Where is Zeke?

[LZIp]

I would say a player that every team we face bases their game plan around is dominant.

[Dave in Green]

There's no debating the fact that Zeke is about to become the dominant shot-blocker in MAC history and one of the best in college basketball, just as Coach Dambrot predicted four years ago. That was his reputation in HS, and he's absolutely lived up to it at the next level. Zeke was never a dominant scorer or rebounder in HS, where he had a huge size advantage over every player he went up against. Everyone hoped that he would improve in both areas at UA. He has, but not enough to satisfy everyone. The same questions will follow him to the next level, and no matter what he might accomplish in the NBA, it won't be enough to satisfy everyone. Zeke is the classic late bloomer -- the polar opposite of the precocious young one-and-dones who want to play a year for John Calipari before becoming NBA draft lottery picks. However, there is at least one key area where Zeke developed earlier than many of his contemporaries. He learned back in HS to ignore his critics.

[jupitertoo]

A blogger from Akron says he's: "the most significant signing in the league's history and claimed he would quickly become the most dominant MAC player in recent memory."

Wow... what hype... what pressure.

In comparison to BCS-level programs, there is no real pressure in the MAC... I don't care who the recruit is. You aren't covered in the national media. You are completely under the radar. Your foul shots are in front of 923 family and friends in Dekalb Illinois. If you score a paltry 6 points in a game, some guy from Thailand is the only person in the free world who gets worked-up over it.

A blogger and many of those who posted on this site four years ago. Some said there had never been a higher profile recruit in the league, yet we've had some pretty good ones: Walter Luckett (Ohio, cover of SI upon his signing), Colin Irish (BGSU), Nate Thurmond (BGSU), George "The Iceman" Gervin (EMU), Dan Roundfield (CMU), Ron Harper (Miami), Dave Jamerson (Ohio), and Gary Trent (Ohio). Heck, Trent was league MVP all three years. Each of these players had a bigger impact on the league from a competitive standpoint. Part of that is due to the mental toughness that Zeke only now seems to be developing but which was his Achille's heel for the early part of his collegiate career.

[Class of 82]

There's no debating the fact that Zeke is about to become the dominant shot-blocker in MAC history and one of the best in college basketball, just as Coach Dambrot predicted four years ago. That was his reputation in HS, and he's absolutely lived up to it at the next level. Zeke was never a dominant scorer or rebounder in HS, where he had a huge size advantage over every player he went up against. Everyone hoped that he would improve in both areas at UA. He has, but not enough to satisfy everyone. The same questions will follow him to the next level, and no matter what he might accomplish in the NBA, it won't be enough to satisfy everyone. Zeke is the classic late bloomer -- the polar opposite of the precocious young one-and-dones who want to play a year for John Calipari before becoming NBA draft lottery picks. However, there is at least one key area where Zeke developed earlier than many of his contemporaries. He learned back in HS to ignore his critics.

Could not agree more about Zeke's steady improvement on the court.

If one objectively looks at what he has achieved as a Zip and how Zeke has helped make the team better throughout his tenure, you come away certain that he has had one of the best careers of any Zip ever. But that's simply not how many of his critics judge him. They don't compare, and have never compared, him with the kid from McKeesport who came here. Rather, they compare him to some figment of their imaginations based on what they wanted him to become, and they miss what a nice career he's had. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but I don't see Zeke as an underachiever at all. He's already on my all-time list of favorite Zips, and I'm old enough that Bill Turner is on that list.

Plus, how the heck can you not just like this guy? He's not only a heckuva player but also a really nice, respectable young man.

[skip-zip]

Zeke is also a 1000 point scorer, lead the team in scoring last year, is leading the team in scoring this year, shoots over 66% from the floor. Very hard to do in the balanced scoring system KD has directed. I consider this a great offensive threat.

Let me ask you the same question that I have asked other fellow fans, since you seem like someone who may have lowered their expectations substantially.

If someone would have told you 4 years ago that Zeke would "develop" from a 6 ppg scorer to a 10 ppg scorer through the course of his career here, would you have been excited?

[dboze]

Let me ask you the same question that I have asked other fellow fans, since you seem like someone who may have lowered their expectations substantially.

