VCU at Akron on December 29th, 2011

[skip-zip]

So, not surprisingly, since 1980, a MAC school has won a tournament first-round game only 12 times in 32 tries. Only four of those 12 teams won twice to reached the Sweet 16. One, Can't, won three to reach the Elite 8 in 2002. Those aren't exactly what I would call great odds for any MAC champion.

And there's people here who think that the "we should expect more than a MAC title" viewpoint is pessimistic??

THIS is a pessimistic viewpoint.

My response to posts like this will always be the same.

Why would we jeopardize our chances at a MAC title by trying to build something bigger? If anything, making us stronger nationally should increase our chances at winning the MAC. The MAC tournament title opportunity will ALWAYS be there, no matter what risks we take to make a greater impact on the national scene.

[Valpo Zip]

It is all about your level of expectations. When the zips went to their first NIT tournament and beat temple, every one was happy because that was a great improvement over the years before. Two years later, we win the Mac championship and go to the NCAA, that was another step up the ladder. KD deserves all the credit for moving the zips from the Hipsher era mediocrity to a regular MAC contender. But that's about it.

Ever since, the levels of our recruits have been steadily increasing but the level of the team is still the same. Now if you're satisfied with being just a MAC contender and no more, good for you. I am not! When I listen to KD talk about the potential of this program, I believed in it and I am not settling for MAC championship game every year (win or loose).

Stating that the program should be better than what it is should not be maddening, it should be applauded. The first step in fixing an issue is admitting it, unless you think that the program is perfect and has no issues whatsoever. Hearing all the excuses is really what is maddening and getting old. I'll list the few excuses that i can remember:

1 - We have lost 3 main contributors to graduation. (Really? isn't that the nature of college sports?)

2 - We need sometime for the team to gel early in the season. (Do our opponents start their seasons in August? Why don't they need time to gel?)

3 - We have injuries/suspensions (isn't that part of sports too?)

4 - Fan support is the problem (give the fans a reason to support your program. Start a year at 8-2, with a couple of quality wins and don't bring 300+ RPI teams to play at home)

5 - The refs hate us (Please)

6 - Who cares about the regular season, The MAC will never get an at large bid anyways. (who said that? did we ever earn one and not get it?)

7 - Good OOC teams are scared to come play in Akron. (We had Nevada, VCU, Dayton, and CSU, who exactly did we beat?)

[UAZipster0305]

It is all about your level of expectations. When the zips went to their first NIT tournament and beat temple, every one was happy because that was a great improvement over the years before. Two years later, we win the Mac championship and go to the NCAA, that was another step up the ladder. KD deserves all the credit for moving the zips from the Hipsher era mediocrity to a regular MAC contender. But that's about it.

Ever since, the levels of our recruits have been steadily increasing but the level of the team is still the same. Now if you're satisfied with being just a MAC contender and no more, good for you. I am not! When I listen to KD talk about the potential of this program, I believed in it and I am not settling for MAC championship game every year (win or loose).

Stating that the program should be better than what it is should not be maddening, it should be applauded. The first step in fixing an issue is admitting it, unless you think that the program is perfect and has no issues whatsoever. Hearing all the excuses is really what is maddening and getting old. I'll list the few excuses that i can remember:

1 - We have lost 3 main contributors to graduation. (Really? isn't that the nature of college sports?)

2 - We need sometime for the team to gel early in the season. (Do our opponents start their seasons in August? Why don't they need time to gel?)

3 - We have injuries/suspensions (isn't that part of sports too?)

4 - Fan support is the problem (give the fans a reason to support your program. Start a year at 8-2, with a couple of quality wins and don't bring 300+ RPI teams to play at home)

5 - The refs hate us (Please)

6 - Who cares about the regular season, The MAC will never get an at large bid anyways. (who said that? did we ever earn one and not get it?)

7 - Good OOC teams are scared to come play in Akron. (We had Nevada, VCU, Dayton, and CSU, who exactly did we beat?)

Rock solid post! I agree with everything you say.

I respect KD for what he has done for our program. It is no doubt elevated, and I want him to stay. However, I don't want him or the fans to be complacent in just being better than we were or really good for the MAC because neither of those things is really saying much...especially at a national level.

