clarkwgriswold Posted January 30, 2021 Report Share Posted January 30, 2021 (edited) The 10-3 Zips head off to Toledo Tuesday to play the 15-4/10-1 Rockets in a battle of MAC favorites. Toledo comes off of an 18 point thumping of arch-rival neighbor BG and is on a 4 game win streak with their last loss having come to the Zips. The Zips are on a 6 win streak. This one will test the Zips mettle as they were just able to squeak by the Rockets in overtime at the JAR on the 16th. The Rockets go as their All-MAC guard Marreon Jackson goes. Jackson is averaging 17 ppg, 5.5 apg and 4.2 rpg. Heading into the BG game, Toledo is 3rd in offense and second in defense in the MAC. The Zips are 6th in offense and 1st in defense. At the JAR two weeks ago, LCJ scored 34 points and had seven assists while Trimble scored 19. Jackson led Toledo with 24 points while senior guard Spencer Littleson chipped in with 21. Jackson is going to get his. I’d prefer him to try to do it from outside rather than penetrate. The Zips need to do a better job preventing Littleson from getting good looks on threes than they did at the JAR. Toledo starts a tough 4 game road stretch for the Zips with Toledo, Shalersville Tech, OU and the quickly improving Miami. Edited January 30, 2021 by clarkwgriswold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy5 Posted January 31, 2021 Report Share Posted January 31, 2021 This is a big one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted January 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2021 This game is going to be a real test for the Zips. It would sure be nice to put another L on Toledo's slate and remind them of where the MAC title presently resides. A win at Toledo is going to be a tall order. The Zips primary advantages are defense and depth. Toledo really plays only 7 players. Hopefully, the Zips depth and ability to always shuttle in fresh players will wear them down. Do that and lock them down on defense and maybe the Zips are at the top of the MAC Tuesday night. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z.I.P. Posted January 31, 2021 Report Share Posted January 31, 2021 Any idea if any of the four road games will get national TV coverage? I know telecommunications infrastructure in the greater Shalersville region is subpar, but I think Toledo is joining the modern world...rockets and all that stuff. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted January 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2021 1 hour ago, Z.I.P. said: Any idea if any of the four road games will get national TV coverage? I know telecommunications infrastructure in the greater Shalersville region is subpar, but I think Toledo is joining the modern world...rockets and all that stuff. It's going to be a rough stretch. Toledo is ESPN+, Streetsboro Agricultural lists no TV broadcast on the Zips site but says ESPNU on SA's website (ugh), OU is CBS Sports Network (ugh) and Miami is ESPNU (ugh). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWAkron Posted January 31, 2021 Report Share Posted January 31, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, clarkwgriswold said: It's going to be a rough stretch. Toledo is ESPN+, Streetsboro Agricultural lists no TV broadcast on the Zips site but says ESPNU on SA's website (ugh), OU is CBS Sports Network (ugh) and Miami is ESPNU (ugh). why "ugh" to all those? isnt that a good thing? or you prefer espn2, etc? Edited January 31, 2021 by NWAkron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted January 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2021 I prefer ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPN+ as those are what I can get. It's a shame that all of the ESPNs are not included in ESPN+. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWAkron Posted January 31, 2021 Report Share Posted January 31, 2021 32 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said: I prefer ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPN+ as those are what I can get. It's a shame that all of the ESPNs are not included in ESPN+. That's right. You live nearbouts the Shalersville Region. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted January 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2021 It doesn't help that I hate Spectrum with every inch of my being Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 It was great a few years ago when nearly every MAC conference game was on ESPN+. I not only was able to watch the Zips games, but I could flip to catch the end of some other games that interested me. It never gets boring to watch Kent lose. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoyalZIP Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 I truly don't know what to expect in this one. That game a couple weeks ago was about as high-level a basketball game you'll ever see in the MAC. Any missed opportunity at one end was cashed in at the other. In matchups like these (and the next few looking forward, not to get ahead of myself) there are challenges that the Zips haven't faced since they played Toledo. They simply can't afford to make mistakes that result in turnovers or easy buckets. I don't worry about the defense nearly as much as I worry about how much Akron turns the ball over sometimes. Toledo is still running the very short bench, so sticking it to them early at the defensive end of the floor can create energy on the offensive end to attack their tired legs. At least that's the formula. I'm