Captain Kangaroo Posted January 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 Most of our existing transfer players were the result of the incumbent players transferring out. Noah, Antino, E-man, Utomi, Parrish... it would have been career suicide for Groce to replace them with a bunch of freshman. There was a time when transfers were looks upon negatively...they were troubled kids that got booted off a team for getting in trouble with the law, or poor grades. Our present transfers are Junior College kids, or traditional transfers who just didn't fit in at their first stop. They seem to be good ballers, good students, and overall good kids who are enjoying being a Zip. That's good enough for me. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 1 hour ago, clarkwgriswold said: Without those transfers the Zips would be like Miami and we'd all be pi$$ing and moaning about how the team wasn't developing fast enough. We all saw the incessant whining and griping from some impatient posters the first couple of years of Groce when he was rebuilding the program. Can you imagine what we'd be hearing now if he'd have focused solely on freshmen instead of mixing in transfers/jucos? Funny I haven't seen many of those "critics" post this season. I'm sure they will reappear when it's an opportune time for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 (edited) 16 hours ago, NWAkron said: https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/college/2020/01/23/briggs-toledo-bg-and-their-golden-opportunity-in-a-wide-open-mac/stories/20200123155 This made my blood boil. 2 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said: Without those transfers the Zips would be like Miami and we'd all be pi$$ing and moaning about how the team wasn't developing fast enough. We all saw the incessant whining and griping from some impatient posters the first couple of years of Groce when he was rebuilding the program. Can you imagine what we'd be hearing now if he'd have focused solely on freshmen instead of mixing in transfers/jucos? 1 hour ago, Captain Kangaroo said: Most of our existing transfer players were the result of the incumbent players transferring out. Noah, Antino, E-man, Utomi, Parrish... it would have been career suicide for Groce to replace them with a bunch of freshman. There was a time when transfers were looks upon negatively...they were troubled kids that got booted off a team for getting in trouble with the law, or poor grades. Our present transfers are Junior College kids, or traditional transfers who just didn't fit in at their first stop. They seem to be good ballers, good students, and overall good kids who are enjoying being a Zip. That's good enough for me. I highly doubt Nevada fans were whining when their "Transfer U" nickname delivered them high praise nationally, both in the press and in the rankings. Great point Captain on JUCOs/transfers have changed. With how the transfer rules have changed, players that miss on finding the right fit or have their right fit taken away from them (coaching changes) are looking to stay active in the game instead of sitting out a year. PCCC had a reputation during the Christian(?) years of bringing in semi-troubled JUCOs that didn't exactly give their team the best reputation in the public eye, and Dambrot RARELY touched the JUCO/transfer market. So up until these past couple of years, my only experience with JUCOs/transfers was watching Christian's PCCC program, and I had a tainted view. The guys Groce is bringing in has completely changed my opinion, and opened my eyes to the ever-changing landscape in college basketball. These guys are a necessity in keeping mid-majors afloat, especially when the program was left in rough shape. That article irked me, but my hope is that all the hype surrounding Toledo's win over us goes to their heads and they overlook us/others when we get to Cleveland. 188 total points won't be seen at The Rock, nor will these shooting percentages. Defense wins championships, and our band-of-misfit-transfers-who-found-a-fit are 100% bought into the system. We'll see you in Cleveland, University of Detroit Southwest. P.S. The numbers from this game still baffle me. What a fun game to be at. Reminds me of Game 7 of the '16 World Series with Rajai's HR - greatest sports moment that resulted in a loss, but still fun to watch despite the result. 1 hour ago, NWAkron said: And in Ravenna, they are "seeking answers." https://www.beaconjournal.com/sports/20200123/kent-state-basketball-team-seeking-answers-for-three-game-skid My favorite quote from this... “The schedule is really unforgiving. But that’s our conference,” Senderoff said. “Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us, and we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to find a way to win.” Clown quote from the Pinky the Clown himself. Let's just disregard the forgiving nature of the schedule with playing a Turner-less BUGS. Also, I'm curious if the secret to holding Toledo to under 45% from the field & beyond the arc is a dimly lit, craphole arena. ? Edited January 24, 2020 by Let'sGoZips94 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 20 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said: “The schedule is really unforgiving. But that’s our conference,” Senderoff said. “Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us, and we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to find a way to win.” Clown quote from the Pinky the Clown himself. Let's just disregard the forgiving nature of the schedule with playing a Turner-less BUGS. Also, I'm curious if the secret to holding Toledo to under 45% from the field & beyond the arc is a dimly lit, craphole arena. ? Turner played that game. Kent's losses came in the easier stretch of their schedule. If Senderoff thinks their schedule has been brutal thus far, he's in a world of hurt the next 4 (@Buffalo, @Toledo, Akron, and Ball State). