Game 8—Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils

[kreed5120]

48 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Creampuff candidates on last year's schedule:

 

YSU - Finished near bottom of Horizon. Horizon ranked 29th out of 32 conferences last year, using RPI.

American - Finished last place in Patriot League. Patriot League finished 27/32 last year.

Radford - Finished middle of Big South. Big South finished 30/32 last year.

GA Southern - Finished middle of Sun Belt. Sun Belt finished 25/32 last year.

Mercer - Finished middle of Southern. Southern finished 19/32 last year.

Adrian - Not D1. Enough said.

Coppin St - Finished middle of MEAC. MEAC finished 31/32 last year.

MD Eastern Shore - Finished middle of MEAC. MEAC finished 31/32 last year.

 

 

Candidates for this year's schedule (usng last years results):

Cleveland St. (though this is a game I have no issue being played no matter how good they are) - finished near bottom of Horizon, Horizon ranked 29/32.

UT-Martin - Won OVC. OVC finished 20/32.

UT-Chattanooga - Finished middle of Southern finished 19/32.

IPFW - Finished middle of Summit, beat us in post season a few years ago. Summit ranked 17/32

Appy State - Finished bottom of Sun Belt. Sun Belt finished 25/32.

MVSU - Finished middle of SWAC. SWAC finished 32/32.

Concord - Not D1. Enough said.

 

Bolded is who I would consider cream puffs for each year. The MAC finished 10th in RPI, FWIW. If you want to consider UT-C a creampuff, fine, but then you would have to do it for Mercer last year as well

I don't care about last years records for measuring if a team is a cream puff this year. What matters is how good that team is the year you play them. At 3-7 with losses to Southern, Louisiana State, Missouri-Kansas City, UT-Martin is most definitely a cream puff. They jury is still out on several of the other candidates you mentioned.

[zipnetter55]

I don't see any  Creighton or Gonzales on this year's schedule, and what fundamentals that we lacked last year do we see now?

[Let'sGoZips94]

50 minutes ago, zipnetter55 said:

I don't see any  Creighton or Gonzales on this year's schedule, and what fundamentals that we lacked last year do we see now?

 

USC is the replacement for Creighton/Gonzaga, and not having 2 of Creighton/Gonzaga is just fine for this team. MTSU/Princeton will be a nice challenge, as well as one of Davidson/NMSU/Miami/Hawaii. 

 

The fundamentals I'm seeing this year that I haven't in the past...

 

- Ball movement

- Off-the-ball movement

- Emphasis on rebounding at both ends, not just falling back onto defense as soon as our shot goes up

- Different defensive schemes (zones)

- Going up strong around the basket and either dunking the ball or absorbing contact and still getting the shot up and in

[1981 grad]

2 hours ago, lilroodude said:

 

USC is the replacement for Creighton/Gonzaga, and not having 2 of Creighton/Gonzaga is just fine for this team. MTSU/Princeton will be a nice challenge, as well as one of Davidson/NMSU/Miami/Hawaii. 

 

The fundamentals I'm seeing this year that I haven't in the past...

 

- Ball movement

- Off-the-ball movement

- Emphasis on rebounding at both ends, not just falling back onto defense as soon as our shot goes up

- Different defensive schemes (zones)

- Going up strong around the basket and either dunking the ball or absorbing contact and still getting the shot up and in

I would like to add to your list:

Inbounds plays that lead to layups instead of just tossing the ball into our center

Fighting through the screen or pick.  Duviver is the best!  

Team is much better at boxing out.  

NO early shots.  This team always run an offense unless we have numbers on a fast break.

Anticipating the pass and looking for the steal.  We had 11 steals in one game! 

 

[zippy5]

You could have ended your first point at "inbounds plays" 

[GJGood]

How much would it effect our metrics like RPI if we played a cream puff or two each year on the road as opposed to at home? I don't know how these metrics work but I am sure this is some sort of home/away factor built in.

I think playing lesser talented teams actually can help a team to a degree in terms of confidence and getting more players valuable experience. To me, though, going on the road and winning in an unfamiliar environment would pay more dividends long term than playing all of the worst teams on your schedule at home. I remember in my high school days the coaches always thought nothing built a team better than a road trip early in the season that resulted in a win. Those coaches were baseball/ football coaches but I would think the same would apply to basketball.

I guess what I am saying is if a team the Zips are playing is a creampuff that as long as they are not the creamiest of creampuffs I'd like to see it occasionally be a home and home series so the team can rack up more true road wins before the start of MAC play.

 

I don't know, maybe I am way off base here but I just see a game at a place like UT-Chattanooga or Georgia Southern being better for the growth of the team than playing them at home. Ideally you would then want the tougher teams coming to your home arena.

Edited December 13, 2017 by GJGood

[clarkwgriswold]

You all realize that at the end of the season none of this SOS/RPI stuff means nothing, right?  In today's MAC/NCAA dynamic, it makes little or no difference as you're only going to the NCAA tournament if you win the MAC tournament.  We can hope for change, but that's the reality for now.

[akzipper]

9 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

You all realize that at the end of the season none of this SOS/RPI stuff means nothing, right?  In today's MAC/NCAA dynamic, it makes little or no difference as you're only going to the NCAA tournament if you win the MAC tournament.  We can hope for change, but that's the reality for now.

