PCCC- 2/11 at 7 p.m.

[RowdyZip]

I'd have to guess we'll see somewhere above 50% capacity and the biggest crowd of the season (that's not saying much, though).  I think we'll be in the 3k neighborhood, which is certainly a departure from every Akron/Kent game prior to 2020.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Having it televised, on a Friday night, doesn't help in drawing a crowd. 

 

But I'll agree COVID has killed our attendance. It'll take some time to get it back up post-COVID too. Sucks, because we may have our best basketball coach ever...and have seen two of the Top 10 Zips players ever...and perhaps the best Zips basketball team ever...and few fans will have seen them work their craft in-person.

[NWAkron]

1 hour ago, clarkwgriswold said:

I got exactly one response to my trivia question/offer for free tickets and it took two days for someone to claim the tickets in Hilltopper's thread.  Not a good sign.

Will probably be best crowd of the season with some knuckle draggers driving in from Streetsboro.  Rather a Catch 22, the more crowded it gets the less likely some folks will want to attend.

[LoyalZIP]

I'm thinking in the 50% range, hopefully. I'm not sure what attendance figures have been announced as this year, but it's been rough, which is too bad but UA is certainly not alone. Kent games at the MACC have become about as well-attended as a midweek morning Catholic Mass, and there were only 1,700 there for the game in Kent according to ticket people I know between the two schools. Our students have been showing out, though, and even last Friday given the circumstances, there was a decent crowd. It'll feel great to have an atmosphere like this again, which would be on par with perhaps a late February game in the past with the Zips in first place, which at this point would feel like a 5500 sold out crowd. The students being where they are now could actually make an impact on the game if they get loud and into it, that would be awesome. 

 

As for the game itself, I will get more into the matchup tomorrow but I'm quite worried. The Zips are playing good-not-great and the Flushes seem to be running at their peak. To me, there feels like an elephant's weight of pressure to win this one to create some space between the two teams in the standings, and if the Zips have any prayer at the regular season title, they have to win out and get some help. Also, the biggest thing in my mind is being swept, which hasn't happened since 2010 I believe. Not only being swept, but being swept by an obviously inferior Kent team. I'm glad to have one more day to mentally and physically prepare. I care way too much about this S#!+

[LZIp]

33 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

Having it televised, on a Friday night, doesn't help in drawing a crowd. 

 

But I'll agree COVID has killed our attendance. It'll take some time to get it back up post-COVID too. Sucks, because we may have our best basketball coach ever...and have seen two of the Top 10 Zips players ever...and perhaps the best Zips basketball team ever...and few fans will have seen them work their craft in-person.

Genuinely curious as to who you are talking about here. LCJ I'd guess is one?

[zippy5]

21 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

Will probably be best crowd of the season with some knuckle draggers driving in from Streetsboro.  Rather a Catch 22, the more crowded it gets the less likely some folks will want to attend.

Like Yogi Berra said - no one goes there anymore because it's too crowded

[zippy5]

I've got 5K as my official prediction tomorrow. Lots of students bail us out

[NWAkron]

16 minutes ago, LoyalZIP said:

Also, the biggest thing in my mind is being swept, which hasn't happened since 2010 I believe. Not only being swept, but being swept by an obviously inferior Kent team. I'm glad to have one more day to mentally and physically prepare. I care way too much about this S#!+

Zips swept them last year.  And you know it's always hard to beat a team 3x in a season...so that could bode well for Cleveland, right?

Take 1/2 a Tramadol tomorrow around 2pm.  

 

Looking at the MAC conference only stats, these two teams are quite even and are top 2 in DEFENSE (points allowed).  Neither is high in the 3 point shooting stats.  So Im thinking this will be a game in the 60s.

 

side note:  the winless Broncos have the highest scorer in the MAC.

Edited February 10, 2022 by NWAkron

[clarkwgriswold]

5 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

 

 

side note:  the winless Broncos have the highest scorer in the MAC.

 

...who is another player that fled Duquesne.

[clarkwgriswold]

23 minutes ago, LoyalZIP said:

 Kent games at the MACC have become about as well-attended as a midweek morning Catholic Mass, and there were only 1,700 there for the game in Kent according to ticket people I know between the two schools.

 

At least Father Berardi could kick those out in 20 minutes.  The poor bastards at PCCC get the full 2 hour Latin Mass.

[RowdyZip]

Took a look at the remaining schedules for the top 5, which I consider to be contenders for #1 seed, and locks for Cleveland.  This game is a must-win for Kent, as they have by far the most difficult remaining schedule.  The conference regular season is Toledo's to lose, however.  They have the fewest games remaining, and by far the easiest schedule.

[Let'sGoZips94]

1 hour ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

Having it televised, on a Friday night, doesn't help in drawing a crowd. 

 

But I'll agree COVID has killed our attendance. It'll take some time to get it back up post-COVID too. Sucks, because we may have our best basketball coach ever...and have seen two of the Top 10 Zips players ever...and perhaps the best Zips basketball team ever...and few fans will have seen them work their craft in-person.

 

Is Cheese the 2nd Top 10?

[Captain Kangaroo]

34 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Is Cheese the 2nd Top 10?

I’ll give him Top 20. He was no slouch.