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDZip Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 3 minutes ago, kreed5120 said: Turner played that game. Kent's losses came in the easier stretch of their schedule. If Senderoff thinks their schedule has been brutal thus far, he's in a world of hurt the next 4 (@Buffalo, @Toledo, Akron, and Ball State). Yeah their three losses in this stretch are Miami, WMU and NIU. Take out their wins against Kent and they are a combined sterling 3-12 against everyone else. Yeah that's a pretty tough scheduling break. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue & Gold Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 1 hour ago, kreed5120 said: Funny I haven't seen many of those "critics" post this season. I'm sure they will reappear when it's an opportune time for them. I was always perplexed with how negative a handful of the posters were on Groce during his first two years when he really had to reboot the program almost literally from scratch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 40 minutes ago, kreed5120 said: Turner played that game. Kent's losses came in the easier stretch of their schedule. If Senderoff thinks their schedule has been brutal thus far, he's in a world of hurt the next 4 (@Buffalo, @Toledo, Akron, and Ball State). You're right, good catch. I thought he came back a game or two after that. That was his 2nd game back. He was all but absent from the box score as well, which may have been why I didn't notice he played that game. But yes, their skid is against pretty abysmal teams and have the cream of the crop coming up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWAkron Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Blue & Gold said: I was always perplexed with how negative a handful of the posters were on Groce during his first two years when he really had to reboot the program almost literally from scratch. My view was that he had to prove himself and that it would take a few years. I never bought into that "Groce's teams peak in March" meme. I didn't have any interest in seeing average basketball all year "knowing" that he will turn it around in March. Akron is now paying his full salary and now he must produce. I thought it was well-planned by the AD to have Illinois essentially subsidize the Zips rebuild. He and Owens at Miami came in at same time with vastly different results. However, not sure Miami ever recruited a JUCO. Also, under Hipsher the JUCOs were usually bad news. Groce and team appear to be learning from mistakes and are vetting them well. I think the reason they succeed on the road is that the team is cohesive unit and play within themselves and the team. Edited January 24, 2020 by NWAkron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 I kind of went into this year thinking this was the year we need to see something out Groce. The first year was pretty much a year 0 given all the transfers. His second season saw some improvement and we were competitive for the most part. This year we headed into the season with a senior heavy roster in what was expected to be a down year for the MAC. I didn't necessarily feel we had to win the MAC this season going in, but I wanted to be elevated to a serious contender. So far we have eclipsed my expectations as we look like a clear favorite. We'll see how the rest of the season plays out. Groce still had three years left on his deal after this season so I knew we couldn't show him the door if Akron had another 8th place, quarterfinal exit, but I would have lost faith in his ability to lead us moving forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDZip Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 (edited) 39 minutes ago, kreed5120 said: So far we have eclipsed my expectations as we look like a clear favorite. I'll give you the eclipsed expectations part for sure and as a bonus it's a fun team to watch. But I think its a little early to name them a clear favorite, both of last years MAC finals teams are right with us and we've played neither of them yet. Get past them and then I'll agree with you. Kent also looked like a pretty clear favorite three games ago and now they are at .500. Things can change fast. Edited January 24, 2020 by MDZip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted January 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 We may have played our best game of the season on the 18th, and lost to Toledo by 10. So the Rockets are my favorite until proven otherwise. Can't sleep on Buffalo either. Really looking forward to next Tuesday. Not worried about Kent. