2021 - Former Zips in College - Where are they now

[zippyfan34]

As someone posted that Tavian Dunn Martin is out Florida Gulf Coast I wanted to do a quick check to see where former Zips scholarship players are at and how they are faring:

 

• TDM - at Florida Gulf Coast had 34 points in his first game followed by 9 vs USC
• Camron Reece - Originally announced as a transfer to Pacific but then ended up at NAIA Talladega College which doesn't have a good site for box scores or stats but they are 6-0
• Tre Edwards is at UMBC and did not get into the first 2 games
• Jermaine Marshall is at Samford averaging 12 points and 7 rebounds on 50% shooting in 3 games
• Taylor Currie is at D2 Harding College averaging 20 points and 7.5 boards on 53% shooting through 2 games
• Jaden Sayles is at Stony Brook and they have only played 1 game where he played 10 minutes off the bench without scoring or a rebound

[Blue & Gold]

Great thread idea!  Thank you.

 

I liked Jermain Marshall.  I'm still surprised by his transfer.

[LoyalZIP]

11 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

Great thread idea!  Thank you.

 

I liked Jermain Marshall.  I'm still surprised by his transfer.

 

He was upset he didn't play more and didn't believe the staff when they said this was the year he would contribute. I was bummed, he could have been a really good player in this program. He transferred down and is gonna play more and be happier, I wish him well.

[1981 grad]

I was surprised to see Tavia Dunn Martin transfer.  He went with KD to Duquene.  Does anyone know why he transferred?  Was he the last player standing that KD took with him from Akron.

[Zip4Roos]

On 11/17/2021 at 10:32 AM, 1981 grad said:

I was surprised to see Tavia Dunn Martin transfer.  He went with KD to Duquene.  Does anyone know why he transferred?  Was he the last player standing that KD took with him from Akron.

I watched a Duquesne game. KD cleaned house. Everyone on his team is frosh or transfer. No one remains from the team last year.

[Zipmeister]

12 hours ago, Zip4Roos said:

I watched a Duquesne game. KD cleaned house. Everyone on his team is frosh or transfer. No one remains from the team last year.

 

Did KD clean house or did the team abandon ship?

[Dr Z]

Where is that old poll about how many NCAA tournament games KD would win after he left Akron? 

 

Where are they now? Jawanza continued to ascend after that senior season. 

 

[LoyalZIP]

The best player in his Duquesne era is now the best player for his buddy Pinky over in Streetsboro, whose hand he refused to shake after Pinky embarrassed him in the 2017 title game, effectively putting the stake through the heart of Akron basketball as we all knew it.

 

Look, I love KD and I hope he's successful at Doo-Cane, but I just don't see it ever working. And I'm not upset that he's not at Akron anymore and I don't necessarily miss him. It just became too much about excuses and failed expectations at the end. Groce is kind of like the Bizarro KD and I'm loving it. He seems far better equipped to coach in this environment of college basketball.

 

To loop this back into more of a UA-related convo, Groce's transfers have largely either transferred down and succeeded or transferred laterally and done little. Utomi is the exception, though he was a KD recruit and ultimately did for USC what he came here to do. Like I've said, Jermaine Marshall is the only Zip I've been bummed to see move on, and I can live with that.

[kreed5120]

Dambrot made it to 7 straight MAC championships. It seems a bit of an exaggeration to say he wasn't equipped for the MAC. Now to say he isn't equipped for the A10 is a very fair statement. I feel Dambrot is quickly realizing that at-large bids are given to teams, not conferences. You still have to put a talented enough roster on the court to get resume building wins. Without those it's actually more challenging to make the tournament in the A10 compared to the MAC as its easier to beat an Ohio, Buffalo, Toledo in the conference tournament to secure the auto-bid than it is to beat St Louis, VCU, Dayton.

 

I have no ill will against Dambrot and am overall pleased we managed to get Groce. Without Groce this program could have turned south quick. This is now year 5 of Groce. If you're going to criticize Dambrot for making it to 9 MAC finals (winning 3) in his 13 years as head coach, you need to start considering criticizing Groce for having yet to make it to a Saturday in Cleveland.

 

Edit: To clarify this post isn't meant to be anti-Groce. I just think the downplaying of Dambrot era is unwell. The only reason Akron had expectations was he built the basketball program have them. 

Edited January 5, 2022 by kreed5120

[clarkwgriswold]

2 hours ago, Zipmeister said:

 

Did KD clean house or did the team abandon ship?

I think it was a little of both.  KD told them what his expectations were and if they didn't like they could get the hell out.  The players ran through the open door.

[LoyalZIP]

15 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

Dambrot made it to 7 straight MAC championships. It seems a bit of an exaggeration to say he wasn't equipped for the MAC. Now to say he isn't equipped for the A10 is a very fair statement. I feel Dambrot is quickly realizing that at-large bids are given to teams, not conferences. You still have to put a talented enough roster on the court to get resume building wins. Without those it's actually more challenging to make the tournament in the A10 compared to the MAC as its easier to beat an Ohio, Buffalo, Toledo in the conference tournament to secure the auto-bid than it is to beat St Louis, VCU, Dayton.

 

I have no ill will against Dambrot and am overall pleased we managed to get Groce. Without Groce this program could have turned south quick. This is now year 5 of Groce. If you're going to criticize Dambrot for making it to 9 MAC finals (winning 3) in his 13 years as head coach, you need to start considering criticizing Groce for having yet to make it to a Saturday in Cleveland.

 

Edit: To clarify this post isn't meant to be anti-Groce. I just think the downplaying of Dambrot era is unwell. The only reason Akron had expectations was he built the basketball program have them. 

