NCAA Tournament- Game 1- UCLA

[NWAkron]

6 hours ago, Z.I.P. said:

Born and raised in Akron (Green exactly), I swear I only learned Mogadore was in Summit County a year ago!  Why does Mogadore HS compete in the Portage County League?? 🤷‍♂️🙃

A sliver of Mogadore is in Portage County, hence East Mogadore Junior College.

[Blue & Gold]

Outstanding article on 'Rique

 

[Blue & Gold]

Wouldn't it be something if the Akron Beacon Journal paid this much attention to their hometown NCAA D-1 school whether or not they made the NCAA Tourney? 🧐

 

[ziptrumpet87]

8 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Wouldn't it be something if the Akron Beacon Journal paid this much attention to their hometown NCAA D-1 school whether or not they made the NCAA Tourney? 🧐

 

Literally the only reason I don't subscribe.

[zipsrule]

45 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Wouldn't it be something if the Akron Beacon Journal paid this much attention to their hometown NCAA D-1 school whether or not they made the NCAA Tourney? 🧐

 

The bar is set so low right now, it wouldn't take that big of an effort on the ABJ's part to get the coverage improved.

[NWAkron]

1 hour ago, Blue & Gold said:

Wouldn't it be something if the Akron Beacon Journal paid this much attention to their hometown NCAA D-1 school whether or not they made the NCAA Tourney? 🧐

 

I agree.  The ABJ's behavior towards the Zips is so dismissive. But now...oh look you accomplished something in our minds...so we will send the great Marla Ridenour.

[clarkwgriswold]

8 hours ago, Z.I.P. said:

Born and raised in Akron (Green exactly), I swear I only learned Mogadore was in Summit County a year ago!  Why does Mogadore HS compete in the Portage County League?? 🤷‍♂️🙃

State Route 532 runs north-south right through the middle of Mogadore and is the line between Summit and Portage County.  Roughly 2/3rds of Mogadore is in Portage County.  The high school actually sits in Summit but most of the village is in Portage.  

[LoyalZIP]

I did a little math on our numbers post-Trimble. I don't have the splits on what they were before he got booted, but I still found some of these to be pretty telling.

 

FG%: Akron--48.6%   Opponents--43.2%

3PT%: Akron--40%   Opponents--30.7%

PPG:  Akron--73.9   Opponents--62.5

 

I'm not entirely sure how different they were before, but in this stretch, the Zips have shot over 38.5% from three in 5 of the 8 games in this run, including two games of 50+%. 

 

We were also routinely getting beat by teams and letting teams stay in games by staying hot from the three point line, but the Zips have locked down the perimeter. They have traded for more drives and layups for opponents, or so it feels, but they lost two games to Kent because of bad perimeter defense and it almost cost them a few others. What a team and what a run! Why not keep it going?!

 

[Illini Zip]

How about we pool our questions, comments and concerns on an open thread and designate someone as the Zips Nation correspondent to sit in the post-game interviews with Coach Groce and players. Do we have any Communications Majors on here willing to become a member of the press? Just an idea.

[LoyalZIP]

7 minutes ago, Illini Zip said:

How about we pool our questions, comments and concerns on an open thread and designate someone as the Zips Nation correspondent to sit in the post-game interviews with Coach Groce and players. Do we have any Communications Majors on here willing to become a member of the press? Just an idea.

 

Knowing Brian Dennison (SID) and Chad Welker (Zips Digital Network), I'm sure they would welcome this with open arms. Also, assuming the questions aren't basic and cliche, I'm sure coach would love it too.

[Illini Zip]

1 minute ago, LoyalZIP said:

 

Knowing Brian Dennison (SID) and Chad Welker (Zips Digital Network), I'm sure they would welcome this with open arms. Also, assuming the questions aren't basic and cliche, I'm sure coach would love it too.

 

My first question if someone wants to start a thread; Coach Groce, where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?

 

[Let'sGoZips94]

1 hour ago, Illini Zip said:

 

My first question if someone wants to start a thread; Coach Groce, where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?

 

 

"Akron"

 

Any other answer is wrong. I said so.

[kreed5120]

As much as I'd love Groce to stay if he's still here in 5 years, that likely means we didn't have a ton of success in the tournament. Reality is when a program Alabama comes in and offers you $3 million/year like they did Oats there is little that you can do. At the same time you want your coach to be performing at a high enough level that those programs want what you have.

[Illini Zip]

8 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

As much as I'd love Groce to stay if he's still here in 5 years, that likely means we didn't have a ton of success in the tournament. Reality is when a program Alabama comes in and offers you $3 million/year like they did Oats there is little that you can do. At the same time you want your coach to be performing at a high enough level that those programs want what you have.

 

I agree, this applies to the vast, vast majority of coaches and it even applied to Groce the first time around. It could apply this time as well. But he's older and more experienced now. If the Akron community shows him some love and willingness to grow the program under his guidance, I think he would be wise to set up camp and try to build an empire there. Just keep building the brand through media, marketing, events and facilities slowly and methodically. Challenge the MAC to grow as well or bolt. Either way. I bet Groce would be willing to delay financial gratification this time around if Akron truly felt like home to him and his family. But he would also need serious, willing partners in the university and to a lesser degree, city hall. That's my hope anyway.