IMO, we need to do one of two things or both in a single season to garner national attention: 1) start off hot...not losing games we should win (Valpo and Duquesne)...and winning at least SOME big OOC games (e.g. CSU, WVU, and VCU...especially at home), and/or 2) win a few NCAA Tournament games (but I'll take just one to start). These things will bring in more fans too. Winning by KD and the team should initiate more fans, not more fans showing up to initiate more winning. Sorry KD, you have that one backwards.

[Class of 82]

So, not surprisingly, since 1980, a MAC school has won a tournament first-round game only 12 times in 32 tries. Only four of those 12 teams won twice to reached the Sweet 16. One, Can't, won three to reach the Elite 8 in 2002. Those aren't exactly what I would call great odds for any MAC champion.

And there's people here who think that the "we should expect more than a MAC title" viewpoint is pessimistic??

THIS is a pessimistic viewpoint.

My response to posts like this will always be the same.

Why would we jeopardize our chances at a MAC title by trying to build something bigger? If anything, making us stronger nationally should increase our chances at winning the MAC. The MAC tournament title opportunity will ALWAYS be there, no matter what risks we take to make a greater impact on the national scene.

Well, I wasn't intending to be pessimistic... just realistic. And only in this sense. The only chance you have as a MAC program to "build something bigger" is 1) to beat some major programs in the regular season and 2) follow it up with tournament performances that are more than one and done. Historically, no MAC school has ever been able to do that on any consistent basis. Not one. A big part of that is that good MAC coaches tend to build programs and then leave for greener pastures, forcing schools to start all over again. (Look at Can't's revolving door, which has pretty well kept a good program in neutral.) Akron, though, has a real chance over time to do it with a guy like Dambrot, who I think will be our coach for the foreseeable future. And at any rate, I think this team, this year, can still deliver on the second part of that building process.

Over the long haul, as somebody else pointed out, getting top programs to visit the JAR is a pretty tall order, hence its rarity. And winning the MAC to get IN the NCAA is not at all easy, especially with a tournament format where arguably the best team with the most talent does not always win. Making things harder still, I think the MAC is generally a lot better top to bottom than its conference RPI usually indicates. "Quality wins" for MAC teams, if their going to get them, generally need to come against majors on the road. Couple that with virtually any conference loss, especially at home, and you'll almost never see a MAC champ with a season-ending RPI worthy of a single-digit seed. In short, MAC schools have an incredibly low margin of error and every misstep is magnified. Call that pessimism if you want, but that's just the way the college basketball world turns.

Now, after the MSU win, Akron had that rare chance this year to turn this typical scenario on its head. We all know what's happened, and we all know why. It's disappointing, but it's water over the dam now. It's time to move on, win the MAC and get in the tournament. I still think this team has more talent than just about any we've had before and enough talent to beat a low-digit seed on a neutral court. I still think Dambrot will have them playing at the level they need to be playing in February and March. And then, anything can happen.

[Zip Watcher]

You have to respect the point of view from someone who says that we are not progressing. Because it's very valid. We won 26 games 5 years ago, and have not reached that point since, and have struggled at times to even reach 20 wins. Winning 20 games is great. But, I'm sure most of us just want to see us get to the next level, and it's not happening, and that can be frustrating to fans that have raised their expectations since that 2006 season.

I don't have to respect the point of view if it's pessimistic and foolish, which I think this is.

Go Zips!

Please explain what is foolish? What I have posted are facts. Skip Zip added points that I hadn't brought up, and he is 100% correct about the raised expectations. Some people call it pessimism, others call it realistic. I'm happy for you that you are content with winning a few MAC titles and losing in the 1st round pf the tourney.

My reply related to the following (none of it your post):

- We won 26 games 5 years ago against an admittedly soft schedule. We've averaged about 23 (I think) against progressively more difficult schedules as the years have gone on. This season will be no different. I still expect to be sitting right around 20 wins headed in to the MAC tourney.

- What I think is foolish is picking that metric by itself as some measure of progress. The Zips have won 2 of the last 3 titles. They've been in the final 5 years running. The game vs. VCU illustrated (pretty clearly in my mind) that the talent level of this roster is at an all time high for the Zips.

- How exactly someone can decide in December that we aren't getting to the next level is beyond me. KD started by getting the Zips to the Q. Then by winning some games. Then by winning the Title (2 times) and playing a better game against the #5 overall seed in the NCAA tournament than they did against the #16 or so 2 years prior.