 

In no way have I ever downplayed Dambrot's accomplishments and trips to the final and championships in any way. I simply found the end of it to be embarrassing to have by far the best team for the last two years yet be completely out-toughed and out-classed by far inferior coaches, teams, and programs in back to back seasons, with the second coming to Senderoff of all coaches. And my view of that whole situation would be far different had KD not walked off the court without having the fortitude to shake Pinky's hand after the game. That was about as pathetic an act I have ever seen from a coach in this athletic department, and I still get to hear about it from my friends who are Kent people. In no way is that discounting his success he had at Akron, it was simply very disappointing to see from a coach that is the most AKRON person to ever coach at the school.

 

With that said, Akron was not the same program it was in 2017 as it was in 2013. Josh Williams and Noah Robotham were transferring whether KD was going to leave or not. That is a problem that has now followed him to Duquesne. 

 

As for Groce? He took over a completely gutted program and has made it about values that I consider to be more favorable, but it's just flat out different and that has appeal in my eyes. There is no ego allowed. You must practice hard. You must take care of yourself. You must play defense. We may not have a Tree, but we also don't have a Harney. KD could develop a player better than most MAC coaches I have ever seen, but coaching isn't so much about that any more as it was ten years ago. Groce recruits a lot better than he develops, again the opposite of Dambrot, but the best MAC teams now are the ones that recruit, not necessarily the ones that develop the best players for 4 years.

 

It is a discussion of nuance. I can love Dambrot and be thankful for what he did her while also pointing out his deficiencies. I love Groce and love what he's got going, but unfortunately it did take 3 seasons to meet expectations and I do think they could be better than they are. 

 

Like @Captain Kangaroo has said before, this situation has worked out pretty well for all sides thus far. Duquesne is a better, still not great A10 program, Akron is still a great MAC program, and both coaches seem to be happy. 

[NWAkron]

So what's Terry's next endeavor?

[Spin]

4 hours ago, NWAkron said:

So what's Terry's next endeavor?

Counting his money.

[Zip JD]

6 hours ago, NWAkron said:

So what's Terry's next endeavor?

I moved this to the 2023 thread.  2022 is a Terry-free year.

[Zip JD]

On 11/16/2021 at 10:08 PM, zippyfan34 said:

As someone posted that Tavian Dunn Martin is out Florida Gulf Coast I wanted to do a quick check to see where former Zips scholarship players are at and how they are faring:

 

• TDM - at Florida Gulf Coast had 34 points in his first game followed by 9 vs USC
• Camron Reece - Originally announced as a transfer to Pacific but then ended up at NAIA Talladega College which doesn't have a good site for box scores or stats but they are 6-0
• Tre Edwards is at UMBC and did not get into the first 2 games
• Jermaine Marshall is at Samford averaging 12 points and 7 rebounds on 50% shooting in 3 games
• Taylor Currie is at D2 Harding College averaging 20 points and 7.5 boards on 53% shooting through 2 games
• Jaden Sayles is at Stony Brook and they have only played 1 game where he played 10 minutes off the bench without scoring or a rebound

Great thread.  Thanks for starting it.

[zippyfan34]

An update with a little over a month left in the regular season

• TDM - at Florida Gulf Coast has started 22 games averaging 20 PPG on 40% shooting with almost 6 assists a game and they are 14-9
• Camron Reece - at NAIA Talladega College Started 8 of 20 games, listed as a Junior, 6 ppg, 5.5 RB for a 20-3 team
• Tre Edwards is at UMBC but tore his Achilles and won't play this year
• Jermaine Marshall is at Samford averaging 12 points and 8 rebounds on 47% starting all but 1 game for the 14-8 team
• Taylor Currie is at D2 Harding College averaging 17 points and 8 boards on 55% shooting for a team that is 4-14 starting all but 1 game
• Jaden Sayles is at Stony Brook averaging 5 points and 3.5 boards shooting 53%, starting 9 games averaging 14 minutes per for a team with a  13-8 record
• Torey Patton who I missed in my original post is  averaging 14 points on 45% shooting to go with 7 boards and 4 assists starting 19 games and leading the 15-5 Vikings in minutes
• Virshon Cotton another one I missed is at New Mexico State playing in 8 of 21 games averaging 4 points in 10 minutes a game for the 18-3 aggies

[72 Roo]

Thanks ZF34 for that update on our former Zips. I appreciate the effort.

[zippyfan34]

I missed one that I just saw in @Illini Zippost about Groce's first year. 

 

Eric Parrish went from Akron (2017-18) then to Bosssier Parish Community College (2018-2019) where he averaged 18 points, 9 boards and 6 assists and was the #4 Junior College prospect when he committed to Nevada for the the 2019-2020 season but was only there in the fall of 2019 before signing with to UTSA in December 2019 (played 2020-2021 season) before closing out his career at Grambling (2021-2022).  So on 5 rosters in his college career!

 

Eric Parrish finished (assuming) out his career at Grambling State this year starting in 9 of the 20 games he played in averaging about 5 points and 5 rebounds a game.  I thought he was an All-MAC capable player 2 years down the road but injuries must have derailed his playing career.

[LoyalZIP]

Eric Parrish couldn't get out of his own way. He's a good kid that means well, but he couldn't get his head out of his you-know-where. He had a pretty decent ego, and just wasn't committed to living up to his potential. He'd get lazy with classwork, lazy during practice, and he didn't make good choices. As a freshman, you could see he was going to be really good. He eventually found himself to one of the best mid-majors for Musselman at Nevada, and he fell down the same hole. What a shame, what could've been.

[Z.I.P.]

Always remember how athletic Parrish was the first time I saw him play versus USC in the first round of the Diamond Head Classic in '17.  He was a master of the finger roll and pull-up jumper.  He had all his 11 points off the bench in the second half as the Trojans went from about a 5-point halftime deficit to win going away.