Game 2- West Virginia

[clarkwgriswold]

The Zips head to Morgantown Friday night to face our old friend Bob Huggins.  Here are a couple of previews for the Mountaineers:

 

https://247sports.com/college/west-virginia/LongFormArticle/WVU-basketball-preview-2019-20-137467595/

 

https://wvsportsnow.com/west-virginia-mens-basketball-2019-20-preview/

 

[Illini Zip]

The Zips schedule states that this game will be on AT&T Sports Network. Is that a cable or internet channel? Anybody know. And will it be available to the general public?

[Blue & Gold]

6 hours ago, Illini Zip said:

The Zips schedule states that this game will be on AT&T Sports Network. Is that a cable or internet channel? Anybody know. And will it be available to the general public?

 

The game should be streamed here; WVU's athletics website.

 

The game is blacked out in the AT&T Sports Network viewing area.  I don't know what that is but I know it's not us.

[zippy5]

It's Pittsburgh's RSN - think Sports Time Ohio

[clarkwgriswold]

This game should be a much better barometer of what the Zips have than the Malone game.  You got the sense with Malone that they played down to the competition and thought they could just turn it on when needed.  They won't have that luxury at West Virginia.

[Let'sGoZips94]

3 words will define this game.

 

Conditioning. Composure. Effort. 

 

I'm assuming West Virginia will continue to roll with their Press Virginia defensive scheme, meaning we need to be composed enough to not turn the ball over a gazillion times. On top of that, I'd like to see us truly push the ball like we supposedly did against Malone and have done all off-season. We can't afford to get tired out; that will only lead to mistakes and mental breakdowns. Lastly - and this basically goes without saying - we need to out-effort WVU. Loose balls, rebounds, etc. The little things are a product of effort, and the little things are what lead to couches being burned on porches out of anger. X, Cheese, and LCJ are going to be MASSIVE key players. 

 

Get er done, Zips!

[Blue & Gold]

I don't think we can go 10-deep against WVU.  Some of our players are too green.  I'm thinking Ali & Tribble ride the pine Friday night.  They can continue getting their D-1 feet wet against the NC-Centrals and USC-Upstates of the world.

[LoyalZIP]

As far as caliber of players, I'd say Akron has a chance to make this a game, but I'm not expecting much. I think WVU is gonna be pretty good and that style isn't something I'd expect Akron to be able to keep up with yet.

[kreed5120]

This will be WVU first game of the season so Akron's best bet is they come out rusty and we can jump on them early. I expect Akron to keep it interesting for the first 30 or so minutes with WVU pulling away in the last 10.

[ZipsVoice]

For those of you going down for the game, the last time we played there, I got my tickets through the U of A ticket office and the seats we were assigned were ultra-nose bleed.  But after the 10 minute media time out, they allow everyone to move down into the lower bowl and lower upper deck, so if you find your self in that position, wait it out!

[clarkwgriswold]

9 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

This will be WVU first game of the season so Akron's best bet is they come out rusty and we can jump on them early. I expect Akron to keep it interesting for the first 30 or so minutes with WVU pulling away in the last 10.

 

So, we're their Malone?  ?

[Zipmeister]

On 11/6/2019 at 9:36 AM, clarkwgriswold said:

 

So, we're their Malone?  ?

 

Only if we are allowed to ignore their game against Duquesne.

Watch out for new guy, #22 Sean McNeil, who is a scoring machine.

Edited November 7, 2019 by Zipmeister
.

[Illini Zip]

I am interested to see what wins out pertaining to their full-court press; LCJ speed or WVU size and length? If they are too slow in reacting to LCJ they could face foul trouble. And if we can handle the gauntlet, WVU can be exposed down on the other end by Riak or X. If we don't run the gauntlet, well it can get damn humiliating fast.

Edited November 6, 2019 by Illini Zip

[Let'sGoZips94]

2 hours ago, Zipmeister said:

 

Only if we are allowed to ignore their game against against Duquesne.

Watch out for new guy, #22 Sean McNeil, who is a scoring machine.

 

Speaking of which...

