Nevada Game Notes

[Captain Kangaroo]

Random, as per usual:If Terry Pluto writes some sappy drivel about how hard those scrappy Zippers played...well, you should expect it.The Zips are not in the class of Nevada. That is a rock-solid, inside and out, machine of a team.Nevada has an NBA 1st rounder on their team, plus players with scads of big post season wins under their belt. None of our guys will sniff the NBA, and we have no post-season experience. If that sounds like a recipe for a mismatch...it was.The Zips played hard. There are beatdowns that come from lack of effort, and there are ones the come from simply losing to a better team. We lost to a better team. Simple as that.When Nevada tossed the ball inside, their players scored at will. When the Zips tossed the ball inside, we threw up some really unorthodox-looking garbage. The lack of skill we have in the low post really showed tonight. Slow feet...fear of using the backboard...no confidence.Dru was abused tonight. Nevada's guards were 2 steps faster. They also baited him into some terrible turnovers. Let Dials or Middleton run things if Joyce can't compete.Preston was the one guy I can say brought his A game. If we play a team of that caliber in the future, Middleton will need to see more PT at Dru's expense. He has the speed to match up.Rybek hit a 3? Hope he is officially off the schnide?Where did Peterson go?Hitting 12-19 three's is easy when you're wide open. We do it all the time vs. crappy MAC cellar-dwellers.The sky isn't falling. That's the toughest team we'll face until the post season. We need to focus on Miami, OU, Buffalo and Can't. We need the #1 tourney seed, so 2-2, with a win over Can't, is the worst we can afford...and that is easily attainable.Hope the Zips are humbled by the beating and use it as fuel for their stretch run. In the big picture...while profoundly disappointing...it means little for our post season chances.I really look forward to seeing those bastards...and I mean that in a complimentary sense...next season in the JAR.

[WolfinSeattle]

That's a very humble response, but you guys will get better and traveling to Reno is no joke. No major team will even think of coming there after we stomped Kansas a few years ago then beat them in Kansas this year. We were lucky to shoot the ball so well or the game would have been much closer. I think our size was just too much for you to overcome, but you rebounded much better than I thought you would. Good luck with the rest of your season. I'd love to see you win out.

[sgm405]

Hey Wolf thanks for the comments...you are a classy individual. It would have been very easy to talk smack after that win...mad props to ya

[WolfinSeattle]

Hey, I've got a lot of family back there, especially in Gahanna, and you have a player from there, so it's easy to be nice. Plus, if you win out it's better for our RPI. It's not all about good sportmanship!

[dialsfan11]

In addition, I think the elevation played a big part in the beating. The guys played well out of the gate but were obviously fatigued by the ten minute mark. Don't get me wrong Nevada is a very good ball team, I just think had the game been at the JAR there would have been a drastic difference.

[Valpo Zip]

In addition, I think the elevation played a big part in the beating. The guys played well out of the gate but were obviously fatigued by the ten minute mark. Don't get me wrong Nevada is a very good ball team, I just think had the game been at the JAR there would have been a drastic difference.

I am sorry man, no disrespect intended but this is non sense !I don't think that the elevation had anything to do with Nevada shooting 12/19 3 ptrs and with Fazekas (6-11) owning Romeo and Quade (both 6-7). This Nevada team can beat us anywhere anytime and in all circumstances.Let us put this game behind us and thank god that the next four games are against MAC fellow teams.

[ZipAlumn]

The Zips have nothing to be ashamed of, they were simply beaten by a much better team. I don't think any team in the MAC could have done any better last night. Nevada was unbelievable with their 3-point shots and nobody in the MAC can compete with the Wolfpack's size in the paint. Nevada is a good major college team, not a "mid-major" and really doesn't belong in the "bracket buster" format. Akron played hard and never quit, sometimes you just get beat by an better team.

[zipsbandman]

Two lousy years of recruiting really showed last last night. We know Dambrot can coach, but he's got to give us the players to get it done. I am not getting down on this team at all, and this season is far from over, but if we ever want to start competing with the Loisvilles and Nevadas of the world, we are going to need a lot better than Bubba Walther, Nate Linhart, John Rybak. Quade Milum, etc. I had this game as a loss as soon as I saw Nevada's roster. We got smeared by a bigger, faster, stronger team with some big time athletes. Plain and Simple. Clearly, Dambrot still has a lot of work to do and it all begins with recruiting. I have said this over and over again.

[GP1]

Two lousy years of recruiting really showed last last night. We know Dambrot can coach, but he's got to give us the players to get it done.

Good point. There is not nearly enough athletic talent on this team to sustain success.

[Valpo Zip]

if we ever want to start competing with the Loisvilles and Nevadas of the world, we are going to need a lot better than Bubba Walther, Nate Linhart, John Rybak. Quade Milum, etc.

Just for the sake of fairness ! I don't think that Nate Linhart belongs to that list. I think that Nate is the only good recruit in the last 2 years. He is the only player in our team who goes after offensive rebounds and one of only 2 players (with Dials) who got the balls to stand in a good position to draw the Offensive foul and one of only 3 players (with dru and cedrick) who can drive to the basket. For a freshman, i am very satisfied with Nate. And before you think about it ! no i am not from gahana and i do not know nate or any one related to him.

[Z.I.P.]

All I can say to comments about how much better Nevada is than Akron is: This reminds me of the comments about the football team after the Army game this year, or after the start in 04. Things can change in a hurry!Believe me, I've seen Nevada play plenty of times. I've seen Akron play. Nevada shot lights out last night, and took advantage of their home court, but on another night, with Akron being better prepared to play far from home and at altitude the result would likely be very different. Nevada -- and the rest of the WAC -- are very much a Mid-Major group of teams. I see them play over a dozen times a year in person and they shouldn't scare the MAC. When Nevada comes to the JAR next season -- provided they don't chicken out -- the Zips should be ready for PAYBACK, baby! This is a team that couldn't beat a mediocre Hawai'i team on the road this year. Geev'em, as we say in da islan's.Meanwhile, NU looks to have the inside track on an at-large. How many more are left for other mid-majors depends in part on whether they win their tournament on the Lawler Center floor. I don't see the WAC getting two teams in this year unless Nevada loses.See Ya