Jump to content

2019-2020 Akron Zips Basketball- Looking Forward


Recommended Posts

18 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

Utomi is a good player and can play immediately, but if he thinks he's going to see any meaningful time at a place like UNC or UVA, he's delusional.  He hasn't been dominant in the MAC.  He certainly will not be a meaningful contributor at a top 5 program.

Love Utomi.  But he's one dimensional.  He's a spot-up shooter.  He can't handle the ball very well.  He's surprisingly slow-footed & almost entirely earthbound (in his 3 years as a Zip he never once dunked the ball & honestly, it doesn't look like he can).  Due to his relatively slow feet, he wasn't very good guarding players away from the basket and due to his lack of explosiveness he wasn't the rebounder you'd expect with a build like his (5'8" LCJ averaged more rebounds per game).  People on here were clamoring for him to take it to the hole more this past season, but he's really not very good at it (he had a difficult time finishing at the rim so would usually halt his drive a step or two too soon & then pump fake a few times; lack of explosiveness).  I'm not happy Utomi's transferring but que sera sera.  I do, of course, wish him well.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Love Utomi.  But he's one dimensional.  He's a spot-up shooter.  He can't handle the ball very well.  He's surprisingly slow-footed & almost entirely earthbound (in his 3 years as a Zip he never once dunked the ball & honestly, it doesn't look like he can).  Due to his relatively slow feet, he wasn't very good guarding players away from the basket and due to his lack of explosiveness he wasn't the rebounder you'd expect with a build like his (5'8" LCJ averaged more rebounds per game).  People on here were clamoring for him to take it to the hole more this past season, but he's really not very good at it (he had a difficult time finishing at the rim so would usually halt his drive a step or two too soon & then pump fake a few times; lack of explosiveness).  I'm not happy Utomi's transferring but que sera sera.  I do, of course, wish him well.

You make some really good points.  And as my mother once said, "sometimes you don't know what you don't want until you get it." I don't remember Daniel on a fast break or doing much more than making 3s.   Good guy and I don't like that he's leaving but. .

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got the sense Utomi was slow to get in games as a freshman as KD wanted to see him play harder, especially on defense.  When he did get in, he showed some real range.  As I recall, he averaged 27 ppg and 14 rpg in high school so it had to be discouraging sitting out a year for a bad foot and seeing the floor so inconsistently as a redshirt freshman.  As a sophomore here, he led the team in scoring and was a decent rebounder.  This year, he fell off some.  I thought going in we may be looking at an all-MAC type player, but he just never seemed to have the fire.  Maybe it's just a personality thing.  He did commit to remaking his body.  Also, the offense occasionally seemed to screech to a halt when the ball went to him on the wing, with 4 guys watching while he went to iso.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just not that athletic. Did not play well around the bucket.

he had a few great three point games, but this year the shot was usually just not there.

Since he graduated, I suspect that hoops is secondary and he is looking for a "name" school to get his masters. He does not seem, at this point, to have a future in any professional league.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess since the guy is transferring we might as well pile on with the weaknesses in his game.  I always thought he could have averaged one offensive rebound a game if he followed his shot.  Most of his misses were short and the rebound would come back toward him.  He was our best 3 ball shooter but this year a lot of his outside shots were way off.  Seemed like he shot more air balls and bricks this year where last year a lot of his misses drew the inside of the rim and just fell out.  When he was hot he could carry this team offensively.  He just rarely got hot this season.  I wish him well but still wonder as much praise as Groce gave him this season why he decided to transfer.  It seems odd.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, 1981 grad said:

I guess since the guy is transferring we might as well pile on with the weaknesses in his game.  I always thought he could have averaged one offensive rebound a game if he followed his shot.  Most of his misses were short and the rebound would come back toward him.  He was our best 3 ball shooter but this year a lot of his outside shots were way off.  Seemed like he shot more air balls and bricks this year where last year a lot of his misses drew the inside of the rim and just fell out.  When he was hot he could carry this team offensively.  He just rarely got hot this season.  I wish him well but still wonder as much praise as Groce gave him this season why he decided to transfer.  It seems odd.

