Buffalo

[jupitertoo]

Senior night. Chance to secure first reg season title. Only 3,800 fans?

[zipsfan13]

Guys, keep in mind that the game on Friday is on national television. That pretty much guarantees an ugly loss.

[lumberjack]

This was the worst coached game I ever seen. This was not the players fault but a coach that is true to his old style of coaching. KD went with the good old boys and they lost the game again. Are you really surprised? Really? I'm not...You stick to the plan that got you to 12-1. Too funny!!!

[ZipGB8]

Can't State did their part by knocking out OU's chances. So even if Akron loses at Can't Friday, they will still get the bye to the semi-finals, but we just won't win the regular season nor get the #1 seed. Can't will be playing on senior night, last home game of the year and with their win tonight, they will be going for a possible 2 seed in the tournament, which will be an extra bye. They need Buffalo to lose against BG as well to help them out, should Can't beat Akron. I am just not sure if Akron will pull it off but Can't did go 9+ minutes tonight without a field goal so their offense can get out of sync. But if Akron keeps playing this lazy D, especially with all the easy buckets they've been giving up the past 3 games, it's gonna be over quickly.

[ksu sucks]

Senior night. Chance to secure first reg season title. Only 3,800 fans?

Yeah, good thing we don't have an arena twice that size.

[UAZipster0305]

Senior night. Chance to secure first reg season title. Only 3,800 fans?

This is a chicken and the egg issue. Should the fans show up to support the team and help them play well or should the team play well to encourage the fans to show up? It is obvious what Joe Akron thinks.

[ZipGB8]

This is a wild finish... Next games will be important for these teams and why.

Akron - needs 1 more win to get #1 seed and clinch regular season title, don't need to worry about dropping below a #2 seed

Buffalo - looking to beat BGSU because with the Akron tie breaker won, they can get the #1 seed and a share of the regular season title (senior night for them as well)

BGSU - looking to beat Buffalo and earn a #4 seed, which would equal a bye to the quarterfinals, and are looking for an OU loss at Miami

Can't State - looking to beat Akron to hang on to a 1st round bye and a possible #3 seed in the tournament with an OU loss (senior night and the Akron rivalry will fuel them)

[ZipGB8]

Can't State did their part by knocking out OU's chances. So even if Akron loses at Can't Friday, they will still get the bye to the semi-finals, but we just won't win the regular season nor get the #1 seed. Can't will be playing on senior night, last home game of the year and with their win tonight, they will be going for a possible 2 seed in the tournament, which will be an extra bye. They need Buffalo to lose against BG as well to help them out, should Can't beat Akron. I am just not sure if Akron will pull it off but Can't did go 9+ minutes tonight without a field goal so their offense can get out of sync. But if Akron keeps playing this lazy D, especially with all the easy buckets they've been giving up the past 3 games, it's gonna be over quickly.

[GP1]

Should the fans show up to support the team and help them play well or should the team play well to encourage the fans to show up? It is obvious what Joe Akron thinks.

Why does it have to be an either/or question? Sunday was bad, but if Joe Akron is one loss away from not showing up, then Joe Akron is in the wrong at this point. This program has earned, over the course of a few years now, what should be the support of the community in the form of larger crowds. We lost by 4 to a solid Buffalo team. That's a good college basketball game regardless of who wins. Joe Akron needs to start showing up.

[RootforRoo44]

Those officials should never be allowed near a basketball court EVER again.

They were piss poor the entire night for both sides and it sickens me. Sure Dambrot has no clue what he's doing with our big men and couldn't draw up a smart play if his life depended on it; but it shouldn't have come down to those horrendous calls. The charge call inside the circle was mind-boggling...unbelievable.

[RootforRoo44]

Oh, and can someone teach Zeke how to rebound? Good lord, he's 7 foot tall and NEVER boxes out.

[RootforRoo44]

Senior night. Chance to secure first reg season title. Only 3,800 fans?

3,800 of the best fans I've EVER seen in that place. I've been going to games in parts of three decades and that was the loudest and most passionate crowd i've seen.

