This Season's Best MAC Basketball Players

[akronzips71]

completely unrelated, but if you guys had a chance to take a Zip for a fantasy team, do you take Tree or Q? Set on Tree, but seeing if its possible to convince me otherwise.

TREE

[akronzips71]

TREE

Did I forget to mention

TREE

[B4110]

Did I forget to mention

TREE

No but you did forget Treadwell...

[Quickzips]

completely unrelated, but if you guys had a chance to take a Zip for a fantasy team, do you take Tree or Q? Set on Tree, but seeing if its possible to convince me otherwise.

Tree is more dominant at what he does. There are very few guys with his strength, athleticism and touch around the rim at this level. He gets off his feet better than anyone else in the league and there isn't anyone out there that can pry a rebound away from him.

Q has a lot more diversity to his game. He can play at least 3, sometimes 4 different position and you can ask him to do everything from running the point to playing off the ball, setting screens, defending the opponents best scorer and then some. There is a lot of value in having a guy like that who you can plug into different roles depending on the circumstances.

For my money I think I would still take Tree, but I don't think it is as far off as you might think.

[akronzips71]

So in numbers 13-25 there is only one Zip?

Must mean that the top 5 are all Zips.

We only won the Conference and Tournament last year.

Must have horrible players.

[B4110]

If there's ANYTHING this young Zips squad doesn't need going into this transition season (and what other kine season is there, anyway?), it's to have their individual egos stroked non-stop by an adoring media. I put Superstar McRae of Buffalo at #1. Put THAT on the bulletin board, gentlemen!

You don't really believe he is better than Tree do u ?

[GoZips]

You don't really believe he is better than Tree do u ?

Not me.

[Quickzips]

Today's entry of Nick Kellogg at #12 is a complete joke. Maybe if John Groce were still in town, but the kid was an absolute flop last year under Christian. Even under Groce he wasn't much more than a 3 point marksman (for his career over 75% of his shots have come from 3). If a guy who averaged 8 points, 2 board and 1.5 assists while shooting 41% from the field and 34% from beyond the 3 point line a year ago is the #12 player in this conference we are in for an epic bad year.

[Dave in Green]

Tree and McCrea are similar dominant power forwards. The main difference at this point is that McCrea is going into his fourth and final season of college ball while Tree is a year behind. McCrea has had an extra year to show what he's got and become more polished. The comparison won't be complete until they've both finished their final seasons. I think that Tree may have a bigger upside. But he's going to have to keep improving over the next two seasons to exceed McCrea's accomplishments. Their career stats to date are similar in many ways, but with McCrea leading in almost every important category.

[Z.I.P.]

You don't really believe he is better than Tree do u ?

WHAT? You couldn't read the sarcasm in my words? To all, including GoZips: Whether Akron coaches, players and fans think they are an/a "underdog" is less important than having the opponents go into the game thinking Akron is the underdog. Zips have to have a chip on their shoulders this year. When I see coach Hawkins in a few weeks (WMU is playing @Hawaii for the third time since 2000), I'm going to tell him how soft Akron is this year -- especially that new Big Dog guy!

[GoZips]

Tree and McCrea are similar dominant power forwards. The main difference at this point is that McCrea is going into his fourth and final season of college ball while Tree is a year behind. McCrea has had an extra year to show what he's got and become more polished. The comparison won't be complete until they've both finished their final seasons. I think that Tree may have a bigger upside. But he's going to have to keep improving over the next two seasons to exceed McCrea's accomplishments. Their career stats to date are similar in many ways, but with McCrea leading in almost every important category.

The main difference at this point is that McCrea is a cheap shot artist who mugs unsuspecting opponents. In two seasons

on the court Treadwell has NEVER even been accused of sneak punches. Several schools that have played Buffalo have

video footage of McCrea rabbit punching and other nasty, underhanded moves.

Do NOT try to tell me that McCrea is a great player. He is a thug.

