2013-2014

[UAZip0510]

After tonight's game, I want to look forward...so let's talk about the 2013-2014 season.

There are several questions heading into this offseason:

1) Who is the Point Guard?

Alex Abreu seems unlikely to return. Carmelo Betancourt is back, but still has a long way to go. Nyles Evans will be here, but who knows how he'll fit. Quincy Diggs is a possibility, but is he a full-time PG? Speaking of...

2) Will Quincy return?

In losing Zeke, Walsh, and Gilliam, it'd be huge for Akron to have Diggs return. He's great on defense, a go-to scorer, and would be fun to watch alongside Treadwell. All indications are that he'll be back, but if he is...

3) Who might leave the team?

My money is on Blake Justice, with Deji as another possibility. Deji at least got some PT though, which makes me think Blake is the odd man out.

4) Will any of the freshmen make a major impact?

McAdams, Betancourt, Kretzer, and Forsythe all played major roles on this year's squad. Will any of the incoming four have as much of (or even more of) an impact next season?

5) How good will the Zips be?

A lot depends on the answers to the previous four questions, but I'd expect them to be the pre-season MAC favorite. Ohio loses Cooper, Offutt, Keely, and Baltic. Can't loses Evans and Holt. Akron will be a different team next year, but still should remain the cream of the crop in the conference.

My Projected 2013-2014 Lineup

C-Forsythe/Johnson

PF-Treadwell/Cheatham

SF-Kretzer/Harney

SG-Diggs/McAdams

PG-Evans/Betancourt

[GJGood]

Maybe I am not seeing it the same as most but in the games since the incident I don't necessarily think Carmelo Betancourt has played that badly. Yes, there have been some turnovers and miscommunication but not nearly as bad as I feared. Remember he is just really starting to get any extended playing time right now, and while he may not be doing as many obvious good things right now as his predecessor he also doesn't seem to be as turnover happy, seems quicker, and looks like a better defender. He doesn't appear to be much of a scorer but I think he has the potential to be one heck of a floor general for the Zips as he continues to improve.

[zipsfan13]

Does anyone think KD will consider implementing a havoc-like defense in the offseason? Obviously it wouldn't be as good as VCU's since they have pretty much perfected it, but I think it would still be effective in the MAC. My only concern is whether we have the types of athletes that are necessary for it to be successful.

[Dr Z]

Maybe I am not seeing it the same as most but in the games since the incident I don't necessarily think Carmelo Betancourt has played that badly. Yes, there have been some turnovers and miscommunication but not nearly as bad as I feared.

I thought one of the better observations by the announcers (I think it was Tom McCarthy) who said "he dribbles the ball too high for a point guard." I think it was also Tom who made the embarrassing quote of the night after Carmelo missed the hoop completely..."they would chant air ball, but empty seats can't chant"...that one hurt.

[zippy5]

I thought one of the better observations by the announcers (I think it was Tom McCarthy) who said "he dribbles the ball too high for a point guard." I think it was also Tom who made the embarrassing quote of the night after Carmelo missed the hoop completely..."they would chant air ball, but empty seats can't chant"...that one hurt.

Yep. Melo is actually a very good ball handler, but is no threat on offense. None whatsoever... Needs to develop something to keep defenses honest.

[GP1]

I thought one of the better observations by the announcers (I think it was Tom McCarthy) who said "he dribbles the ball too high for a point guard." I think it was also Tom who made the embarrassing quote of the night after Carmelo missed the hoop completely..."they would chant air ball, but empty seats can't chant"...that one hurt.

The announcers made a lot of comments that were factually inaccurate. Makes me think their interns spent five minutes researching Akron.

[Dr Z]

The announcers made a lot of comments that were factually inaccurate. Makes me think their interns spent five minutes researching Akron.

Like BRIAN's first name.