- Progress is also being able to stock the roster with high major talent. I've told multiple people here and around that I think the roster now contains 4 guys that will at a minimum have a cup of coffee in the NBA. I firmly believe that.

- When you graduate guys who won 97 games over 4 years .. you're not coming back at 100% right out of the gate. It will take weeks / months to put the whole thing together into a well oiled machine and be at your best. I'm willing and able to enjoy the ride and watch this all come together (and it will).

- They lost a game in December against a top CAA team. Ok .. we all wanted to see a win. I get that.

What I think is pessimistic and foolish is the pure notion that the program and this team is not progressing. And I don't have to respect the point, because I think it's patently false.

Happy New Year to EVERYONE.

Go Zips! It's going to be a great season!

B) B)

[Valpo Zip]

Fair enough ZW. We have two different ways of assessing progress. In your opinion: Progress is being able to stock the roster with high major talent. Some of us on the other hand prefer to evaluate the overall team performance rather than looking at individuals on the roster.

How exactly someone can decide in December that we aren't getting to the next level is beyond me.

The team we had 5 years ago with Linhart, Dials, Mcknight, middleton, and Bardo would occasionally beat a great team (Temple, FSU, and Miss. State), get mixed results against average mid-majors, beat some cupcakes, and contend in the MAC.

This year, a team with Diggs, Rico, Zeke, walsh, and Tree (clearly superior talent) still does exactly the same thing. This is the basis of the argument saying that we did not progress and that we are getting the same results with superior talent.

I firmly believe that when you graduate guys who won 97 games over 4 years .. you're not coming back at 100% right out of the gate

Next year we will graduate Serb and Nitro (who won XX games over 4 years and went to the tournament 2, hopefully 3 times), the year after that we will graduate Zeke, CG, and Diggs, and so on... And so does every other team in the nation. What am I missing in this argument?

This season will be no different. I still expect to be sitting right around 20 wins headed in to the MAC tourney.

We have 18 games left on our schedule for this year's regular season. 16 MAC games, Marshall, and a bracket buster. Standing at 6-6, we will need a record of 14-4 to hit the 20 win mark. I am not as comfortable as you are in saying that we will achieve that.

Look, I am sorry if i am coming out as the basketball team hater, that is not the intent. Just like the rest of you, I appreciate and support this program as much as i can. In my opinion, pointing out the issues that can be fixed and must be improved is one of the ways of supporting this program.

Happy new year, and here is hoping for a 2012 where the zips achieve the following:

1 - in Soccer

2 - in Basket ball (both regular season and tournament), and win an NCAA game

3 - win 4 games in football.

[eguins]

And YSU goes to Cleveland and beats Cleveland State 73-67. They lose at the buzzer to Robert Morris on the 22nd. Go figure.

I think in the long run, your massive win over us will help your case...

[Dr Z]

And YSU goes to Cleveland and beats Cleveland State 73-67.

[Blue & Gold]

And YSU goes to Cleveland and beats Cleveland State 73-67.

Well what do you know? Congrats!

[lumberjack]

Hey Zips fans!

It seems we've gotten to know each other fairly well over the last several seasons of playing each other.

The VCU non-conference schedule was released recently and we are playing at the JAR on December 29th to close out our non-conference portion of the regular season (with the obvious exception of the Bracketbuster). I know Shaka hates the fact that he has to go coach against Keith who was one of several mentors that he had a chance to grow under. I'm told Keith is of the same mind in that regard. I don't think we'll see these teams play again after this as long as Shaka is still in Richmond, but that is not out of disrespect, but quite the opposite. The Bracketbusters have made us almost regular season opponents these last few years! There are a number of good posters on this board such as Dave In Green and Zips Watcher and I tip my cap to you. Nice having the opportunity to discuss some basketball with you all again.

Thought I'd give you the lowdown on us in the spirit of good sportsmanship and competition. Unless you've lived under a rock, I assume you know how last season went for us. It was great and I genuinely hope you guys get to experience something like that in the future. Just an amazing experience. We lost a lot off of that squad and while a lot of our CAA rivals are pegging us to be rebuilding this year, we'd like to think we'll still be quite competitive. We graduated 4 of our top 5 scorers (point guard Joey Rodriguez, big man Jamie Skeen, sharpshooter Brandon Rozzell, and defensive stopper Ed Nixon). On the surface it looks like we should take a big step back.

