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OU took the Zips to school tonight. If the Zips learned their lesson, then the embarassing loss was worth it. The lesson is that if you bring your normal game to the Q, you ain't going to the NCAA tournament. OU played championship game ball tonight while the Zips played their normal game.

Now the Zips need to take out their frustration on Buffalo.

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  Dave in Green said:
OU took the Zips to school tonight. If the Zips learned their lesson, then the embarassing loss was worth it. The lesson is that if you bring your normal game to the Q, you ain't going to the NCAA tournament. OU played championship game ball tonight while the Zips played their normal game.

Now the Zips need to take out their frustration on Buffalo.

Indeed, this should add fuel to the fire.

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I hate losing to Ohio. When the chants of "o-ver-ra-ted" started I wanted to throw something through the tv screen. The Zips have a long shitty bus ride home tonight. Hopefully, they are already thinking about how they are going to make sure the Bulls have a long shitty bus ride back to Canada Wednesday night.

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If there is anything good that came out of this game it is that the Zips hit almost 90% from the foul line. Nitro missed the front part of 2 one and ones and the Serb had a miss. Everyone else was perfect. Nitro hit 2 3 point shots. Maybe he will regain his touch. We did not give up the last few minutes and the guys on the floor played hard till the end.

Ohio looked much quicker than us tonight. There were a lot of dunks by Ohio, especially on the offensive end. They spread the floor real well.

The only trend that worries me is that Alex need to keep his man in front of him and play better D. When he gets beat it seems to put the entire defense out of position.

We need to recover for a big game on Wed.

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  Dave in Green said:
OU took the Zips to school tonight. If the Zips learned their lesson, then the embarassing loss was worth it. The lesson is that if you bring your normal game to the Q, you ain't going to the NCAA tournament. OU played championship game ball tonight while the Zips played their normal game.

Now the Zips need to take out their frustration on Buffalo.

My thoughts exactly. Confidence is a good thing, but maybe it was good to get kicked in the teeth tonight as a wake-up call. I can't wait to see their response Wednesday.

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So many thoughts have gone through my mind about tonight.

1) Dambrot's teams have never been able to win that big game consistently, especially if it's on national TV (which worries me about this Can't game on Friday).

2) Our style of play is VERY flawed. Stagnant as all get out. No wonder we have no energy. I wouldn't have energy if the entire game I was in a half court, motionless offense. Which leads me into my next thought.

3) Dambrot 2.0? He's more like Dambrot 1.5 in my eyes. Until he learns how to change his system based on the talent and athleticism he has, he will always be v1.5. He started to let the reigns loose this year, but then pulls them back in after decent-mediocre performances. Let the boys play; focus more on their maturity so you can trust them more.

4) We need to find a shooter, and quickly at that. Ohio has that with Kellogg and basically every single one of their guards.

5) Zeke. I need about 20 hands to count how many times a game I see his 7'1 frame out of the paint and around the perimeter. That's on Dambrot. Build him a campfire, pitch a tent, whatever it takes to make him comfortable in the paint because he is way less effective out around the perimeter; he's an NBA draft pick if he's in the paint.

6) How many times are our guys going to pass up shots? There are so many opportunities to shoot the ball and yet we take NONE of them. It's almost like the defender has to be on the moon, if not further away, for us to be comfortable with hoisting a shot.

7) There is not fight on this team. Either we come into a game on fire and stay on fire, or we come into a game flat and give up. I'm not saying they gave up tonight at all, but there's no motivation to comeback from a huge 20 point deficit. Kansas did, so why can't we? Again, this leads me into my next point.

8) Who is the leader? That's all I have to say on that.

9) Coaching. I really think a lot of the problems have to fall on the coaching staff. Yes, they can only do so much. But I don't believe they are doing the best they can. It happens, but it needs fixed.

All of this being said, I think we are still the favorites going into the tournament. I have faith in this team. I think we are definitely the best team in the league, despite this horrific, embarrassing loss that we saw tonight. 2 years ago, Porter's team lost to Cleveland State. Shouldn't have happened, but it did. What was the result at the end of the year? An NCAA championship. Now am I saying we 100% should have beaten O-Who? No. But we most definitely should not have gotten blown out. A wake-up call hopefully, this game might have been good for the Zips.