[Blue & Gold]

I thought one of the better observations by the announcers (I think it was Tom McCarthy) who said "he dribbles the ball too high for a point guard." I think it was also Tom who made the embarrassing quote of the night after Carmelo missed the hoop completely..."they would chant air ball, but empty seats can't chant"...that one hurt.

Weren't they referring to Harney having the too-high dribble?

[GJGood]

Weren't they referring to Harney having the too-high dribble?

Yeah, that was what I thought too. I certainly don't think Betancourt dribbles the ball too high at all.

Carmelo is not much of a scoring threat right now and I don't know how much he ever will be but that won't be his primary job anyway. That being said I do believe his season high in points was in double digits. Didn't he have 10 in a game back in November or December? I think he'd be capable of throwing in seven to twelve points every now and then, especially if he can draw fouls and hit free throws.

[Dr Z]

Weren't they referring to Harney having the too-high dribble?

I might have misheard. I was a little distraught while watching.

[Blue & Gold]

My Projected 2013-2014 Lineup

C-Forsythe/Johnson

PF-Treadwell/Cheatham

SF-Kretzer/Harney

SG-Diggs/McAdams

PG-Evans/Betancourt

I'm going to go with:

C - Forsythe/Johnson

PF - Treadwell/ Harney .............Kwan Cheatham redshirt

W - Kretzer/McAdams

W - Diggs/ BJ Gladden ..............Aaron Jackson redshirt

PG - Evans/Betancourt

Justice - transfer

Deji - God bless Deji, but he's the odd-man-out. Possible transfer candidate.

Forsythe - Zeke's quantum leap in development this season set Pat back a little. At the beginning of the year I though Pat, as a freshman, was playing better than Zeke as a junior. Then after the Detroit game Zeke just absolutely took off and started looking like an NBA player and Pat was relegated to a handful of minutes off the bench. I'm excited to see how Pat develops with starters' minutes. Isaiah "Big Dog" Johnson will be a beast after a year in the weight room; best C in the state of Ohio this year.

Kretzer & McAdams, though only freshmen, were a bit exposed against VCU as more one-dimensional shooters. That's fine, but without Q & a sickened Walsh, this really hurt last night. We'll have one of them on the floor at all times next year for floor spacing.

Diggs/Gladden - this will be a significant upgrade in athleticism. Both are BCS-level athletes (and ball players).

Evans - Will provide a much needed scoring threat at the 1.

Betancourt - Looks like he's going to be a solid backup PG. But, as of now, doesn't look like he's a real difference-maker. Steady, reliable 10-minute-a-game backup.

It's going to be an awfully young team next year.

[GP1]

C - Forsythe/Johnson

PF - Treadwell/ Harney .............Kwan Cheatham redshirt

W - Kretzer/McAdams

W - Diggs/ BJ Gladden ..............Aaron Jackson redshirt

PG - Evans/Betancourt

It's going to be an awfully young team next year.

Respectfully, so what?

You see youth. I see game experience and talent.

Others may see a team that Dambrot is going to do his slow, year-by-year gradual development with players. I see a group that a coach making $500K a year should turn straight into a MAC Champion with a shot at winning a NCAA Tournament game with a huge growth in their ability between this year and next year. After nine years, shouldn't this be expected? Shouldn't it be demanded? Really good programs don't worry about the age of players. They expect young players with experience to contribute in a meaningful way when it is their turn to start and they expect their coaches to get them to that point. Hint: We are a really good program and should demand these things.

[Blue & Gold]

Respectfully, so what?

You see youth. I see game experience and talent.

Others may see a team that Dambrot is going to do his slow, year-by-year gradual development with players. I see a group that a coach making $500K a year should turn straight into a MAC Champion with a shot at winning a NCAA Tournament game with a huge growth in their ability between this year and next year. After nine years, shouldn't this be expected? Shouldn't it be demanded? Really good programs don't worry about the age of players. They expect young players with experience to contribute in a meaningful way when it is their turn to start and they expect their coaches to get them to that point. Hint: We are a really good program and should demand these things.