We return one stud off of that squad in Bradford Burgess. He has been a starter from the moment he stepped on campus for us and averaged 14.3 ppg and 6.3 rpg as a 6'6, 216 pound guard with a 6'9 wingspan. He can play the 1-4 and is the next VCU player on the NBA radar. You've seen Eric Maynor and Larry Sanders who both ended up being top-20 NBA draft picks. We're hoping Brad can join them as a first-rounder after this season. He has received a lot of national attention and attended both the Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp and the Kevin Durant Skills Academy this summer. He was also invited to try out for Team USA at the World University games but recently sprained an ankle in a summer league game that prevented him from heading out there. NBADraft.net currently has him going with the #41 pick to Golden State in their 2012 mock draft http://www.nbadraft.net/2012mock_draft . Here is a highlight tape of his from this past season:

He dropped 23 and 8 on Purdue in the round of 32, scored 26 against Florida St. in the Sweet Sixteen including the game-winner, and had 15 and 9 in the Final Four against Butler. Down the stretch he was one of our best players on the floor. We're looking for him to take over and be the undisputed leader of this team this season.

We were actually quite young outside of our starters last season which made our run all the more remarkable. We have a couple of really nice young players who should be factors this year.

Rob is from Gahanna, Ohio and was also recruited and offered by the Zips in the Class of 2010. He was playing behind some really good players, but when Brandon Rozzell had a wrist injury mid-way through the season, he stepped up big time with a 22-point game against William & Mary and a 23-point performance against Georgia State a couple of games later. He's supposedly taken some tremendous strides this off-season and should start at the 2 for us. He has a 44' inch vertical and a 6'7 wingspan. He actually blocked Chris Singleton's shot at the buzzer to seal VCU's win over Florida St. He's a big fan-favorite for us. I think you guys will like his game, he's an exciting player to watch.

Juvonte Reddic is a 6'9, 225 PF who also showed some very nice flashes of excellence last year. Like Rob he played behind talented upperclassmen, but has tremendous upside. He dropped 12 points on All-American JuJuan Johnson of Purdue in the Round of 32 and has BCS athleticism and a nice 15-20 foot jumper. He was offered by Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Georgetown out of high school. We're looking at him to step into the starting lineup and make an impact. DJ Haley is a 7-foot, 250-pound freshman who actually started for us in the NCAA tournament and is a serviceable big who is strong and hustles hard. He's not very skilled at this point, but his size and motor are impressive. You can actually see the 3 freshmen doing their thing in the Purdue game where they got time because we were blowing them out. Rob is #23, Juvonte is #5, and DJ Haley is #33:

At the point we have Darius Theus, a rising junior who backed up Joey Rodriguez. There are a number of people who worry about his ability to run the team as he looks very good in some games, and then can have very bad moments as well. He stepped up big in the Florida State game when Joey was in foul trouble with 8 points and 6 boards but had 6 turnovers as well. He has great size as a 6'3 point guard and is formidable going to the rim. He can NOT shoot from outside though. He is very poor from behind the 3-point line and quite frankly to this point has been a liability in that regard. He looks very good and smooth otherwise. He has a very nice handle and first step. Here's a look (He's #10):

--> from the 1:43-2:05 mark, 2:12-2:17, 2:30-2:43, and 2:48-2:55

The point guard position is the one that is probably the most uncertain. Coincidentally this is the most important position on the floor. There have been rumblings that Rob Brandenberg may play the point as well as two incoming freshmen in 6'4 Teddy Okereafor

and 6'3 Briante Weber

who were recruited to play the point. By the time we play you guys that question should be settled.

Another big newcomer that may effect the line-up is redshirt freshmen Reco McCarter. He was our most highly-touted freshmen recruit with offers from NC State, Oklahoma, Georgia, Clemson, and Virginia Tech but redshirted to get stronger:

We have a lot of young talent (mostly freshmen and sophomores). They are inexperienced but VERY talented. Shaka has been bringing in a different type of player to VCU and we're seeing a lot of flashes of very special play from these young guys. A lot is unknown and I'm certain there will be bumps in the road this season, but we'll be a formidable squad by the end of the year if I had to guess.

