Toledo Game Thread

[The Hip Zip]

A win is a win but we had 3 guys that were just horrible tonight. Bentancourt, Harney and Jake were all just awful. Thankfully Tree, Zeke and Chauncy were all on top of their games. I have to think that when it comes down to crunch time in the big games that we will have our best on the floor a little more. It makes me ill to see Chauncy lose minutes to guys that can't even carry his jock.

[K92]

A win is a win but we had 3 guys that were just horrible tonight. Bentancourt, Harney and Jake were all just awful. Thankfully Tree, Zeke and Chauncy were all on top of their games. I have to think that when it comes down to crunch time in the big games that we will have our best on the floor a little more. It makes me ill to see Chauncy lose minutes to guys that can't even carry his jock.

+10000

[gozips19]

Been a while since I posted so I figured I'd post some thoughts.

1. Zeke! wow what a game. Last time I posted I thought the light had come on and that looks to be the case. His footwork is so much better than last year both on O and on D. Akron needs to ride him for a big time run in March.

2. Tree is starting to figure out he can do what he wants within 12ft. He's a man amoungst boys and the heart of the team.

3. So happy to see Gilliam turn into the microwave the past two games. He's a high risk high reward player. I like his role right now.

4. Someone mentioned that the Zips can beat you in different ways and they were spot on. Love the way Akron responded when UT went zone; Akron hit 3's three straight times and put the Rockets to bed.

5. Harney looks lost since Tree received more touches in the post. It's forced him outside and he looks uncomfortable out there.

6. Speaking of uncomfortable Kretzer has lost all confidence. The missed bunny, passing up wide open looks despite KD screaming at him to shoot. I hope he can get fixed soon as this team needs something out of the three.

7. I am not sure if Melo is a DI player. I hope I am wrong about this.

8. Really liking KD's set plays for Alex, Walsh, Gilliam, etc.

9. Alex continues to be Alex love the swager!

Almost getting spoiled watching this team but am really enjoying the ride. This team can and should get better. Looking forward to seeing the Zips finishing the season out.

[Dave in Green]

I think that Coach Dambrot is pretty smart to be bringing Chauncey back slowly from his knee surgery, increasing his minutes by a few from game by game. Chauncey is a great energy boost off the bench. But if Harney has more games like this one with 0 points and 4 turnovers in 18 minutes, it won't be long before Chauncey is back in the starting lineup and Nick is bringing the energy off the bench. To be fair to Nick and the other players who weren't at their peak tonight, every player has on and off nights, so the roles could be completely reversed in the next game. That's the beauty of having an 11-player rotation. Give everyone a chance but ride the players who are delivering.

The scariest part of tonight's game is that Rico played all 20 minutes of the second half. Melo is just not developing as quickly as hoped, and the Zips are currently without a viable backup PG. If Rico runs into any kind of problem, the Zips are screwed. I sincerely hope nothing goes wrong. But if it does, don't come on here trying to tell me the Zips are just fine without Q.

[phil]

I don't know how Chauncy's knee is feeling but he might get the start on Sat because he clearly outplayed Harney. Harney did not hustle down the court after he turned the ball over. I am surprised that KD put him back in after that play. Harney was playing so well I guess he was due for a bad game. He did not score.

Bentacourt is struggling. He gets in the lane and cannot finish and turns the ball over. He took 2 shots and they weren't close. He plays 6 minutes and turns the ball over 2 times. Alex is playing big minutes

I am glad to see Walsh having a solid game. I think this is the best our team shot the 3 ball.

Looking forward to Saturday night against the Bulls.

[tpsjugglerdude]

A few thoughts:

1. It's been said on here already, but WOW Zeke. I think we were all rooting for a triple double but it just didn't happen since Tree took all the rebounds. KD told the team in the locker room after the game that he played like a 1st round pick and I would definitely agree.

2. If Tree keeps up his play, no one in the MAC can stop him.

3. Abreu almost got a double double as well falling 1 ast short at 11pts 9asts.

4. Chauncey doesn't always get respect on here, but he scored 12 pts in 13 minutes of play.

5. Kretzer is really struggling on O but he makes up for it on D.

6. I would like to see more McAdams and less Carmelo/Deji

7. Outside of Tree and Zeke, I think the team's next best re-bounder is Walsh. He always seems to be in the right place for loose rebounds and great hustle plays.