[Let'sGoZips94]

32 minutes ago, Illini Zip said:

 

I agree, this applies to the vast, vast majority of coaches and it even applied to Groce the first time around. It could apply this time as well. But he's older and more experienced now. If the Akron community shows him some love and willingness to grow the program under his guidance, I think he would be wise to set up camp and try to build an empire there. Just keep building the brand through media, marketing, events and facilities slowly and methodically. Challenge the MAC to grow as well or bolt. Either way. I bet Groce would be willing to delay financial gratification this time around if Akron truly felt like home to him and his family. But he would also need serious, willing partners in the university and to a lesser degree, city hall. That's my hope anyway.

 

This. And I think Guthrie/Dr. Miller are building something that Groce would want to be part of. 

[NWAkron]

1 hour ago, Illini Zip said:

 

I agree, this applies to the vast, vast majority of coaches and it even applied to Groce the first time around. It could apply this time as well. But he's older and more experienced now. If the Akron community shows him some love and willingness to grow the program under his guidance, I think he would be wise to set up camp and try to build an empire there. Just keep building the brand through media, marketing, events and facilities slowly and methodically. Challenge the MAC to grow as well or bolt. Either way. I bet Groce would be willing to delay financial gratification this time around if Akron truly felt like home to him and his family. But he would also need serious, willing partners in the university and to a lesser degree, city hall. That's my hope anyway.

As we learned with Moorhead, $$$ isn't everything, especially when you are already rich and expect your kids to make it on their own.

[LZIp]

2 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

As we learned with Moorhead, $$$ isn't everything, especially when you are already rich and expect your kids to make it on their own.

And, like Moorhead, perhaps Groce's experience at a big program like Illinois made him believe its not all its cracked up to be.

[blueandgold]

4 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said:

State Route 532 runs north-south right through the middle of Mogadore and is the line between Summit and Portage County.  Roughly 2/3rds of Mogadore is in Portage County.  The high school actually sits in Summit but most of the village is in Portage.  

Also, we compete in the PTC (Portage Trail Conference) because most of the schools somewhat similar in size are in Portage County, not Summit. Although many of the City Series schools have gotten a lot smaller over the years, they are still much larger in student population than Mogadore.  @clarkwgriswoldyou are correct that most of Mogadore is technically in Portage County, however more students of those living at a "Mogadore" mailing address go to Field High School and Lake High School.

[clarkwgriswold]

5 minutes ago, blueandgold said:

Also, we compete in the PTC (Portage Trail Conference) because most of the schools somewhat similar in size are in Portage County, not Summit. Although many of the City Series schools have gotten a lot smaller over the years, they are still much larger in student population than Mogadore.  @clarkwgriswoldyou are correct that most of Mogadore is technically in Portage County, however more students of those living at a "Mogadore" mailing address go to Field High School and Lake High School.

That Mogadore mailing address region is huge!

[clarkwgriswold]

We were really spoiled by how long KD was able to stay and certainly benefited from the CMU incident in his past.  I hope the balance is struck by Groce's phone ringing off of the hook with offers met by his desire to stay and continue to build.  Those phone calls are evidence of success.  What you don't want is for him to become "Sendeoffian" and be just  good enough to stay but not bad enough to can.

[GJGood]

9 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

99.9% sure ADs always go to these types of events, even if they aren't participating. 

Yes, but the women’s team is also in the WNIT and there are various other sports in season at present, so I wasn’t sure.

[GJGood]

Just a question and not a criticism but has anyone heard an explanation as to why Aziz has had his minutes go down the last few weeks? You would think with the loss of a player that minutes would go up and given the position you’d at least think he would get more minutes in those games where Freeman encounters foul trouble.

[Let'sGoZips94]

9 minutes ago, GJGood said:

Just a question and not a criticism but has anyone heard an explanation as to why Aziz has had his minutes go down the last few weeks? You would think with the loss of a player that minutes would go up and given the position you’d at least think he would get more minutes in those games where Freeman encounters foul trouble.

 

I forgot if this was mentioned by Groce or where I saw this, but it has to do with athleticism & speed. Michael Wynn has been productive on the boards and the offense isn't bogged down. 

 

If it ain't broke, don't fix it (although I do foresee Aziz getting some minutes again UCLA).

[kreed5120]

49 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

I forgot if this was mentioned by Groce or where I saw this, but it has to do with athleticism & speed. Michael Wynn has been productive on the boards and the offense isn't bogged down. 

 

If it ain't broke, don't fix it (although I do foresee Aziz getting some minutes again UCLA).

Yes, I agree with it more so being about fit. Akron can play more positionless basketball with Wynn on the court than Aziz, which is useful when you're sending a lot of double teams therefore need quick guys to rotate on weak side help. Aziz I would expect to see play some against UCLA. UCLA has a lot more size than MAC schools and frankly I'm not sure how well Wynn could guard there low post players.

[dre22era]

Go Zips