What horse crap you dudes ingest. You glorify a cheater. McCrea best have a bout of the blue flu the nights Buffalo plays

Akron. Enough said.

[Dave in Green]

Tree is tough as nails without playing dirty, and I appreciate his style of play much more than McCrea's. I'm pulling hard for Tree to ultimately have better college and professional careers than McCrea. But I'm not talking good citizenship awards here. I'm addressing effectiveness on the court and ability to move to the next level. The NBA has plenty of successful thugs taking home big paychecks. I personally don't like them, and I certainly don't glorify them. Ignoring them doesn't change reality and make them go away.

[Quickzips]

Tree in two seasons has two finals appearances, a tournament MVP title and a trip to the NCAAs already under his belt. McCrae in three years has only made it out of the quarterfinals once and has never made it to the finals. Part of that has to do with the players around them, but McCrae has never elevated the rest of his team to the level that a truly elite player should. To me he will always be little more than a stat-stuffer on a bad to mediocre team. Something tells me Buffalo may actually be better a year from now when he is done and graduated.

[LZIp]

Tree in two seasons has two finals appearances, a tournament MVP title and a trip to the NCAAs already under his belt. McCrae in three years has only made it out of the quarterfinals once and has never made it to the finals. Part of that has to do with the players around them, but McCrae has never elevated the rest of his team to the level that a truly elite player should. To me he will always be little more than a stat-stuffer on a bad to mediocre team. Something tells me Buffalo may actually be better a year from now when he is done and graduated.

Well considering Buffao has beaten us 3 of the past 4 times (the only loss was them blowing a 20 something point lead), I sure as hell hope they aren't better after he leaves. Love him or hate him, he dropped 26 points on Tree last year. Let's not let our bias get in the way of facts. As of right now, McRea is a better player, and that isnt a knock on Tree at all. Being dirty doesnt have anything to do with the athletic ability of McRea.

[zestycoyote]

Well considering Buffao has beaten us 3 of the past 4 times (the only loss was them blowing a 20 something point lead), I sure as hell hope they aren't better after he leaves. Love him or hate him, he dropped 26 points on Tree last year. Let's not let our bias get in the way of facts. As of right now, McRea is a better player, and that isnt a knock on Tree at all. Being dirty doesnt have anything to do with the athletic ability of McRea.

+1

I think Tree will move past McRea this season, but he has to prove it on the court first. McRea has been a great player on a consistently mediocre team. Tree has the chance to be a great player on a great team over the next two seasons.

[Quickzips]

Well considering Buffao has beaten us 3 of the past 4 times (the only loss was them blowing a 20 something point lead), I sure as hell hope they aren't better after he leaves. Love him or hate him, he dropped 26 points on Tree last year. Let's not let our bias get in the way of facts. As of right now, McRea is a better player, and that isnt a knock on Tree at all. Being dirty doesnt have anything to do with the athletic ability of McRea.

For my money I'll still take the guy with a ring and an MVP trophy.

Look, the MAC isn't a very good conference. If McCrae were everything he is made out to be you would think that program would have something more to show for it than they do. We're talking about a conference that hasn't had a single NBA draft pick in over a decade. If he is truly that good, and he is really going to be the guy to end that streak he should have at least one title by now. He doesn't. The guy is the Al Jefferson of the MAC. Good player who can put up big numbers on a mediocre to bad team, but he does nothing to elevate the team and get them to the next level. No thanks. I'll take Tree every day of the week over him.

[Dave in Green]

DraftExpress ranks only two MAC players among all of its NBA prospects -- Javon McCrea is #38 and EMU's Da'Shonte Riley is #65 in their top 100 seniors list. By comparison Zeke was ranked #22 in last season's list of top 100 seniors and wasn't drafted. There are no MAC players in the DraftExpress top 100 lists of juniors, sophomores or freshmen. So the sad reality is that right now there are no players in the MAC who are likely to play in the NBA unless they show dramatic improvement in their level of play and move way up the lists of prospects.

