Zips Bball's Future

[a-zip]

I realize it is a moot point now but the city of Akron and the U seriously f**ked up by not building some sort of arena to pacify coach Dambrot.  When KD (and essentially Lebron) left town, the biggest chance we had to dominate the MAC and possibly be considered for a better conference left town.  LBJ loves his home town....he left south beach to move back to Akron, Ohio.  He is a once in a lifetime person.  Groce was a lucky hire but he has no ties here.  We are back to being in the "cradle of coaches" conference.  To me it is sad that this opportunity laid out on a silver plate was squandered.

 

[Let'sGoZips94]

I disagree that the biggest chance we had to dominate the MAC and get into a better conference left with Dambrot.

 

Maybe LBJ should have ponied up some dough for a new arena if he loved his HS coach and hometown so much. 

 

Not sure how anyone can make this post when there is so much optimism looking ahead to next season. 

[a-zip]

40 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

I disagree that the biggest chance we had to dominate the MAC and get into a better conference left with Dambrot.

 

Maybe LBJ should have ponied up some dough for a new arena if he loved his HS coach and hometown so much. 

 

Not sure how anyone can make this post when there is so much optimism looking ahead to next season. 

This is why I don't post on here....You totally miss the point.  You can be as optimistic as you want about next season...if Groce succeeds, he will be gone.  Based on your response I assume your expectation was for LBJ to foot the bill for an arena.....LOL.  If the mayor had half a brain, he would have worked something out with the U and LBJ...he didn't and he let it ride out of town.

[zvillezip]

I think the dream scenario would be for Groce to get Akron to the Sweet 16 in a few years then leave at the time Lebron retires.  Lebron would make an excellent coach at Akron.  I’m a dreamer.

[roopride]

Is the intent of this thread to discuss the future or discuss what should have been done to keep KD? 

[a-zip]

Someone just delete the thread......

[LZIp]

Are you alright @a-zip? Happy Easter buddy.

[Z.I.P.]

19 hours ago, zvillezip said:

I think the dream scenario would be for Groce to get Akron to the Sweet 16 in a few years then leave at the time Lebron retires.  Lebron would make an excellent coach at Akron.  I’m a dreamer.

This response is REALLY representative of a certain type of Akron U. fan. (The type who weren't around when everyone called our school "Akron U."!).  Several years of more or less winning teams, then a Sweet-16 run is the best thing imaginable.  Go ahead and step into this old-time Zip's lair.  ??  And Happy Bunny Day friends.

Edited April 1, 2018 by Z.I.P.

[clarkwgriswold]

The reality is that the construction of a new arena will have require the participation of the voting tax paying citizens of Summit County and they have resoundingly said no.  Russ Pry and the leadership of Summit County came up with a plan to raise funds, through a levy, to build an arena and fund the modernization of the county wide 911 system.  Research and polling showed that while the citizenry might get behind the 911 system, the arena funding was going to go down big.  As a result, they dumped the arena idea.  The University doesn't have the kind of money with state cuts to pull it off and LBJ has given plenty to UA.  Plus he'd have to pony up serious additional monies to even make a dent.

 

Just so we're on the same page, the following are some recently built (or in construction) college arenas and their costs:

 

UMBC Event Center

Team: UMBC Retrievers

Capacity: 6,000 (Up to for concerts)

Cost: 85 Million

 

Schar Center

Team: Elon Phoenix

Capacity: 5,100

Cost: 20 million

 

Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center

Team: Marquette Golden Eagles

Capacity: 17,500

Cost: 524 Million
 

Fifth Third Arena (Renovation)

Team: University Of Cincinnati Bearcats

Capacity: TBD

Cost: 85 Million
 

Welsh-Ryan Arena (Renovation)

Team: Northwestern Wildcats

Capacity: TBD

Cost: 110 Million 

 

Wellness and Events Center

Team: NJIT High Landers

Capacity: 3,500

Cost: 102 Million

 

CBU Events Center

Team: Cal Baptist University

Capacity: 5,200

Cost: 73 Million
 

[zippy5]

UTA's arena is pretty much exactly what I would wish for

[kreed5120]

The taxpayers of Akron and Summit County spoke. They have no interest in funding a multi-purpose arena with taxpayers dollars. That ship likely sailed when the John S Knight Center was built.

[clarkwgriswold]

1 hour ago, zippy5 said:

UTA's arena is pretty much exactly what I would wish for

$83 million in 2017 dollars.

[Let'sGoZips94]

On 3/31/2018 at 10:17 PM, a-zip said:

This is why I don't post on here....You totally miss the point.  You can be as optimistic as you want about next season...if Groce succeeds, he will be gone.  Based on your response I assume your expectation was for LBJ to foot the bill for an arena.....LOL.  If the mayor had half a brain, he would have worked something out with the U and LBJ...he didn't and he let it ride out of town.

 

I was confused on the point of the original post to begin with, so I did probably miss it. 

