Top 144 Men's Basketball Teams for 2012-2013

[Dave in Green]

It will be interesting to see where the Zips end up in the College Sports Madness preseason rankings as they are slowly rolled out from bottom to top over the coming weeks and months. Following are the teams (including Cleveland State) that have already been ranked below the Zips for the 2012-2013 season in the Top 144 Previews:

#129 Jacksonville State

#130 Cleveland State

#131 Penn State

#132 Boston University

#133 Sam Houston State

#134 Cal State Fullerton

#135 Charleston Southern

#136 Princeton

#137 George Washington

#138 Manhattan

#139 Savannah State

#140 Indiana State

#141 LSU

#142 Denver

#143 Texas Southern

#144 St. John's

[Let'sGoZips94]

I am guessing O-Who will be top 50 and the Zips will be top 70. No other MAC school will be above either team. Can't State might be top 80 or 90, but that's the next closest. I think by the end of the season, though, the Zips will be the best MAC team, finishing probably around the 40 or 50 mark. I'm expecting a big season.

[Dr Z]

I really don't care where someone that doesn't know the team or the league "ranks" us. I want to know what KD and the team's expectations for the year are. That is how I judge a successful, or failing year. KD is pretty open about his expectations, and ill be interested in reading them.

Personally I want to be in the top 32 or 16 when it's all said and done. This is the year that some of us diehards circled when Zeke committed, and it hasn't changed for me. This is the year it must happen.

[skip-zip]

I really don't care where someone that doesn't know the team or the league "ranks" us. I want to know what KD and the team's expectations for the year are. That is how I judge a successful, or failing year. KD is pretty open about his expectations, and ill be interested in reading them.

Personally I want to be in the top 32 or 16 when it's all said and done. This is the year that some of us diehards circled when Zeke committed, and it hasn't changed for me. This is the year it must happen.

I do too. But, I have to ask if you are willing to do what an old friend of ours on this board did last year, and come right out and say that we are a Top-16 team.

[Dave in Green]

@skip-zip, if you're referring to the old rumor that GoZips predicted here that the Zips would be a Sweet 16 team in basketball, I thought we killed that one a long time ago.

Try a search for all of GoZips' old posts where he used the word "sweet." GoZips predicted that the Zips men's soccer team would make the Sweet 16, and he mentioned that the goal of the men's basketball team was to make it to the Sweet 16. He never predicted that the men's basketball team would make it to the Sweet 16, nor did anyone else on ZN.o that I'm aware of.

[akzipper]

I am guessing O-Who will be top 50 and the Zips will be top 70. No other MAC school will be above either team. Can't State might be top 80 or 90, but that's the next closest. I think by the end of the season, though, the Zips will be the best MAC team, finishing probably around the 40 or 50 mark. I'm expecting a big season.

Didn't everyone say the same thing last year? and the year before...

We may be the best team in the MAC, but we play to the level of our competition.

[skip-zip]

@skip-zip, if you're referring to the old rumor that GoZips predicted here that the Zips would be a Sweet 16 team in basketball, I thought we killed that one a long time ago.

Try a search for all of GoZips' old posts where he used the word "sweet." GoZips predicted that the Zips men's soccer team would make the Sweet 16, and he mentioned that the goal of the men's basketball team was to make it to the Sweet 16. He never predicted that the men's basketball team would make it to the Sweet 16, nor did anyone else on ZN.o that I'm aware of.

You can spend your time debating and researching the semantics of what was said. I won't. I was simply referencing it in a comment to another poster who was throwing that "16" number out there again in the middle of the summer.

But, since you asked, my recollection is that there were other posters who were willing to join him.

[Zipmeister]

You can spend your time debating and researching the semantics of what was said. I won't. I was simply referencing it in a comment to another poster who was throwing that "16" number out there again in the middle of the summer.

But, since you asked, my recollection is that there were other posters who were willing to join him.

Hey, if you attend the Zips practices, but not a true top 16 team practice, the Zips look pretty darn good.

[Zipmeister]

You can spend your time debating and researching the semantics of what was said. I won't. I was simply referencing it in a comment to another poster who was throwing that "16" number out there again in the middle of the summer.

But, since you asked, my recollection is that there were other posters who were willing to join him.

Hey, if you attend the Zips practices, but not a true top 16 team practice, the Zips look pretty darn good.

[Dave in Green]

Yeah, no question that not everyone believes researching facts is time well spent. As for "semantics," there's really no debate about the meaning of GoZips' exact words:

..... It is going to be a banner year for the talented and deep Zips. Anything less than the Sweet Sixteen will be a couple of yards short of their goals.

..... NIT? That is not the goal of these kids. Sweet sixteen or better is the goal. .....

[RootforRoo44]

Didn't everyone say the same thing last year? and the year before...

We may be the best team in the MAC, but we play to the level of our competition.

And that has been our biggest problem during the Keith Dambrot years.

I'm thinking we are due to shake that problem this coming season however.

[akzipper]

And that has been our biggest problem during the Keith Dambrot years.

