2017-2018

[skip-zip]

10 hours ago, BirdZip said:

 

I remember the Leaper.  Our school had one in the 80's.  Hated it...but it worked.

 

I hear ya.  I'd probably last about 15 seconds on that thing today.  I'm glad someone else was old enough to remember it.  I'm not even sure if anyone still uses them.    

[K92]

33 minutes ago, skip-zip said:

 

I hear ya.  I'd probably last about 15 seconds on that thing today.  I'm glad someone else was old enough to remember it.  I'm not even sure if anyone still uses them.    

I hated the sound it made.

[Z.I.P.]

Yes, ladies, gentlemen and roos.  We have a schedule (non-con that is)!  The only road games are @Marshall and Dayton.  And we get Concord at home.  Isn't that grape!

 

http://www.gozips.com/news/2017/8/30/mens-basketball-zips-announce-2017-18-non-conference-mens-hoops-schedule.aspx 

[akronzips71]

Looks pretty strong to me.

[Let'sGoZips94]

1 hour ago, Z.I.P. said:

Yes, ladies, gentlemen and roos.  We have a schedule (non-con that is)!  The only road games are @Marshall and Dayton.  And we get Concord at home.  Isn't that grape!

 

http://www.gozips.com/news/2017/8/30/mens-basketball-zips-announce-2017-18-non-conference-mens-hoops-schedule.aspx 

 

I love it. I don't think any of us ever wanted or expected a Charlie Coles schedule during the Dambrot era. All we wanted was, if you're gonna schedule mid-majors, make sure the mid-majors are worth a damn. Love the UT Martin, UT Chattanooga, and IPFW games. All 3 teams had winning records last year. 

[UAZip0510]

I like the schedule, but I'm not sure it's that different than past years.

[ZachTheZip]

This isn't really the season to be pushing for a tougher schedule.

[zippy5]

2 hours ago, UAZip0510 said:

I like the schedule, but I'm not sure it's that different than past years.

Did you open the 15-16 schedule? I dont think we really have a gimme game until December, where we have two cupcakes before heading to Hawaii. It's a similar schedule to year's past, only we've replaced NC A&T, Coppin State, Radford, Arkansas Pine Bluff with solid mid majors like Chattanooga, UT Martin and IPFW. Oh and we get a chance to go knock arguably the best team in the state in recent past. Go Zips

[skip-zip]

11 hours ago, ZachTheZip said:

This isn't really the season to be pushing for a tougher schedule.

 

I know I've echoed this already.  

 

Lets just say that it's one thing when you are scheduling lower level D-1 schools that you know are going to "treat" your fans to a game where they will likely be heading home by halftime.........vs. scheduling them when the outcome is going to have a lot more question marks.   

 

Hopefully we'll reach a time....sooner rather than later....where we get back to that level.   And this time, I hope we give ourselves more opportunities to score big wins.  

Edited August 31, 2017 by skip-zip

[kreed5120]

I'm counting 4 cupcakes (CSU, Appalachian State, Missouri Valley State, and Concord). What separates this schedule and makes it look so much better than years past is we landed ourselves in a really good tournament.

[zippyfan34]

1 hour ago, kreed5120 said:

I'm counting 4 cupcakes (CSU, Appalachian State, Missouri Valley State, and Concord). What separates this schedule and makes it look so much better than years past is we landed ourselves in a really good tournament.

I like that we have fewer "cupcakes" this year compared to last and replaced them with quality mid majors.  Last year we had:

Adrian - terrible D3 team replaced with a slightly better D2 team in Concord

YSU - same as CSU as it is required as part of coaches vs cancer

American - 8-22 last in their conference

Air Force - 12-21 last in their conference

Coppin St - 8-24 tied for 7-9 in conference

Radford - 14-18 6th in conference

Mercer - 15-17 6th in their conference

MD Easten Shore - 14-20  6th in their conference

 

I do agree that part of these were the "tourneys" we were in but I think those "tourneys" were chosen because we had Gonzaga and Creighton on the schedule.  My preferred schedule when Groce gets the team where he wants them is to play 2 top 25 programs, play in a tourney with an opportunity to play another 1-2 good teams (potentially top 25), play 3-4 "cupcakes" including your D2/D3 tuneup, fill the rest with quality midmajors even if it's home and homes where we have 2-3 less home games than what we are used too.

 

[Steve1982]

2 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

I'm counting 4 cupcakes (CSU, Appalachian State, Missouri Valley State, and Concord). What separates this schedule and makes it look so much better than years past is we landed ourselves in a really good tournament.

I would like to see more games with App State. Both basketball and football. Every other year in each every once in awhile would work. it is an easy 5 hour drive right down I-77 and there is lots to do in the Mountains. Also, UNC-Charlotte would be another easy road trip for both sports.

[LZIp]

3 minutes ago, Steve1982 said:

I would like to see more games with App State. Both basketball and football. Every other year in each every once in awhile would work. it is an easy 5 hour drive right down I-77 and there is lots to do in the Mountains. Also, UNC-Charlotte would be another easy road trip for both sports.

6.5 - 7 hours from Akron to Boone.

Edited August 31, 2017 by LZIp

[K92]

2 hours ago, LZIp said:

6.5 - 7 hours from Akron to Boone.

And guaranteed to be more fun than Penn State!

[skip-zip]

2 hours ago, Steve1982 said:

it is an easy 5 hour drive right down I-77 and there is lots to do in the Mountains. Also, UNC-Charlotte would be another easy road trip for both sports.