8. In the first half Toledo made 10 buckets and Zeke blocked 7 shots. Mind blowing.

[johnnyzip84]

Just throwing this out there - maybe with Walsh back to near 100%, it's time to let him have a go at the point, just for perhaps 5 minutes or so. You could tell KD wanted Melo to be able to work through some of his difficulties tonight, but it just never clicked. Brian brought it up against pressure a few times tonight, and he easily looks as comfortable as Melo or Deji right now. With Reggie McAdams appearing to gain more and more confidence each game, he and Chauncey could take up Walsh's minutes at the 2.

[Dave in Green]

Forgot to mention that the Zips' current 10-game winning streak is the first time since the 14-game winning streak of the 1972-73 season that the Zips have had a double-digit winning streak. Everyone pause and think about where you were 40 years ago. Were you even born yet?

[wadszip]

Zeke was Zeke. Alex was Alex. Tree was Tree. But the story (again) was what Chauncey gave this team. So glad that he went through with the scope to get right. This team has to have him playing well to reach its potential.

It's obvious that this team is at its best with Alex at the 1, Walsh at the 2, Tree at the 4 and Zeke at the 5. I love Nick in the instant offense role, but now that Chauncey is healthy, he has to get back to the 3. His shot has been as good as it has ever been, and he has the size and athleticism to create mismatches at the position. Bring Nick off the bench as the instant offense guy off the bench.

Obviously, Pat is the next best option at the 5 (hopefully, he realizes the lack of minutes isn't due to his play, just that Zeke has to be on the court). I'm warming to Deji at the PG (still don't think he's a natural PG, but our best option, and he has length and athleticism to be productive).

That's the top 8. After that, McAdams has earned his playing time. He needs to get his crack as the No. 9 guy and 10 or so minutes at either the two or three.

With all that, it still gives this team a 9-man rotation that is better than any in the league. Unfortunately, that means Kretzer and Betancourt have to be out (for now).

I also disagree with anybody who thinks that Betancourt isn't a D1 player. That spin move, out of the double team tonight and quickness to the basket shows that he is a D1 quality athlete/ball handler. He just needs to learn what to do with the ball after he makes a move (and of course work on his shooting) to be successful. ... He will learn that, and even Alex still makes the same mistakes (though Alex, unlike Carmelo, has been a solid 3-point shooter since he walked on campus). Still, Betancourt's future is bright if he keeps working, even if it's not this year.

Same with Kretzer. He has already shown he can be a D1 player. But his game is so off right now, like Betancourt, there is no way a team that has goals of a "national title" as Tree said, can run an unconfident freshman out there. I like both Betancourt and Kretzer down the line, but right now neither can be trusted, especially when you have a core group of 7-8 guys you know will produce. Both Kretzer and Betancourt are talented enough to have their day, but it just shouldn't come at the expense of a better player this year.

[Hilltopper]

Kretzer will continue to get playing time because he does all the dirty work like defense and rebounding. Just because he is struggling with his shot, does not diminish what he brings to the floor.

[MontrealExposloveZippy]

Watching Tree grab all those 1-handed rebounds and then put the rock back up and in was a thing of beauty- He is Godzilla

Can't wait to lay the smackdown on OU

[Hilltopper]

Nice article in todays Toledo Blade.

Zips remain MAC’s gold standard

Akron’s basketball team doesn’t look like much. The Zips wear the ugliest shorts in college basketball. One player sports neon green shoes with pink laces. Another wears a pair that are somewhere between maize and mustard in color with black stripes, maybe blue. Who knows? There were solid black shoes, blue ones, white ones. It was a rainbow coalition.

In the Mid-American Conference, however, the Zips represent the gold standard.

[MDZip]

Anyone who doesn't think Melo is a D-1 player should go review the Penn State game, but both he and Kretzer are freshman, we've almost gotten spoiled with who can step in and play right away as freshman but think of how inconsistent Tree was just a year ago, it'll come for both of them. But we need to win a championship THIS year so a little less playing time for both is probably not bad with the way the upperclassman are playing. Walsh at the point is an intriguing idea, wasn't that how McNees ended up at the point, he was shooting guard but we had a desperate need for a point and he more than filled the bill even though it was not his natural position. Hey, he's on the bench, are we sure he's used all of his eligibility?

