Game 32—EMU [MAC Tourney Rnd 2]

[Let'sGoZips94]

1 minute ago, dre22era said:

F You and anyone else who defends any coach allowing a 39-10 run on basically their home floor 
Grow a pair 

 

Classy. Coach is literally admitting this one is on him and isn't accepting the blame for anyone else.

[Spin]

19 minutes ago, dre22era said:

This is what we get with Groce ball 

Hope yall are satisfied 

 

So you miss Mr. NeverWinARound? 

[Blue & Gold]

It's difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that we play one senior, one junior and one sophomore.  Crazy!

 

All things considered, we overachieved.

Proud of these guys!

 

Go Zips!

Edited March 9, 2018 by Blue & Gold

[dre22era]

2 minutes ago, UAZip0510 said:

 

Groce's gameplan in the last 10 minutes left a lot to be desired, that's for sure.  With that said, the players just didn't execute either.  When you score 1 point in the last 6 minutes, everyone shares blame.  

 

This was always a transition year.  We saw some positives and some real growth from several players.  My expectations are now to return to that top of the MAC starting next year.

I can respect that but Groce could of did a better job slowing the game down putting a stop to that run instead of sitting there watching his team jack up horrible shot after shot. 

 

[ewbrooman1]

1 minute ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Classy. Coach is literally admitting this one is on him and isn't accepting the blame for anyone else.

I don't know. I heard a bit too much of Groce blaming players for bad attitudes that just played great for 30 minutes against a #3 seed with more experience and length.

[dre22era]

1 minute ago, Spin said:

So you miss Mr. NeverWinARound? 

In regards to that statement your frustration should be directed towards the AD and pathetic MAC Commissioner who made very little effort to defend are legit resume the past few seasons.  

[dre22era]

1 minute ago, ewbrooman1 said:

I don't know. I heard a bit too much of Groce blaming players for bad attitudes that just played great for 30 minutes against a #3 seed with more experience and length.

Finally someone who see this for what it is. 

[zippy5]

I don't think the offensive gameplan differed much besides the fact that we couldn't make a basket. The collapse was 99% on the defensive side imo

[dre22era]

In the final 6:57, Akron scored 1 point. One. Point. That's it.

0 field goals.

Unbelievable.

— Frank Anderson (@FrankAnderson4) March 9, 2018

[akronzips71]

We just had no depth this year. Our main three scorers had to play nearly the entire game. They ran out of gas. Backup center (well, Klac was the THIRD center) is a shorter guy they got out of the rec center. Utomi can score, but he and Ivey just ran out of gas. Parrish and Patton and Cotton are frosh, can't expect that much out of them. If we had a "6th man" we would have been OK.

[Blue & Gold]

3 minutes ago, ewbrooman1 said:

I don't know. I heard a bit too much of Groce blaming players for bad attitudes that just played great for 30 minutes against a #3 seed with more experience and length.

I'm pro-Groce.  But I noticed/was thinking the same thing. 

[Let'sGoZips94]

7 minutes ago, ewbrooman1 said:

I don't know. I heard a bit too much of Groce blaming players for bad attitudes that just played great for 30 minutes against a #3 seed with more experience and length.

 

He absolutely should hold the players accountable. He's trying to build a culture. But he ultimately accepted full responsibility. 

Edited March 9, 2018 by Let'sGoZips94

[UAZip0510]

9 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

I'm pro-Groce.  But I noticed/was thinking the same thing. 

 

The fact that a Zips fan has to even declare themselves pro-Groce illustrates how toxic this forum has been at times this year.

Edited March 9, 2018 by UAZip0510

[bUAkronG]

The only thing I would question is going away from Utomi down the stretch. And playing Klac so late in the game when we needed points desperately. 

 

Overall very proud of this team. A couple different bounces and EMU could've been buried beyond reach. 

[UAZip0510]

13 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

I don't think the offensive gameplan differed much besides the fact that we couldn't make a basket. The collapse was 99% on the defensive side imo

 

It went from a lot of cutting and ball movement to the guards passing back and forth across court, followed by a hoist three or a Utomi jumper with 3-4 seconds left.  They got conservative - either because that was the gameplan, they ran out of gas, or both - and it killed em.

