Game 4- Wheeling Univerity

[LoyalZIP]

Groce has used today to put a few wonky lineups out there and toughen up Aziz. He also threw out a lot of presses in the first half with emphasis on not letting the offense catch the ball. He was getting very into it. 
 

Next week the real fun starts. 

[clarkwgriswold]

72-31, 11:05

[Spin]

Typical AK, ZDN has no video. I tried 3 devices.

 

More time to get ready for the soccer game.

 

[ewbrooman1]

32 minutes ago, Spin said:

Typical AK, ZDN has no video. I tried 3 devices.

 

More time to get ready for the soccer game.

 

No point in watching, or playing, that game anyway. Mismatches like this are one of the reasons I stopped buying season tickets. There's usually one good pre MAC season home game worth going to IMO.

[Spin]

GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLL!!

[Spin]

Every time I look at the kit I think of the Cleveland Force home kit.

[clarkwgriswold]

I made my way all of the way through it.  I did not feel shorted for the $3.75 the game actually cost me.

 

One thing on display in this one that I actually like is this team's flexibility and ability of everyone to switch on defense.

 

The post-game Groce radio interview was interesting.  He talked about how the culture is now finally established especially on the defensive side.  He spoke of how this is the deepest team they've had and how it will allow them to keep the pressure on all game.  He also talked about KJ Walton and how when he first arrived and started out in June he was not the player they expected and how he sat him down and essentially told him that of he didn't buy in he wasn't going to play and how KJ took the conversation to heart, committed to the culture and has become an integral and valuable part of the rotation.

[Spin]

No wonder nobody's talking soccer here. I'm in the wrong forum. 🙄

[NWAkron]

6 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

 

The post-game Groce radio interview was interesting.  He talked about how the culture is now finally established especially on the defensive side.  He spoke of how this is the deepest team they've had and how it will allow them to keep the pressure on all game.  He also talked about KJ Walton and how when he first arrived and started out in June he was not the player they expected and how he sat him down and essentially told him that of he didn't buy in he wasn't going to play and how KJ took the conversation to heart, committed to the culture and has become an integral and valuable part of the rotation.

I thought the same thing.  One of the most enlightening Groce interviews since he's been here.  Not surprised about KJ, considering he had Whitford in his ear for 3 years!!

[Illini Zip]

Akron Zips come on down!! I'm excited to watch them in person on Monday.

 

[NWAkron]

45 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

 

The post-game Groce radio interview was interesting.  He talked about how the culture is now finally established especially on the defensive side.  

Groce said it took him 5 years to get this deep of a team playing this hard of defense.  Maybe Arth needed two more years?

When Groce puts in the bench at the end, he has Dawson, Clark, and Wynn on the floor.  Not too shabby

[RoyalBlu]

1 hour ago, clarkwgriswold said:

I made my way all of the way through it.  I did not feel shorted for the $3.75 the game actually cost me.

 

One thing on display in this one that I actually like is this team's flexibility and ability of everyone to switch on defense.

 

The post-game Groce radio interview was interesting.  He talked about how the culture is now finally established especially on the defensive side.  He spoke of how this is the deepest team they've had and how it will allow them to keep the pressure on all game.  He also talked about KJ Walton and how when he first arrived and started out in June he was not the player they expected and how he sat him down and essentially told him that of he didn't buy in he wasn't going to play and how KJ took the conversation to heart, committed to the culture and has become an integral and valuable part of the rotation.

 

All of this is great ... but it is a bit of false advertising against the Wheelings and the Fordhams of the world ... Groce w/his B10 contacts should have this team playing more established teams. I just don't buy this 'nobody wants to play us crap' ... if that's the case, just line up 2-3 tournaments and play solid comp there. From what I've seen this Akron team is no worse than third best in the MAC over the course of the season, and built like a tournament team when the perimeter players are clicking. And that is as it should be every year going forward. Time for Groce to put the big boy pants on and schedule for success, instead of picking pansies every year. Good players/team want to be challenged. After the way they played against OSU, and to not have another game like that for a month is not a good formula in my book.

[LZIp]

I think its pretty obvious why the schedule is the way it is this year. A lot of new faces and roles. The team may exceed expectations/gel quicker than expected and thats great. I don't enjoy the schedule, but understand the logic. BTW - KD was the one who said nobody wanted to play Akron.

Edited November 19, 2021 by LZIp

[NWAkron]

Well after the failure of football and soccer, the hopes of a weary fan base rest on Groce's shoulders.

[kreed5120]

I buy no P6 teams want to come to the JAR. Gonzaga went on the road and beat those teams to earn enough respect for those programs to start signing home and homes agreements with them. Until we reach that level of success we have to have that we will play anyone anywhere mentality.

[Hilltopper]

1 hour ago, kreed5120 said:

I buy no P6 teams want to come to the JAR. Gonzaga went on the road and beat those teams to earn enough respect for those programs to start signing home and homes agreements with them. Until we reach that level of success we have to have that we will play anyone anywhere mentality.

