Zips MAC Tournament- 2023

[clarkwgriswold]

The Zips head to Cleveland next week for the MAC tournament.  Rather than post individual game threads, we'll go with a tournament thread as we did last year.  If someone could post the graphic of the brackets when it's available that would be great.  6:30 game next Thursday.

[NWAkron]

This isn't the official map but this is the draw:

 

 

[GoZips4824]

[NWAkron]

1.  Love the night game.  Know EXACTLY where the Zips stand before tip off

2. With some help, NIU is going to have a monster fan base up there!  Let's get there early Zips fans!

3. Relieved it's MIami and Groce's brother facing Toledo in first round as opposed to one of the horribles.  Steele will put up a fight.

4. Everyone talking about a semi final re-match:  STOP!!!  One game at a time.  Nothing is certain.

5. Miami played tough at Buffalo and in their last few games.  Is Steele going to keep that massively out of shape Mirambeaux next year?

6. NIU blitzed EMU.

7. Toledo hasn't had a tough game in a long time.  My $ is still on them.

Edited March 4, 2023 by NWAkron

[ewbrooman1]

Official graphic. 

 

[clarkwgriswold]

My biggest hopes for the tournament lie in the fact that coaching makes a big difference this time of year and the Zips have the best head coach in the MAC.

[Reslife4Life]

Do we know what the Akron sections will be in the Fieldhouse? Not a donor to the Z fund so I’ll be using SeatGeek

[GoZips88]

1 ticket = all 4 games, correct?

Edited March 4, 2023 by GoZips88

[NWAkron]

7 minutes ago, GoZips88 said:

1 ticket = all 4 games, correct?

There's a thread Hilltopper started which has a discount code.  My understanding is that the cavs ticket holders can use their seats but most don't so when those open up that's the time to purchase.  

[RooFan]

19 hours ago, NWAkron said:

1.  Love the night game.  Know EXACTLY where the Zips stand before tip off

2. With some help, NIU is going to have a monster fan base up there!  Let's get there early Zips fans!

3. Relieved it's MIami and Groce's brother facing Toledo in first round as opposed to one of the horribles.  Steele will put up a fight.

4. Everyone talking about a semi final re-match:  STOP!!!  One game at a time.  Nothing is certain.

5. Miami played tough at Buffalo and in their last few games.  Is Steele going to keep that massively out of shape Mirambeaux next year?

6. NIU blitzed EMU.

7. Toledo hasn't had a tough game in a long time.  My $ is still on them.

Toledo rides a 15 game winning streak into the tournament. That is good for best in division I men's game. You gotta figure that means two things. 1. They have played good ball over a long time span. 2. It takes a hellofa game to take them out and get it done. Of course they will loose before it is done. Lets just make sure that game is an Akron game. Let's go get this Zips!

[zipdiehard]

On 3/4/2023 at 11:52 AM, Reslife4Life said:

Do we know what the Akron sections will be in the Fieldhouse? Not a donor to the Z fund so I’ll be using SeatGeek

Anyone know?   Thanks

[NWAkron]

30 minutes ago, zipdiehard said:

Anyone know?   Thanks

108-112 lower

108-109 club level.

Edited March 6, 2023 by NWAkron

[zipdiehard]

Thank You!

[roopride]

Does Akron have that many sections when there are eight teams on Thursday?

[NWAkron]

1 hour ago, roopride said:

Does Akron have that many sections when there are eight teams on Thursday?

if you take a look at the seating chart: 108 is the main section.  109 is at the end of the court and into the corner.  (My guess based on going to this for years)  It's not as simple as Akron gets all of 108 and 109.  those may be shared with other teams from earlier games.  Also, Cavs season ticket holders are mixed in there.

[LoyalZIP]

The Zips have consistently had the biggest crowds in Cleveland for quite a few years now. While regular season game attendance didn't seem to benefit from the title run last year at all, I'm hoping some newer Zips fans last year got to experience a run in Cleveland for the first time and are making this an appointment not to miss. That's how it should be, after all. How many other fan bases in the country are fortunate enough to enjoy the level of conference tournament success such as Akron's, just a short 40 minute drive north from campus in one of the nicest basketball facilities in the world? I can't imagine that number is too high. I say it a lot, maybe even too much, but I won't stop. Enjoy it while we can!

 

The Zips beat Buffalo by an average of 18.5 points per game in two meetings this year. What does that mean for Cleveland? I would hope this program and group of players is above looking past an opponent, but you really never know. I watched far too many great teams this past weekend sleepwalk into the tournament and get bounced by obviously inferior teams. Last year, I thought Akron should beat Buffalo, but they had enough pieces to make them extremely dangerous. They were even favored over the Zips! In the new matchup, you have to go far down the list to find a piece for Buffalo that is better than Akron's at any given position. The same thing could be said for Kent went they went over to Dekalb. If you lose focus, you lose the game. 

