More Scheduling Tidbits

[GoZips]

Near as I can determine, based on current knowledge the Zips out of conferenceschedule shapes up like this thus far:Home Games: Nevada Loyola Marymount ESPN Bracket Buster possible A10 opponent Away Games: Youngstown State Niagara Oakland Duquesne Oral RobertsObviously there are still some open dates. No one is going to accuse Akron ofplaying a rugged road schedule. The first four of the teams listed are to say the leastbeatable. In fact, not one of them is a power RPI. Oral Roberts is a fairly toughroad opponent even though they do not have a marque name.

[mrelegazna]

Near as I can determine, based on current knowledge the Zips out of conferenceschedule shapes up like this thus far:Home Games: Nevada Loyola Marymount ESPN Bracket Buster possible A10 opponent Away Games: Youngstown State Niagara Oakland Duquesne Oral RobertsObviously there are still some open dates. No one is going to accuse Akron ofplaying a rugged road schedule. The first four of the teams listed are to say the leastbeatable. In fact, not one of them is a power RPI. Oral Roberts is a fairly toughroad opponent even though they do not have a marque name.

I would say all five road games are very winnable. I realize ORU was Mid-Continent champs, but the Mid-Con is arguably the worst DI hoops conference these days, thank God we got out. With the group of guys we have returning, if we can't beat ORU, even on the road, we can't argue too much about a lack of respect. Not that that will stop us. I'm honestly more worried about a bad team from a good conference (Duquesne) than the best team of a terrible conference.

[liljc]

I love that Nevada is coming to the JAR. Will the Zips be going out there, again?

[GoZips]

Two more home dates seem certain. Heard that two "cupcakes" have found their way onto the Zips schedule. St. Francis of PA and Winston-Salem State (a provisional D-Iprogram) are coming to the JAR.There will NOT be an A-10 opponent in the JAR. Not this year, but Temple comes herenext year in basketball and probably football as well.The staff is working on playing in an exempt tournament. They are a really popular wayto sneak in a couple of extra regular season games. While I know more than I willsay here ... suffice it to say that its at a PAC-10 venue. This would be a three gametournament similar to the San Juan Shootout of last year.

[zipboy]

Thanks GoZips. I can't hide my dissapointment here. I know that no one wants to come here, and I know that we the funding is not there to buy a game, but if we lose morre than 2 of these games I will be disappointed. NV is the only marque game to point to as a solid win.

[Valpo Zip]

Other than Nevada, every team on this list seems beatable and the schedule is not too challenging. That's fine because no matter who we play, as long as we win the MAC tournament (which we should) we will go dancing and that's the big deal.

[nbs95]

Going to the big dance is always a big deal. I thinks Steve McNees will make a good attention to the zips. I thinks the zip will make it to the big dance this march and will only impriove as time goes on. the schedule will allow it to happen we have the talent.

[ZachTheZip]

Without Can't State to muck up things this year, and with our players being their awesome selves, we should plow through the MAC tournament this year, and with a high enough RPI we should get a decent seed in the Dance. The problem is the RPI though. Even if Akron goes undefeated there aren't enough tough opponents to get them above some of the "power' teams with 3 or 4 losses.

[GoZips]

Coming home from the Penn State game my son and I stopped at Snappy gas stationin Clearfield, PA. Just in front of us in line was Mike Barto. He was with Steve McNees and a walk-on Jason Liemeyer (sp).Nice chat. Barto is HUGE. Six-ten and growing. He has a wing span I think he could fly with.The kids were in good spirits and itching for their season.Learned that the Pitt deal is DEAD. Pitt's coach Dixon (I'll play anybody, anywhere, anytime, except Akron) has declined playing at Akron this year. No balls. No guts. Noglory and soon, no job.The exempt tournament at Arizona State is on.Akron needs one more home game to complete their scheduling.Oh, the kids did not know of any walk on that left the program unless it was "some kidfrom St.V's".