[NWAkron]

43 minutes ago, RowdyZip said:

 

can you explain those #s for me?

[clarkwgriswold]

13 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

can you explain those #s for me?

I believe those are the total records of the teams remaining on each team's schedules.

[LoyalZIP]

15 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

I’ll give him Top 20. He was no slouch.

 
In 2 seasons without a 2020 postseason, too. Absolutely stellar player who will go down as one of the most underrated Zips of all time. He was the third best player on that title team, would’ve been the best player on a lot of MAC teams that year. Huge Cheese man myself!

[RowdyZip]

19 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

can you explain those #s for me?

5 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

I believe those are the total records of the teams remaining on each team's schedules.

 

Correct.  Those are the combined overall records of the teams on contenders' remaining schedules.  Probably would've made more sense to do MAC records, because teams like CMU have caught fire.

[NWAkron]

24 minutes ago, RowdyZip said:

 

Correct.  Those are the combined overall records of the teams on contenders' remaining schedules.  Probably would've made more sense to do MAC records, because teams like CMU have caught fire.

Speaking of:  Kittens at CMU tonight.

[kreed5120]

1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Rome never made it to the league because he was a 6'6" post player with a very limited jump shot (at best) and a 60% shooter from the charity stripe. I don't really think much of Rome as a basketball player; his legacy to me is cemented by being one of the two key foundational pieces that made Akron basketball what it is today. Forever grateful for he and Dru's services. 

 

 

Maybe the 3rd best player on that team, but man was he clutch. He had the ability to do it all whenever it was needed - 3 pointer, drive to the basket, mid-range jumper, etc. 

 

 

I don't think you're off-base at all.

 

Freeman has the walk-on factor that really elevates the perception around his legacy. He doesn't necessarily need overall team achievements for people to think highly of him; his journey is impressive enough. Easily one of my favorite Zips of all time. 

 

Aziz is as good, if not better than Zeke at this point in their careers. Aziz could be really special come his senior year. It'll be fun to see him and Kalle develop alongside Freeman. Our front-court is going to be a force for several years. We will be set up to accomplish more than any Zips team ever has. 

 

Zeke was really under-developed by Dambrot & staff. It wasn't until Zeke's national recognition grew and he got better off-season help that he took jumps to the next level(s). Zeke was a highly-touted recruit, obviously, so he needed team accomplishments to cement his legacy. That 2012-13 team was special. It's the only team to fairly compare the 2019-20 team to. Zeke was a huge piece of that, but if we didn't win multiple MAC Tourney Titles with Zeke, his career would've been viewed differently. The lack of NCAA Tournament success takes a bit away from him (somewhat unfairly). 

I feel you're sleeping on the Big Dog, Kwan, Robotham, Antino, Ivey team. That teams weakness was their best player was pushing 300lbs so winning 3 games in 3 days was bit of a challenge, but given their size I think they could have picked up a win in the tourney had they made it. 

 

Edit: That team beat a Houston team on the road in the NIT that went 12-6 in the AAC

Edited February 10, 2022 by kreed5120

[clarkwgriswold]

Malique Jacobs is an important part of PCCC's success as he does a little but of everything for them.  As a 6'3" guard he leads the team in rebounds at an impressive 7.3 rpg.  He's also second on the team in points, assists and blocks and is a very good defender.   

[LoyalZIP]

 

[Let'sGoZips94]

23 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

I feel you're sleeping on the Big Dog, Kwan, Robotham, Antino, Ivey team. That teams weakness was their best player was pushing 300lbs so winning 3 games in 3 days was bit of a challenge, but given their size I think they could have picked up a win in the tourney had they made it. 

 

Edit: That team beat a Houston team on the road in the NIT that went 12-6 in the AAC

 

Meh. That team was uninspiring. They beat a Houston team that didn't want to be in the NIT, kind of like the Akron squad that played Green Bay in one of those non NCAA/NIT postseason tourneys and lost. That team actually exposed Dambrot's lack of coaching ability, as Big Dog was constantly found out by the 3 pt arc. 

 

To get back on topic, it's 3:28pm and...

[LoyalZIP]

20 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

To get back on topic, it's 3:28pm and...

KENT STATE STILL SUCKS!!!

[kreed5120]

1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Meh. That team was uninspiring. They beat a Houston team that didn't want to be in the NIT, kind of like the Akron squad that played Green Bay in one of those non NCAA/NIT postseason tourneys and lost. That team actually exposed Dambrot's lack of coaching ability, as Big Dog was constantly found out by the 3 pt arc. 

It was old school throw it in the post and let the offense run through the big type offense. I can see how someone in today's day and age could view it as boring as they want to see guard dominated offenses, but that doesn't mean it wasn't effective. We can agree to disagree. 

[LoyalZIP]

47 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

It was old school throw it in the post and let the offense run through the big type offense. I can see how someone in today's day and age could view it as boring as they want to see guard dominated offenses, but that doesn't mean it wasn't effective. We can agree to disagree. 

That’s a fair assessment, but I don’t think I’m general it’s fair to say they lost in Cleveland because Dog was the best player. They lost to Kent because of no-shows by pretty much anyone who could shoot on the perimeter. They lost the same way in the championship two years in a row.