 

If Groce succeeds to the point of another, bigger program wanting him, I'm going to be happy as hell because that means my wishes came true from when we hired Groce (NCAA tourney run). That will also prove that the next level can be reached at Akron, which should attract a good, young coach to replace him, again should Groce leave. 

 

I do not expect LBJ to foot the bill for the arena. However, some public, vocal support backed up by a sizable financial donation to build the foundation would be/have been nice. The guy is close to becoming the first ever billionaire athlete. The money is there for him to truly make a difference when it comes to the city of Akron and its university. Maybe if he wasn't spending the time boosting up OSUcks athletics, sporting the Suckeyes gear, he'd have more time to focus on Akron. I have similar feelings towards Dambrot. He complained and complained about the JAR, yet took a salary that made him the highest paid coach in the MAC, from a school he knew was strapped for cash. It would have been nice for him to maybe make a statement and put some of that as a foundation towards a new arena, but ultimately he has to do what's best for he and his family. 

 

Ultimately, as @kreed5120 mentioned, the taxpayers have spoken, and I don't blame them. Heck no I wouldn't trust them to spend my money better than I can, not with their track record. A new arena needs to come from private donations, which is why I'm so adamant that if LeBron truly cares about the city of Akron so much, he'll become a bigger voice and put his money where his mouth is.  

[UAZippers]

6 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

A new arena needs to come from private donations, which is why I'm so adamant that if LeBron truly cares about the city of Akron so much, he'll become a bigger voice and put his money where his mouth is.  

There are about 10,000 more pressing issues in the city of Akron than a new arena for the Zips. Would I love one? Absolutely, but to say that Lebron doesn't care about the city because he won't help fund an arena is asinine.  

 

If you haven't seen his foundation is currently in the middle of founding a school for at risk children. He just announced a partnership with Verizon to bring more technology into a bunch of the other schools around here. Both of those accomplishments are more than just about anything else that has been done by any other person and it is without mentioning the hundreds of kids he has already helped. 

[akzipper]

I think the KD era showed us the ceiling for Zips basketball. Just making the tournament is probably the best thing we'll ever see, and I don't think we would have made it any further had he stayed. KD could always make it to the big game, win a few, but that's about it. The Zips never really seemed to live up to the potential we saw in them. Maybe we just overrated them? I don't know. Can't think that a new arena would have made any difference. As much as I would like Akron to become Gonzaga, Butler, VCU or Loyola, I just don't see it ever happening. 

[Blue & Gold]

12 minutes ago, akzipper said:

I think the KD era showed us the ceiling for Zips basketball.

Again, I have to preface this with the fact I love KD.  But I think the KD era showed us the ceiling for Zips basketball under KD.  I think Groce may be able to take the Zips to a higher level than KD did, but only by building on the foundation KD laid.

 

Before KD, Zips basketball was a disaster.  So nothing but love to KD.

[kreed5120]

1 hour ago, akzipper said:

I think the KD era showed us the ceiling for Zips basketball. Just making the tournament is probably the best thing we'll ever see, and I don't think we would have made it any further had he stayed. KD could always make it to the big game, win a few, but that's about it. The Zips never really seemed to live up to the potential we saw in them. Maybe we just overrated them? I don't know. Can't think that a new arena would have made any difference. As much as I would like Akron to become Gonzaga, Butler, VCU or Loyola, I just don't see it ever happening. 

What does OU, Buffalo, and Kent have that enables them to have ceilings of winning 1 or more tournament games, but makes Akron incapable of such a thing?

[Captain Kangaroo]

1 hour ago, Blue & Gold said:

Again, I have to preface this with the fact I love KD.  But I think the KD era showed us the ceiling for Zips basketball under KD.  I think Groce may be able to take the Zips to a higher level than KD did, but only by building on the foundation KD laid.

 

Before KD, Zips basketball was a disaster.  So nothing but love to KD.

I would contend that, just because Hipsher and Crawford didn't win, KD shouldn't be considered our "ceiling."

 

KD was a good guy. Very good MAC recruiter. Good MAC coach. And in the MAC, being somewhere between good and very good will get you in the Championship game more often than not. Just look at all the crappy coaches with full scholarship benches that couldn't beat the crippled Zips this year...it doesn't take John Wooden to get to the MAC Championship game.

 

Huggins won at Akron in the 80's. His body of work then, and beyond shows he was the best Zips coach in the JAR-era. His tenure was short (5 years) but the guy has won big-time wherever he's gone. Against the best-of-the-best competition. Any AD would take Hug over Dambrot.

 

The oft-maligned Hipsher had some good years too. But unlike Dambrot, the MAC during Hipsher's tenure was brutal. Bonzi Wells, Gary Trent, Brandon Hunter, Wally Sczerbiak, Tamar Slay, Antonio Daniels, Theron Smith ...the MAC was pumping out some NBA talent back then. 

[akzipper]

1 hour ago, kreed5120 said:

What does OU, Buffalo, and Kent have that enables them to have ceilings of winning 1 or more tournament games, but makes Akron incapable of such a thing?