Unless we are willing to make the same level of financial commitment as the school from Spokane,  it doesn't matter who we schedule in the non-conference part of the season.

[clarkwgriswold]

I'm not wild about the OOC schedule, but let's not act like the Zips are the only one in that pattern.  PCCC had Oberlin this week and will follow it up after a holiday tournament with our friends from Point Park.  Also, as Hilltopper and Kreed suggest, the school would have to support a budget that would allow the travel to play significant away games and the school's not exactly eager to expend money right now with dwindling resources and budget cuts.  

 

I would say that if they are going to play patsies, I'd like to see them give area teams a chance (Mount Union/Malone/Walsh/John Carroll/BW/CWRU/etc.).

[LZIp]

The questions I'd like to know the answer to (and I have a hunch):

• Do we pay to have these patsies to come to our place to play?
• Could we get paid to go to P5 programs and play?
• Would we come out ahead considering cost of travel/lodging, whether or not we were paid, to go play somewhere compared to paying teams to come to our place, assuming that is the case?

Regardless of all of that - its not like we don't have costs to go to the Gulf Coast Showcase, Maui Invitational, Wright State, WVU etc.. There is the opportunity to replace those weaker away games/exhibition games with better regional opponents and being in the same spot we are now.

Edited November 19, 2021 by LZIp

[zippy5]

I think it's very feasible to have a more difficult schedule, with one or two more pay day games at P5 schools and a couple other mid-majors in our shoes. However, I don't think this is the year for that.

[NWAkron]

25 minutes ago, LZIp said:

The questions I'd like to know the answer to (and I have a hunch):

• Do we have these patsies to come to our place to play?
• Could we get paid to go to these other programs and play?
• Would we come out ahead considering cost of travel/lodging, whether or not we were paid, to go play somewhere compared to paying teams to come to our place, assuming that is the case?

Regardless of all of that - its not like we don't have costs to go to the Gulf Coast Showcase, Maui Invitational, Wright State, WVU etc.. There is the opportunity to replace those weaker away games/exhibition games with better regional opponents and being in the same spot we are now.

The Coaches for Cancer series worked well until Kwan, Noah, and the Zips laid an egg at Youngstown State

 

 

[LoyalZIP]

33 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

The Coaches for Cancer series worked well until Kwan, Noah, and the Zips laid an egg at Youngstown State

 

 

 

Most miserable game I've ever been to. Zips should have won by 20+ over those bums. It was a very good preview of the title game that year, which was actually more miserable. And before that, Kent snapping our 30+ home win streak was pretty miserable too. So was losing to 12-seed Miami on senior day. Damn, what a heartbreaking season!

 

That year tarnished Zips basketball in a way that I've had trouble shaking for almost 5 years now. We need to go back to the tournament. It's criminal how few times Akron has been over the last 15 years. In Groce we trust.

[NWAkron]

11 minutes ago, LoyalZIP said:

 

Most miserable game I've ever been to. Zips should have won by 20+ over those bums. It was a very good preview of the title game that year, which was actually more miserable. And before that, Kent snapping our 30+ home win streak was pretty miserable too. So was losing to 12-seed Miami on senior day. Damn, what a heartbreaking season!

 

That year tarnished Zips basketball in a way that I've had trouble shaking for almost 5 years now. We need to go back to the tournament. It's criminal how few times Akron has been over the last 15 years. In Groce we trust.

I think that game was on TV or streamed, and I only remember Kwan just standing there pouting, not moving, and expecting Noah to throw the ball to him.  And you are right.  That was mirror image of the MAC championship game.  Was time for KD to go.  I say cancel men's and women's soccer and give the $$ to Groce.

 

Of course, I forgot who said it on here that it was really easy for KD to keep that home winning streak alive.  He scheduled a ton of cupcakes and only had to win a couple tough MAC games at home.

Edited November 19, 2021 by NWAkron

[clarkwgriswold]

 

[kreed5120]

2 hours ago, LZIp said:

The questions I'd like to know the answer to (and I have a hunch):

• Do we pay to have these patsies to come to our place to play?
• Could we get paid to go to P5 programs and play?
• Would we come out ahead considering cost of travel/lodging, whether or not we were paid, to go play somewhere compared to paying teams to come to our place, assuming that is the case?

Regardless of all of that - its not like we don't have costs to go to the Gulf Coast Showcase, Maui Invitational, Wright State, WVU etc.. There is the opportunity to replace those weaker away games/exhibition games with better regional opponents and being in the same spot we are now.

 

Yes, we pay schools like Wheeling University to play us. We don't pay much though maybe $10k-15k or so based off of what I've read other schools paying for similar type of opponents. Ohio State likely paid us somewhere in the neighborhood of 75k-125k to play them. It's not as lucrative as college football buy games, but Akron still makes money off of playing OSU in Columbus as it doesn't cost that much to drive 4 hours to Columbus and get a hotel for the night.  

[Blue & Gold]

Teamism.