Dave in Green Posted November 20, 2013 Report Share Posted November 20, 2013 It's good to see such strong passion from Zips basketball fans. Tree is also passionate about Zips basketball, and passion can sometimes boil over. We've discussed here recently how Tree may have a shot at the NBA if he keeps developing throughout his college career. We've discussed in the past how Coach Dambrot is toughest on his most talented players, because he knows how good they could be if they applied themselves to the game in the right way. Coach Dambrot was never tougher on any player than he was with LeBron James, because he knew that LBJ had the potential to be the best if he put all he had into the game. I've watched and listened at many practices as Coach Dambrot has applied tough love to talented players who were not playing up to their abilities, or who were trying to play their own game instead of the game the coaches were trying to teach the team. I've also seen Coach Dambrot off in a corner with his arm around a player's shoulders, speaking words of encouragement in a soft voice. Overall I think Coach Dambrot does a great job of reaching each player in the most appropriate manner for that particular player at a given time. But player psychology is more of an art than a science for coaches, and the results are not always 100% predictable. As I said before, these things happen all the time on teams. In the good old days, we never heard about most of these minor incidents. With social media today, everything is more out in the open and magnified into something larger than life. Understanding Tree's passion for basketball and Coach Dambrot's history of forgiving and forgetting, I'm confident that whatever happened will blow over. I believe that Tree will take time to think it all over and come to the understanding that Coach Dambrot wants only the best for Tree and the team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted November 20, 2013 Report Share Posted November 20, 2013 But player psychology is more of an art than a science for coaches, and the results are not always 100% predictable. Understanding Tree's passion for basketball and Coach Dambrot's history of forgiving and forgetting, I'm confident that whatever happened will blow over. I believe that Tree will take time to think it all over and come to the understanding that Coach Dambrot wants only the best for Tree and the team. Dave, I pulled out these two items from your post. On the first one, you couldn't be more right. And that's coming from someone with an athletic background, and a background in the behavior sciences. It's no secret that Dambrot, or any other coach, doesn't always utilize methods that mesh well with every player on their team. On your second point, we can't be so sure that his passion is so strong right now. But I am sure hopeful that this all gets resolved. My concern is that he has nearly two full years left in the program, and if there are issues now, and if any of them have been ongoing in any way, the likelihood that they can find a long term solution that lasts that long may not be possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipgrad01 Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 After reading his twitter page, it definitely seems as though he is frustrated with basketball, his teammates, coaches or a combination of all of the above. As stated above, now is the best time for him to step away and clear his head and figure out what he needs to do. I just hope that he has the right people in his corner helping him through this rough patch that he is going through. I think we have some pretty good people here that can speak with him (ie...Jim Tressel or Terry Bowden). It probably doesnt hurt to talk to another coach that has dealt with these situations before. Sometimes you need to hear from someone besides the guy riding your ass all the time. No matter what I wish him the best. I just hope it is with him remaining in a zips uniform. He is a hero to a lot of young zips fans that would be crushed to see him go. Hell, who am I kidding? I would be as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootforRoo44 Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 After reading his twitter page, it definitely seems as though he is frustrated with basketball, his teammates, coaches or a combination of all of the above. As stated above, now is the best time for him to step away and clear his head and figure out what he needs to do. I just hope that he has the right people in his corner helping him through this rough patch that he is going through. I think we have some pretty good people here that can speak with him (ie...Jim Tressel or Terry Bowden). It probably doesnt hurt to talk to another coach that has dealt with these situations before. Sometimes you need to hear from someone besides the guy riding your ass all the time. No matter what I wish him the best. I just hope it is with him remaining in a zips uniform. He is a hero to a lot of young zips fans that would be crushed to see him go. Hell, who am I kidding? I would be as well. Ya know, I'd be frustrated if i were him too. His coach doesn't know what to do with big men offensively, most of his teammates are young and still very stupid on the court, and most of his teammates are playing with very little passion on either side of the ball (save for Q and a few others). He'll get his sh*t together and this will be solved in a few days...hopefully. Either way, go Tree...I'll always be a big fan of him regardless of what goes down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 Everything will be fine. Sometimes it's like taking a big crap. It builds up and builds up then once it's over you