Have faith Zips fans. this team is 20-9 with a 12-2 conference record and still 2 games up on everyone else. Just win Wednesday at home, beat Can't, and head into the tourney with a head of steam. Go Zips! Can't Statecks! :champs::screwks:

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The disparity in effort between the two teams was the most dissappointing. And it was capped off by Alex's matador defense on an OU fast break at mid-court later in the 2nd half. What an embarrassment that it had to be caught on camera. Keith certainly saw it.

I've said this before, but this team lacks focus and intensity from time to time. I say, good thing we'll likely only have to play two games in the tournament this year.

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This is what bothers me more than anything and probably is why I haven't been on this site lately. Prior to ORU the team was almost set with the rotation being key in the way AU could potentially run over teams. The coaching staff decided to change up and returned back to the good old boys lineup and disrupted the order of things. The two games after that also relied on that network but was NOT an issue until the lost last night which makes it very apparent to me and anyone who knows anything about the game. Adding to misery the coaching staff allows for selfish game play from a few players, who wants to pad their STATS, which only adds to a losing mentality playing good teams. All season long the best mult-dementional scorer has not been allow to do what he was recruited to do by not being placed in scoring position, and forced to play out of position because of his athleticism. The best three players have been limited to the least amount of minutes on the team and its not about defense or confidence but a hierarchy that seek unrealistic results. Out of 5 coaches on the bench not one has stepped up and made this observation where a lot of analyst have said the same thing I've been thinking and saying all along. This to me has pissed me off because it doesn't make good logical sense to have a power house and potentially sweet 16 team and not let them play ball. Q and Gilliam play well together and offer a dual treat on the wing, why haven't this been done more? Add Tree and Harney who play well together in their perspective roles and I mean perspective and they add to the dominance adding Zeke and Alex. I like Zeke and he may be a pro but the coaches should have worked on his footwork making him a more dominate presence on the floor on offense ( like Hubbert at GT). Also the team has one of the best inside outside game players in Zeke and Gilliam and this has been ignored all season long with exception of 2 games. Add Q on the other side and you have a dual threat. I've said this before, I saw this team play over the summer and the combination of players who play best together have been used a few times over the season. In fact this combination beat the other players so bad so many times in a summer pick up game that the good old boys got pissed and walk off in frustration (as in being a punk). Thats what they are doing now, walking off when a team really get into and need them. Another thing, if you have a player with a 44 inch vertical that won a dunk contest in high school jumping over 6 people not being put in position for back door cut/alley's is a waste of his talents? If you recruit super athletes let them play a supersize game and those who can't be prepared to come off the bench as role players. Murray state doesn't have a problem doing that and a few other mid majors who are stacked as AU. Unfortunately, when are they going to wake up and put the best players on the floor before or after it is too late. Recognizing that those who know how to win with guts, desire and knowing how to close out games and send a strong message. Meantime until that recognition this is a big fat waste of time...If we are not going to play the best together at the right time then maybe its best that the team get eliminated. That way they can learn from their mistakes and potentially make adjustments in the future. In my opinion there is no way this team should have gotten beat down by Ohio U even on their worst day and I blame this all on a coaching staff that thinks way too small.

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  GP1 said:
We read a very similar book last year. I think this book is going to end the same way.

I hope!

For two consecutive years I made the trip to OU. Each year, it was the worst game of the year. I think the Zips Win! jinx is alive and well. I promise not to go next year.

What a raucous place to watch a game. Over 8K in attendance on a Sunday evening. While I was not surprised by the number of OU students in attendance, I was surprised by their "Akron sucks" chants and by their ability to flip the bird to the Rowdies in attendance. I hope the Rowdies have the opportuity for payback in the future.

The crowd was loud and into the game. For awhile though, I thought I was sitting in front of a bunch of buckeye fans. I mean, they complained loudly after every OU foul. And they were up 30! I guess they were expecting to play 40 minutes and not be called for any fouls...

This was a bad loss. OU was able to take Q totally out of his game- 0 points in 23 minutes. Even with the garbage tech called by Wymer, Q needs to refocus as we will need him down the stretch.

Projecting the standings at the Q. Our #1 seed will probably get us Can't or BG. As the #1 seed will play the winner of 4,5,8,9 and 12.