[MaxZIP]

I want to see Kretzer of McAdams step up this year. They will benefit from Diggs, Harney, and tree if Evans can find them for the open 3 looks

[akronzips71]

DraftExpress ranks only two MAC players among all of its NBA prospects -- Javon McCrea is #38 and EMU's Da'Shonte Riley is #65 in their top 100 seniors list. By comparison Zeke was ranked #22 in last season's list of top 100 seniors and wasn't drafted. There are no MAC players in the DraftExpress top 100 lists of juniors, sophomores or freshmen. So the sad reality is that right now there are no players in the MAC who are likely to play in the NBA unless they show dramatic improvement in their level of play and move way up the lists of prospects.

That's because Tree is in a grey area - this is only his third year, so he does not have the stats of the other "Seniors".

He did an awful lot of double-doubles last year, and that was with a 7 footer in the middle for rebounds and put backs.

This is his year.

[GoZips]

... Being dirty doesnt have anything to do with the athletic ability of McRea.

Two quick points: one) the thug's name is McCrea. two) in a decently officiated game McCrea fouls out in the first ten minutes.

[GoZips]

I want to see Kretzer of McAdams step up this year. They will benefit from Diggs, Harney, and tree if Evans can find them for the open 3 looks

Nice thoughts.

Reggie McAdams is a shooting guard/small forward. He will be on the floor (most of the time) when Quincy Diggs is running the point.

Jake Kretzer is mainly a power forward backing up Demetrius Treadwell. Like McAdams, Jake will get plenty of minutes.

If Evans plays more minutes at the point than Q I will be darn surprised. Nyles played mostly the shooting guard in JUCO.

He has some defensive issues that need be corrected before he owns the point.

Remember, the Zips are a machine with many, many interchangeable parts.

[Dave in Green]

... Jake Kretzer is mainly a power forward backing up Demetrius Treadwell. Like McAdams, Jake will get plenty of minutes. ...

I'd just like to point that Jake averaged 21 minutes per game as a true freshman. I'm feeling a little lazy tonight so I'm not going to do my usual detailed research for once. But I do believe that's record playing time for a true freshman in the Coach Dambrot era. That speaks volumes about the fact that Jake is much, much more than Tree's backup.

With 3 of the 4 players who averaged more minutes than Jake last season gone, Tree is the only Zips player left who averaged more minutes last season than Jake did as a true freshman. There's no question that both Tree and Jake will average more minutes this season, and that means that Jake will be playing multiple positions.

[akronzips71]

Four more days.

[GoZips]

Four more days.

The Intra-squad scrimmage went well this morning. Coach Dambrot was pissed at nearly everyone and cut the practice short.

The players are getting testy. Which is something you actually want. Its time to beat up on people other than your teammates.

The four freshmen have actually learned to play defense. Some more than others, but all have gained ground.

In my opinion, (remembering that I have no say in the decisions), Big Dog is a lock to play a lot of minutes. BJ Gladden

will play back up to Reggie McAdams. Cheatam and Jackson will play in the future, but, not this season. Just a guess on my part.

[LZIp]

The Intra-squad scrimmage went well this morning. Coach Dambrot was pissed at nearly everyone and cut the practice short.

The players are getting testy. Which is something you actually want. Its time to beat up on people other than your teammates.

The four freshmen have actually learned to play defense. Some more than others, but all have gained ground.

In my opinion, (remembering that I have no say in the decisions), Big Dog is a lock to play a lot of minutes. BJ Gladden

will play back up to Reggie McAdams. Cheatam and Jackson will play in the future, but, not this season. Just a guess on my part.

In your opinion, what should the whole depth chart look like? By what you are throwing around, it seems somebody will be left out. Harney is a starter at the 3. With you thinking Gladden will back up Reggie..it looks like Nyles Evans or Melo will be left out.