Bulls @ Zips — Feb 16

[LZIp]

20 minutes ago, Glib Shanley said:

From ubfan.com:

Akron always loves to call us "Canada" as though it's an insult. How about we call them "Afghanistan" since they are the only MAC school that broadcasts its games from a freaking camcorder. Try spending $50 to create something ESPN3 will pick up.

 

Evidently, "Polytechnic" does not include a minor in A/V

Thats actually pretty funny. I agree. It baffles me how shitty our broadcast equipment its.

[zippy5]

10 minutes ago, Sportsjunkie330 said:

 

DIG is the most missed person on ZNO. Of all the people that have come and gone, DIG is one that I wish wouldn't have "left." 

Maybe he was GP1's alter ego

[LZIp]

8 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Game story from GT.

 

http://www.ohio.com/sports/zips/university-of-akron-men-s-basketball-zips-overcome-adversity-to-register-80-70-victory-over-buffalo-1.662616#

 

This is a little concerning:

"The Bulls never recovered despite a dominant 50-29 rebounding edge, including 15-11 on the offensive glass, and a lopsided 42-18 scoring advantage in the paint."

 

 

There aren't that many teams that could win despite that rebounding deficit.

[RowdyZip]

3 minutes ago, skip-zip said:

 

I've hammered on Pat a little bit this year, and think he has really underperformed.

 

But, he would have made a big difference in this game.  His presence in the paint defensively, the handful of rebounds he would have pulled down, and the 5-10 points he would have scored. 

Per the ESPN box score, rebounding was 40-29 in favor of UB. Still not good, but better than almost being doubled up. 

 

Speaking of box scores, does anyone have a Cleveland.com ID that can log on to the Elton Alexander story and refute the conspiracy theorist that is posting on multiple stories that the officials helped the Zips win by "putting them at the line" even though Buffalo took 23 free throws to Akron's 21 (and made 17 to our 15). 

[kreed5120]

39 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Game story from GT.

 

http://www.ohio.com/sports/zips/university-of-akron-men-s-basketball-zips-overcome-adversity-to-register-80-70-victory-over-buffalo-1.662616#

 

This is a little concerning:

"The Bulls never recovered despite a dominant 50-29 rebounding edge, including 15-11 on the offensive glass, and a lopsided 42-18 scoring advantage in the paint."

 

 

 

I think that 50-29 rebound is a misprint. According to the box score it was 40-29, which is still a concern. The Zips managed to offset much of the -11 rebound differential by being +7 in the turnover department. What sunk them vs. NIU is that they got dominated on the boards and they lost the turnover battle. I wouldn't look at the rebounding numbers too hard for this game. Pat was out and Cheatham got into early foul trouble which forced Akron to play small much of the 1st half. UB countered by playing big and forced mismatches.

 

Protecting the paint and preventing dribble drive penetration, especially in transition before the defense is set, has been a problem with the Zips all season. Odds are the Zips will lose the points in the paint battle mostly every game as they rely on other means for points. They scored 54 points alone last night from 3s and free throws. They still need to work on limiting the points in the paint they allow. That's their Achilles heel.

Edited February 17, 2016 by kreed5120

[NWAkron]

As for that PD story comment, I didn't see what Coach Oats did to deserve the technical but the Perkins tech in the second half was quite obvious at least from where I was sitting. I would say that free throws kept Buffalo in the game during the first few minutes.  Don't think either side won with the refs last night.   I just don't understand how Buffalo can be mugging the Zips all night and nothing is called and then get 5 fouls in the course of a few minutes.

Edited February 17, 2016 by NWAkron

[Glib Shanley]

I was at the game, but the Beacon headline writer must have had a much different view.

 

Today's headline at the Top of Page A1:

 

Zips Pull Off Happy Ending

Over Buffalo Bulls

 

I didn't see any of that from my seats. *cough*

[Hilltopper]

1 hour ago, zippy5 said:

Maybe he was GP1's alter ego

Haha. Not.

[burrdie]

Congrats to the Zips BB team for the win!

as for the MAC, my opinion win the rest of the games, go to Cleveland a winner.

They need the confidence!

this is the first team in years that seems to play as a team 

Also no outside the court drama, that is so important, keeps their concentration on game only!

[Dr Z]

25 minutes ago, Glib Shanley said:

Today's headline at the Top of Page A1: Zips Pull Off Happy Ending Over Buffalo Bulls

Seems like they corrected it online.

 

Photography from Michael Christen of the Akron Beacon Journal included in the above article. 

 

 

[1981 grad]

58 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

As for that PD story comment, I didn't see what Coach Oats did to deserve the technical but the Perkins tech in the second half was quite obvious at least from where I was sitting. I would say that free throws kept Buffalo in the game during the first few minutes.  Don't think either side won with the refs last night.   I just don't understand how Buffalo can be mugging the Zips all night and nothing is called and then get 5 fouls in the course of a few minutes.

After the half the coach was talking to ref about a call for about 30 seconds and then the second ref came over and motioned for the ref to come to the locker room.  The coach and the second referee then got into an argument and the 2nd ref gave him the T.  It was interesting because when the 2nd half began the coach was glaring at the refs at half court from the bench.  Eventually, he spoke to the ref who gave him the T and everything settled down.  On the pregame KD indicated that he had complained about the refs at N. Illinois to the MAC. 