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This time I agree with some of Lumberjacks observations. I have been saying all along that CG should not be sitting at the expense of number 5. That's just not right, in fact it is rather silly. I can also understand the same argument for Tree and Nik as well. He's also correct in that our inside / out game has gone in the crapper. We were a better inside / out team last year and have better shooters this season in Walsh and CG which makes no sense to me at all. As several have pointed out, we can get by against the lesser teams we face but often get exposed by solid teams. I'm not a 'wait till next year" type but I think the coaching staff will have to make changes next season as we become even more athletic. Addition by subtraction if you will.

The thing is, who are our best defenders ? Other than Zeke on the block, I really don't know. AA couldn't stay in in front of anybody last night and thats where it all starts. Our perimeter D in general was just awful. Just my opinion but I think that the reason that OU has our number is that Groce has a great formula for success against us. He holds our kyrptonight right in his hands. What is that?? He spreads the floor with great spacing and great ball movement. We are a step slow to the ball with regularity and especially in the corners and they kill us with the 3 ball. DJ owned AA last night no doubt about it. He was able to do as he pleased and he's too good with the ball to have an advantage such as he had last night. Once he drives and dishes it's all over as long as they are shooting a decent %.

The biggest problem with the results of last night, to me, is that we allowed them to get into our heads and we flat out quit. That is troubling. We regrouped after a similar scenario at OU late last season. Do we have the character to do so this year?? I'm not so sure.

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  The Hip Zip said:
This time I agree with some of Lumberjacks observations. I have been saying all along that CG should not be sitting at the expense of number 5. That's just not right, in fact it is rather silly. I can also understand the same argument for Tree and Nik as well. He's also correct in that our inside / out game has gone in the crapper. We were a better inside / out team last year and have better shooters this season in Walsh and CG which makes no sense to me at all. As several have pointed out, we can get by against the lesser teams we face but often get exposed by solid teams. I'm not a 'wait till next year" type but I think the coaching staff will have to make changes next season as we become even more athletic. Addition by subtraction if you will.

The thing is, who are our best defenders ? Other than Zeke on the block, I really don't know. AA couldn't stay in in front of anybody last night and thats where it all starts. Our perimeter D in general was just awful. Just my opinion but I think that the reason that OU has our number is that Groce has a great formula for success against us. He holds our kyrptonight right in his hands. What is that?? He spreads the floor with great spacing and great ball movement. We are a step slow to the ball with regularity and especially in the corners and they kill us with the 3 ball. DJ owned AA last night no doubt about it. He was able to do as he pleased and he's too good with the ball to have an advantage such as he had last night. Once he drives and dishes it's all over as long as they are shooting a decent %.

The biggest problem with the results of last night, to me, is that we allowed them to get into our heads and we flat out quit. That is troubling. We regrouped after a similar scenario at OU late last season. Do we have the character to do so this year?? I'm not so sure.

I agree not taking anything away from Ohio. They beat us to death last year at their home as well. They must be a very good team. But hands down we are better and we as a team needs to know that...

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A while back, Dr. Z posted his version of Peter King's "Ten Things I Think I Think." I'm going to do the same, but I really can't figure out if I'm ripping off Dr. Z or Peter King?

1.) I think I think the Zips gotta quit dropping these marquee regular season games. While I appreciate the increase in schedule strength, and I accept the fact that increased losses are an inevitable result of playing more-difficult teams, WVU, CSU, VCU, ORU, OU...aside from K.e.n.t., those are the marquee, "Proof that the Zips have taken it to another level" games that Joe Akron has had on his watch list. And we've dropped them all. Mississippi State was before Thanksgiving...it's a great win, but to Joe Akron it's a 1-hit wonder.

Buffalo and K.e.n.t. are two really difficult upcoming marquee games. The latter being on ESPN2 in prime time. This getting-down-by-double-digits-in-the-first-half-thing has got to stop. It will be very telling to see how the staff, and team responds to last night's beat down.

2.) I think I think the "Harney Badger" signs might need to be mothballed for the short term. Nick's defensive presence lies somewhere between indifferent, and nonexistant. And the book is out on him offensively. If the ball hits Nick's hands, he's taking it to the hole...regardless of which defender has their feet firmly planted in the paint and ready to take the charge. To be fair, Nik and Q can be added to the list of guys who plow into the paint with no intention of doing anything else but shooting. In general, the Zips have way too much ill-advised dribble-penetration and not enough cuts and ball movement.