 

Better recruits, luck, coaching, I don't know honestly. But they have all made it further than Akron and even after coaching turnover they consistency win. Maybe after the disaster last season I don't have much optimism for Zips basketball. I just don't feel good about the future.

[a-zip]

8 hours ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

I would contend that, just because Hipsher and Crawford didn't win, KD shouldn't be considered our "ceiling."

 

KD was a good guy. Very good MAC recruiter. Good MAC coach. And in the MAC, being somewhere between good and very good will get you in the Championship game more often than not. Just look at all the crappy coaches with full scholarship benches that couldn't beat the crippled Zips this year...it doesn't take John Wooden to get to the MAC Championship game.

 

Huggins won at Akron in the 80's. His body of work then, and beyond shows he was the best Zips coach in the JAR-era. His tenure was short (5 years) but the guy has won big-time wherever he's gone. Against the best-of-the-best competition. Any AD would take Hug over Dambrot.

 

The oft-maligned Hipsher had some good years too. But unlike Dambrot, the MAC during Hipsher's tenure was brutal. Bonzi Wells, Gary Trent, Brandon Hunter, Wally Sczerbiak, Tamar Slay, Antonio Daniels, Theron Smith ...the MAC was pumping out some NBA talent back then. 

That is my kind of my point. Hug left because originally a commitment was made to him to make UA a basketball power.  BUT then Gerry Faust became available and was given a blank check to make football the priority.  Hug was pissed and left shortly after. It was a poor decision that has been repeated. 

 

KD wanted a new arena and would have stayed had it been built BUT a decision was made to build the INfo and hire another Notre Dame reject to take over the team.

 

Not saying Hug would have stayed forever, I am telling you he got shafted and left. Ditto for KD. 

 

Not saying KD is as good a coach as Hug but I do believe facilities and attendance bring in better recruits. Add LBJ, we had a rare opportunity to make a splash on the national stage. Instead we have a giant football stadium 1/5th filled. 

 

Football is is too expensive and it’s futile to try and compete with what will ultimately be (or is) a 4 league D1 competition. 

 

We we should have taken the Xavier, Gonzaga, Wichita State, Dayton model. Which schools have more pride?  Which schools are ridiculed for have the worst attendance/Gameday experience for football. 

 

 

[NWAkron]

12 hours ago, a-zip said:

That is my kind of my point. Hug left because originally a commitment was made to him to make UA a basketball power.  BUT then Gerry Faust became available and was given a blank check to make football the priority.  Hug was pissed and left shortly after. It was a poor decision that has been repeated. 

 

KD wanted a new arena and would have stayed had it been built BUT a decision was made to build the INfo and hire another Notre Dame reject to take over the team.

 

Not saying Hug would have stayed forever, I am telling you he got shafted and left. Ditto for KD. 

 

Not saying KD is as good a coach as Hug but I do believe facilities and attendance bring in better recruits. Add LBJ, we had a rare opportunity to make a splash on the national stage. Instead we have a giant football stadium 1/5th filled. 

 

Football is is too expensive and it’s futile to try and compete with what will ultimately be (or is) a 4 league D1 competition. 

 

We we should have taken the Xavier, Gonzaga, Wichita State, Dayton model. Which schools have more pride?  Which schools are ridiculed for have the worst attendance/Gameday experience for football. 

 

 

Your best idea was when you suggested deleting the thread.

 

I think the Zips will be awesome next year.   Like the new coach, like the players.  And I don't mind the JAR.  Get the team rolling again and the seats will fill up.  Even with the down year, attendance looked not too different  than other years at least from my perspective.  

Edited April 4, 2018 by NWAkron

[a-zip]

20 hours ago, NWAkron said:

Your best idea was when you suggested deleting the thread.

 

I think the Zips will be awesome next year.   Like the new coach, like the players.  And I don't mind the JAR.  Get the team rolling again and the seats will fill up.  Even with the down year, attendance looked not too different  than other years at least from my perspective.  

Appreciate the feedback.  Basically you are OK with the investments and decisions UA has made and you are looking forward to "next year".  That is awesome!  I also hope next year is great.

[LZIp]

1 hour ago, a-zip said:

Appreciate the feedback.  Basically you are OK with the investments and decisions UA has made and you are looking forward to "next year".  That is awesome!  I also hope next year is great.

How is continually complaining about past decisions forever in any way productive?

[Spin]

Is a new arena what will propel the Zips to the NCAA elite?

 

An arena doesn't let the staff fly all over the country recruiting players. An arena doesn't entice future NBA first rounders to come to Akron. 

 

I think we're looking at the wrong fix. Some of the most iconic college basketball arenas are 70+ years old.

[a-zip]

1 hour ago, LZIp said:

How is continually complaining about past decisions forever in any way productive?

I would ask the same...how is making the same mistakes over and over productive. 

 

I dont come come on here much anymore so my timing is bad. Everyone seems content with the direction so GO ZIPS!

Edited April 5, 2018 by a-zip