You are exactly right. I intended that "awfully young" to be a compliment.

[akzipper]

Does anyone know the story behind Jerome Lane Jr? Will he be playing basketball too, and is he any good?

[LZIp]

Does anyone think KD will consider implementing a havoc-like defense in the offseason? Obviously it wouldn't be as good as VCU's since they have pretty much perfected it, but I think it would still be effective in the MAC. My only concern is whether we have the types of athletes that are necessary for it to be successful.

We have implemented it some and did use it some this year. We have had success with Harney and Tree pressing.

Yeah, that was what I thought too. I certainly don't think Betancourt dribbles the ball too high at all.

Carmelo is not much of a scoring threat right now and I don't know how much he ever will be but that won't be his primary job anyway. That being said I do believe his season high in points was in double digits. Didn't he have 10 in a game back in November or December? I think he'd be capable of throwing in seven to twelve points every now and then, especially if he can draw fouls and hit free throws.

Betancourt stands up too straight when he dribbles, causing him to dribble higher. He played solid, as a back up. I commend him for stepping up after the loss of Abreu, but he hasnt shown me anything to make me think he is our point guard of the future.

Does anyone know the story behind Jerome Lane Jr? Will he be playing basketball too, and is he any good?

Lane will not be playing basketball, and yea, he is good.

[GoZips]

Does anyone know the story behind Jerome Lane Jr? Will he be playing basketball too, and is he any good?

Wont play basketball. Will have difficulty making grades. Two sports in college is a rarity.

And, YES, the young Mr. Lane is a darn good athlete.

[GoZips]

I'm going to go with:

C - Forsythe/Johnson

PF - Treadwell/ Harney .............Kwan Cheatham redshirt

W - Kretzer/McAdams

W - Diggs/ BJ Gladden ..............Aaron Jackson redshirt

PG - Evans/Betancourt

Justice - transfer

Deji - God bless Deji, but he's the odd-man-out. Possible transfer candidate.

Forsythe - Zeke's quantum leap in development this season set Pat back a little. At the beginning of the year I though Pat, as a freshman, was playing better than Zeke as a junior. Then after the Detroit game Zeke just absolutely took off and started looking like an NBA player and Pat was relegated to a handful of minutes off the bench. I'm excited to see how Pat develops with starters' minutes. Isaiah "Big Dog" Johnson will be a beast after a year in the weight room; best C in the state of Ohio this year.

Kretzer & McAdams, though only freshmen, were a bit exposed against VCU as more one-dimensional shooters. That's fine, but without Q & a sickened Walsh, this really hurt last night. We'll have one of them on the floor at all times next year for floor spacing.

Diggs/Gladden - this will be a significant upgrade in athleticism. Both are BCS-level athletes (and ball players).

Evans - Will provide a much needed scoring threat at the 1.

Betancourt - Looks like he's going to be a solid backup PG. But, as of now, doesn't look like he's a real difference-maker. Steady, reliable 10-minute-a-game backup.

It's going to be an awfully young team next year.

A decent , thought out line up chart. Would like to point out that Kretzer is currently the back up to Treadwell.

Harney will most likely be the starting small forward being backed up by McAdams.

No evidence that Quincey will return. Mostly wishful thinking by many (including me).

The Zips badly need a third point guard. Betancourt is far from being a good point guard. A lot will depend on his work

over the Summer. Carmelo has the potential. Potential is one thing; actually performing is different. He needs to improve

his skill set. That is done by working hard in the off season. Prediction: he will not step up; too lazy.

Now, before everyone jumps all over me (and some will anyway), Melo has not yet taken on the mantle of hard working

ass busting point guard. Carmelo has a swagger he not yet earned.

For me, I would love to see Quincey back; especially as the sixth man. There he could be inserted where ever his skills

are needed. Q did a GREAT job as the sixth man two years ago. I agree he is a senior and had earned a starting role.

Still, the Zips need his versatility.