I'm thinking we are due to shake that problem this coming season however.

Playing to the level of competition and starting the season slow. While the two are probably one in the same, it just seems like we're hovering around .500 when we get to MAC play. Without being on the inside, we'll never know why it happens. But I sure hope they can find a way to shake the trend...

[taxpayer]

The potential for a "slow start" will be present again with the Zips participating in the Puerto Rico tournament with some strong competition there as well as a prior game versus North Carolina State on their home court. I believe KD is assembling a very difficult out of conference schedule in an attempt to challenge this team and preparing for the MAC. If the Zips can pull off some big wins heading into the MAC conference, their profile (RPI) will be higher than previous years and set up a scenerio where winning the MAC tournament would be a feather in their hats as opposed to another win it or forget about the NCAA tournament.

[Captain Kangaroo]

We may be the best team in the MAC, but we play to the level of our competition.

Unless we're in Athens Ohio.

[taxpayer]

So far, I believe the following teams will be on our schedule this year:

#131 Penn State - PR Tournament??

#130 Cleveland State @ the JAR this year

#106 Toledo - definite away game...home and home this year?

#105 Tennesee State @ the JAR in return for playing them last year?

[wadszip]

So far, I believe the following teams will be on our schedule this year:

#131 Penn State - PR Tournament??

#130 Cleveland State @ the JAR this year

#106 Toledo - definite away game...home and home this year?

#105 Tennesee State @ the JAR in return for playing them last year?

The only probable way we play Penn State would be either in the consolation semifinals or finals. So, hopefully, a matchup with PSU doesn't happen (unless they somehow end up the championship semifinals or finals .... very unlikely).

Toledo will be a road game this year. Which could be a nice RPI win if they can go up there and pull it out. Toledo could easily break into the top 80 this year. With the rest of the MAC, outside of Akron, Ohio and Toledo, looking down, the Zips are going to need all the help they can get from the Rockets.

You are confusing Tennessee State with Middle Tennessee State. But that is a good thing, as Middle Tennessee State went 27-7 last year and is probably sill to come on the rankings. I believe they are coming to the JAR (don't remember that being a one-time deal).

Also, Oral Roberts (No. 125) owes Akron a return Bracketbuster game, though I think that will be next year. Has that been confirmed yet?

Off the top of my head, other teams that should appear on this list that Akron will (or could hopefully play) are: Oklahoma State (PR), Tennessee (PR), NC State (PR), vs. Marshall, at Creighton, at Ohio, vs. Ohio. I'm probably missing a couple, too.

[taxpayer]

WadsZip - you are correct, I did confuse Mid Ten State with Ten State.

Are the Zips confirmed to be playing Creighton this year? Hadn't heard that.

I thought the Zips might be playing Coastal Carolina and then up to NC State then over to PR to open up with Oklahoma State; after reading this board I'm now uncertain as to whether NC State game in Raleigh is "on". If we play CC, NC State and OK State back to back with all that travel involved, the boys will certainly have their hands full but wins like that at the start of the season would be just what the doctored ordered.

[Hilltopper]

WadsZip - you are correct, I did confuse Mid Ten State with Ten State.

Are the Zips confirmed to be playing Creighton this year? Hadn't heard that.

I thought the Zips might be playing Coastal Carolina and then up to NC State then over to PR to open up with Oklahoma State; after reading this board I'm now uncertain as to whether NC State game in Raleigh is "on". If we play CC, NC State and OK State back to back with all that travel involved, the boys will certainly have their hands full but wins like that at the start of the season would be just what the doctored ordered.

The only way we would play North Carolina state, is in the championship game of the Puerto Rican tournament.

[taxpayer]

I could live with that scenerio.

[taxpayer]

#97 Valapariso - Last years game there still makes me wonder if the NCAA ever evaluates their game officials. I would love for them to come visit the JAR this year so the Zips could return the "home cooking" we experienced.

[Dave in Green]

University of Illinois comes in at #93 with new head coach John Groce, who will now be ranked not only below his old team (OU) but also below the Zips.

[akzipper]

University of Illinois comes in at #93 with new head coach John Groce, who will now be ranked not only below his old team (OU) but also below the Zips.

I hope this move backfires and Illinois is terrible for the next two years. Couldn't stand him at OU and him ditching them for money just shows the kind of person he is.

[Zipmeister]

I hope this move backfires and Illinois is terrible for the next two years. Couldn't stand him at OU and him ditching them for money just shows the kind of person he is.

Shows he's a lot smarter than someone who would ditch them for less money.

[zippyman23]

I hope this move backfires and Illinois is terrible for the next two years. Couldn't stand him at OU and him ditching them for money just shows the kind of person he is.

Normal?

[zippy5]

#97 Valapariso - Last years game there still makes me wonder if the NCAA ever evaluates their game officials. I would love for them to come visit the JAR this year so the Zips could return the "home cooking" we experienced.

I think they owe us a return trip for the BracketBuster game 2 years ago.