Zips Basketball- Looking Back to 21-22/Looking Forward to 22-23

[Z.I.P.]

With the acquisition of Prince Mosengo, it might open up the opportunity for additional mining of talent from this really outstanding new prep school Keystone Academy in Erie, PA.  According to this story, @BCJoeMo already has one of Prince's teammates on his squad.

 

https://www.goerie.com/story/sports/high-school/2022/04/10/keystone-athletic-academy-kings-players-raise-recruiting-stock-1st-season-dellquan-warren/7041831001/

[Let'sGoZips94]

Now that we have a full roster, I am incredibly intrigued by which players get redshirted. We're too full. This is the deepest Zips roster that I can ever remember. 

 

A Snapshot

 

- 4 incoming freshman

      - 2 guards: one is an all state player in Illinois (Johnson); the other is 6'5" and received offers from Wichita State, Rhode Island, etc (Prather Jr).

      - 2 stretch 4s: one was 1st team all state in Ohio for DII (arguably the best basketball division in Ohio), averaged 20+ ppg, and played for one of the most prominent AAU programs in Ohio (Lyles); the other has outstanding tape and looks like he could be Ali Ali or better (Prince).

 

- 2 transfers

      - 1 guard with double digit scoring potential, plays D, and has quite a bit of experience (Hankerson)

      - 1 forward, who looks more like a PF and comes from a P5 program (Hunter)

 

- 2 redshirt freshman guards will make their true collegiate debuts this year. Both were prolific scorers in high school, and seem to possess solid size (Mitchell & Johnson).

 

- For returning guards, we have X and Clarke at the Point, with Tribble and Dawson playing the 2 Guard/3&D roles.

 

- Returning fowards is the one and only Enrique Freeman, who will have his jersey in the rafters at some point. 

 

 

This is the shortest team we will have seen Akron put on the court since Groce's first year, and then maybe prior to Dambrot? But it will undoubtedly be the most athletic we have seen. I am fascinated to see who gets redshirted. I am fascinated to see the rotations. I am fascinated to see the offense. 

[zippy5]

Did you say Tribble and 3 in the same sentence? 😂

[Let'sGoZips94]

58 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

Did you say Tribble and 3 in the same sentence? 😂

 

Technically, yes. 😂 However, I included Dawson in the sentence slot for the 3&D part, but hardly differentiated the two. I had Tribble slotted more as the 2 Guard; he's like a S&D - Slasher & Defender. Better off the ball on offense, and on the ball on defense. Odd, but I am a huge Tribble fan due to this oddity and his energy. 

[Illini Zip]

4 hours ago, zippy5 said:

Did you say Tribble and 3 in the same sentence? 😂

 

I think if he could just get rid of the hitch in his shot he would be fine. Hopefully, he is able to conquer that part of his game this off-season. He is a team leader with high energy and a big voice. We need him to be a threat at the end of a game.

 

 

[zippy5]

I like Tribble. I'm no shooting mechanics expert, but it's almost like he gets up too high on his jumpers. I don't think you need a 35 inch vertical to hit some shots

[1981 grad]

I watched Tribble in warmups at half and he always shot a high percentage of 3 balls.  You can tell he has been working on his shot.  I am predicting that he will shoot at least 35%-40% from the 3 ball next year.  I get the impression he works hard on his game and will become a better shooter.

 

 

 

 

[Blue & Gold]

 

[Blue & Gold]

Dealing with NIL, on E. Market near the Arlington/Buchtel intersection I saw Garvin Clarke on a billboard for mental health/anxiety awareness.

 

Maybe Groce & JoeMo should have a large catered dinner (maybe in the John S. Knight Center?) for Akron-area businesses/business owners and simply explain the new NIL landscape and ask that they work UA football & basketball players into their marketing?

[LZIp]

3 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Dealing with NIL, on E. Market near the Arlington/Buchtel intersection I saw Garvin Clarke on a billboard for mental health/anxiety awareness.

