Where to Next?

[BirdZip]

KD says in GT article "they'll be hungrier than us".. And to paraphrase" once you play in the NCAA tournament, you don't want to play anywhere else."

I don't agree with skip all the time, but it isn't that crazy to believe they aren't gonna be very motivated. I don't blame them. I'd have a lot of respect if they came out and gave their best shot to win the whole thing.

Once you eat Filet Mignon, you don't really want to eat anything else either. But when the cupboard's bare and your pockets are empty, if someone hands you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you eat it.

[zippy5]

@zippy5, I had read the KD quote. We all know there's purpose in his public statements. Of course a team that's never been to a tournament and is coming off its best season ever is going to be highly motivated. That goes without saying. Again, that begs the question of whether any team that's ever made the NCAA tournament should ever bother entering a lesser tournament because their hearts can never truly be in it. The answer is yes they should, and most do. Every season many teams that have been to the NCAA tournament in the past play well in the NIT, CBI and CIT. Only a few elect not to, as Buffalo did this year.

You're kind of putting words in my mouth. I in no way am suggesting they should decline the tournament. Just merely pointing out that the players aren't all that motivated to be in it.

[Derrt]

I agree with KD. Remeber the north westren nit tournment game? Only few a players showed up to play, the rest of the team was on vacation. I assume those same players will do it again in this CIT tournament. A tournament the ZIPS should win easily.

[BirdZip]

Part of the Zips' problem in many games this year was that certain players weren't into it. How often were we fans frustrated by what we interpreted as a lack of effort.

if nothing else, this tournament can help to highlight which players are true competitors and which ones are just along for the ride.

[Captain Kangaroo]

You're kind of putting words in my mouth.

Dave in Green has been doing that a lot lately. It is getting old.

Apologies to zippy5 and LZip for having to put up with it. I assure you it will stop.

[VAZip]

3 Things:

1. I would rather spend my time concentrating on the Lady's who are in a real tournament and have been playing well.

2. Saw IPFW play a week ago on TV and they looked easily as good as the Zips...seemed to have a planned offense

3. Not sure how it works....but a quick count of the last 3 yrs, when the Zips play on espn, espn2, ESPU, or broadcast TV they are slightly under 500. How long will we be offered games?

Just so no one thinks I am a negative fan...I just drove 500 miles each way and attended every zip game since the last Can't game, both M and W. And I will do so next year regardless. Go Zips

[tomzip]

I agree with KD. Remeber the north westren nit tournment game? Only few a players showed up to play, the rest of the team was on vacation. I assume those same players will do it again in this CIT tournament. A tournament the ZIPS should win easily.

We can't win A game easily, let alone a tournament

[UAZip0510]

Of course...to set up the excuses if/when the Zips lose. After that 46 point embarrassment in the NCAA Tourney last season and the collapse in this season's MAC Tourney semi-final, let's be sure the excuses are in place.

Oh please. Anyone with an ounce of basketball knowledge knows why they got stomped by VCU.

[Dave in Green]

You're kind of putting words in my mouth. I in no way am suggesting they should decline the tournament. Just merely pointing out that the players aren't all that motivated to be in it.

Sorry my intent wasn't more clear. I had no intent to question your position on tournament participation, which you didn't even state in your first post. Please read my post again with the understanding that I was only saying that discussing a team's motivation level begs the question of whether they should even bother to enter the tournament. I simply restated my position on that issue.

Misunderstood intent is common on forums. You and I have never had a problem discussing any misunderstandings we might have had. Same with skip-zip and other reasonable forum members with differing opinions. I don't take offense when someone questions my position and there's no reason for anyone to take offense when I question their position. We can question each other and disagree on things without being disagreeable, and through civil discussion we often find that we agree on more than we disagree.

[Big Zip]

If the team is going to play in the tournament the team needs to win the tournament plain and simple. If this tournament was on our schedule to kick-off next season we would all be pumped.