If someone would have told you 4 years ago that Zeke would "develop" from a 6 ppg scorer to a 10 ppg scorer through the course of his career here, would you have been excited?

He's actually averaging 12 points a game (was 13.3 at one point in the season). To answer your question yes. He was never a great offense player in high school so for him to develop to the 12 ppg level is great. Looking at the system that KD runs, J Woods was the most prolific scorer at 14.1 points per game in the KD era. 12 points per game puts Zeke up there in the top 3 - 4. With the balanced scoring of the KD teams, 12 ppg is the most anyone has averaged in the past few years.

If you told me that Zeke would lead the team in scoring his last 2 years. I would be excited. That he has done.

The problem is that some people look at 'only' points per game etc as the standard. I look at how a player can effect the game. When Zeke does get the ball, he's shooting 67% from the floor. Name the last Zip who put up that kind of shooting percentage. He's in the top 5 shotblockers in the country which changes the game.

If you told me that Zeke would be ranked in NATIONAL Top 10 categories in his career, I would be excited. That he has done.

Name the last Zip or MAC player to have that standard. Consistently scoring and blocking shots - those are my expectations which he has accomplished. 6.6 rebounds a game is not bad for some who plays only 24 minutes a game. Yes that is an area for improvement but not below my expectations.

If you told me he would be the most prolific shot blocker in MAC history. I would be excited. That he has done.

If you told me he would be a 1000 point scorer. I would be excited. That he has done.

If you told me that a team he played on would win the first Regular season championship for Akron. I would be excited.

My expectations are not lowered, there realistic based on more that just points per game. They are realistic compared to what other Zip players have done.

Don't get me wrong. He has areas for much improvement, but I am giving him credit for his hard work over his career.

No matter what he does, someone is not going to be pleased.

[phil]

I have enjoyed watching Zeke play B ball for 4 years and will miss him next year. Akron has had a great run the past 3 years and he is a major reason they have done so well. He has always been a great shot blocker amd more importantly and intimidator in the lane. College players do not like to have their shots blocked and will ofter hesitate or change their shots when Zeke is playing.

Zeke has never been a natural athlete. Instead he has to work hard to improve his game. As a freshman he had trouble holding onto the ball, was a poor foul shooter, would get tired after being on the floor for more than 5 minutes. had few offensive moves and was pushed around on on the floor.

This year he has improved every facet of his game. He is much stronger this year and a much better rebounder. His offense is still dependent upon other players and the refs not calling ticky tacky fouls against him early in the game. However, instead of going away from the basket his first move is toward the basket and he has done a much better job of scoring and drawing fouls. He also has a jump hook that he can use on offense. I believe that Tree helps Zeke offensively because he will draw a double team leaving Zeke open for a pass or a putback on the rebound.

I would love to see Zeke have a breakout offensive game this against OU or a strong opponent to show that he can be an NBA player.

[Dr Z]

I would love to see Zeke have a breakout offensive game this against OU or a strong opponent to show that he can be an NBA player.

I always thought the bigger the game (Ken+/tourney), the better Zeke played. I'm sure some stat geek can try to prove me wrong, but I can always tell he has extra energy in those games.

[Zipmeister]

I always thought the bigger the game (Ken+/tourney), the better Zeke played. I'm sure some stat geek can try to prove me wrong, but I can always tell he has extra energy in those games.

His name is Dave, not Stat Geek.

[Dave in Green]

The stats do not dispute the observation that Zeke tends to get energized for big games, though he does appear to focus more on defense than offense. That's especially true when he's matched up against a quality big. Zeke always did well against Justin Greene when he was at Can't, and one of his best games last season was shutting down Mississippi State's Arnett Moultrie. Zeke had 5 blocks in that game and intimidated Moultrie into shooting 2-13 from the field. The 6-11 Moultrie was drafted in the NBA's first round after being the only SEC player other than #1 draft choice Anthony Davis to average a double-double (points and rebounds) for the season.

[t900442]

Let me ask you the same question that I have asked other fellow fans, since you seem like someone who may have lowered their expectations substantially.

If someone would have told you 4 years ago that Zeke would "develop" from a 6 ppg scorer to a 10 ppg scorer through the course of his career here, would you have been excited?