I wonder what the differential between charges given, and charges taken is for Zips games? I'd guess the ratio is 5:1?

3.) I think I think it it a blessing and a curse to have 6' 6" guys driving to the hole. Q and Harney have really long, high dribbles and against smaller guards, they're getting ripped with regularity.

4.) I think I think OU is peaking. For real. Yeah they always play well at home. But beat Buffalo convincingly on the road. And followed it up with an absolute waxing of the Zips. They showed no fear, and a ton of swagger last night. The disappointing thing about it for Zips fans is - Based upon last season, you knew it was coming. You knew OU was going to bring their A-game. You knew the crowd would be big and the bright lights would be on. And it didn't matter.

5.) I think I think Zeke is reacting, rather than imposing his will. OU drove right at Zeke all night, and his 7' 1" frame was rendered completely ineffective. Offensively, it is time our big man began demanding the ball, and taking it to the rack with some authority. No more 12-foot, turnaround hook shots when there's a wide open path to the hoop. Drive and stuff. You can make your free throws big fella, so live in the paint!

6.) I think I think Abreu is our PTP-er. He's played very well in big games. Great energy. Clutch steals. Big shots. Cooper had his number last night, but it wasn't for lack of effort. He had no help, and Cooper's awesome.

7.) I think I think for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. And while Harney's impact has diminished since the BG shot, Tree has asserted himself on both ends of the floor. He's still a step slow on his defensive rotations, but he keeps getting better. And he's "Jeremiah Wood with Hops" on the glass. Just an absolutely violent rebounder.

8.) I think I think the refs are aware of Q's "chippy" on-the-court demeanor. While the OU player did a great job of selling Q's toss to his head as some sort of Nolan Ryan, point-blank rocket...Q shouldn't have even touched the ball. We'd cut the lead to 19-13 at that point, and Abreu's steal had taken a bit of the bravado out of the OU guards...and it lasted all of 2 seconds.

9.) I think I think that I don't know what to think about Elton Alexander's comments in today's PD chiding the Zips for goofing off in the pregame. Alexander wrote of the Zips putting on a slam dunk exhibition for the OU students, inferring that the Zips were too loose, and didn't take the game seriously. Maybe he's right?

10.) I think I think we need more Tree and Gilliam and less McClanahan and Harney. This will meet with disapproval from many who favor Harney's smooth and sexy game over Cventinovic's meat and potatoes, ground-borne style. But Nik gives big time effort every night. On both ends of the court. And he runs the floor better than anyone will admit. We need to ride the Serb harder, from here on out. Just keep him away from the three point line.

Ok, Frenchy. Go ahead ... grouse about us ungrateful fans. I still love you. :wave:

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  Captain Kangaroo said:
A while back, Dr. Z posted his version of Peter King's "Ten Things I Think I Think." I'm going to do the same, but I really can't figure out if I'm ripping off Dr. Z or Peter King?
I hate to give an OU grad credit after the pounding that an Akron grad watched last night, but in both cases the OU guy(s) deserve the credit.

Some very good/insightful posts today. I'll mention one thing in the category "Seeing the forest through the Trees(double entendre?)" Is it possible we gained more from that game than we lost? It's not to late for the staff to......(fill in the blank).

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  Captain Kangaroo said:
9.) I think I think that I don't know what to think about Elton Alexander's comments in today's PD chiding the Zips for goofing off in the pregame. Alexander wrote of the Zips putting on a slam dunk exhibition for the OU students, inferring that the Zips were too loose, and didn't take the game seriously. Maybe he's right?

I was there 40 minutes before tip and didn't see anything. If that happened, it was waaaay before tip.

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  JSF said:
I was there 40 minutes before tip and didn't see anything. If that happened, it was waaaay before tip.

He also inferred that the Zips didn't take the game seriously because we sent CJ Oldham out as a Captain prior to tip-off. Which is stupid, since Oldham is the Team Captain.

Sometimes Elton gets grumpy. It's tough on those old bones to drive all the way down to Athens...he's gotta take it out on someone.

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