2014-2015

[LZIp]

Insanity is thinking that things you've never had any experience trying to make happen are "easy."

what do I think is easy to make happen?

[Balsy]

How about we just sweep all the teams this year on this "easy" schedule and then schedule more easy teams next year and continue the process. We'll never attract good teams to the JAR, so just learn to live with sweeping nobodies.

[LZIp]

How about we just sweep all the teams this year on this "easy" schedule and then schedule more easy teams next year and continue the process. We'll never attract good teams to the JAR, so just learn to live with sweeping nobodies.

I don't know about you, but I'm not content with the program staying at the same level.

[Balsy]

Neither am I LZip, but what BIG teams are going to agree to play at the JAR? We're playing Penn State for the second time in three years. At Penn State. Even a horrible BIG-10 team is above coming to the JAR.

[UAZip0510]

"This year's schedule is a difficult one, providing us the chance to play multiple high-major programs and a pair of quality mid-majors at home," Dambrot said. "We are happy to have 16 homes games, including nine in a 10-game stretch, as well as having the opportunity to play in an ESPN-sponsored event for the third-straight season."

2014-15 Akron Basketball Schedule

Mon, Nov. 10 – Rochester College (Mich.)#

Fri., Nov. 14 – UMBC

Thurs., Nov. 20 – vs. USC (ESPN3)^

Fri., Nov. 21 – vs. Drexel or Miami (Fla.) (ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN3)^

Sun., Nov. 23 – TBD (ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN3)^

Tues., Nov. 25 – at Penn State

Sun., Nov. 30 – Bryant

Tues., Dec. 2 – Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Thurs., Dec. 4 – Western Illinois

Sat., Dec. 13 – Middle Tennessee

Tues., Dec. 16 – at North Dakota State

Sat., Dec. 20 – Bluffton

Tues., Dec. 30 – Marshall

Sat., Jan. 3 – Coppin State

Tues., Jan. 6 – Western Michigan*

Fri., Jan. 9 – at Toledo*

Wed., Jan. 14 – Bowling Green*

Sat., Jan. 17 – Central Michigan*

Wed., Jan. 21 – at Northern Illinois*

Sat., Jan. 24 – at Western Michigan*

Tues., Jan. 27 – Ball State*

Sat., Jan. 31 – at Bowling Green*

Wed., Feb. 4 – at Ohio*

Sat., Feb. 7 – Buffalo*

Tues., Feb. 10 – Can't State*

Sat., Feb. 14 – at Eastern Michigan*

Wed., Feb. 18 – Toledo*

Sat., Feb. 21 – Miami (Ohio)*

Tues., Feb. 24 – at Buffalo*

Sat., Feb. 28 – Ohio*

Tues., March 3 – at Miami (Ohio)*

Fri., March 6 – at Can't State*

source

Ken+ gets Kansas!

1. Can't plays at Kansas but the rest of their non-conference schedule is full of nobodies.

2. Please realize that no top programs are willing to come play at Akron.

3. Please realize that no top programs are willing to come play at Akron. (Wanted to drive that one home)

[Dave in Green]

what do I think is easy to make happen?

What do you find "disappointing?"

[GP1]

Insanity is thinking that things you've never had any experience trying to make happen are "easy."

Agreed. In terms of the Zips scheduling top teams, or at least teams from top conferences to come to the JAR, it might even be next to impossible. Why?

1. The University is swimming in red ink. The amount of money it would take to get a team from a top conference to come to the JAR to play and forego a game at their own arena would probably be pretty expensive. The kind of expense the University can't afford right now.

2. The teams that would provide a big name and a chance for a win are at schools where their basketball team is probably losing money for their school in a game where there is a risk of a road loss. Because of that, it is impossible for them to give up a home game for a loss of money at the JAR. Other teams can't afford to come to the JAR and play.

There is a difference between "needs" and "wants". We live in a country now where it is hard for people to understand the difference, or maybe they can't tell the difference because we tend to always get what we want. I want the basketball team to play better teams at home. I also know the University is well into the red ink and this isn't what it needs right now. They spent a lot of years in the "building process" giving themselves what they wanted framed in the idea that it was what the University "needed" to move forward. Now they need to pay for it. Since the need to pay for it outweighs the want to do something different, the need wins. Enjoy this schedule. It's what the University needs right now.