[skip-zip]

1 hour ago, Glib Shanley said:

Zips Pull Off Happy Ending

 

Are we sure we were all at a basketball game last night, and not a massage parlor?

[LoyalZIP]

I see a lot of Dambrot in Oats. Hopefully UB can keep him around for a while. 

[K92]

2 hours ago, zippy5 said:

Maybe he was GP1's alter ego

I can guarantee this is not so.

[K92]

2 hours ago, Sportsjunkie330 said:

 

DIG is the most missed person on ZNO. Of all the people that have come and gone, DIG is one that I wish wouldn't have "left."

I must also say that I really miss GP1 and Zipmeister.

[Dr Z]

[kreed5120]

So on the 1350 am postgame show they had Dambrot on and they were talking about the elite 21+ win company the Zips are in. One of the broadcasters jokingly asked when we are going to see one of those other 21+ win club teams on their schedule. Dambrot said those other teams would happily schedule Akron and would pay them a lot of money to do so. This debunks a few peoples myths that these teams are too scared to schedule Akron.

 

My question is why not schedule one of these cash grab games a year? I'd give Akron a fighting chance vs. OSU in Columbus this year. A loss and they would need to likely rely on a MAC tourney win to get in just like every other year. A win and their resume actually might get a 2nd look come selection time.

[LZIp]

4 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

So on the 1350 am postgame show they had Dambrot on and they were talking about the elite 21+ win company the Zips are in. One of the broadcasters jokingly asked when we are going to see one of those other 21+ win club teams on their schedule. Dambrot said those other teams would happily schedule Akron and would pay them a lot of money to do so. This debunks a few peoples myths that these teams are too scared to schedule Akron.

 

My question is why not schedule one of these cash grab games a year? I'd give Akron a fighting chance vs. OSU in Columbus this year. A loss and they would need to likely rely on a MAC tourney win to get in just like every other year. A win and their resume actually might get a 2nd look come selection time.

I share your stance on scheduling, but we did play the current #1 team in the country this season...That's progress at least.

Edited February 17, 2016 by LZIp

[clarkwgriswold]

There were a lot of loose balls and rebounds that seemed to bounce Buffalo's way, but we also had some serious rebounding technique issues last night.

 

Buffalo is very young.  I expect to see them back as a top MAC contender in the near future.

[LoyalZIP]

34 minutes ago, Dr Z said:

 

My vote for hardest team to figure out is Toledo

[skip-zip]

Our 3 conference losses to those teams that are 7-6 is not helping our RPI either. 

 

But, we're still in the low 40s, even with the loss on Saturday. 

[bUAkronG]

32 minutes ago, LZIp said:

I share your stance on scheduling, but we did play the current #1 team in the country this season...That's progress at least.

 

While I agree this is great and all, it's still not enough. 

 

I look at a team like Monmouth, who plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, literally one of the worst conferences in CBB. Right now their overall SOS is 153, while the Zips is 160. They are currently 6-2 against top 100 teams, including a 2-2 record against top 25 teams. Their OOC schedule, in which they played 4 top 25 teams and 2 top 100 teams, had an SOS of 48. Akron's was 266. 

 

You can't get marquee wins if you don't even give yourself an opportunity to play against a marquee opponent more than once a year.

[Dr Z]

1 hour ago, kreed5120 said:

So on the 1350 am postgame show they had Dambrot on and they were talking about the elite 21+ win company the Zips are in. One of the broadcasters jokingly asked when we are going to see one of those other 21+ win club teams on their schedule. Dambrot said those other teams would happily schedule Akron and would pay them a lot of money to do so. This debunks a few peoples myths that these teams are too scared to schedule Akron.

Good stuff. Dambrot usually entertains on the post game shows. I normally learn something while listening to him....as opposed to coaches like Mike Tomlin, who tell you very little. I like MT, I just skip his pressers. I wonder if this comment is related to scheduling conversations with a new athletic director?

[Captain Kangaroo]

57 minutes ago, akronzipsbetch said:

I look at a team like Monmouth, who plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, literally one of the worst conferences in CBB. Right now their overall SOS is 153, while the Zips is 160. They are currently 6-2 against top 100 teams, including a 2-2 record against top 25 teams. Their OOC schedule, in which they played 4 top 25 teams and 2 top 100 teams, had an SOS of 48. Akron's was 266. 

 

You can't get marquee wins if you don't even give yourself an opportunity to play against a marquee opponent more than once a year.

Northern Iowa boasts 3 Top 25 wins this season.

[kreed5120]

4 minutes ago, Dr Z said:

Good stuff. Dambrot usually entertains on the post game shows. I normally learn something while listening to him....as opposed to coaches like Mike Tomlin, who tell you very little. I like MT, I just skip his pressers. I wonder if this comment is related to scheduling conversations with a new athletic director?

 

It could be, but the way he said it made me think he was scoffing at the notion of playing a cash grab game. He emphasized those guys won't come here which makes me believe he wants a home and home which at some point we have to accept just isn't going to happen against programs of that caliber.