Overall, the 2013-14 edition of the Zips will be better than this year. Yes, even with Zeke (gonna miss him) gone.

[akronzips71]

Unless Melo spends three or four hours every day seven days a week between TODAY and opening day next season learning to shoot from the perimeter, he will never be a DI point guard. He just does not contribute any points.

And the team that scores the most points wins.

[GJGood]

I think next year's Zips will be better offensively but not so sure about defensively because they can't funnel everything toward the 7'5" wingspan anymore.

[mrelegazna]

Sheesh. And I though *I* was hard on Melo. Maybe I missed an incident, but I don't see any swagger - unearned or otherwise - and I certainly don't know where the laziness tag is coming from. Hell, as far as being too hoist with his own petard, that to me more closely describes AA, and so I think Melo may benefit from being away from him.

Hell, look how much his English has improved over the last two years. That's not the mark of a lazy ass.

2011:

2013:

He's also very young, and accomplished with his leading roles in various PR junior national teams.

ALLLLL of that said, I'm not convinced he will become a great or even good MAC-level point guard. I would neither bet against it or for it. His performance against VCU was just dreadful. I realize "havoc" his hard to deal with. But VCU runs it against everybody and without looking at the stats, I don't think many PG's this year handled it more poorly than Melo did.

That's why Evans coming in and making a positive impact straight away is so important. Since KD is normally not big on getting JC guys, hopefully that means something in terms of Evans ability to be a better-than-average MAC player right away.

But all the new guys have to step up; losing four big contributors is more than we have in a long time. For this reason, and with Ohio losing a lot too, I'm predicting a more wide-open MAC race similar to 2011. But KD seems to consistently find more gems than duds, so not only do I think we will compete for a championship in 2014, but will be dominant in the mold of this year (when we were at our best) in 2013 - without the suspensions and freak flu bugs.

[ksu sucks]

Wow, you guys must be a lot closer to the program than I am. I mean, I can read body language, but...

Bentancourt can be a solid PG in this league. I don't think you can take much away from his performance last night. He's a freshman, with no legit backup, in his fourth start, against arguably the toughest press in college basketball. Give the kid a break!

And you're right about his English! Hopefully he can make similar strides on the court this off season.

[Blue & Gold]

It was rather ironic that, during the very first commercial break during last night's game, one of the commercial's punch lines was of an American Founding Father bemoaning the fact his NCAA team had a freshman starting at PG.

[akzipper]

Carmelo is only a freshman remember and under the circumstances I think he did a great job at the end of the season. He's quick and the offense will come, just give it time. At the end of the day we just need him to manage the game. If he can get the ball to our scorers we will win.

I haven't read up much on the incoming freshman, but is there one that sticks out? Someone that could really impact the team next season.

[Blue & Gold]

I'm listening to the Walnut Hills semi-final game. As the game was just getting under way, the announcer had this to say about Isaiah Johnson:

"To give you an idea of Isaiah Johnson's size, well, you just can't over-emphasize Johnson's size. It's not just his 6'9" height, but his overall frame is just ginormous."

[Dave in Green]

Melo can be as great a PG as he wants to be, if he's willing to put in the hard work. That means spending extra time before and after practice doing all the things that separate a great PG from an average one. He has the tools to do it. Be honest here. If we had had a poll here before the VCU game, how many minutes would you have guessed he could have lasted against VCU's havoc? I'll bet not a one of us would have guessed as high as 31 minutes. And if the poll had been to guess how many turnovers Melo would have had if he played 31 minutes against VCU's havoc, I'll bet not a one of us would have guessed as low as 5 turnovers. Heck, Abreu has had more than 5 turnovers in 31 minutes against lesser teams than VCU. Whatever any of us may have imagined, the reality is that Melo did better than expected. But that's because we have generally low expectations for him. It's up to him to raise those expectations by working his butt off harder than he's ever worked in his life. Tree has set the new standard for the Zips. Anyone who doesn't work as hard as Tree is a lazy bum.