Let'sGoZips94 Posted March 31, 2022 Report Posted March 31, 2022 6 minutes ago, zipsrowdy88 said: All due respect to Ali and Aziz, if you dont wear the Akron jersey, you're as good as a walk on to me. Enrique Freeman would like to have a word with you. 2 Quote
zipsrowdy88 Posted March 31, 2022 Report Posted March 31, 2022 Just now, Let'sGoZips94 said: Enrique Freeman would like to have a word with you. Very fair point, I stand corrected! LOL Quote
RowdyZip Posted March 31, 2022 Report Posted March 31, 2022 On 3/18/2022 at 3:27 PM, Let'sGoZips94 said: Aziz is arguably better than Zeke was his freshman year. Zeke had more opportunity to play than Aziz. Groce and his staff have already shown they can develop bigs as well if not better than Dambrot & co. Aziz has really only been in the States for a little over a year. He is raw but has a nice foundation of skills and understanding. Fully expect him to get stronger and more decisive. Kalle is the odd man out in the front court unless he takes a significant leap. This you? Your opinion sure has changed a lot in two weeks. 3 2 Quote
Zipmeister Posted March 31, 2022 Report Posted March 31, 2022 (edited) 4 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said: Not a system fit. When you fall out of the regular rotation and the team proceeds to go on an incredible 8 game winning streak including a MAC Title, the writing is on the wall that maybe this system isn't right. He was not a key defender or rebounder, and a liability on offense. This team needs offense. Positive outlook regarding the Transfer Portal: any incoming transfers won't transfer again. I think what you're going to see is Year One become a trial period. For the team, is this guy truly a fit schematically, mentally, emotionally, etc.? For the player, is the program a fit, can I transfer up, etc.? We'll see 2-3 years of an incoming player post-transfer instead of 4, but that's no different than a JUCO or a non-redshirt freshman who sees little PT his freshman year. More talent is out there than ever before and that talent will have more of an immediate impact than ever before with at least one year of collegiate development under their belt. We'll see more disappointing regular seasons as teams take time to develop the chemistry, but better end of season runs like what we saw this year with the Zips. Just my outlook on the whole situation. Actually players can use the portal to facilitate more than one transfer. Case in point - Dayton got a transfer guy named Weaver after he played two years at Southern Cal. He played at Dayton for two more years but because of COVID he has one more year of playing time remaining. He recently entered the portal again, but this time to avoid sitting out a year (which he could choose to do) he must either graduate or get a transfer waiver. Edited March 31, 2022 by Zipmeister . Quote
Let'sGoZips94 Posted March 31, 2022 Report Posted March 31, 2022 20 minutes ago, RowdyZip said: This you? Your opinion sure has changed a lot in two weeks. Yep. 😂 Both statements can be true though. He can develop into a good player AND not be a system fit for us. Would Big Dog be a system fit for Groce? Nope. Was he an All-MAC player under Dambrot's system? Yes. 1 Quote
kreed5120 Posted March 31, 2022 Report Posted March 31, 2022 Groce is a good enough coach that if he had Big Dog he would alter his offense in a way to make it work. Aziz transferred because he knows if he stays he won't see the court for the next 2 years with Freeman ahead of him. I don't fault him for that. In his case it was definitely in his best interest to transfer. Let's get the stretch 4 that we desperately need that would help compliment Freeman's game. Quote
LZIp Posted March 31, 2022 Report Posted March 31, 2022 (edited) 25 minutes ago, NWAkron said: "Stretch 4" drink! Reminds me of the Cavs days when the missing piece was a stretch 4 to compete with the Magic after Rashard Lewis was an X factor the year before. We traded for Antawn Jamison, then the Celtics beat us and Lebron went to Miami. Edited March 31, 2022 by LZIp Quote
Zip4Roos Posted March 31, 2022 Report Posted March 31, 2022 Good luck and much respect Ali! I enjoyed his time and watching him on the court. Wishing him only the best. Quote
LoyalZIP Posted April 1, 2022 Report Posted April 1, 2022 Trimble has landed at Missouri State 3 Quote
NWAkron Posted April 1, 2022 Report Posted April 1, 2022 1 hour ago, LoyalZIP said: Trimble has landed at Missouri State They had a good team this year. Went to NIT. He may have had an edge being in the portal early? Quote
72 Roo Posted April 1, 2022 Report Posted April 1, 2022 I liked Aziz as a person and teammate. I liked the potential in Aziz. Groce knew his capabilities and I thought Aziz would figure more into our plans for 22-23. But I am also sure Groce had a meeting with Aziz and explained that more playing time would only come with significant improvement. I think Aziz took that into account and decided he wanted to play more and the transfer portal gave him his opportunity to find out where that might be. I'm thinking that he will find a starter's position with a lesser team and lesser conference or he will be a backup at a P5 and get little more PT than he would have with us. This is a time when we have our mojo shaken, but as I've said before it also presents opportunity, opportunity to get better. Groce knows that. He will take advantage of the scholarship openings to find a big that can move, play ZeeFence and score. I'm OK with that. The sky is not falling. We've taken a hit, but we can emerge better. Quote