For the first time, I think we probably lose this game. The combination of our youth and being on the road combined with what seems like the Zips looking to be on the rise will be our undoing. My perspective is to use the non-conference schedule to train our young guys for the real season. An at-large for our guys this year is very unlikely, so we'll have to win it the old-fashioned way anyway. Teams like the Zips will be good tests for us. Hopefully we'll be in good shape for when we face you. Either way, it'll be a good game. I'm sure it will have high entertainment value. Hopefully you guys fill up the place and have a better atmosphere this time around. I know we're not a name around Ohio, but hopefully the Final Four run will give some buzz for you guys to sell some tickets.

Feel free to fill us in over at VCURamNation.com on the Zips! Hope the information was helpful and informative to you all.

I don't care what any of you say, the reason for this loss falls on the shoulders of KD. For some reason that I can't understand, why he relies on a certain personnel whom can't produce down the stretch. The best players should be in the game at clutch time and he wants to go with the vets. When certain players are in the game you can guarantee the loss because of non athleticism speed and agility against solid program teams. Akron will lose a few more games if he doesn't change that philosophy.

My comment about the Serb should not have been handling the ball and shooting 3's. He also made too many turnovers against the full court press. He was in my opinion awful and should be one that should have been on the bench. Joining him on the bench should be Bret M for similar reasons.

[Hilltopper]

I don't care what any of you say, the reason for this loss falls on the shoulders of KD. For some reason that I can't understand, why he relies on a certain personnel whom can't produce down the stretch. The best players should be in the game at clutch time and he wants to go with the vets. When certain players are in the game you can guarantee the loss because of non athleticism speed and agility against solid program teams. Akron will lose a few more games if he doesn't change that philosophy.

My comment about the Serb should not have been handling the ball and shooting 3's. He also made too many turnovers against the full court press. He was in my opinion awful and should be one that should have been on the bench. Joining him on the bench should be Bret M for similar reasons.

Yeah, that Serb guy really cost us the game.

Fg-Fga 3p-3pa Ft-Fta O D Tr Pf Tp As To Bl St Mn

13 CVETINOVIC, Nikola.. * 8-12 1-2 4-6 4 3 7 3 21 4 4 1 1 36

[Zip Watcher]

I don't care what any of you say, the reason for this loss falls on the shoulders of KD. For some reason that I can't understand, why he relies on a certain personnel whom can't produce down the stretch. The best players should be in the game at clutch time and he wants to go with the vets. When certain players are in the game you can guarantee the loss because of non athleticism speed and agility against solid program teams. Akron will lose a few more games if he doesn't change that philosophy.

My comment about the Serb should not have been handling the ball and shooting 3's. He also made too many turnovers against the full court press. He was in my opinion awful and should be one that should have been on the bench. Joining him on the bench should be Bret M for similar reasons.

Yeah, that Serb guy really cost us the game.

Fg-Fga 3p-3pa Ft-Fta O D Tr Pf Tp As To Bl St Mn

13 CVETINOVIC, Nikola.. * 8-12 1-2 4-6 4 3 7 3 21 4 4 1 1 36

My recollection isn't perfect, but I don't recall any of Serb's turnovers occurring when he was bringing the ball up against the press. Once they cleared out with him with the ball, I think it was pretty reliable. The guy was really laying off of him in that situation. I can think of one or two other guys who gave the ball away on the press way more than Serb.

[Dave in Green]

The only turnover I can remember on the Serb coming upcourt against the press was when the ball was inbounded to Zeke, and as the Serb ran past him, Zeke tried to flip the ball into his hands. The ball bounced off of the Serb's hands for a turnover. The Serb's other 3 turnovers all happened at the other end of the court.

Otherwise, when the Serb brought the ball upcourt, the VCU bigs guarding him mostly stayed way off of him because he had already shown he was quick enough to blow right by them. The Serb is not the number one option to bring the ball upcourt, but he's not a bad option in certain situations.

KD has said he still doesn't know which players are best to have in the game at crunch time. He's still experimenting to see who steps up big when the game is on the line and the pressure is on. Everyone will get a chance to show what they've got before the season is over.

[lumberjack]

Hey Zips fans!