[meatwad]

3,800 of the best fans I've EVER seen in that place. I've been going to games in parts of three decades and that was the loudest and most passionate crowd i've seen.

+1

Seriously great and loud crowd tonight.

[UAZipster0305]

Why does it have to be an either/or question? Sunday was bad, but if Joe Akron is one loss away from not showing up, then Joe Akron is in the wrong at this point. This program has earned, over the course of a few years now, what should be the support of the community in the form of larger crowds. We lost by 4 to a solid Buffalo team. That's a good college basketball game regardless of who wins. Joe Akron needs to start showing up.

I wasn't making an argument about what is right or wrong or what Joe Akron should think. But rather, stating what the reality is for fickle fans.

[Derrt]

Please do not blame the refs for this lose

[GP1]

I wasn't making an argument about what is right or wrong or what Joe Akron should think. But rather, stating what the reality is for fickle fans.

I understand. I am sick of Joe Akron not showing up like I'm sure you are.

[ksu sucks]

Sure Dambrot has no clue what he's doing with our big men and couldn't draw up a smart play if his life depended on it

I'm interested to see if you stick to that statement tomorrow morning once your emotions have calmed.

[wadszip]

Senior night. Chance to secure first reg season title. Only 3,800 fans?

It's now obvious that attendance hasn't really increased this season. The Can't and Ohio games had big crowds because it was Can't and Ohio. Interesting that NIU and EMU both drew over 4,000. The university must have been giving out a ton of free tickets.

With that said, I agree with others who have stated the fans weren't the problem tonight. By far, the best of the season, even if it was 3,800.

[UAZip0510]

This was the worst coached game I ever seen. This was not the players fault but a coach that is true to his old style of coaching. KD went with the good old boys and they lost the game again. Are you really surprised? Really? I'm not...You stick to the plan that got you to 12-1. Too funny!!!

He stuck to his "good old boys"? Who exactly would that be? Is Tree among those? I know that Treadwell played more than McClanahan, almost as many minutes as Nik, and was the focal point of the offense for much of the 18 minutes he was in the ballgame.

The Zips didn't lose because of coaching. The Zips lost because:

- Quincy Diggs and Chauncey Gilliam combined for 0 points

- Alex Abreu had as many rebounds as our 7 foot center

- Stupid turnovers and stupid shots when it mattered most.

Coaches can only do so much. I'm fairly certain they've told Zeke to stay on his feet and not try to block every shot. I'm pretty sure they've gone through countless box-out drills. I'm positive Brett McClanahan shooting a fadeaway 25 foot three pointer wasn't the play that was drawn up in the huddle.

At some point, the players need to execute what they are taught. If you think the players are doing that right now, I'm not sure what to tell you.

[UAZipster0305]

I understand. I am sick of Joe Akron not showing up like I'm sure you are.

Yep. I am from out-of-town, but was home in AKron for the holidays and attended the VCU game. I believe the attendance was 4300, which was very disappointing considering that the opponent was in the Final Four the previous year and has a head coach who was one of our former assistants. It is apparent to me that it will take a conference change for us to be thought of by Joe Akron as The University of Akron and not Akron U.

[Let'sGoZips94]

We need a shooter, and we need one NOW.

KD made a comment on the post-game show saying that Zeke needs to be more effective around the rim on defense for us to be good. Last time I checked, Zeke was maybe in the paint twice to block shots. The rest of the time, he was around the freaking perimeter. PUT HIS BUTT IN THE PAINT DAMBROT! Quit making excuses.

This loss is on KD. I've been saying it for a while now, our offensive game plan has to change. MOVE AWAY FROM THE BALL! Also, our defensive scheme was pathetic. How do you not know that Watt loves that left? He killed us tonight with it. Make them beat you with their weaknesses.

Don't blame the refs. Were they pathetic? Yes. However, if you make a few more shots or keep possession a few more times instead of turning the freaking ball over, it's ours for sure.

Some questions I have...

What happened to the chemistry on this team? They aren't sharing the ball anymore.

