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Ball State- 3/1/22


clarkwgriswold

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16 minutes ago, GoZips86 said:

I'm feeling better suddenly about the play of this team heading into Cleveland with only one more regular season game left

 

Very Typical of John Groce teams. 5 or 6 MAC loses then run the tourney. never finished higher than 3rd in the east at OU but didnt have issues winning the tourney or getting post season wins. He reminds me a lot of Tom Izzo. Realizes the regular season is practice for the postseason

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As a coach in the MAC, given the very clear history of the conference as a one bid league, why would you ever have a different focus than building towards the tournament?  It makes me crazy when they lose to a "lesser" team and I'd enjoy them winning every game but next week is really all that matters.

 

I am very much encouraged by the recent run but I am still concerned about the offensive doldrums the team occasionally falls into.  A decent team won't allow them to pull away while playing poorly like Ball State did in the first half of last night's game.

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2 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Enrique Freeman

Bruce Weinkein

LCJ

Jake Kretzer

Steve McNees

 

That is both my favorite starting 5, and in order.

Love it.

 

Here are my seven, off the top of my head, in roughly chronological order:

Tron Jenkins

Jimmal Ball

Romeo Travis

Drue Joyce

Jeremiah Wood

Demetrius Treadwell

LCJ

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39 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

As a coach in the MAC, given the very clear history of the conference as a one bid league, why would you ever have a different focus than building towards the tournament?  

Yes and no.  The value in a strong regular season is in seeding for the Big Dance, should you make it.  So while winning the MAC tournament is the most important in a one-bid league, a strong regular season can be the difference between being a 10 seed and being a 15 seed facing a top 10 team in the Dance.

Edited by RowdyZip
clarity
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1 hour ago, zips4life20 said:

 

Very Typical of John Groce teams. 5 or 6 MAC loses then run the tourney. never finished higher than 3rd in the east at OU but didnt have issues winning the tourney or getting post season wins. He reminds me a lot of Tom Izzo. Realizes the regular season is practice for the postseason

Groce & Co. have had to do a lot of tinkering this season & have been coaching their butts off.  I enjoy peaking toward the tourney b/c I remember Dambrot teams would typically run through the regular season but then start sputtering toward tourney time.  Idk, maybe it was due to other teams peaking toward the end of the season & catching up w/ Dambrot's consistency?  Idk.  Anyway, I'm feeling good!

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2 minutes ago, RowdyZip said:

Yes and no.  The value in a strong regular season is in seeding for the tournament, should you make it.  So while winning the tournament is the most important in a one-bid league, a strong regular season can be the difference between being a 10 seed and being a 15 seed facing a top 10 team.

Good point.  My mindset is a little off by being spoiled over the years by the Zips always qualifying for Cleveland.

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23 minutes ago, RowdyZip said:

Yes and no.  The value in a strong regular season is in seeding for the Big Dance, should you make it.  So while winning the MAC tournament is the most important in a one-bid league, a strong regular season can be the difference between being a 10 seed and being a 15 seed facing a top 10 team in the Dance.

 

Out of curiosity, when/who was the last non 12/13/14 seed? 

 

Barring one of the lowest seeds winning the MAC tourney, I've always figured the MAC was slotted into that range of seeding automatically. 

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10 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Out of curiosity, when/who was the last non 12/13/14 seed? 

 

Barring one of the lowest seeds winning the MAC tourney, I've always figured the MAC was slotted into that range of seeding automatically. 

2021 - Ohio, 13 seed vs #4 Virginia

2019 - Buffalo, 6 seed vs #11 Arizona State

2018 - Buffalo, 13 seed vs #4 Arizona

2017 - Kent, 14 seed vs #3 UCLA

2016 - Buffalo, 14 seed vs #3 Miami (FL)

2015 - Buffalo, 12 seed vs #5 West Virginia

2014 - WMU, 14 seed vs #3 Syracuse

2013 - Akron, 12 seed vs #5 VCU

2012 - Ohio, 13 seed vs #4 Michigan

2011 - Akron, 15 seed vs #2 Notre Dame

2010 - Ohio, 14 seed vs #3 Georgetown

2009 - Akron, 13 seed vs #4 Gonzaga

2008 - Kent, 9 seed vs #8 UNLV

 

Pretty consistently 12-14 for the MAC, with outliers in 2019, 2011, and 2008.  That being said, with the Zips NET ranking in the neighborhood of 150, they'd most likely be a 15 seed if we can win in Cleveland.

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2008 - Kent, 9 seed vs #8 UNLV - Kent's offensive drought in the first half that year was particularly enjoyable if I'm remembering correctly. 

 

Back to the present ... I could care less about seeding right now after this roller coaster season. We just want to DANCE! Plenty of time to get our Teamism where we want it to be for higher seeding in the future. The winning lately has been fun and I'm with others who are encouraged as we head into the last game against CMU and the MAC Tourney beyond that. We need to continue to find ways to be smart/selfless on offense and stingy/hard-nosed on defense. Love the double-teams lately. 

 

We're healthy and look relatively rested this late in the season (OU looks REALLY tired in comparison). Ready for the stretch run - Let's Go Zips!

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14 hours ago, LoyalZIP said:

Also, going after steaks and loose balls just the way Groce likes, it was so great to see. 

 

If they've chosen to stop feeding the boys before games to make them hungry, I hope it continues the remainder of the season!

 

5 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said:

I am very much encouraged by the recent run but I am still concerned about the offensive doldrums the team occasionally falls into.  A decent team won't allow them to pull away while playing poorly like Ball State did in the first half of last night's game.

 

True, but good defense can mitigate a poor offensive stretch. The Zips have seemed to play with more tenacity on the defensive side of the ball these last few games.

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8 minutes ago, bUAkronG said:

True, but good defense can mitigate a poor offensive stretch. The Zips have seemed to play with more tenacity on the defensive side of the ball these last few games.

 

Agreed.  However, my point was that a Toledo, OU or PCCC is unlikely to be as bad as BSU was (no points in the first 6:19 of the game/ 2 points in the first 8 minutes/ 20 points in the half) even if the Zips are playing great defense.

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