My sentiment exactly. Glad to see an objective. fact-based comment rather than blaming his lack of development on "biased referees" and "double/triple teaming defenses. Great kid, solid contributor, but anybody who thinks Zeke will someday play in the NBA is dreaming......

[Captain Kangaroo]

My sentiment exactly. Glad to see an objective. fact-based comment rather than blaming his lack of development on "biased referees" and "double/triple teaming defenses. Great kid, solid contributor, but anybody who thinks Zeke will someday play in the NBA is dreaming......

So you think he is that much worse than K.e.n.t's John Edwards?

Zeke will play in the NBA. Whether he's the next Ryan Hollins, or better, is really the only question.

Maybe...probably...he starts in the D-League. But Fab Melo's there too.

[GoZips]

My sentiment exactly. Glad to see an objective. fact-based comment rather than blaming his lack of development on "biased referees" and "double/triple teaming defenses. Great kid, solid contributor, but anybody who thinks Zeke will someday play in the NBA is dreaming......

Hey, Bobtittie Dude, you are posting on the wrong blog.

Zeke has developed quite nicely over the past four years. He has grown up to become a man. Zeke has improved many

aspects of his game; among them, being able to score with either hand, being assertive, puts rebounding first, not chasing

"numbers", listening to and responding to ... of all things, his coaches, leading, maturity, responsible. And, all you want is

your vision of a scoring machine, rebound maniac.

Here is a tip you can bank on: Zeke will do quite well in the NBA. Zeke still has a huge upside under development.

[MDZip]

The stats do not dispute the observation that Zeke tends to get energized for big games, though he does appear to focus more on defense than offense. That's especially true when he's matched up against a quality big. Zeke always did well against Justin Greene when he was at Can't, and one of his best games last season was shutting down Mississippi State's Arnett Moultrie. Zeke had 5 blocks in that game and intimidated Moultrie into shooting 2-13 from the field. The 6-11 Moultrie was drafted in the NBA's first round after being the only SEC player other than #1 draft choice Anthony Davis to average a double-double (points and rebounds) for the season.

Looking back over last season and this one, I looked at Zeke's numbers in what most might consider "big games". Even though I know he had a huge game in the MAC final as a sophomore, I only looked back two seasons (this doesn't take into account all of the ways he impacts a game, just looking strictly at the numbers):

Junior Year (points, rebounds, blocked shots)

MISS ST 10 6 5

WVU 10 3 2

VCU 10 3 6

OU 17 6 3

Can't State 7 7 4

OU 4 2 0

Can't State 8 3 3

Can't State 12 7 4 (MAC semi)

OU 8 4 3 (MAC final)

Senior Year

OK ST 12 10 2

CRE 12 2 2

MTSU 14 5 5

Seems pretty apparent to me that he shows up pretty well in bigger games.

[Dave in Green]

@Kep, I catch some heat around here for trying to evaluate players by considering stats in addition to what I see at all the games. Sometimes the stats align with what I think I saw and sometimes they don't. But I'd consider it a major challenge to try to analyze Zeke's performance almost exclusively based on studying box scores in Bangkok. Zeke's most ardent admirers consider him an NBA lottery pick while his biggest detractors say he'll never get a whiff of pro ball. Reality usually lies somewhere between the extremes. Right now I'm inclined to go along with Jeff Goodman at CBS Sports, who spends a lot of time talking with NBA scouts. Goodman projects Zeke as a mid-second round NBA draft pick (#46 overall) with the following comment: Still a work in progress, but there's plenty to work with.

[t900442]

@Kep, I catch some heat around here for trying to evaluate players by considering stats in addition to what I see at all the games. Sometimes the stats align with what I think I saw and sometimes they don't. But I'd consider it a major challenge to try to analyze Zeke's performance almost exclusively based on studying box scores in Bangkok. Zeke's most ardent admirers consider him an NBA lottery pick while his biggest detractors say he'll never get a whiff of pro ball. Reality usually lies somewhere between the extremes. Right now I'm inclined to go along with Jeff Goodman at CBS Sports, who spends a lot of time talking with NBA scouts. Goodman projects Zeke as a mid-second round NBA draft pick (#46 overall) with the following comment: Still a work in progress, but there's plenty to work with.

