Zips MAC Tournament- 2023

[NWAkron]

5 minutes ago, GJGood said:

I hate that too but it’s not like the MAC hasn’t had an at large worthy team for that entire time frame. I can remember a handful of times that the MAC regular season champ was thought of as likely being in even if they lost in Cleveland but every time a team like that existed that team went ahead and cut down the nets in Cleveland anyway.
That said I understand it’s difficult for the MAC to get multiple NCAA bids but there should be more teams from the MAC in the postseason somewhere. The MAC is not a top conference nationally but it is better than half the  conferences out there and always with a good deal of parity at the top.

 

 

Toledo and Kent played tough schedules...but Toledos win streak is a mirage.  So many of those wins are against directionals.   Kent had some late bad late season losses.  That being said, one reason I'm not too stressed is that the Zips weren't at large worthy.  Toledo and Kent may be but they won't get it.  I think Kent has the higher kenpom rating.  They aren't even talked about and Toledo is marked for a 13th seed.   Got to be 9 or 10 level.

Edited March 11, 2023 by NWAkron

[Captain Kangaroo]

Just now, NWAkron said:

Toledo and Kent played tough schedules...but Toledos win streak is a mirage.  So many of those wins are against directionals.   Kent had some late bad late season losses.  

Toledo is a great team. They remind me of the Xerious/LCJ/Cheese/Banks Zips team. They could easily go to the NCAA round of 32 pending the match up. They will beat Kent. 

[NWAkron]

Just now, Captain Kangaroo said:

Toledo is a great team. They remind me of the Xerious/LCJ/Cheese/Banks Zips team. They could easily go to the NCAA round of 32 pending the match up. They will beat Kent. 

I added to my comment.  Agree.   And they aren't getting respect.

[GJGood]

2 minutes ago, Illini Zip said:

Projections are that the Big Ten will be sending between 8-10 teams of its 14 team conference to the Tourney. Half of them will be gone after the first game and a few might make the Sweet 16. We all know it’s a racket. 
 

I don’t know what the metrics are exactly, but both Toledo and Kent State pass the eye test to me. 

Between the NCAA (68), NIT (32) and CBI (16) there are 116 postseason teams seems to me that a team like Akron who the metrics probably have at somewhere around 100-110 should be playing somewhere.. but I know it would probably be a pay to play tourney

[LoyalZIP]

Kent had a few guys really answer the bell. Good for them. Pains me to say it, but I'm going to keep it real as always. Carry got hot from the perimeter early, as did Jacobs--both those guys shoot under 30% on the year from distance. The Zips chose to let guys like VC Davis shoot, let Sullinger shoot. In all honesty, that "gamble" nearly worked. Miryne Thomas has not been a guy for them that takes it to the rack. Akron forced him to, and he made the Zips look silly. They really cooled off and went 5 minutes without a point in the late parts of the first half. I've already said it a couple of times, but not getting that game to be tied or taking the lead in that stretch was huge. They committed a lot of dumb turnovers to dig themselves into that hole, and were right on the edge of climbing out before their hands slipped.

 

Hankerson, who I adore, once again made crazy mental errors against Kent. That sequence to begin the second half was a killer. X was okay, but you could see him pressing like crazy at the end. I can live with it. Like @zippy5 said, its a make or miss league. He buries that 3 after the block, we may be singing a different tune right now.

 

Looking at the box score, it is so clear what the difference was. Akron got sweet nothing from the bench. Just empty minutes all around. I thought Clarke was fine, but blew a layup he should have made and got stuffed a couple of times, as per usual. Nate was realllllly bad in these last two Kent games. He was like a deer in headlights again tonight, panicking when he caught the ball.

 

For the second straight year, Akron finishes 1-2 against Kent while outscoring them in total points. Ain't that some s***.

 

Groce quotes Guthrie from time to time. When they meet, Guthrie always points out how hard it is to win a division 1 basketball game. Hell, look at what the Pink Fraud has pulled off these last 2 Fridays. He's been blessed with a cold X and huge games from Carry, Payton last week, Thomas this week, absolutely dominated the stat sheets, and they've still just been a couple of bounces ahead at the end. If I think about it too much, I'll pull my hair out.