 

Don't think anything would make me happier than seeing the MAC send two teams to the tournament, right after KD bailed. Even if neither of those teams were the Zips. Just to stick it to him.

[GoZips88]

Duquesne over Mississippi Valley State tonight by 24 ... 73-49.

[Illini Zip]

6 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said:

You all realize that at the end of the season none of this SOS/RPI stuff means nothing, right?  In today's MAC/NCAA dynamic, it makes little or no difference as you're only going to the NCAA tournament if you win the MAC tournament.  We can hope for change, but that's the reality for now.

 

[Let'sGoZips94]

8 hours ago, Illini Zip said:

 

 

Welcome to being a fan of a G5 school. 

 

Although I will say what Clark said isn't entirely true. The MAC could definitely be a 2 bid league, but it would take an unworldly successful season with only a couple losses, and some nice wins OOC. That team would then have to lose in the MAC Championship Game. We've had seasons with as many as 26/27 wins, and haven't gotten in, but that's largely due to those wins being hollow in competition - i.e. last year. 

 

Yes, I'm saying there's a chance, but the odds are most definitely against us. 

[kreed5120]

I don't want to say the MAC will never get an at-large bid, but if that's what you're banking on, odds are you'll be SOL. 

[1981 grad]

13 hours ago, GoZips88 said:

Duquesne over Mississippi Valley State tonight by 24 ... 73-49.

Do you think that time will heal all wounds and that we would ever put the Dukes on our non conference schedule? 

[RowdyZip]

1 hour ago, 1981 grad said:

Do you think that time will heal all wounds and that we would ever put the Dukes on our non conference schedule? 

Probably more likely to see Duke in the JAR.

[RowdyZip]

2 hours ago, lilroodude said:

 

Welcome to being a fan of a G5 school. 

 

Although I will say what Clark said isn't entirely true. The MAC could definitely be a 2 bid league, but it would take an unworldly successful season with only a couple losses, and some nice wins OOC. That team would then have to lose in the MAC Championship Game. We've had seasons with as many as 26/27 wins, and haven't gotten in, but that's largely due to those wins being hollow in competition - i.e. last year. 

 

Yes, I'm saying there's a chance, but the odds are most definitely against us. 

We're probably already eliminated for this year then, because the schedule is even weaker.

[LZIp]

1 hour ago, 1981 grad said:

Do you think that time will heal all wounds and that we would ever put the Dukes on our non conference schedule? 

I think the person who would stop that from happening would be the coach at Duquesne, not anybody from Akron.

[clarkwgriswold]

2 hours ago, RowdyZip said:

Probably more likely to see Duke in the JAR.

 

Aaaah, seems like just yesterday one of the Zips biggest fans was trying to convince us that the Zips were on the cusp of joining the ACC.  God rest his soul.

[UAZip0510]

19 hours ago, akzipper said:

 

Don't think anything would make me happier than seeing the MAC send two teams to the tournament, right after KD bailed. Even if neither of those teams were the Zips. Just to stick it to him.

 

I'm confident in saying Keith Dambrot is cheering on the Zips from PA, so I'm not sure how you'd be sticking it to him (or why that would be important to you to do so).

[ZippyRulz]

3 hours ago, 1981 grad said:

Do you think that time will heal all wounds and that we would ever put the Dukes on our non conference schedule? 

 

What wounds?

 

[Illini Zip]

7 hours ago, lilroodude said:

 

Welcome to being a fan of a G5 school. 

 

Although I will say what Clark said isn't entirely true. The MAC could definitely be a 2 bid league, but it would take an unworldly successful season with only a couple losses, and some nice wins OOC. That team would then have to lose in the MAC Championship Game. We've had seasons with as many as 26/27 wins, and haven't gotten in, but that's largely due to those wins being hollow in competition - i.e. last year. 

 

Yes, I'm saying there's a chance, but the odds are most definitely against us. 

 

I tried using a GIF, but it didn't work.

 

Edited December 14, 2017 by Illini Zip

[1981 grad]

I would like to see the old cartoon promo ad when Zippy kills all the other mascots on the new big scoreboard during a timeout this Saturday.  Still think that is the best promo ever.  Anybody on this board can make it happen?

[skip-zip]

You mean, this one?  Perfect promo, and features the Suckeye Nuthead.  

Zippy Video.mp4

[1981 grad]

44 minutes ago, skip-zip said:

You mean, this one?  Perfect promo, and features the Suckeye Nuthead.  

Zippy Video.mp4

Yes,.  Would like to see that on the big scoreboard on Saturday.  Still my favorite.  Thanks for sharing.

[Let'sGoZips94]

On 12/14/2017 at 3:18 PM, UAZip0510 said:

 

I'm confident in saying Keith Dambrot is cheering on the Zips from PA, so I'm not sure how you'd be sticking it to him (or why that would be important to you to do so).

 

It's important to me because he left Akron similarly to how Ken Lolla did, spewing excuses left and right about the MAC and the JAR. 

 

I would love nothing more than to schedule Duquesne each and every year Dambrot is there, and beat him each and every year Dambrot is there. But I don't see them appearing on our schedule. 

Edited December 15, 2017 by lilroodude

[clarkwgriswold]

Game day.  Will there be more than 1,000 fans in the JAR.  This seems like a perfect chance to get people into the JAR with free tickets to groups like the Boys and Girls Club, CYO, etc...