[Akronfan111]

Can't turn the ball over that many times and get the W.  Utomi - what a great season he had!  Season MVP!

[1981 grad]

I thought the game turned when they went to a full court press and we turned the ball over and they went on a 7 point run.  The momentum changed.  The T on the coach was after he was walking away and had his back to the ref.  It made no senses.   The call on Ivey was weak.  However, they also had two t's so it even out.

 

I thought Groce made 2 really bad moves at the end of the game.  When Utomi was taking foul shots he put in Klac and took out Patton.  Patton has rebounded missed foul shots on seveal occasions.  Stupid move!  Utomi missed the second one, Klac did not go for the rebound as was running down the court to play defense.  He then missed a layup and turned the ball over when he fumbled another pass.  No way this guy should have been in.  Patton was having a good game.

 

Finally, the only person I remember scoring at the end was Cotton.  He hit a clutch 3.  He should not have been on the bench when we needed somebody to make a basket.  He showed he could play in the clutch on Monday, made a big 3 tonight, and then he sits on the bench.  Just poor coaching.  However, Groce did a great job getting this team to play well but hopefully he will make better game decisions in the future.

[UAZip0510]

Comments from Groce, Utomi, Duvivier

 

https://twitter.com/SportsPowerTalk/status/971965643158253568?s=19

[dre22era]

https://t.co/Yde3yfSov1

— SPT (@SportsPowerTalk) March 9, 2018

[akronzips71]

I declare these proceedings closed.

See you in the fall!

[skip-zip]

I think a couple of the criticisms about the coaching are probably a bit harsh and emotional, because our season just ended with a major thud.  

 

But at the same time, I think a few of you can now stop coming to this forum repeatedly to declare him the Master Of March and "his teams play their best basketball in March", and then come back later to insist that there must be some other reason why we lost.   He's now had 6 years in a row (and 2 more at OU) where his teams got knocked out of their conference tournament in the Quarterfinal round, or earlier.  

 

Just call it what it is.  

 

A few of you know that you would have sentenced our previous coach to a Public Flogging if he engineered a collapse like this. 

 

 

Edited March 9, 2018 by skip-zip

[Spin]

The morning after, I gotta say that was one incredible game, to see how far this team has come, and see the big game experience that a lot of our building blocks got. And the simple fact that we weren't suppose to be here. An 11 seed beating WMU by a point, then dominating the 3 seed for much of the game. 

 

Fatigue and inexperience caught up with them. The refs didn't help either. I don't think the league (or the broadcasters) wanted a 6-12 program muddying up the final four. It's hard (but not impossible) for me to blame the coach, he didn't miss any buckets in the last seven minutes. He may have looked better calling different strategies for a team that was inexperienced in big games and looked gassed, but I'm not sure KD or anyone else could have made those late shots go in. I'll wait to see him with a full roster before driving him to the airport.

 

We knew this would be a long painful season. We returned what, five players?

 

Now the rebuild can begin. 

Edited March 9, 2018 by Spin

[zippy5]

19 minutes ago, skip-zip said:

I think a couple of the criticisms about the coaching are probably a bit harsh and emotional, because our season just ended with a major thud.  

 

But at the same time, I think a few of you can now stop coming to this forum repeatedly to declare him the Master Of March and "his teams play their best basketball in March", and then come back later to insist that there must be some other reason why we lost.   He's now had 6 years in a row (and 2 more at OU) where his teams got knocked out of their conference tournament in the Quarterfinal round, or earlier.  

 

Just call it what it is.  

 

A few of you know that you would have sentenced our previous coach to a Public Flogging if he engineered a collapse like this. 

 

 

Can we stop with old coach vs new coach now that this season is over? 

[skip-zip]

2 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

Can we stop with old coach vs new coach now that this season is over? 

 

That's exactly what I'm saying.  Just call it the way it is.  No matter who's the coach.  

[skip-zip]

14 minutes ago, Spin said:

I'll wait to see him with a full roster before driving him to the airport.

Now the rebuild can begin. 

 

Absolutely.