 

The biggest difference from these last 2 and the game in Akron--the start. Now, Akron got on the board first today, but they had tons of empty possessions early and throughout the game. When Kent came to the JAR, Enrique popped the roof off with that alley-oop and Hank, X, and Sammy hit early triples. 

 

Lastly for now, it's fun to think about how different situations play out and what they could have changed had they been different. What if Toledo beats Akron in the semis and wins it all last year? What if Kent had won last year and carried momentum into the NCAAs? Trigger warning, I will again be giving Kent credit. They got punked in the title game last year and kept their entire core intact and ran it back with reinforcements. I will never credit Pink Fraud for his coaching, as he has never earned it, but he has always been a stellar recruiter. They came into this year hungry, and they have responded well, picking up a huge win tonight. BUT, if they lose to Toledo, it will all be for nothing. It's NCAA or bust for those guys. Ditto Toledo. Had Akron lost that game last year, would Ali want to come back hungry? Would Bandaogo become an all-league caliber player here instead of in Orem, Utah, a town I'm not even sure is real? Would this year's team be better? Worse? Same?  All these thoughts in my brain tell me one thing--be thankful for what we've had, what we have, and what the future will bring.

 

13 months ago, many folks here would have never wanted to see Xavier Castaneda wear an Akron uniform for another day. Not much longer before that, we were losing to bad A10 teams by 20 with KJ Walton and Bryan Trimble in the starting lineup. I'm crushed by how this year's tournament ended. But damn it I am proud of this team and program. Unfortunately, this kind of result will only push Joe Akron further from the plastic blue seats. In Groce we Trust.

[Zippy87]

Just now, LoyalZIP said:

Hell, look at what the Pink Fraud has pulled off these last 2 Fridays. He's been blessed with a cold X and huge games from Carry, Payton last week, Thomas this week, absolutely dominated the stat sheets, and they've still just been a couple of bounces ahead at the end. If I think about it too much, I'll pull my hair out.

 

I hate to do it but I think you have to credit Kent's perimeter defense more. X wasn't just cold, he wasn't allowed to get comfortable or get to his normal spots either last Friday or tonight. He had to work for every single point. They did a fantastic job game-planning for him. 

[LoyalZIP]

Just now, Zippy87 said:

 

I hate to do it but I think you have to credit Kent's perimeter defense more. X wasn't just cold, he wasn't allowed to get comfortable or get to his normal spots either last Friday or tonight. He had to work for every single point. They did a fantastic job game-planning for him. 

 

That is absolutely true, but I think it is a decent amount of both. He was colder last week, and I think forced the issue a bit tonight. He missed a couple last week that were wide, wide, wide open that he has hit at an incredible rate in league play. Tonight, those looks weren't there as often. He got inside a couple times and looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable inside. Kent out-executed Akron all night. And the more I think about it, the more I'm going to have nightmares of seeing his 3 following the block not go in. Would've been a 1-point game under a minute. Ugh.

[1981 grad]

One last thought, I feel bad for Freeman in that he filled up the stat sheet, 11 for 17 for 26 points  and 18 rebounds.  He pulled down some tough rebounds and had a great block.   He missed a layup early and missed 2 foul shots early but otherwise had a almost a perfect game.  He just did not get enough support from the rest of the team to defeat Kent.  It was a great individual effort.

Edited March 11, 2023 by 1981 grad

[dbrenn9]

These two teams have played 85 minutes in the last week and Akron led for exactly 3 of them. KSU was the better team.  And don't kid yourself, "Pink Fraud" absolutely out coached Groce. Because Akron absolutely has the horses to win this game if they play better. That is usually scheme and execution of the game plan. Their defense forced those turnovers because they knew the sets, knew when to rotate, knew how to keep X from getting to his spots and forced him into uncomfortable positions. That is coaching the kids to play to your strengths and the oppositions weaknesses.  The inability to get Freeman more post touches in the second half, IMO, was key. It's just hard as sh*t when you dig yourself an 18 point second half hole. At this point, it seems JG better hit the transfer portal, especially if Freeman seeks greener pastures.

 

BTW - UT can absolutely beat KSU, but I don't see it.  Last year it was the Flashes coming in on a long ass winning streak and we know what happened.  Kent won the only matchup of the two earlier this season and they seem pretty motivated.  Toledo had a weak a** schedule and KSU's only *bad* loss all year was @ Northern.

