Only 10 days until our next basketball game!!

[Captain Kangaroo]

This has to be the most retarded men's basketball schedule since James Naismith was hitting the kegger circuit @ McGill U. I can't believe we haven't played a game since November 16th, and won't play another real game until December 7th.

There's nothing to discuss...except if Jonas Stalyga is still on the team. C'mon George...get on that story!

[Dave in Green]

Come on, give the Zips some credit for ingeniously conspiring to plant the Tree dustup story to keep them in the news in the big gap between games.

[Dr Z]

George

It’s just an exhibition game, but fans will likely see which changes, if any, coach Keith Dambrot made to his lineup. The Zips guard play hasn’t been up to snuff in their first three games this year. Point guard Nyles Evans started against MTSU, Carmelo Betancourt the prior two games…The Zips are 5-0 in these exhibitions against Malone

PS Who do we blame for this schedule?...Please save me the "nobody wants to play the Zips" line.

PSS Is the Zips home basketball schedule more accurate at predicting snow storms than the farmers almanac?

[zippy5]

PS Who do we blame for this schedule?...Please save me the "nobody wants to play the Zips" line.

i second this

[Dave in Green]

Blame @GoZips since he tried to explain the schedule here a couple of months ago and obviously didn't do it in a way that stuck in everyone's memory.

Everyone's been saying for years that the most important thing about the Zips' schedule is to focus on having a stronger OOC SOS. If doing that results in an unevenly spaced schedule, that seems to me like a fair tradeoff.

[Dr Z]

....tried to explain (insert proper phrase here) the schedule here a couple of months ago

Oh, I didn't notice

[Dave in Green]

@Dr Z, inexplicably, @GoZips' explanation was in a thread entitled Schedule Question.

See that the Zips play THIRTY-ONE regular season games. One over the mandated limit thanks to the exempt rule. The

off shore Diamond Head Classic gives the Zips an extra regular season game. Both Div-3 opponents are classified as

exhibition games. That's fine. That they are not played one-two in the schedule is largely due to getting invited to ESPN's

Tip Off Showcase.

[Z.I.P.]

I have to admit, I'm looking forward to this game, if for no other reason than to discover whether Coach Dambrot has taken GoZips advice, and has his team DISTRIBUTE the ball after a defensive rebound, rather than punting!

[skip-zip]

Blame @GoZips since he tried to explain the schedule here a couple of months ago and obviously didn't do it in a way that stuck in everyone's memory.

Everyone's been saying for years that the most important thing about the Zips' schedule is to focus on having a stronger OOC SOS. If doing that results in an unevenly spaced schedule, that seems to me like a fair tradeoff.

Amen. Ya gotta play the games when you can get them.

[taxpayer]

The need and desire to collect some cash has contributed mightly to the disjointed nature of this years schedule. I still don't understand why we don't play South Carolina in Hawaii instead of flying to Columbia, SC to play. Both teams are in hotels near a neutral court, players could have had a day off, practiced one day, played the game, then fly home. I would love to hear the story behind this one.

[Dave in Green]

Simple story: All teams prefer to play at home in front of their fans rather than on the road or neutral sites. South Carolina is in the SEC and UA is a mid-major. Major conference teams have more scheduling clout than mid-majors because mid-majors "need" to play majors more than they "need" to play us. We play on their terms.

[Dr Z]

The need and desire to collect some cash has contributed mightly to the disjointed nature of this years schedule.

I thought marketing did a nice job with the preseason awareness. Now they have that job all over again with the lost momentum. We'll see how many butts are in the seats during our "second" season. Hopefully somebody learned a lesson from this ridiculousness.

[Blue & Gold]

Simple story: All teams prefer to play at home in front of their fans rather than on the road or neutral sites. South Carolina is in the SEC and UA is a mid-major. Major conference teams have more scheduling clout than mid-majors because mid-majors "need" to play majors more than they "need" to play us. We play on their terms.

Didn't someone post on ZN.o that we're making more money by playing SC in SC rather than in Hawaii on a neutral floor?

[Dave in Green]

I don't recall seeing it posted here and I don't know for sure if it's a fact. But I think it's safe to assume that UA would receive more money for playing SC in SC than in Hawaii. My understanding is that SC was specifically looking to fill an open home game date and UA agreed. The more majors the Zips play the better.

Correction: It was posted here.

Z.I.P., I am surprised at your comment. You know full well that the University of Hawai'i was looking for a home game.

At no time was playing South Carolina even mentioned. The Zips game at South Carolina was brokered by ESPN after

negotiations to play at UH fell through. Reason as far as I know was money. ESPN offered the Zips the opportunity to play in

the Charleston Classic and a ESPN Tip Off game this year against St. Mary's. A much better deal for Akron than staying in

Hawai'i for a couple more days and playing the 'Bows.