feel a lot better. Let's hope Tree is sitting on the can right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 I think we have some pretty good people here that can speak with him (ie...Jim Tressel Sure. Someone who's done enough to get banned from relating to college athletes for 5 years would be the ideal choice to turn this situation around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akronzips71 Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 Maybe he is feeling the same angst as the fans - two "point guards" who hoist up no chance threes instead of getting the ball into a position for the scorers to score. If those two had not done that, we had a chance to win that game. Especially with Tree and Big Dog inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 @skip-zip, reality check time: Jim Tressel is VP for Student Success at UA. We want success for a UA student named Tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UAZip0510 Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 Ya know, I'd be frustrated if i were him too. His coach doesn't know what to do with big men offensively, most of his teammates are young and still very stupid on the court, and most of his teammates are playing with very little passion on either side of the ball (save for Q and a few others). He'll get his sh*t together and this will be solved in a few days...hopefully. Either way, go Tree...I'll always be a big fan of him regardless of what goes down. Tree came to UA with questionable academics and extremely raw basketball skills. Entering his third year, he's doing well in school and is a MAC POY candidate. KD is the issue though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B4110 Posted November 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 Tree came to UA with questionable academics and extremely raw basketball skills. Entering his third year, he's doing well in school and is a MAC POY candidate. KD is the issue though? Basketball first and foremost is a game. A game that is best played when u r having fun. Once u take the fun out of it u will lose passion . I think coach D sometimes may lose touch with that. He is very intense...and sometimes u can't approach every situation the same way and get the best results..my opinion . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 I remember the play that upset Tree. He was in the post and he got a weak pass that was intercepted and Middle Tenn. started a fast break. You could see Tree get upset and not hustle back. Keith pulled him and he never got back in the game. Tree is such a competitor that he was probably upset that he got pulled and never returned. Hopefully, he just needs time to clear his head. The dynamics of this team has changed without Zeke and Alex. We are not a good passing team and the guys have to work extremely hard for their points. I could understand that this year may not be as much fun as last year. However, you have to give it time. With so much talent, it would be terrible if he decided to quit at this point in the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootforRoo44 Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 Tree came to UA with questionable academics and extremely raw basketball skills. Entering his third year, he's doing well in school and is a MAC POY candidate. KD is the issue though? I have no idea what the reality of the situation is, but I know I saw Tree visibly frustrated in all three games so far this season, when last year he would have looked determined instead. But I'm not even sure if I'd know how to respond to someone who thinks that Dambrot is even adequate in his development of big men. It's lunacy that I can't even comprehend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RACER Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 I did not see teams line up to offer tree a chance to play. while kd did offer him a free education. the zips lost two games,and he needs to get over it. my neighbor is 50 yrs old dying of cancer.im sure if you asked him he would trade places with tree in a second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 I remember the play that upset Tree. He was in the post and he got a weak pass that was intercepted and Middle Tenn. started a fast break. You could see Tree get upset and not hustle back. Keith pulled him and he never got back in the game. Tree is such a competitor that he was probably upset that he got pulled and never returned. Hopefully, he just needs time to clear his head. The dynamics of this team has changed without Zeke and Alex. We are not a good passing team and the guys have to work extremely hard for their points. I could understand that this year may not be as much fun as last year. However, you have to give it time. With so much talent, it would be terrible if he decided to quit at this point in the season. Ahh. I remember the play. I was watching the game with 3 other people, and we all noticed it. I just didn't recall that it was the point where he got pulled from the game, and I didn't realize until yesterday that he didn't play at all after that. But, it's surely no surprise to anyone that Dambrot gets pretty ticked about that kind of stuff. And rightfully so. But again, we don't know if this was the start of the situation or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 @skip-zip, reality check time: Jim Tressel is VP for Student Success at UA. We want success for a UA student named Tree. Oh Dave, I obviously forgot about his "job title". Reality Check: He's banned from working with college athletes, for good reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legendofzippy Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 This has