[Hilltopper]

Melo would probably start for about half the teams in the MAC.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Melo would probably start for about half the teams in the MAC.

But 3/4th of the teams in the MAC are horrible. I think you could start for 1/2 the teams in the MAC.

Melo will be fine. Things will eventually slow down for him. But he ain't there right now.

[Hilltopper]

But 3/4th of the teams in the MAC are horrible. I think you could start for 1/2 the teams in the MAC.

You've seen my game!

Melo will be fine. Things will eventually slow down for him. But he ain't there right now.

The more he gets to play, the better the chances of that happening. I think he is trying to do too much right now.

[MDZip]

Caught this on the Bobkitten's board:

Ohio 5-0

Akron 5-0

WMU 3-2 (losses to Ohio, Akron)

Toledo 2-3 (losses to Ohio, Akron, WMU)

NIU 2-3 (losses to Ohio, Akron, WMU)

Can't 2-3

Miami 2-3

BGSU 2-3

CMU 2-3

EMU 2-3

Buffalo 2-3

Ball St 1-4

Too bad Ball State didn't beat WMU, would have been fun to have the rest of the conference all be 2-3.

I don't think NIU is any good, but it is interesting that the other teams in the MAC may cannibalize each other. It might not be East domination again because even though the East is 10-4 against the West, Akron and OU have 7 of those victories, so the rest of the East is 3-4 against the West. I could see a final standing looking something like:

Akron 14-2

OU 14-2

WMU 11-5

Can't 10-6

Toledo 8-8

CMU 7-9

EMU 7-9

BGSU 6-10

Miami 6-10

Buffalo 5-11

NIU 4-12

Ball St 4-12

[ZachTheZip]

As far as Kretzer goes, I just wish he would realize that he has the size to drive to the hoop. He can be more than just a 3-point shooter, but he seems content to just sit on the perimeter.

[Hilltopper]

Here is how we get better. It takes hard work.

[Dave in Green]

Even though Coach Thomas played in only 36 NBA games, I think that experience is good to have on the Zips coaching staff. I was also pleased to hear Coach Dambrot in his weekly video call out passing as something the Zips needed more work on. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, sloppy passing struck me as the Zips' most obvious shortcoming during the Toledo game.

[phil]

As far as Kretzer goes, I just wish he would realize that he has the size to drive to the hoop. He can be more than just a 3-point shooter, but he seems content to just sit on the perimeter.

It is amazing that a simple concept, if you are happen trouble hitting the 3 ball that you move in and start taking some 15 footers or try driving to the basket gets lost to these players. I thought that Nitro was the same way. If his 3 ball wasn't hitting he still would not try to take the ball to the hoop.

[The Hip Zip]

I think that Jake needs to get a little more air under his shot. When you shoot line drive jumpers the shot has to be perfect to drop. You just can't get friendly bounces or rim rattlers to drop when your shot is so flat. A higher arc allows for a little more margin of error. Hopefully he can get some help with this as I feel it is a flaw that can be corrected. Just my opinion from watching him live at the games.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I think that Jake needs to get a little more air under his shot. When you shoot line drive jumpers the shot has to be perfect to drop. You just can't get friendly bounces or rim rattlers to drop when your shot is so flat. A higher arc allows for a little more margin of error. Hopefully he can get some help with this as I feel it is a flaw that can be corrected. Just my opinion from watching him live at the games.

His shot is an exact clone of Rick McFadden's. Unless Rick's was perfectly released, it rattled out. He rarely got the kind rolls.

[Zip Watcher]

I think if you go back in the records ( .. DiG in 3 .. 2 .. 1 ..), you'll find that Rick has one of the highest 3 point percentages of any Zips player over the past 10+ years. At least back to Faulkner, I think Rick is #1 or 2.

Regardless of that, they still make him sit on the floor when he's on Joe & KD's TV show.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I think if you go back in the records ( .. DiG in 3 .. 2 .. 1 ..), you'll find that Rick has one of the highest 3 point percentages of any Zips player over the past 10+ years. At least back to Faulkner, I think Rick is #1 or 2.

Regardless of that, they still make him sit on the floor when he's on Joe & KD's TV show.

McFadden's form was so perfect and repeatable...feet...elbow...release...that you expected every one to drop. I think the same when I see Kretzer shoot.

BTW - McFadden shot 48% his senior year for the Zips.