[Dr Z]

1. Can't plays at Kansas but the rest of their non-conference schedule is full of nobodies.

2. Please realize that no top programs are willing to come play at Akron.

3. Please realize that no top programs are willing to come play at Akron. (Wanted to drive that one home)

If you are a program that wants to take "the next step," then go play somebody that can make you better. Go play somebody away from Akron. Not a true comparison, but the point is valid, when Bobby Bowden spoke of this very thing at the family breakfast. "When I started at FSU, nobody wanted to come to Tallahassee and play us. We had to go to other schools and play. Nebraska, four away, no return, LSU, five away, no return, two in Michigan, no return, Arizona State, no return." If I have the choice of Bryant, Bluffton, and Coppin St at home versus playing a real team on the road, I would rather see them on the road. Please don't respond by telling me about 20+ wins in todays weak Mac. 20+ wins means little when you have to win the conference to get to the dance in today's Mac. I'll take 17 wins, play some good programs on the road and raise the competition level so when you do play in the big dance you have your team READY. Whomever holds a position that uses the excuse to the fanbase of "nobody wants to come to Akron" needs to move on. We need someone to think bigger.

[zippy5]

I'm 100% with Dr. Z. I'm also a little biased personally, as I don't want to drive an hour + to use my tickets to see us blow Coppin St. out of the water.

[GP1]

If you are a program that wants to take "the next step," then go play somebody that can make you better. Go play somebody away from Akron.

I wish it was that easy. It takes a lot more than scheduling to take the next step.

If we scheduled Kansas, Duke and UCONN for this coming season, it wouldn't change the parts of the program that need changed to take the next step and it has nothing to do with a new arena either. I'll leave it at that....

[Dr Z]

I wish it was that easy. It takes a lot more than scheduling to take the next step.

If we scheduled Kansas, Duke and UCONN for this coming season, it wouldn't change the parts of the program that need changed to take the next step and it has nothing to do with a new arena either. I'll leave it at that....

It should be one of the steps, not the only step. Kansas, Duke, UConn would be a tad extreme, not the point. Pick some teams that are top 60 to 26 instead.

[LZIp]

Nobody is expecting Kansas, OSU, etc to come play at Akron. Can't believe it even has to be pointed out. Couldn't agree with Dr. z anymore. Don't tell me it's impossible for Akron to go to someone's house and play when there are other quality teams in the conference doing it every season.

[GP1]

It should be one of the steps, not the only step. Kansas, Duke, UConn would be a tad extreme, not the point. Pick some teams that are top 60 to 26 instead.

Change it to whatever you want. It doesn't change the real problem with our inability to take the next step.

[zippy5]

I'd rather get some quality mid majors at the JAR. You can't tell there aren't more teams in our boat that would sign up for a home and home.

[GP1]

I took a minute and surfed some of our fellow MAC websites and looked at a few schedules out there. I'm hard pressed to find a schedule significantly different than our, "generally speaking". So, since it is almost always the case that people working in Athletic Departments follow like sheep, it makes me think that guaranteed wins have become the priority for mid majors.

No high school kid you would want on your team wants to play for a losing program. It's hard enough at mid majors to get top level talent. Winning records help get better players because the better players want to win. I can feel myself going in to a rant about the Zips not taking enough advantage of their success so I'm going to stop.

[Dave in Green]

I give UA credit for developing an ongoing alternating home-away series with perennial mid-major power MTSU. I'm pretty sure that UA is trying to put other deals like this one together to replace some of the cream puff home games. It's not easy finding quality mid-majors willing to do this. Both sides have to want it.

I also give UA credit for regularly scheduling early season tournaments with a number of major teams. Playing on neutral courts offer better opportunities to win than playing on the home floors of major teams. Like most everyone else, I'd like to see UA trade one or two cream puff home games for road games against winning power conference programs. The Zips have been slowly building up their non-conference schedule over the years and this would represent another step up.