excited to see this one, as should any MAC fan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy5 Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 I think we kinda beat them at their own run and gun game last time. I don't think we'll be as lucky if we get sucked into that again. Not that we're a slow paced team by any means.. but if we have the defensive effort and focus that we did against BSU, we'll come out on top imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyalBlu Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 24 minutes ago, zippy5 said: I think we kinda beat them at their own run and gun game last time. I don't think we'll be as lucky if we get sucked into that again. Not that we're a slow paced team by any means.. but if we have the defensive effort and focus that we did against BSU, we'll come out on top imo. Interesting matchup to say the least ... usually in the past it has been Akron in the position of holding a lead over the field while others have to pull upsets behind them. As this season wears on it will be interesting to see how UT wears the target on its back. Problem is, with the bottom third of the league so bad - and UT playing all those former MAC West teams twice, (only playing OU-Buff once) it's tough seeing more than one UT stumble other than Akron. So, at most, three losses, but more likely two. Problem is, with the No. 1 seed as it sits right now, Rockets will play no better than Miami/Ohio before the MAC finals while some combination of Akron-BG-Kent-Buff battle it out to get to the title game against them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 I feel we're playing better team basketball now than we were when we played Toledo 3 weeks back. Back then we kind of knew we were going to get 20+ from LCJ, but didn't know where else the points were going to come from. Now we're able to win games without LCJ needing to score much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted February 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 I'd love to beat Toledo but we all know that nothing really makes any difference but the game on March 13th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted February 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 I'm thinking that if the Zips are down three with seconds left and the ball, old Tod "Red" Kowalczyk will have his players foul this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akronzips71 Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 How is the storm over there? Any chance of the game being snowed out? Here in NY we may end up with two feet. no one is going anyplace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted February 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 3 minutes ago, akronzips71 said: How is the storm over there? Any chance of the game being snowed out? Here in NY we may end up with two feet. no one is going anyplace. Maybe 5-6 inches here, nothing that should hold up a game. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1981 grad Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 We are going to have to shoot well to stay in this game. When we beat them we shot 50% from the field. We also outrebound the rockets by 10. All of the starters shot 50% and they are going to need a good start to the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWAkron Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 53 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said: Maybe 5-6 inches here, nothing that should hold up a game. If that. Roads are clear. Not sure if they left today and are staying the night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted February 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 George's latest on the game- https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/college/zips/2021/02/01/university-akron-mens-basketball-zips-focus-toledo-rematch/4342235001/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 Frankly we need to play better team defense than we played 3 weeks. The #1 MAC defense shouldn't give up 83 points in regulation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWAkron Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 (edited) In Groce, I trust. What else is important for Groce is being in the right state mentally. “Every game is different. I know this and I’ve tried to tell the guys this,” he said. “What’s happened previously in the last 10 conference games for us … will have absolutely nothing to do with Tuesday night. It’s who plays the best on Tuesday night. Who makes the most plays on Tuesday night.” More importantly, what happened in that first game against the Rockets just doesn’t matter. “The fact that we’ve played them before has nothing to do with Tuesday night. We’re not going to fall for that,” he said. “We’ve got to be ready to play and play as well as we can play, execute as well as we can execute on Tuesday night. Play for each other. Play with the right force and the right spirit. That’s what we can control.” Edited February 1, 2021 by NWAkron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hip Zip Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 Zips +7' Hmmmm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWAkron Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 6 minutes ago, The Hip Zip said: Zips +7' Hmmmm I'm seeing +7.5. Harsh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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