Personally, I think it would be great of the CIT ignored the big name schools and put together a tournament to kick-off the season each year with a similar group of schools like this group.

I know it isn't the NCAA or the NIT but this would be a great tournament for us to win. At the end of the day this team has to actually start winning some post season tournament games. The FSU win a few years ago was great but then we lost to UMass (I think) so it didn't feel as good. I'd be all for hoisting a CIT banner to the rafters at the beginning of next season.

[Zipmeister]

Math not your strongsuit?

Reading not your forte?

[zippy5]

If this tournament was on our schedule to kick-off next season we would all be pumped.

I respectfully disagree. I was excited to play Iowa State, St Mary's, Oregon State, maybe Boise.. Not this group of jabronies. The marquee matchup is a team we've already played 3 times this season.

[zippy5]

Sorry my intent wasn't more clear. I had no intent to question your position on tournament participation, which you didn't even state in your first post. Please read my post again with the understanding that I was only saying that discussing a team's motivation level begs the question of whether they should even bother to enter the tournament. I simply restated my position on that issue.

Misunderstood intent is common on forums. You and I have never had a problem discussing any misunderstandings we might have had. Same with skip-zip and other reasonable forum members with differing opinions. I don't take offense when someone questions my position and there's no reason for anyone to take offense when I question their position. We can question each other and disagree on things without being disagreeable, and through civil discussion we often find that we agree on more than we disagree.

No offense taken. If I'm not mistaken, you offered that the current group of players are excited to play some more games. I was just using KD's quotes as saying otherwise. Some players might be amped, some, maybe not. That doesn't mean we should back out. It's certainly not crazy to think there are some players disappointed they're playing IPFW and not Syracuse.

[Dave in Green]

@zippy5, I can't disagree with a single word you just said. The players all have different perspectives just as we do. Some are surely more excited than others, and all of them, like all of us, would be more excited to be in the Big Dance. It's unrealistic to expect all the players to have exactly the same level of motivation, but that's true all the time and not just in this tournament. I see the same potential negatives that everyone else sees. I'm just trying to stay focused on whatever positives the Zips can get out of this experience that can carry into next season.

I agree with @Big Zip that the team must go into this tournament with the mindset that they're going to win it all, and then do whatever it takes. But even if they lose along the way and learn something that will make them a better team next season, I'll still consider it a net plus. There will be 2 redshirt freshmen sitting on the bench and 2 freshmen and 4 sophomores potentially playing -- a total of 8 underclassmen -- who still have a lot to learn about playing together and winning as a team.

[roopride]

The ZIPs MBB program has been very strong over the last decade. But we have not performed well in any of the tournaments we have been in. If the ZIPS can't get excited to show they belong in these post season tournaments, well ......... I would be disappointed. Let's go win something!!! We do have a lot of underclassmen and they better feel like they have something to achieve. This is a great time to start.

I will be excited Wednesday eve!!

[OZoner]

Once you eat Filet Mignon, you don't really want to eat anything else either. But when the cupboard's bare and your pockets are empty, if someone hands you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you eat it.

No way. I would much rather have a PBJ than mignon.

[Valpo Zip]

I don't mean to be offensive to any fellow fan or player/parent or even staff member reading this forum. I do however feel that (as a fan base, no one personally) we need a dose of reality at this point.

As fans of the Akron Zips, we tend to wear our blue and gold glasses every off season as we start discussing our sweet 16 team, the most athletic group that Akron ever fielded, Big Dog who is going to dominate the paint by the start of MAC play, etc... Reality usually strikes 3-5 games into the season, when we usually lay an egg in our OOC part of the schedule (Austin Peay, Duquesne, Coastal Carolina, etc...). We then start playing the "mostly" mediocre MAC teams which re-inflates our heads to think that we are sweet 16 caliber again. In the MAC tournament, we have obviously dominated by consistently being in the championship game for the last 7 years (winning 3 of which). After the MAC tournamnet, over the last 5 years, we have lost by double digits all 3 times we went to the big dance, lost in the first round of the NIT at Northwestern, and lost in the first round of the CIT to Wisconsin GB.