 

Maybe Groce & JoeMo should have a large catered dinner (maybe in the John S. Knight Center?) for Akron-area businesses/business owners and simply explain the new NIL landscape and ask that they work UA football & basketball players into their marketing?

Totally agree.

[Let'sGoZips94]

On 6/19/2022 at 8:14 AM, Blue & Gold said:

Dealing with NIL, on E. Market near the Arlington/Buchtel intersection I saw Garvin Clarke on a billboard for mental health/anxiety awareness.

 

Maybe Groce & JoeMo should have a large catered dinner (maybe in the John S. Knight Center?) for Akron-area businesses/business owners and simply explain the new NIL landscape and ask that they work UA football & basketball players into their marketing?

 

I wonder if this would be legal. Legitimately not sure, and as long as it's not truly illegal, this is a phenomenal idea. Add Embick to the list.

[Blue & Gold]

3 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

I wonder if this would be legal. Legitimately not sure, and as long as it's not truly illegal, this is a phenomenal idea. Add Embick to the list.

Good point. Yes, and Embick.  If this is legal, of course.

[zippy5]

Western Kentucky and then winner of LSU/Illinois State if we win. Very nice

 

 

 

 

[Let'sGoZips94]

3 hours ago, zippy5 said:

Western Kentucky and then winner of LSU/Illinois State if we win. Very nice

 

 

 

 

 

Hard to lose the schedule battle in this tourney. Love the matchups. 

[Hilltopper]

Wait till you see the rest of the schedule.💪

[Let'sGoZips94]

24 minutes ago, Hilltopper said:

Wait till you see the rest of the schedule.💪

 

Less St. Francis (PA) and more respectable programs?!

 

[Hilltopper]

19 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Less St. Francis (PA) and more respectable programs?!

 

I'd tell you, but then I would have to kill you!

[Captain Kangaroo]

Please have Butler on the schedule!

[zippy5]

What does it mean?

 

https://twitter.com/JohnGroce/status/1542234068879908865?t=Lq_I7HkOqfT39r9ZZ5ukKA&s=19

 

 

[zippy5]

Nvm he deleted it. Groce tweeted a picture of Mo Bamba

[Z.I.P.]

On 6/29/2022 at 12:53 PM, zippy5 said:

Nvm he deleted it. Groce tweeted a picture of Mo Bamba

So we're playing Alabama?  🤔😃

[Blue & Gold]

Groce may have just been excited Emoni Bates signed w/ EMU?  It raises the level of the MAC & we’re still in the mix for Maki Johnson (a 4-star shooting guard out of Huntington Prep). Telling recruits they can face Emoni has to be a nice selling point.

Edited July 4, 2022 by Blue & Gold

[Let'sGoZips94]

13 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

Groce may have just been excited Emoni Bates signed w/ EMU?  It raises the level of the MAC & we’re still in the mix for Maki Johnson (a 4-star shooting guard out of Huntington Prep). Telling recruits they can face Emoni has to be a nice selling point.

 

Is Emoni a one-and-done caliber player at EMU? I would imagine so. Not sure how much of a selling point he is to any future class recruits. 

[akzipper]

1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Is Emoni a one-and-done caliber player at EMU? I would imagine so. Not sure how much of a selling point he is to any future class recruits. 

 

I'd like to think it becomes a selling point if he's drafted high and makes an impact in the NBA. Showing that you can choose the MAC and still have a nice path to the NBA. 

[Blue & Gold]

59 minutes ago, akzipper said:

 

I'd like to think it becomes a selling point if he's drafted high and makes an impact in the NBA. Showing that you can choose the MAC and still have a nice path to the NBA. 

He should give the MAC three draft choices in three years: OU’s Jason Preston, UT’s Ryan Rollins, and EMU’s Emoni Bates.

 

The following year Freeman will make the MAC 4-for-4 💪💪💪🤞