Is it too soon to start discussing Zips basketball?

[kreed5120]

The Zips first official practice of the season has commenced. Figured it was as good of a time as any to get discussion started.

 

What's your expectations for the season?

What games are you looking forward too?

What players do you expect to have breakout years?

 

http://gozips.com/sports/mbkb/2016-17/releases/20161003qkrlb1

Edited October 4, 2016 by kreed5120

[ZachTheZip]

 

[GoZips]

Tuesday, Oct. 4, was Walk-on Try Out Day.

 

Nine young men gave it a go. Two or three will be offered a manager's position. None of them is the next Micheal Jordan.

 

Made for a long day for the staff as the Try Out was followed by the second three hour practice in two days.

Thankful for a day off Wednesday.

 

The team composition changes a good bit. Most notably will be on the wing. Several players are vying for that starting

role. I think I have a good idea who will get the nod. Best candidate is Danny Utomi; however. Dan maybe called on

to back up Kwan Cheatham at the power forward.

 

"BIG MIKE" Hughes is Isaiah Johnson's understudy at Center. Big Mike is one sweet player. You are going to rave

about his performance.

 

Our three experienced guards get more depth with the addition of Craig Eubanks, Jimond Ivey and true Freshman

Taivan Dunn-Martin.

 

While the sports rags are tabbing the Zips to repeat as East Champs none of them call out Zips for their all conference

teams. Mind you, eight or nine Zips will be second team selection. Akron is that well balanced.

[mes102]

5 hours ago, ZachTheZip said:

 

I am going to the Nike Championship Basketball Clinic at Cuyahoga Heights this upcoming weekend. Dambrot will be a speaker. His session is 7:45pm-9:00pm Saturday night titled "Special Situations, Out-Of-Bounds Plays, and Late Game Situations."

Here are some of the other speakers that will be in Cleveland this weekend:

Tom Billeter, Augustana(SD) College(DII NCAA Champs)
Mike Moran, John Carroll
John Beilein, Michigan
Archie Miller, Dayton
Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa
Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
Jay Wright, Villanova

[Blue & Gold]

It's about time for some new uni's for the basketball progrum, right?  

 

Our FB progrum has the most beautiful uni's in all of football!  

(Save the San Diego Chargers.)

Edited October 5, 2016 by Blue & Gold

[Blue & Gold]

13 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

The Zips first official practice of the season has commenced. Figured it was as good of a time as any to get discussion started.

 

http://gozips.com/sports/mbkb/2016-17/releases/20161003qkrlb1

 

I know OOC we're lucky to see even a solid mid-major at the JAR, but this is still a ridiculously successful home record none-the-less:

The Zips finished the season with an unblemished 15-0 home record in 2015-16, improving to 162-23 (.876) at Rhodes Arena under Dambrot.

[skip-zip]

11 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

It's about time for some new uni's for the basketball progrum, right?  

 

I sure hope so.  Not only do they need an update, but I think the entire nation must be starting to believe that Akron's colors are Blue and Silver.  That never made any sense to me at all.  

[zippy5]

1 hour ago, Blue & Gold said:

It's about time for some new uni's for the basketball progrum, right?  

 

Our FB progrum has the most beautiful uni's in all of football!  

(Save the San Diego Chargers.)

I'm hoping. It's been maybe 4 years with these? Maybe more

[Hilltopper]

They gave away a bunch of the black uniform tops at the golf outing as door prizes. I would guess that will something new for this season.

[Hilltopper]

This season hinges on 2 things. Number one is who steps up and fills the minutes left by the graduation of Reggie and Jake. The leading candidates are Dan Utomi and Craig Eubanks. Neither of them are as deadly spot up shooters from the 3 point line but both are much more athletic and can also take the ball to the hoop. Number two is the play of Kwan Cheatum. If KC shows the maturity needed and becomes more consistent around the basket this team will excel. The wild card is Tavian Dunn-Martin. He is a scoring machine but has never been asked to play man to man defense before. If he can learn what it takes to stay in front of his man he will get some significant PT. 

[akzipper]

3 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

It's about time for some new uni's for the basketball progrum, right?  

 

Our FB progrum has the most beautiful uni's in all of football!  

(Save the San Diego Chargers.)

 

Amen!

 

I'm actually shocked at how awesome the football team has looked this season. Those satin gold helmets last week looked awesome. 

 

Wonder if we'll ever see a return to gold basketball unis?

[kreed5120]

44 minutes ago, Hilltopper said:

This season hinges on 2 things. Number one is who steps up and fills the minutes left by the graduation of Reggie and Jake. The leading candidates are Dan Utomi and Craig Eubanks. Neither of them are as deadly spot up shooters from the 3 point line but both are much more athletic and can also take the ball to the hoop. Number two is the play of Kwan Cheatum. If KC shows the maturity needed and becomes more consistent around the basket this team will excel. The wild card is Tavian Dunn-Martin. He is a scoring machine but has never been asked to play man to man defense before. If he can learn what it takes to stay in front of his man he will get some significant PT. 