Why was Gilliam not in the starting lineup? KD made a comment saying he is trying to help his players the best he can. Well the best way to help Diggs is to get him an attitude adjustment because he is either all there or he's not. Oh and tonight was NOT the night to experiment with the lineup.

Do we not go over body control? I swear it is a monkey see monkey do type of thing. See player, run over player. GO AROUND HIM OR DISH IT OUT! Goodness. It's not rocket science.

What is KD's pucker factor at? I think it's off the charts, but do we have a real number? Big games are his weakness, along with taking care of business.

Those are just some of my thoughts. Very disappointing tonight. Can't is either going to be fun, or very very very very VERY interesting/sickening.

[zestycoyote]

He stuck to his "good old boys"? Who exactly would that be? Is Tree among those? I know that Treadwell played more than McClanahan, almost as many minutes as Nik, and was the focal point of the offense for much of the 18 minutes he was in the ballgame.

The Zips didn't lose because of coaching. The Zips lost because:

- Quincy Diggs and Chauncey Gilliam combined for 0 points

- Alex Abreu had as many rebounds as our 7 foot center

- Stupid turnovers and stupid shots when it mattered most.

Coaches can only do so much. I'm fairly certain they've told Zeke to stay on his feet and not try to block every shot. I'm pretty sure they've gone through countless box-out drills. I'm positive Brett McClanahan shooting a fadeaway 25 foot three pointer wasn't the play that was drawn up in the huddle.

At some point, the players need to execute what they are taught. If you think the players are doing that right now, I'm not sure what to tell you.

That kind of play (along with his fall off the whole season) is a reason why he shouldn't have been there in the first place.

[ksu sucks]

It is apparent to me that it will take a conference change for us to be thought of by Joe Akron as The University of Akron and not Akron U.

I was new to Akron a couple years back. In my experience, Joe Akron is kind of a dumbass.

Go zips!

[Dave in Green]

Back to reality, this Zips team isn't much different from previous Zips teams in terms of results.

Typical Zips teams of the last few seasons find creative ways to lose the MAC regular season championship.

Typical Zips teams of the last few seasons go to the Q as underdogs but find a way to make it to the championship game.

Typical Zips teams of the last few seasons are more likely than not to win the MAC tournament and earn an NCAA tournament berth.

Really, if this Zips team ends up being typical of the last few seasons, I'm OK with that.

To prove that they're better than a typical Zips team of the last few seasons, they need to find a way to beat Can't on the road. Or, if they lose at Can't, they can still be better than a typical Zips team of the last few seasons by winning an NCAA tournament game or two.

In other words, the real season comes down to the next four games -- one at Can't, two at the Q and one in the NCAA tournament. These next four games will write the legacy for this Zips team.

They have the raw talent to succeed. But if the recent games against ORU, OU and UB haven't shown them that they're not good enough to win on raw talent alone, then they will end the season prematurely without matching the results of the last few seasons.

This team desperately needs to buy into a winning game plan, and they need to execute it with precision and determination. That's what has carried Zips teams of the last few seasons to heights beyond what was predicted for them.

[phil]

Very disappointing game. When we were down by 3, I was hoping for a quick 2 or for Walsh to take a 3. My friend wanted Alex to take the 3. Keith calls a time out and then Nitro takes a quick 3 about 5 feet behind the 3 point line. His shot does not reach the rim. How many times have we seen that this season? Not a smart play.

I did not like the lineup when Tree got his 4th foul. He had in Harney, Nitro, Gilliam, Alex, and the Serb. Except for the Serb, none of those guys are strong rebounders. That group did not do well and we went down by 6.

When you look at the stats and see that Q played 30 minutes and did not score and Gilliam did not score you can understand why we did not win this game.

I think that Zeke needs to get some easy points and that is just not happening. He is having a tough time finishing at the rim.

Having lost 3 of 4, this team needs to regroup. I have tickets to the Can't game so now the season title will be on the line. This team has the talent to win but now we will see how they respond under pressure.