been an interesting thread, along with a few others, to follow the past week or so. So far, on this message board that is allegedly filled with Akron fans, people have taken shots at our players, our point guards in particular, our coach, our conference, our OOC opponents, our past accomplishments.... It's becoming very clear that we have two definitions of what a "fan" is. Coach Ianello did not deserve our support. But in my time of being a Zips fan, we have never had this combined level of coach/player talent for our major sports, so I'm enjoying the ride. Hopefully this is a case of two very strong-willed people butting heads. It's probably hard for Tree to see it right now, but this should make him better in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachTheZip Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 He's banned from working with college athletes, for good reason. He is not, nor was he ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy5 Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 I have no idea what the reality of the situation is, but I know I saw Tree visibly frustrated in all three games so far this season, when last year he would have looked determined instead. But I'm not even sure if I'd know how to respond to someone who thinks that Dambrot is even adequate in his development of big men. It's lunacy that I can't even comprehend. We don't even have to venture off topic to prove he can develop a big man. Have you seen Tree since his first year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 ... But I'm not even sure if I'd know how to respond to someone who thinks that Dambrot is even adequate in his development of big men. It's lunacy that I can't even comprehend. You should start a new thread on this theory. I'm sure it would start a lively debate that would go far beyond Tree. Maybe you can even start describing in your first post in the new thread what evidence you have to back up this claim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 ... Reality Check: He's banned from working with college athletes, for good reason. @skip-zip, it may help improve your understanding of the situation if you read the full text of the NCAA report as it relates to penalties: During the period, which begins December 20, 2011, and concludes on December 19, 2016, the committee restricts the athletically related duties of the former head coach as follows: a. He shall be suspended from all coaching duties for the first five games during the initial year he is employed as well as any postseason contest(s) during that year. During this suspension, the former head coach shall not be present in the venue where the games are played and shall not have any contact with other members of the coaching staff or any football student-athletes while the games are ongoing. Further, the head coach may not participate in any activities that are defined as "coaching," including, but not limited to, team travel, practice, video review and team meetings. The suspension from the first five contests includes all coaching activities commencing when the team reports for fall practice through the conclusion of the fifth game. The suspension from the postseason contests commences at the end of the last regular season contest and expires at the conclusion of the final postseason contest. [NOTE: Postseason includes both a conference championship contest and a bowl game.] b. Any employing institution shall file within 60 days of hiring the former head coach (or, if he is employed at a member institution presently, 60 days after the release of this case), a report with the office of the Committees on Infractions detailing how it will monitor the former head coach so as to prevent a recurrence of the violations set forth in this report, as well as information documenting compliance with the restrictions imposed. Thereafter, the institution shall file reports every six months until the end of the show-cause period, detailing its efforts to monitor the former head coach. If an institution chooses to contest these sanctions, it shall schedule an appearance before the Committee on Infractions to show cause why such restrictions should not be implemented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootforRoo44 Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 You should start a new thread on this theory. I'm sure it would start a lively debate that would go far beyond Tree. Maybe you can even start describing in your first post in the new thread what evidence you have to back up this claim. Evidence would fill a book the size of the bible. Did you forget about Zeke's four years already?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 Evidence would fill a book the size of the bible. Did you forget about Zeke's four years already?! I haven't seen you posting on ZN.o recently, so you may have missed it. But we've been discussing Zeke's development in other threads. If you have so much evidence to contribute to the discussion, a new thread on the subject is definitely in order. Would you like for me to start the new thread for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy5 Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 Tree at practice but not in uniform per GT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip-zip Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 Tree at practice but not in uniform per GT That's the best news we could have received at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 That's the best news we could have received at this point. Better than Tree being in-uniform and practicing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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