 

I think Antino is another player that has the chance to mature and pick up some of that offense lost by Reggie and Jake. It almost seemed at times he tried to do too much during crucial moments of close games. He'd attack the basket recklessly or put up an ill-advised 3 instead of taking what the defense gave him.

[Blue & Gold]

27 minutes ago, akzipper said:

 

Wonder if we'll ever see a return to gold basketball unis?

 

I hope so!  My favorite Akron uni's of all time are the vintage old-gold uni's worn for a handful of games during the Romeo Travis / Dru Joice / Jeremiah Wood era.

[skip-zip]

13 hours ago, GoZips said:

Mind you, eight or nine Zips will be second team selection. 

 

Hmm.  I wish that were possible, but I think we're a little bit off on the math here.  

[Blue & Gold]

3 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

I think Antino is another player that has the chance to mature and pick up some of that offense lost by Reggie and Jake. It almost seemed at times he tried to do too much during crucial moments of close games. He'd attack the basket recklessly or put up an ill-advised 3 instead of taking what the defense gave him.

I agree.  But I'd rather have a player who does that then one who disappears at crunch time.  Antino may be team MVP this year.

[skip-zip]

2 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

 

I hope so!  My favorite Akron uni's of all time are the vintage old-gold uni's worn for a handful of games during the Romeo Travis / Dru Joice / Jeremiah Wood era.

 

We had used some "old gold" unis at times all the way back in the Huggins era too. It makes us a little unique. 

 

I think our gold color is VASTLY underused.  Both in uniforms, and fan gear.  

[Blue & Gold]

1 hour ago, Hilltopper said:

They gave away a bunch of the black uniform tops at the golf outing as door prizes. I would guess that will something new for this season.

I hope they don't get rid of the black w/ the Z.  I love those things!

[Blue & Gold]

Just now, skip-zip said:

 

I think our gold color is VASTLY underused.  Both in uniforms, and fan gear.  

 

Agree whole-heartedly!  I love our football team warm-up suits = all old-gold!  I think it means we're starting to us it more!

[kreed5120]

6 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

I agree.  But I'd rather have a player who does that then one who disappears at crunch time.  Antino may be team MVP this year.

 

I still think this team will go only as far as Big Dog leads them. I can't see anyone taking Team MVP away from him barring injury.

[Dr Z]

15 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

 Antino may be team MVP this year.

If the Zips have a successful season, you will be correct. IMO. 

 

I think some basketball unis with all gold would look sharp. Especially when we play in Portage county. 

 

[skip-zip]

36 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Antino may be team MVP this year.

 

I watch some people criticize his dynamic style at times, but he was nearly heroic in the MAC title game last year.  I'll take it, even though I am often critical of "wreckless"-type players.  Sometimes you just need someone to make a play, and he's that kind of player.  I actually once heard Keith say that Antino has the ability to score 15 each night.  I thought that was a pretty big endorsement of his ability.  

[akzipper]

I think the problem with gold is that sometimes it doesn't translate well with fabrics. Some Pitt uniforms in the past have looked like a pale tan color. Some Notre Dame uniforms have looked like mustard. The key is finding a happy medium.

 

I think the shade Michigan State used would look cool.

 

 

 

[kreed5120]

2 hours ago, skip-zip said:

 

I watch some people criticize his dynamic style at times, but he was nearly heroic in the MAC title game last year.  I'll take it, even though I am often critical of "wreckless"-type players.  Sometimes you just need someone to make a play, and he's that kind of player.  I actually once heard Keith say that Antino has the ability to score 15 each night.  I thought that was a pretty big endorsement of his ability.  

 

He averaged 11.8ppg on .377 shooting. If he got his fg % to .400 he'd be around 12.5ppg. Between Reggie and Jake, Akron lost 14.5 attempts per game. I don't expect any 1 or 2 players to absorb all those attempts and instead expect them to be distributed throughout the rotation. Antino definitely can get to 15ppg by doing a better job of drawing contact and getting to the line and by just becoming a slightly more efficient scorer.

 

Our fast break offense was pretty much non existent last season. We should be more athletic this season which hopefully will generate more transition offense opportunities. Antino would benefit more than anyone if this becomes the case.

[zippy5]

Not sure anyone will ever average over 15 in KD's offense

[skip-zip]

8 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

He averaged 11.8ppg on .377 shooting. If he got his fg % to .400 he'd be around 12.5ppg. Between Reggie and Jake, Akron lost 14.5 attempts per game. I don't expect any 1 or 2 players to absorb all those attempts and instead expect them to be distributed throughout the rotation. 

 

And that's the way it usually happens.  I think there's a number of people that will be attempting more shots.  New players will get opportunities too.