As I said earlier, I've been a Zips BB season ticket holder for the last 10 years until relocating here a few months ago, so my observations are based on watching him in person for almost all of his home games his first 3 seasons plus several road games and 2 games this season when I was back in Akron in December, as well as reviewing his box score stats. I'm not saying that he won't be drafted in the NBA, because as we know any 7 footer with a sniff of talent will draw interest, but he will not play in the NBA. Europe likely, D-League maybe, but not the NBA. They might be able to beef Zeek up to be physically capable of handling NBA play, but I do not believe that he can develop the necessary mental toughness required for that level. I hope he proves me wrong, as I truely would like to see him make it, but unfortunately I don't think he will.

[wadszip]

As I said earlier, I've been a Zips BB season ticket holder for the last 10 years until relocating here a few months ago, so my observations are based on watching him in person for almost all of his home games his first 3 seasons plus several road games and 2 games this season when I was back in Akron in December, as well as reviewing his box score stats. I'm not saying that he won't be drafted in the NBA, because as we know any 7 footer with a sniff of talent will draw interest, but he will not play in the NBA. Europe likely, D-League maybe, but not the NBA. They might be able to beef Zeek up to be physically capable of handling NBA play, but I do not believe that he can develop the necessary mental toughness required for that level. I hope he proves me wrong, as I truely would like to see him make it, but unfortunately I don't think he will.

Captain Kangaroo brought up Ryan Hollins. That is, for now, who Zeke is (and anybody who has watched the Cavs the last couple of years knows Hollins isn't the most "mentally tough" player). Still, Hollins has managed to stick around in the league along enough to get on the pension plan, and is currently on the roster of the best team in the NBA. So, yes, Zeke has does have a shot to play in the NBA. Actually, he will 100 percent be in the D-League, and 100-percent will play in Europe (if that the rout he chooses, and it could actually be the more short-term lucrative rout).

Also, I will say this, Zeke at 22 is essentially Ryan Hollins at 28, so Zeke still has plenty of time to work on the mental aspect of his game.

[phil]

Zeke was limping at the end of the game last night. I hope he can resolve his knee issue. I don't believe that he scored or took any shots in the final 8 minutes of the game. That is part of the problem with Zeke's stats on offense is that he seems to average only 7 shots a game. This team needs to do a better job with spacing where Zeke can get the ball down on the low block. He is using his strength to take the ball to the hoop. However, this team still has a problem getting him the ball. Both Alex and Harney had great passes to Zeke that set him up for dunks. However, a good part of the night he is fighting for position on the block and not getting the ball. The good thing about last night is that the refs left Zeke alone and allowed the centers to battle without calling any fouls.

[Dave in Green]

@Kep, OK, I get your position now. You believe that Zeke may have the physical tools to make it in the NBA but lacks the mental toughness and has little chance of developing it. That's a fair position. Many would agree that he's not a slam dunk to succeed. He has to really want it badly and continue developing his skills, strength and toughness as he has already done throughout his career at UA. He still has a way to go and there are no guarantees. Personally, I wouldn't bet against him as long as he keeps progressing. If his development curve flattens out, then I'd also begin doubting his odds.

[Dave in Green]

Based on his performance against Toledo and other recent opponents, Hustle Belt's Matt Sussman is starting to get more bullish about Zeke's NBA draft stock:

And with continuous performances like this, the 7-foot Marshall might actually have a shot at being the first MAC player drafted since Brandon Hunter ten years ago.

[Dr Z]

While watching the Toledo game again, the thought occurred to me, that I think (generally) Zeke is better this year at not getting early fouls called on him.

He is able to play during more key minutes by not getting sent to the bench with early fouls. I hope I don't jinx him.

I was also thinking back to game(s) when we made a real effort to pound the ball into Zeke and thought...is the staff saving that for the tourney...and why?

I looked back and found my same worries after the ND game when Zeke really WAS the game plan. I wondered why the regular season didn't include a game plan like that of ND.

We should take advantage of a weak MAC schedule to make Zeke THE game plan (a team strength) more than once. Make someone stop it, if they don't, great. If they do, find another way. We need to take MORE advantage of Zeke ASAP. KD said it himself, he can be a key to winning in the tourney. Quote from two years ago..."He's going to be good. He's going to get better offensively. He gives you a chance to win in the NCAA Tournament." --KD