It seems we've gotten to know each other fairly well over the last several seasons of playing each other.

The VCU non-conference schedule was released recently and we are playing at the JAR on December 29th to close out our non-conference portion of the regular season (with the obvious exception of the Bracketbuster). I know Shaka hates the fact that he has to go coach against Keith who was one of several mentors that he had a chance to grow under. I'm told Keith is of the same mind in that regard. I don't think we'll see these teams play again after this as long as Shaka is still in Richmond, but that is not out of disrespect, but quite the opposite. The Bracketbusters have made us almost regular season opponents these last few years! There are a number of good posters on this board such as Dave In Green and Zips Watcher and I tip my cap to you. Nice having the opportunity to discuss some basketball with you all again.

Thought I'd give you the lowdown on us in the spirit of good sportsmanship and competition. Unless you've lived under a rock, I assume you know how last season went for us. It was great and I genuinely hope you guys get to experience something like that in the future. Just an amazing experience. We lost a lot off of that squad and while a lot of our CAA rivals are pegging us to be rebuilding this year, we'd like to think we'll still be quite competitive. We graduated 4 of our top 5 scorers (point guard Joey Rodriguez, big man Jamie Skeen, sharpshooter Brandon Rozzell, and defensive stopper Ed Nixon). On the surface it looks like we should take a big step back.

We return one stud off of that squad in Bradford Burgess. He has been a starter from the moment he stepped on campus for us and averaged 14.3 ppg and 6.3 rpg as a 6'6, 216 pound guard with a 6'9 wingspan. He can play the 1-4 and is the next VCU player on the NBA radar. You've seen Eric Maynor and Larry Sanders who both ended up being top-20 NBA draft picks. We're hoping Brad can join them as a first-rounder after this season. He has received a lot of national attention and attended both the Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp and the Kevin Durant Skills Academy this summer. He was also invited to try out for Team USA at the World University games but recently sprained an ankle in a summer league game that prevented him from heading out there. NBADraft.net currently has him going with the #41 pick to Golden State in their 2012 mock draft http://www.nbadraft.net/2012mock_draft . Here is a highlight tape of his from this past season:

He dropped 23 and 8 on Purdue in the round of 32, scored 26 against Florida St. in the Sweet Sixteen including the game-winner, and had 15 and 9 in the Final Four against Butler. Down the stretch he was one of our best players on the floor. We're looking for him to take over and be the undisputed leader of this team this season.

We were actually quite young outside of our starters last season which made our run all the more remarkable. We have a couple of really nice young players who should be factors this year.

Rob is from Gahanna, Ohio and was also recruited and offered by the Zips in the Class of 2010. He was playing behind some really good players, but when Brandon Rozzell had a wrist injury mid-way through the season, he stepped up big time with a 22-point game against William & Mary and a 23-point performance against Georgia State a couple of games later. He's supposedly taken some tremendous strides this off-season and should start at the 2 for us. He has a 44' inch vertical and a 6'7 wingspan. He actually blocked Chris Singleton's shot at the buzzer to seal VCU's win over Florida St. He's a big fan-favorite for us. I think you guys will like his game, he's an exciting player to watch.

Juvonte Reddic is a 6'9, 225 PF who also showed some very nice flashes of excellence last year. Like Rob he played behind talented upperclassmen, but has tremendous upside. He dropped 12 points on All-American JuJuan Johnson of Purdue in the Round of 32 and has BCS athleticism and a nice 15-20 foot jumper. He was offered by Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Georgetown out of high school. We're looking at him to step into the starting lineup and make an impact. DJ Haley is a 7-foot, 250-pound freshman who actually started for us in the NCAA tournament and is a serviceable big who is strong and hustles hard. He's not very skilled at this point, but his size and motor are impressive. You can actually see the 3 freshmen doing their thing in the Purdue game where they got time because we were blowing them out. Rob is #23, Juvonte is #5, and DJ Haley is #33:

At the point we have Darius Theus, a rising junior who backed up Joey Rodriguez. There are a number of people who worry about his ability to run the team as he looks very good in some games, and then can have very bad moments as well. He stepped up big in the Florida State game when Joey was in foul trouble with 8 points and 6 boards but had 6 turnovers as well. He has great size as a 6'3 point guard and is formidable going to the rim. He can NOT shoot from outside though. He is very poor from behind the 3-point line and quite frankly to this point has been a liability in that regard. He looks very good and smooth otherwise. He has a very nice handle and first step. Here's a look (He's #10):

--> from the 1:43-2:05 mark, 2:12-2:17, 2:30-2:43, and 2:48-2:55

The point guard position is the one that is probably the most uncertain. Coincidentally this is the most important position on the floor. There have been rumblings that Rob Brandenberg may play the point as well as two incoming freshmen in 6'4 Teddy Okereafor

and 6'3 Briante Weber

who were recruited to play the point. By the time we play you guys that question should be settled.