 

Wow.  Do you work for the Western Carolina division of tourism?

 

3 hours ago, LZIp said:

6.5 - 7 hours from Akron to Boone.

 

Including the "easy" cruise down the damn WV Turnpike.  

 

I'm really wondering if Steve has actually ever personally made that trip.  

[K92]

What's wrong with the WV Turnpike?

[Let'sGoZips94]

6 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

I'm counting 4 cupcakes (CSU, Appalachian State, Missouri Valley State, and Concord). What separates this schedule and makes it look so much better than years past is we landed ourselves in a really good tournament.

 

What separates the schedule is the winning records by the 3 other mid-major opponents. 

[RowdyZip]

Ok, I know everyone on here likes to whine about everything.  I'll admit, in the past some of Dambrot's schedules didn't challenge some of our best teams.

 

But if you bitched about past schedules, you should equally bitch about this one.

 

A brief analysis of non-conf:

 

2016-2017 opponents average record prior season:  16.7W-16.4L

2017-2018 opponents average record prior season:  17.3W-15.4L

 

Now the 17-18 averages could go up, should the Zips upset USC to face MTSU (31-5), Princeton (23-7), etc, but are more likely to go down if they hit the loser's side (Davidson 17-15, Hawaii 14-16).

 

Reserve judgment until next year when the staff has a full year to put together a schedule, and realize even then it's a crapshoot because of team personnel changes.

[kreed5120]

17 hours ago, zippyfan34 said:

I like that we have fewer "cupcakes" this year compared to last and replaced them with quality mid majors.  Last year we had:

Adrian - terrible D3 team replaced with a slightly better D2 team in Concord

YSU - same as CSU as it is required as part of coaches vs cancer

American - 8-22 last in their conference

Air Force - 12-21 last in their conference

Coppin St - 8-24 tied for 7-9 in conference

Radford - 14-18 6th in conference

Mercer - 15-17 6th in their conference

MD Easten Shore - 14-20  6th in their conference

 

I do agree that part of these were the "tourneys" we were in but I think those "tourneys" were chosen because we had Gonzaga and Creighton on the schedule.  My preferred schedule when Groce gets the team where he wants them is to play 2 top 25 programs, play in a tourney with an opportunity to play another 1-2 good teams (potentially top 25), play 3-4 "cupcakes" including your D2/D3 tuneup, fill the rest with quality midmajors even if it's home and homes where we have 2-3 less home games than what we are used too.

 

I agree, this is how I'd like to ideally schedule.

[zippy5]

32 minutes ago, RowdyZip said:

Ok, I know everyone on here likes to whine about everything.  I'll admit, in the past some of Dambrot's schedules didn't challenge some of our best teams.

 

But if you bitched about past schedules, you should equally bitch about this one.

 

A brief analysis of non-conf:

 

2016-2017 opponents average record prior season:  16.7W-16.4L

2017-2018 opponents average record prior season:  17.3W-15.4L

 

Now the 17-18 averages could go up, should the Zips upset USC to face MTSU (31-5), Princeton (23-7), etc, but are more likely to go down if they hit the loser's side (Davidson 17-15, Hawaii 14-16).

 

Reserve judgment until next year when the staff has a full year to put together a schedule, and realize even then it's a crapshoot because of team personnel changes.

They're pretty different schedules.. Average record isn't the greatest stat. We played 2 top ten teams last year and a bunch of cupcakes which brings the average right to .500. This year we get rid of the top 10s, and turn the real cupcakes into top 200 games with mid majors with winning records. 

[RowdyZip]

While I'll agree that average record isn't the best of indicators, I was using previous season records to develop those averages.  Creighton and Gonzaga weren't top 10 teams in 2015-2016, Gonzaga ended up 21st and Creighton unranked. 

 

My point was more that everyone will see what they want to see, but there is not significant statistical difference between the two schedules. 

 

Now next year, when our transfer talent is available and the staff has a full year with the players, I'll be looking for a significant upgrade (if it is possible).

[Steve1982]

15 hours ago, skip-zip said:

 

Wow.  Do you work for the Western Carolina division of tourism?

 

 

Including the "easy" cruise down the damn WV Turnpike.  

 

I'm really wondering if Steve has actually ever personally made that trip.  

I travel between Statesville NC and Ellet 2-3 times a month so I guess I can say "I have made the trip".

[skip-zip]

On 9/1/2017 at 10:59 AM, Steve1982 said:

I travel between Statesville NC and Ellet 2-3 times a month so I guess I can say "I have made the trip".

 

Then maybe you should know better than any of us that Boone, NC is not an "easy 5 hour drive"?

[ZipsVoice]

On 9/1/2017 at 9:59 AM, Steve1982 said:

I travel between Statesville NC and Ellet 2-3 times a month so I guess I can say "I have made the trip".

I'n in Statesville every six weeks....my biggest client has a plant there.  If you make the trip....add a little extra time and stop in Dobson at Shelton Vineyards, you  can't go wrong!  But it might make the "easy 5 hour drive" an over-nighter at the Hampton - complete with a wine bar!  Not that I know anything about that stuff....

[feetg10]

Is was looking at the entire schedule that was released today. And I must say, I am not a fan of all the Saturday afternoon games. A lot of 2 pm and a few noon start times. They should know by now that 7pm is the best time for maximum attendance