 

Our resident Dread Expert @NWAkron's readings may be off the charts if the Zips find themselves down by a few possessions early. Teams that like to run but have limited skill and have had a year like Buffalo has had will come out running and gunning. The 2016 Zips almost got caught by an EMU team like that in the 1/8 game. They are (almost) never easy.

[NWAkron]

1 hour ago, LoyalZIP said:

 

 

Our resident Dread Expert @NWAkron's readings may be off the charts if the Zips find themselves down by a few possessions early. Teams that like to run but have limited skill and have had a year like Buffalo has had will come out running and gunning. The 2016 Zips almost got caught by an EMU team like that in the 1/8 game. They are (almost) never easy.

I have "there's always next year" ready to go at 7:10PM Thursday evening.

[LoyalZIP]

https://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/2023/03/akron-kent-state-and-rest-of-mac-feel-the-heat-of-the-tournament-terry-pluto.html
 

Thoughts on the MAC Tournament from the Duquesne coach, for some reason. 

[1981 grad]

That is a great article.  Akron has had a great regular season.  It is one of the few seasons that I can remember where we did not have a clunker of a game and lose to a lower level team during the season.  The one thing that bothers me going into the tournament is depth.  Groce really seemed to shorten his bench the last 2 games.  He took out Nate Johnson when he made a frosh mistake and gave a Kent player an open lane to the basket.  Tavari only played a couple of minutes in Kent.  We are going to need Johnson and Johnson to play some substantial minutes in Cleveland if we are going to win the Tourney.   Tavari has played 5 minutes the last 2 games after having a good game against Western Michigan and being on the post game show.  Groce teams always seem to play well in the Tourney and if Hunter continues the pace he has set the last 2 games we have a chance of advancing.

Edited March 7, 2023 by 1981 grad

[NWAkron]

24 minutes ago, 1981 grad said:

That is a great article.  Akron has had a great regular season.  It is one of the few seasons that I can remember where we did not have a clunker of a game and lose to a lower level team during the season.  The one thing that bothers me going into the tournament is depth.  Groce really seemed to shorten his bench the last 2 games.  He took out Nate Johnson when he made a frosh mistake and gave a Kent player an open lane to the basket.  Tavari only played a couple of minutes in Kent.  We are going to need Johnson and Johnson to play some substantial minutes in Cleveland if we are going to win the Tourney.   Tavari has played 5 minutes the last 2 games after having a good game against Western Michigan and being on the post game show.  Groce teams always seem to play well in the Tourney and if Hunter continues the pace he has set the last 2 games we have a chance of advancing.

I thought it was a good article, but the MAC has too many crap teams and weak out of conference and/or unsuccessful out of conference schedules to deserve that extra slot in the NCAA.  As good as Toledo is, the majority of those wins are over the bottom of the MAC.  The two wins against Akron would be their best wins in conference play...and Akron didn't have any quality wins.  Kent pushed the envelope with their schedule and came really close to some good wins...credit to them.

Edited March 7, 2023 by NWAkron

[Blue & Gold]

OT, but I happened upon this tweet. Apparently CSU is playing in the Horizon League championship game tonight.  When they had better teams and our rivalry was pretty intense I used to loathe CSU.  Now I'm basically 🤷‍♂️ 

 

1. How awful is the Horizon League? I don't follow but it must be bad, no?

2. I still wish they didn't refuse to schedule us, as it was a good, regional rivalry.  Same with YSU (I don't think YSU refuses to schedule us like CSU).  

 

[LZIp]

Agreed @Blue & Gold, Cleveland State and YSU are two teams we should play every year, no matter what (home or away). I think there'd be much better attendance/interest than playing some random Sun Belt team or other low-major. 

Edited March 7, 2023 by LZIp

[Blue & Gold]

10 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Agreed @Blue & Gold, Cleveland State and YSU are two teams we should play every year, no matter what (home or away). I think there'd be much better attendance/interest than playing some random Sun Belt team or other low-major. 

💯💯

The more perceived rivalries the better. Helps with attendance.

[NWAkron]

24 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

OT, but I happened upon this tweet. Apparently CSU is playing in the Horizon League championship game tonight.  When they had better teams and our rivalry was pretty intense I used to loathe CSU.  Now I'm basically 🤷‍♂️ 

 

1. How awful is the Horizon League? I don't follow but it must be bad, no?

2. I still wish they didn't refuse to schedule us, as it was a good, regional rivalry.  Same with YSU (I don't think YSU refuses to schedule us like CSU).  

 

I watched parts of their last two games.  They barely got by Robert Morris at home and then last night they played like the Zips in the MAC tournament last year.  As for the quality of the Horizon, it's hard to judge when the MAC has the directional Michigan schools.   The bottom of that conference is certainly worse than the MAC but that's not saying much this season.

[LoyalZIP]

The HL is pretty awful. Most teams are all about the same, except for IUPUI and Green Bay, who are bottom 10 programs. YSU plays a unique style that did not work in the tournament when teams lock down defensively, as NKU zoned them to death last night. It's a fun league, but not a good league by any stretch.