Adding it all up, I think most of us would be happy with trading a few cream puff home games for a few more quality mid-major home-away series and road games against winning power conference teams. I'd be satisfied to know that UA is diligently working to make something like that happen.

[Valpo Zip]

So does it have to be either Kansas, Uconn, Duke OR Bryant, Coppin State, UAPB, Bluffton? Isn't there anything in between?

Can't we get A10, MVC, Horizon teams to play a home and home with us? Like DIG pointed out, the MTSU series is a great one. Why don't we have a few of these with similar teams?

I also appreciate the fact that kids want to win, but they also want to be in the spotlight and want to play in full arenas. So we may need to think about what these schedules are doing to our already dwindling fan base.

[Hilltopper]

Those teams don't want to play here because the odds of winning are slim. Go look at their OOC schedules. They look just like ours.

[zippy5]

I'll get flamed for saying this but I watch the Zips because it's entertaining. Driving an hour to watch us humiliate these cupcakes isn't entertaining. Call me selfish, but it doesn't make it more entertaining when I'm sitting there telling myself "at least we beat Pine Bluff and Coppin State so we can keep our twenty win streak alive."

I realize getting quality teams at the JAR is tough. I'd rather watch us on the road at OSU than at home against Coppin State. I'm positive there are mid majors in our boat, such as MTSU, that would love to have a home and home.

[Spin]

Nice to see Cleveland State kept up their end and scheduled a game in Akron

I guess we hurt their feelings last year.

[GP1]

I also appreciate the fact that kids want to win, but they also want to be in the spotlight and want to play in full arenas. So we may need to think about what these schedules are doing to our already dwindling fan base.

Interesting point. There are only about 15-20 college basketball programs that play in front of full arenas so any kid who has this in his mind is either good enough to pay at one of those schools, or is delusional. Take the kid with winning in the forefront of his mind.

I'd be concerned about the fan base if the season ticket numbers were dwindling, but not overall ticket sales. If season ticket sales are going down, I'm concerned.

[GP1]

I'll get flamed for saying this but I watch the Zips because it's entertaining.

I'm positive there are mid majors in our boat, such as MTSU, that would love to have a home and home.

You should only get flamed for saying that because it isn't true. The Zips are a workmanlike team that can hardly be described as entertaining. I would describe them as hardworking, but not entertaining.

MTSU is on the schedule this year....

[zippy5]

Good point. I enjoy that kind of style, I suppose. I enjoyed watching the steelers growing up, and my high school basketball team used to win districts scoring under 20 points. I mentioned MTSU because they're on the schedule, there has to be more mid majors like them we can schedule.

[zippy5]

I suppose that would have made more sense if I phrased it as "I watch them for entertainment"

[UAZip0510]

If you are a program that wants to take "the next step," then go play somebody that can make you better. Go play somebody away from Akron. Not a true comparison, but the point is valid, when Bobby Bowden spoke of this very thing at the family breakfast. "When I started at FSU, nobody wanted to come to Tallahassee and play us. We had to go to other schools and play. Nebraska, four away, no return, LSU, five away, no return, two in Michigan, no return, Arizona State, no return." If I have the choice of Bryant, Bluffton, and Coppin St at home versus playing a real team on the road, I would rather see them on the road. Please don't respond by telling me about 20+ wins in todays weak Mac. 20+ wins means little when you have to win the conference to get to the dance in today's Mac. I'll take 17 wins, play some good programs on the road and raise the competition level so when you do play in the big dance you have your team READY. Whomever holds a position that uses the excuse to the fanbase of "nobody wants to come to Akron" needs to move on. We need someone to think bigger.

I'm not sure getting drilled by by 20 at Kansas is going to be the difference between this team making a run or not. You're not going to get many teams in the 30-60 range that want to play you. So you're left with good mid-majors and low-end BCS teams, which is what this schedule features.

Whomever holds the position that Akron plays "nobody" because they don't want to needs to investigate the number of teams that turn Akron down year after year.