Tip: Both Akron and South Carolina will suffer the same jet lag as the Zips fly straight to South Carolina with the Gamecocks.

[Captain Kangaroo]

How many other teams have played only three D-1 games through this point in the season?

Heck...Malone's already played two D-1's.

[Z.I.P.]

Without wanting to run afoul (it IS post-Thanksgiving, so no turkey jokes at least) of Gozips corrections, I was informed prior to the start of the season that the University of Hawaii was not the only school trying to schedule extra games with fellow Diamond Head Classic participants. As it ended up, we got games versus both St Mary's AND South Carolina, however on the opponents' terms, not ours. I suppose that St Mary's must now also be a high major, since they were able to finagle a home game in the ESPN 24-Hours of Hoops thingamajig. Sure, we'll dance the Charleston next season, but will we ever get a home game versus either of those road opponents, or anyone similar? A neutral venue would have been better, but I have to guess either $$ or ESPN visibility (does the MAC still have a TV contract including zero dollars?) won out over the advantage of a possible neutral court. As it ends up, if Akron beats Oregon State then loses to Iowa State (or GMU), and St Mary's beats South Carolina but loses to Boise State (or Hawaii), we will get a rematch vs the Gaels on the final day (i.e., Mele Kalikimaka) at Stan Sheriff Center. I'd like to see that -- if we don't make the finals. I just don't want to play the home team.

[Dave in Green]

It sounds as if we got Saint Mary's and South Carolina on ESPN's terms. Are any Zips fans really opposed to establishing a good relationship with the guys who control so much of college basketball's TV coverage? Do any Zips fans really think that getting games with Saint Mary's and South Carolina plus an invitation to the Charleston Classic is a bad tradeoff for a slightly unbalanced early-season schedule?

[legendofzippy]

It sounds as if we got Saint Mary's and South Carolina on ESPN's terms. Are any Zips fans really opposed to establishing a good relationship with the guys who control so much of college basketball's TV coverage? Do any Zips fans really think that getting games with Saint Mary's and South Carolina plus an invitation to the Charleston Classic is a bad tradeoff for a slightly unbalanced early-season schedule?

Agree. The schedule is weird, but college football is still dominating headlines right now anyway. College BB is just starting to gear up. In the end I think the timing is fine, and if it gets us on national tv, all the better.

[GJGood]

Without wanting to run afoul (it IS post-Thanksgiving, so no turkey jokes at least) of Gozips corrections, I was informed prior to the start of the season that the University of Hawaii was not the only school trying to schedule extra games with fellow Diamond Head Classic participants. As it ended up, we got games versus both St Mary's AND South Carolina, however on the opponents' terms, not ours. I suppose that St Mary's must now also be a high major, since they were able to finagle a home game in the ESPN 24-Hours of Hoops thingamajig. Sure, we'll dance the Charleston next season, but will we ever get a home game versus either of those road opponents, or anyone similar? A neutral venue would have been better, but I have to guess either $$ or ESPN visibility (does the MAC still have a TV contract including zero dollars?) won out over the advantage of a possible neutral court. As it ends up, if Akron beats Oregon State then loses to Iowa State (or GMU), and St Mary's beats South Carolina but loses to Boise State (or Hawaii), we will get a rematch vs the Gaels on the final day at Stan Sheriff Center. I'd like to see that -- if we don't make the finals. I just don't want to play the home team.

I agree I love the fact that we are able to play teams like St. Marys, South Carolina, and Oregon State and that ESPN thinks enough of the Zips to put them in an event like the Diamond head and Charleston Classic but now, especially with the abolishment of the BracketBusters event, I think it would be great if there was some way more 'nid-majors' could get quality non-conference opponents for HOME games as well. I'd love to watch schools like those we can play on the road or neutral floors play in the JAR. Unfortunately to get more "name programs" to come to the JAR the Zips will probably need help from outside parties like ESPN.

[Dr Z]

Is the Zips home basketball schedule more accurate at predicting snow storms than the farmers almanac?

Wish I was making this stuff up...Winter Weather Advisor for tomorrows game

[GP1]

Do any Zips fans really think that getting games with Saint Mary's and South Carolina plus an invitation to the Charleston Classic is a bad tradeoff for a slightly unbalanced early-season schedule?

I certainly do not.

While I haven't seen the Zips much this year, I find it hard to believe they would lose to SC in a couple of weeks. SC is a traditionally terrible program that somehow has gotten worse. The Gamecocks will be lucky of more than 10,000 attend the game. The Zips stand a good chance of winning this one on TV similar to Miss State....although MSU was a bigger win than beating usc.