Another big newcomer that may effect the line-up is redshirt freshmen Reco McCarter. He was our most highly-touted freshmen recruit with offers from NC State, Oklahoma, Georgia, Clemson, and Virginia Tech but redshirted to get stronger:

We have a lot of young talent (mostly freshmen and sophomores). They are inexperienced but VERY talented. Shaka has been bringing in a different type of player to VCU and we're seeing a lot of flashes of very special play from these young guys. A lot is unknown and I'm certain there will be bumps in the road this season, but we'll be a formidable squad by the end of the year if I had to guess.

For the first time, I think we probably lose this game. The combination of our youth and being on the road combined with what seems like the Zips looking to be on the rise will be our undoing. My perspective is to use the non-conference schedule to train our young guys for the real season. An at-large for our guys this year is very unlikely, so we'll have to win it the old-fashioned way anyway. Teams like the Zips will be good tests for us. Hopefully we'll be in good shape for when we face you. Either way, it'll be a good game. I'm sure it will have high entertainment value. Hopefully you guys fill up the place and have a better atmosphere this time around. I know we're not a name around Ohio, but hopefully the Final Four run will give some buzz for you guys to sell some tickets.

Feel free to fill us in over at VCURamNation.com on the Zips! Hope the information was helpful and informative to you all.

You guys like Nik as do I. I felt he played out of his game and when he does that it hurts the team. A few other players turned the ball over but the process of trial and error should be over in terms of personnel. The team is going into MAC play and small details such as personnel down the stretch in my opinion should be ironed out by now. Its not rocket science as the coach has tapes and several eyes and ears via of his assistants. In my experience there are winners and losers and you can't teach either. Some things you just know...Several other games were lost in similar manner putting confidence in players who does not want to win at all cost and losing is not an option. Winners at all cost are the type of players I would have on the floor. Are the zips looking to do the same thing over and over expecting to receive different results? Logically I think not!!!

[akronzips71]

Nik played an excellent game. He was just the wrong guy to give it to on that last possession before VCU hit the layup to win. He has a history of traveling calls (maybe they give an extra step in Europe) and he was all thumbs at the absolute worst time. He is NOT a guard.

[Hilltopper]

Nik played an excellent game. He was just the wrong guy to give it to on that last possession before VCU hit the layup to win. He has a history of traveling calls (maybe they give an extra step in Europe) and he was all thumbs at the absolute worst time. He is NOT a guard.

It was KD's decision to give the Serb the ball at the end of regulation.

[Dave in Green]

KD calls the plays. But a called play doesn't always turned out as planned. If the defense does something unexpected, the called play is broken and it's up to the players to improvise.

In that case, you'd want the ball in the hands of the player who's shown he's the best at improvisation.

Whether it takes a drive the bucket, a pullup jumpshot, or a precision pass to the open man, the called play should put the ball in the hands of the player who's able to do it all.

KD needs to find who that player is on the current team.

[GJGood]

Fair enough ZW. We have two different ways of assessing progress. In your opinion: Progress is being able to stock the roster with high major talent. Some of us on the other hand prefer to evaluate the overall team performance rather than looking at individuals on the roster.

How exactly someone can decide in December that we aren't getting to the next level is beyond me.

The team we had 5 years ago with Linhart, Dials, Mcknight, middleton, and Bardo would occasionally beat a great team (Temple, FSU, and Miss. State), get mixed results against average mid-majors, beat some cupcakes, and contend in the MAC.

This year, a team with Diggs, Rico, Zeke, walsh, and Tree (clearly superior talent) still does exactly the same thing. This is the basis of the argument saying that we did not progress and that we are getting the same results with superior talent.