[akronzips71]

Duquesne got a game-high 22 points from point guard Tavian Dunn-Martin, 15 of those coming from 3-point distance

[clarkwgriswold]

Malone threw on a press last night and while the Zips didn't turn the ball over against it, they didn't look comfortable bringing the ball up against it.  

 

I still have PTSD from the Zips facing the VCU press without a PG.

[LZIp]

11 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

I still have PTSD from the Zips facing the VCU press without a PG.

Don't we all.....though when I think of that year I also think of us owning OU in the MAC-C with Harney starting at PG. That makes me feel a little better.

[Let'sGoZips94]

57 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Don't we all.....though when I think of that year I also think of us owning OU in the MAC-C with Harney starting at PG. That makes me feel a little better.

 

Since you brought it up, let's spread some good vibes and listen to the joy in Frenchie's voice. 

 

 

[clarkwgriswold]

2 hours ago, LZIp said:

Don't we all.....though when I think of that year I also think of us owning OU in the MAC-C with Harney starting at PG. That makes me feel a little better.

 

Oh no, you said the H word.  Shudder.

[ZZZips]

3 hours ago, LZIp said:

Don't we all.....though when I think of that year I also think of us owning OU in the MAC-C with Harney starting at PG. That makes me feel a little better.

Is my memory failing me again?   

 

Maybe, I don't remember Harney getting many minutes in either game.  So I looked up the boxscore for the OU Championship game and the debacle against VCU. 

 

Harney didn't start either game in 2013.

 

Carmelo Betancourt started both games and played more minutes than Harney in both games.   

[1981 grad]

3 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Since you brought it up, let's spread some good vibes and listen to the joy in Frenchie's voice. 

 

 

Thanks for showing it but it just makes me mad.  I look at the roster and I see players that played 4 years for Akron and we might have had one transfer.  I wish our Athletic Director had watched this video before he allowed KD to take his talents elsewhere.  I just don't know if you can build a program based on other programs transfers.  Groce has had close to 10 guys transfer out of our program in 10 years.  I was not at the Malone game but if we cannot control the boards and have inside scoring against Malone i am not optimistic for tomorrow night.  I hope I am wrong.  This team needs better shooting then last year.  Go Zips!

[NWAkron]

1 hour ago, 1981 grad said:

Thanks for showing it but it just makes me mad.  I look at the roster and I see players that played 4 years for Akron and we might have had one transfer.  I wish our Athletic Director had watched this video before he allowed KD to take his talents elsewhere.  I just don't know if you can build a program based on other programs transfers.  Groce has had close to 10 guys transfer out of our program in 10 years.  I was not at the Malone game but if we cannot control the boards and have inside scoring against Malone i am not optimistic for tomorrow night.  I hope I am wrong.  This team needs better shooting then last year.  Go Zips!

The 50 point loss to VCU didn't make you mad?  How about the great Pat Forsythe?  Drug dealing point guard?  Harney, Gilliam, and Treadwell...all put team first, right?  I watch this video and think about what happened a week later in Detroit and the two other double digit NCAA tourney losses.  KD and his teams gave us a lot of fun and Akron pride, but I think it was time for him to move on.  Time for Groce and his team to step up and win some big games.

Edited November 7, 2019 by NWAkron

[kreed5120]

We were fortunate to have KD as long as we did. The NCAA has loosened the rules and have made it much easier for players to transfer, which has led to a steadily increasing numbers of transfers at the D1 level year over year. Even KD has steadily been losing guys to transfer at Duquesne. It's just the way the game has transformed. 

Edited November 7, 2019 by kreed5120

[LZIp]

2 hours ago, ZZZips said:

Is my memory failing me again?   

 

Maybe, I don't remember Harney getting many minutes in either game.  So I looked up the boxscore for the OU Championship game and the debacle against VCU. 

 

Harney didn't start either game in 2013.

 

Carmelo Betancourt started both games and played more minutes than Harney in both games.   

You are correct. Maybe him starting was just a rumor and it stuck with me? Harney most definitely played PG though after the drug trafficker ruined our season.

[clarkwgriswold]

He played a little as KD tried to figure it out and was a major name in the rumor mill as to what they would do.  Even rumblings of McAdams.   Aaaaaah, the good old days.