Reslife4Life Posted April 1, 2022 Report Posted April 1, 2022 Well with all the transfers, it might be Evan Wilson’s time! 😂 1 Quote
blueandgold Posted April 1, 2022 Report Posted April 1, 2022 I'm hoping that Groce can find a big with soft hands. That always seems to be an issue for us over the years. I think back to Riak and how good he would have been if only he had great hands. Quote
blueandgold Posted April 1, 2022 Report Posted April 1, 2022 (edited) Here is a possible fit. Currently in the portal from Georgetown. Local Cleveland player from Lutheran East that we previously showed interest in before he committed to Georgetown. https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/jalin-billingsley-259900 Edited April 1, 2022 by blueandgold 4 Quote
David Knott Posted April 1, 2022 Report Posted April 1, 2022 How about sending Ali Ali to Ball State to complete the trade for K.J. Walton? 2 Quote
tboned Posted April 1, 2022 Report Posted April 1, 2022 On 3/31/2022 at 12:52 PM, kreed5120 said: Unlike the Ali departure I don't mind this. Aziz and Freeman can't coexist on the floor at the same time and we want Freeman to play 30+ minutes a game. That means Aziz really doesn't have a pathway to playing more and contributing. He barely saw the court in the MAC tournament and only played in the UCLA game when Freeman was in foul trouble. I think we'd be better served using this scholarship to land a big that can play next to Freeman that way Groce has more flexibility in his lineup. Aziz is a Pivot man. Freeman is a PF. I don't see a conflict. Though I do think Freeman and Ali had a developing chemistry that will be missed. 1 Quote
Illini Zip Posted April 1, 2022 Report Posted April 1, 2022 6 hours ago, blueandgold said: I'm hoping that Groce can find a big with soft hands. That always seems to be an issue for us over the years. I think back to Riak and how good he would have been if only he had great hands. I think The Pointer Sisters sang about this back in the day. "I need a Center with a soft hand, I need a Zip with an easy touch." 2 Quote
clarkwgriswold Posted April 1, 2022 Author Report Posted April 1, 2022 1 hour ago, David Knott said: How about sending Ali Ali to Ball State to complete the trade for K.J. Walton? Only if he plays 6 games then bails. Quote
kreed5120 Posted April 1, 2022 Report Posted April 1, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, tboned said: Aziz is a Pivot man. Freeman is a PF. I don't see a conflict. Though I do think Freeman and Ali had a developing chemistry that will be missed. Groce tried playing them together on the court numerous times and it didn't work offensively. It just made it easier for opposing teams to double Freeman to force him to have to pass and allowed defenses to pack the paint to prevent guards from getting to the hoop as Aziz shooting range is about 2 feet from the basket and Freeman is less than 10 feet. Freeman is at his best when he is isolated in man defense in the low post. If he's playing next to another post player you want said post player to be able to at least knock down a mid-ranger that way it can keep the defense honest. Edited April 1, 2022 by kreed5120 1 Quote
clarkwgriswold Posted April 1, 2022 Author Report Posted April 1, 2022 24 minutes ago, kreed5120 said: Groce tried playing them together on the court numerous times and it didn't work offensively. It just made it easier for opposing teams to double Freeman to force him to have to pass and allowed defenses to pack the paint to prevent guards from getting to the hoop as Aziz shooting range is about 2 feet from the basket and Freeman is less than 10 feet. Freeman is at his best when he is isolated in man defense in the low post. If he's playing next to another post player you want said post player to be able to at least knock down a mid-ranger that way it can keep the defense honest. Yep, the only way that works well is if Freeman extends his range or the other big guy is like Xeyrius and can play away from the basket. Quote
The Hip Zip Posted April 2, 2022 Report Posted April 2, 2022 As I lament out departures I'm quickly reminded that things could be worse. LSU..... They're all gone Quote
Blue & Gold Posted April 2, 2022 Report Posted April 2, 2022 47 minutes ago, The Hip Zip said: As I lament out departures I'm quickly reminded that things could be worse. LSU..... They're all gone Wild. Quote
clarkwgriswold Posted April 2, 2022 Author Report Posted April 2, 2022 Eff LSU. Bunch of damn cheaters. The school even let its cheater coach keep coaching when there was clear evidence he was a cheater. Quote
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