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDZip Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 2 hours ago, Captain Kangaroo said: We may have played our best game of the season on the 18th, and lost to Toledo by 10. So the Rockets are my favorite until proven otherwise. Can't sleep on Buffalo either. Really looking forward to next Tuesday. Not worried about Kent. ? Not that the Zips schedule has been that tough either, but just checked our two biggest East competitors schedules, we'll know if BGSU is real over the next six games. @Tol, BSU, @Buff, @CMU, Tol, @Akr. That's pretty brutal. Buffalo isn't quite as bad but they do have the Zips, BGSU, Toledo and CMU in four of their next seven. This is going to really shake out over the next three weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dre22era Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 Check out our newest bracket at https://t.co/5W4P0z50BV: https://t.co/B48KIZWhFN — Andy Katz (@TheAndyKatz) January 24, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 If Rutgers is in the field on Selection Sunday, I won't know what to do. This is their first time ranked since 1979. How about that Dayton/Wright State matchup in Cleveland? That would be fun. This is the longest stretch that I can remember us being considered a 12 seed or better by the Bracketologists. Typically we're in the 13-14 range as just another predicted AQ mid-major conference champ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akronzips71 Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 How can we be projected as a seed when we have to win in Cleveland to get there, even if we win out up until then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy_ua_00 Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said: If Rutgers is in the field on Selection Sunday, I won't know what to do. This is their first time ranked since 1979. How about that Dayton/Wright State matchup in Cleveland? That would be fun. This is the longest stretch that I can remember us being considered a 12 seed or better by the Bracketologists. Typically we're in the 13-14 range as just another predicted AQ mid-major conference champ. it would be fun....for Dayton fans. Dayton would massacre WSU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWAkron Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 10 minutes ago, akronzips71 said: How can we be projected as a seed when we have to win in Cleveland to get there, even if we win out up until then? They just take the highest ranked team or the top in the conference for that week. Next week could be BG 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 Pinky benched his entire starting lineup for the start of the game. Buffalo starters were getting outplayed by Kent's bench. Both these teams suck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWAkron Posted January 24, 2020 Report Share Posted January 24, 2020 Canada player just stepped out of the way when the Rootstown player went in for the dunk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWAkron Posted January 25, 2020 Report Share Posted January 25, 2020 Kent is so effing awful. Up by 8 with the ball under 6 minutes and then two shot clock violations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipsrule Posted January 25, 2020 Report Share Posted January 25, 2020 Kent holds off Buffalo 70-66. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z.I.P. Posted January 25, 2020 Report Share Posted January 25, 2020 6 hours ago, kreed5120 said: Pinky benched his entire starting lineup for the start of the game. Buffalo starters were getting outplayed by Kent's bench. Both these teams suck. Ahh. I THOUGHT that box score looked pretty mixed up. They DID get plenty of bench scoring tonight! No guards...LCJ gonna blitz the Fighting Flushes both ends of the court! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted January 25, 2020 Report Share Posted January 25, 2020 I know anything can happen on any given night, but when you watch a game like that last night, it's hard not to see the separation between the Zips and the rest of this league. Yes Toledo beat us, but I think their shooting percentages fall more under the "anything can happen on any given night" category instead of the "we're head & shoulders above the competition" category. That was pretty ugly basketball for 99% of that game, and the only reason 1% was enjoyable was the comeback by Canada to make it a game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LZIp Posted January 25, 2020 Report Share Posted January 25, 2020 You guys follow the rest of the conference closer than I do...I hope you're right in your analysis of the rest of the league. Sounds like Marches will be fun again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted January 25, 2020 Report Share Posted January 25, 2020 History, even very recent history, shows us that things in the MAC can change very quickly. The Zips were predicted to be 5th in the East. Two weeks ago it was all about PCCC and the Zips in the East. Toledo was not living up to its potential, BG and Buffalo were to be the class of the East. I like what I have seen from the Zips, both in effort and in talent, but there's a long way yet to go. Avoid injuries, fight through those off nights and navigate around a slump and they have something special, but there's a lot of basketball left. Go Zips! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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