Considering all the above, can someone explain to me why do we feel that the CIT is beneath us? I can see Butler, VCU, or Creighton looking down at the CIT because they have consistently played AND WON at the NCAA tournament. But us???? Do we feel that we are too good for the CIT because we make it to the NCAA tournament every other year and get blown by XX points?
Moreover, if the NIT or CIT are such lowly tournaments, can you please remind me of the last time we made a serious run in any of those tournaments? did we ever win one of those tournaments? final four? any thing worth mentioning?

Fellow fans, with all due respect, our team can't make free throws. Our team went for 8 minutes of play without scoring a point against WMU. Why on earth do we feel that we're too good to play in any tournament? where did this team get this sense of entitlement?
Why are we discussing if coaches want to play in the tournament or not? isn't that their job to prepare the team to play whoever they are playing?

Why are we discussing how the players feel about playing in the CIT? isn't it expected from them to be competitors who play their hearts and souls every time they put on their jerseys?

[Balsy]

Ada Zip +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1!

[BirdZip]

No way. I would much rather have a PBJ than mignon.

That explains why you're an Ohio U fan. Just kidding...

[zippy5]

Has anyone said it's beneath us?

[Balsy]

@Zippy5, I don't think anyone has said it...directly...but based upon some of the comments said here, it isn't far off to say that some people don't think we should be excited...or care...about a CIT bid.

As Ada Zips talked about...there's a reality we Zips fans need to come to realize. This program has zero respect on a national stage. There just is no other way around that fact. If the national stage doesn't focus on the Alex Abreu debacle (reason alone not to let him get anywhere close to the team again), it instead focuses on our 0-4 NCAA record, with the last match-up nearly making the highest blowout record in NCAA tournament history.

Actually rallying the team to a CIT run or even the unlikely event of a CIT championship win. Could give this program the postseason momentum it so desperately needs.

IMO a couple of wins in the CIT/or a CIT championship win is far better for this program than a one-and-done NCAA appearance. Just as long as it doesn't become a regular thing.

[Big Zip]

I agree with Ada Zip 100%. As much as I've loved the fun we've had under Dambrodt the lack of post season success is really frustrating. KD is easily the best thing to happen to this program in a long time and I'm very happy he's our coach. I would love to see this team win the CIT and use it as a springboard to next season. Fingers crossed KD finds a JUCO transfer to replace the offense we will lose with Q. I'd also like to see another PG brought in that can handle the rock and lead the team. I think back to some of the better PG we've had here and wish we had one like Dru Joyce with this team...man that would be awesome. Rashon Brown, Hollingsworth, Ball, Dials....any one of them would have made this team pretty awesome. Evans and Betancourt seem like great backups but not great starters.

[zippy5]

There's a difference between not being excited and not being too good for it. I'm not very excited for it, but I definitely think it's good for the program. The national perception comment though.. I believe we were on the ESPN network over 15 times this year. To say we have 0 respect is pushing it. I'd also argue that making the tourney for the 4th time in six years would be exponentially better as far as "national recognition" than being the best of the 100-132 teams.

[Dave in Green]

I have to say how impressed I am with how the level of discussion about Zips basketball has gone up compared with past seasons. For many years it seemed like some just wanted to vent their frustration and spew negativity when things didn't go well. Now most are expressing a more balanced view, not just expressing their frustrations about everything that's gone wrong but also their appreciation for what's gone right. I think that's a really healthy attitude for a fan base to have. Makes me proud to be a Zips fan.

[Big Zip]

There's a difference between not being excited and not being too good for it. I'm not very excited for it, but I definitely think it's good for the program. The national perception comment though.. I believe we were on the ESPN network over 15 times this year. To say we have 0 respect is pushing it. I'd also argue that making the tourney for the 4th time in six years would be exponentially better as far as "national recognition" than being the best of the 100-132 teams.

You're not serious right? ESPN3 is not ESPN.