I firmly believe that when you graduate guys who won 97 games over 4 years .. you're not coming back at 100% right out of the gate

Next year we will graduate Serb and Nitro (who won XX games over 4 years and went to the tournament 2, hopefully 3 times), the year after that we will graduate Zeke, CG, and Diggs, and so on... And so does every other team in the nation. What am I missing in this argument?

This season will be no different. I still expect to be sitting right around 20 wins headed in to the MAC tourney.

We have 18 games left on our schedule for this year's regular season. 16 MAC games, Marshall, and a bracket buster. Standing at 6-6, we will need a record of 14-4 to hit the 20 win mark. I am not as comfortable as you are in saying that we will achieve that.

Look, I am sorry if i am coming out as the basketball team hater, that is not the intent. Just like the rest of you, I appreciate and support this program as much as i can. In my opinion, pointing out the issues that can be fixed and must be improved is one of the ways of supporting this program.

Happy new year, and here is hoping for a 2012 where the zips achieve the following:

1 - in Soccer

2 - in Basket ball (both regular season and tournament), and win an NCAA game

3 - win 4 games in football.

As far as 20 win seasons go, MAC tournament game wins and national postseason tournament wins also count toward the total. When looking at it that way a 20 win season isn't all that improbable as strictly having to win 14 of the next 18. What could end up hurting the consecutive 20 win streak however is the new MAC tourney format. If Akron was to get the double bye then that means less potential wins. It would be ironic if the streak ended and we had 19 wins but didn't play a MAC quarterfinal game. .... Hoping for much, much more than that.

[The Hip Zip]

the reason that Nik was handling the ball in the back court is that AA was on the bench and their guards had a big quickness and defensive edge over our guards. That was not the case w/ Nik who handled it pretty well IMO. Seems to me that he crossed mid court on the dribble w/ no problem.

The notion that Nik "was awful" is one of the more laughable posts that I have seen here, and there have been plenty.

[johnnyzip84]

the reason that Nik was handling the ball in the back court is that AA was on the bench and their guards had a big quickness and defensive edge over our guards. That was not the case w/ Nik who handled it pretty well IMO. Seems to me that he crossed mid court on the dribble w/ no problem.

The notion that Nik "was awful" is one of the more laughable posts that I have seen here, and there have been plenty.

Haven't posted on this game yet, because I took this loss badly for some reason and didn't exactly exhibit a great deal of sportmanship sitting in my seat as the last few minutes unfolded. Thus, I placed myself on a 3-day ban from ZNO as punishment

Now I will weigh in on the "Nik handling the ball" debate. IMO Nik with the ball in space versus the opponent's #4 or #5 is a complete mismatch in the Zips favor, and one I'll take any time. The 3-ball he attempted is another story. Sure he was WIDE open, but if he's going to take that shot in that situation he needs to learn to shoot it with confidence and without fear.

[akronzips71]

the reason that Nik was handling the ball in the back court is that AA was on the bench and their guards had a big quickness and defensive edge over our guards. That was not the case w/ Nik who handled it pretty well IMO. Seems to me that he crossed mid court on the dribble w/ no problem.

The notion that Nik "was awful" is one of the more laughable posts that I have seen here, and there have been plenty.

Haven't posted on this game yet, because I took this loss badly for some reason and didn't exactly exhibit a great deal of sportmanship sitting in my seat as the last few minutes unfolded. Thus, I placed myself on a 3-day ban from ZNO as punishment

Now I will weigh in on the "Nik handling the ball" debate. IMO Nik with the ball in space versus the opponent's #4 or #5 is a complete mismatch in the Zips favor, and one I'll take any time. The 3-ball he attempted is another story. Sure he was WIDE open, but if he's going to take that shot in that situation he needs to learn to shoot it with confidence and without fear.

Disagree. When you have a few seconds left in the game and a one point lead, the ball needs to be handled by AA or Walsh. If NIK gets free under the hoop, it's all good. But he is not the guy to be dribbling around at the one time a turnover will lose the game for you.

[Dr Z]

I didn't get to hear KD speak last night after the game, I wish I could have. My first question to him after the game would have been, "looking back, what would you have done different tonight?"

Thank you Joe Dunn for asking my question to open the show up tonight. Boooo KD for sidestepping it.