw: any 2 of Cvitenovic, Marshall, Bardo and Euton at all times. Should help us on the glass, and force teams to hit shots.

- That has to start a bit with some good on the ball defense at the perimeter .. a little less ole on the drive, and this team could be on its way to an extremely strong defense.

- The new guys seemed to fit in and be comfortable (disclaimer: I left before Egner and Green saw action). Almost all of them through up an airball first shot out, but that's adrenaline and nerves .. can't fault them for that. My big takeaway last night, and it seems to be echoed here on the boards is that no one looked lost, out of place, or appeared to not belong on the floor with the Zips.

- Great start to a season. Exhibition, I know .. but getting out there, getting after it and putting away a team early.

- As for the athleticism, and also to get the Rowdies and the video guy started on this years chants / motivators, I humbly ask the Nation:

It's great to be back at the JAR!

B) B)

Go Zips!!

[Quickzips]

Abreu is the PG we've been waiting for. He's incredibly deceptive because he's the quickest player on the team, but he's so under control that he looks like he's loafing just before he blows by everyone and into the open. Let me repeat the under control part. Abreu is already close to what we all hoped Hitchens would grow up to be. I feel very good about the Zips' PG situation for the next four years.

I was wondering when the Abreu/Humpty comparisons would start to come out. From what I could tell last night I don't know if it is really a fair comparison. Sure they are the same size and play the same position, but they seem to play it very differently. Humpty always had that scorers mentality. He always wanted to put the ball in the hoop wherever he was and, quite frankly, it got him in trouble on quite a few occasions. Abreu looks to be more of a true floor general who is under control and looking to make the best basketball play at all times. I'm excited about the potential that Alex and McNees on the floor at the same time has.

I looked forward to seeing Euton live for the first time, and he was everything I'd hoped he'd be from all I'd read about him. He's a little on the slow side and can't jump too high. But he makes up for that with effort and fundamentals. Since he's not that fast, he tries to make up for it by running as fast as he can all the time to get back on defense. Since he can't jump too high, he focuses on getting position and getting more than his share of rebounds. But the absolute best thing I saw tonight is that he puts the ball in the basket when he's close to the hoop. He doesn't mess around and clank the ball off the rim. He plays the angles and uses the backboard well to get the ball down. We won't have to hold our breaths when Euton gets the ball inside and goes up for a shot.

If Euton develops properly I really like the idea of him and Zeke on the floor together. I think they compliment each other very well. Zeke being longer and more athletic and bringing major shot blocking to the table. Euton being more fundamentally sound with good perimeter shooting that can draw double teams away from Zeke and a guy who crashes the glass hard.

Cvetinovic was much more under control. Even when he was hammered or when a questionable call was made against him, he didn't come close to a meltdown. He played under control, and looked good. But he could take some lessons from Euton on how to put the ball in the hole when shooting from close in.

When Nik plays under control he is a matchup nightmare for a lot of teams. His deceptive quicks and his strength at the 4 spot are something that a lot of teams lack. If he has his head on straight this season, as all the reports seem to indicate he does, I'll be looking for a big year from him.