Offensive rebounding and FT shooting as well.   Don't blame him for wanting to find a new beginning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/29/2019 at 11:52 AM, NWAkron said:

Those heights are a joke.  Totally not D1

Height helps, but ... 

So does quickness.  So does shooting.  So does intelligence.  So does desire.  So does knowing how to play together.

Has anyone seen the lineup that the NIT finalist not coached by Shaka Smart is putting on the floor?  (http://www.lipscombsports.com/mbasketball/roster/?view=list)  I'd take that team over any MAC team other than UB.

Someone else mentioned Texas Tech, which is a great example of how "measurables" aren't necessarily determinative.  (Given how well TTU played against Villanova last year and then how they've marched through this year's tournament, UB's loss to them doesn't seem so bad.)

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven’t read this entire thread so I apologize if this has already been discussed.

 

What do we know about the out of conference schedule next year? Do we know of a tournament or event the Zips will be a part of in November or December?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, GJGood said:

I haven’t read this entire thread so I apologize if this has already been discussed.

 

What do we know about the out of conference schedule next year? Do we know of a tournament or event the Zips will be a part of in November or December?

I don't think next year's schedule has been released yet.  Just this past week the football and futbol schedules were released (fall sports).  So we probably have a while to wait.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎4‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 8:53 PM, Blue & Gold said:

I don't think next year's schedule has been released yet.  Just this past week the football and futbol schedules were released (fall sports).  So we probably have a while to wait.

Right but I know a lot of times we are aware of where our early season tournament will be located. I remember when Groce was hired the question was whether we'd still be going to Hawaii or not because that had been scheduled for months prior.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, GJGood said:

Right but I know a lot of times we are aware of where our early season tournament will be located. I remember when Groce was hired the question was whether we'd still be going to Hawaii or not because that had been scheduled for months prior.

I posted the news on the Cayman tournament in June 2018

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe we still have 2 years left on our Marshall deal so @Marshall is the only OOC game that I'm aware of. I find it odd in college basketball you don't see more OOC games scheduled in advance. It seems every offseason all teams are scrambling to fill holes in their upcoming OOC schedule.

Edited by kreed5120
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

I believe we still have 2 years left on our Marshall deal so @Marshall is the only OOC game that I'm aware of. I find it odd in college basketball you don't see more OOC games scheduled in advance. It seems every offseason all teams are scrambling to fill holes in their upcoming OOC schedule.

 

That's been a fun series over the years.  I'd love more Marshall type teams on the OOC schedule and fewer UT-Whatevers, Coppin States and Alabama States... 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

That's been a fun series over the years.  I'd love more Marshall type teams on the OOC schedule and fewer UT-Whatevers, Coppin States and Alabama States... 

 

Give me Murray State, Belmont, Middle Tennessee, Marshall, Illinois State, Indiana State, etc. all day. I didn't mind playing UT-Chattanooga once because of Lamont Paris, and it helped us secure Arth (I'm kidding), but give me the rest of those teams. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Give me Murray State, Belmont, Middle Tennessee, Marshall, Illinois State, Indiana State, etc. all day. I didn't mind playing UT-Chattanooga once because of Lamont Paris, and it helped us secure Arth (I'm kidding), but give me the rest of those teams. 

 

From your keyboard to the ears of the basketball gods.

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

While we're discussing hypotheticals, I'd love to see us negotiate some home basketball games into these P5 body bag games we play in football. Obviously someone like Kentucky isn't going to come play at Akron, but maybe if we were willing to take a little less, we could get someone like Penn State or Northwestern. I know Kent has done this type of stuff in the past to get Oregon State to the MACC.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

While we're discussing hypotheticals, I'd love to see us negotiate some home basketball games into these P5 body bag games we play in football. Obviously someone like Kentucky isn't going to come play at Akron, but maybe if we were willing to take a little less, we could get someone like Penn State or Northwestern. I know Kent has done this type of stuff in the past to get Oregon State to the MACC.  

I remember when Penn State played at the JAR to crickets....one if my most PISSED off moments towards casual Zips fans, and especially the ABJ for their lack of content and building up the game....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...