[gozips19]

that would be chad mraz and it is known that he's not playing this year

[msopher]

Without Can't State to muck up things this year, and with our players being their awesome selves, we should plow through the MAC tournament this year, and with a high enough RPI we should get a decent seed in the Dance. The problem is the RPI though. Even if Akron goes undefeated there aren't enough tough opponents to get them above some of the "power' teams with 3 or 4 losses.

The MAC will never get a 2nd bid into the tourney unless that team is close to 30 wins.

[Captain Kangaroo]

The MAC will never get a 2nd bid into the tourney unless that team is close to 30 wins.

I disagree. I think we need two strong teams. We haven't had that very often in the past 8 or so seasons. With rare exception, our #2 team has not merited an at-large bid.MAC basketball is pulling itself out of a slump. While Can't has excelled, there have been too many teams that have fallen into the crapper. The Zips/Hipsher teams were a definite contributor to the crapper. EMU post-Boykins has been terrible, CMU, other than the Kaman era, has stunk, Buffalo has improved to "slightly above average," Miami, post Sczerbiak, has been consistently "good," but never great, Ball State has stunk the past few years, Ohio has had some decent teams, but no "great" seasons, WMU has been bad-to-mediocre, Toledo - yet another "good-but-not-great" last 8 years...BG had a nice run with McCloud, but has stunk up the MAC since Dakich decided to stiff WVa (boy, aren't the Mountaineers counting their blessings?).The Zips in 2006-7 are poised to dominate. Can't will be "in the hunt" too. OU? You never know. If Can't can improve on their last season, the MAC could get two teams in the big dance. That's our best chance. Charlie Coles has proven he can't do it, and O'Shea too much a question mark. Everyone else is mediocre to bad.

[GoZips]

Zips schedule another <sigh> road game. No one, but no one wants to visit the mustyold JAR.Chicago, Ill. - The UIC men's basketball team released its 2006-07 schedule on Monday afternoon with seven contests versus NCAA Tournament teams from last season, including in-state showdowns with Illinois and Bradley, highlighting a rigorous 31-game regular-season slate for the Flames, who have posted five straight winning campaigns. ...UIC is back in the Pavilion on Dec. 16 to take on Akron. The contest with the Zips starts a grueling stretch of four games in seven days with trips to Mississippi (Dec. 19) and Penn (Dec. 21) slated for mid-week before the Flames welcome Illinois State to the Pavilion on Saturday, Dec. 23.

[zipfan 81]

When is the roster and schedule coming out? Aren't they way behind?

[GoZips]

Latest word is that some of the scheduling has been falling through. A lot of scramblinggoing on to get the schedule finished. Witness the late addition of an AWAY game atIllinois - Chicago Circle as to the scheduling woes. The trip to Arizona appears to be off.Mighty Pitt elected to schedule the even mightier Buffalo for a home and home in place of the nads busting Zips. coach Dixon is playing "save my job".

[GoZips]

The water just gets muddier. No fun for coach McFadden as he struggles to put a goodschedule together. Many teams are fearful of coming to Akron and getting beat. So,its go to their house or not at all. Thus, the Zips travel to Illinois Chicago-Circle for the first of a four game series. The next two will be in the JAR. That leaves the door open to buy out the last game ifdesiredHeard, too, that Zips got a home and home with Binghamton University. Sameproblem as with all the others. Therefore, we go there this year and they come herenext year. Looks like the Zips will have plenty of home games next year.I really do not know what these opposing coaches are thinking. The Zips are highlylikely to be even better next year than this year.Right now everyone is healthy and on track. Unlike Niagara where two of their starterswere just arrested for assault. Love them thugs. Look for Duquesne to be loading upon thugs, too. They'll be beatable this year. Next year they most likely will not be onAkron's schedule. Which is a bit of a shame as Duquesne will be a pretty fair opponent next season.