[GP1]

8 hours ago, dre22era said:

Throw the players under the bus and don't hold the coach who recruited them accountable? 

 

What do you mean by "accountable"?  The word wildly misused these days.

 

For example, asking the coach why his best player played terrible isn't holding him accountable. It's asking him to analyze the play of one of his players. Asking the player why he played badly is actually what it means to be held accountable. 

 

Holding coaches accountable is targeting questions after a loss towards strategy and tactics. Why did you do X or Y coach?

 

In the case of holding coaches accountable for a single players performance, it might sound like this in last night's case. "Coach, is there anything you could have done differently that would have helped your best player make some of the wide open shots he missed?"

 

I'd like to take this opportunity on this prestigious forum to ask all Americans to begin to use the words accountable and accountability correctly. The English language is great. We should use the words properly. 

Edited March 11, 2023 by GP1

[GP1]

6 hours ago, LoyalZIP said:

For the second straight year, Akron finishes 1-2 against Kent while outscoring them in total points. Ain't that some s***.

Yes, but not in the way you might think. It's poo in the way that sports fans use statistics to make meaningless points. Facts aren't reasons. 

 

Each game unfolds differently. Different strategies are deployed resulting in different outcomes across the board, including point totals. 

[GP1]

6 hours ago, 1981 grad said:

One last thought, I feel bad for Freeman in that he filled up the stat sheet, 11 for 17 for 26 points  and 18 rebounds.  He pulled down some tough rebounds and had a great block.   He missed a layup early and missed 2 foul shots early but otherwise had a almost a perfect game.  He just did not get enough support from the rest of the team to defeat Kent.  It was a great individual effort.

I don't feel sorry for him. I feel proud he's a Zip. 

[mivid12]

this team has two players of merit....freeman and x all others are jags

 

akron fans need a reality check....football will never be competitive and this is akron basketball...20 win seasons for the most part then nothing

 

don't put too much stock in the outcome of a sporting event

 

btw those of you who mocked me and others re COVID wanna talk now?

 

i love being right...it's what logical independent thinking can produce rather than "my tv said" hysteria

 

[NWAkron]

35 minutes ago, GP1 said:

What do you mean by "accountable"?  The word wildly misused these days.

 

For example, asking the coach why his best player played terrible isn't holding him accountable. It's asking him to analyze the play of one of his players. Asking the player why he played badly is actually what it means to be held accountable. 

 

Holding coaches accountable is targeting questions after a loss towards strategy and tactics. Why did you do X or Y coach?

 

In the case of holding coaches accountable for a single players performance, it might sound like this in last night's case. "Coach, is there anything you could have done differently that would have helped your best player make some of the wide open shots he missed?"

 

I'd like to take this opportunity on this prestigious forum to ask all Americans to begin to use the words accountable and accountability correctly. The English language is great. We should use the words properly. 

Save yourself some brain cells and block him.

[GP1]

Just now, mivid12 said:

I love being right...it's what logical independent thinking can produce rather than "my tv said" hysteria

 

I had a business associate once tell me, "Being right is the boobie prize.".   Congratulations!

[GP1]

2 hours ago, dbrenn9 said:

KSU was the better team.  And don't kid yourself, "Pink Fraud" absolutely out coached Groce. Because Akron absolutely has the horses to win this game if they play better. That is usually scheme and execution of the game plan. 

Some are struggling with the English language today. Coaches are responsible for scheme. Players are responsible for execution. Am I the only one who saw key players missing wide open shots last night?  Players were put in positions to be successful and fell short. That's part of sports. The players had a very good season and fell short last night.

[clarkwgriswold]

At the end of the day, as much as it pains me to say it, the Zips got beat twice in a week by a better team.  Superior and deeper talent prevailed and Mr. PInky had his kids ready.  As much as I don't like the attitude and behavior of some of their players, I'd give NWAkron's right arm for the effort and skill set of a guy like Jacobs.  

[Illini Zip]

22 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

At the end of the day, as much as it pains me to say it, the Zips got beat twice in a week by a better team.  Superior and deeper talent prevailed and Mr. PInky had his kids ready.  As much as I don't like the attitude and behavior of some of their players, I'd give NWAkron's right arm for the effort and skill set of a guy like Jacobs.  

I agree, I would definitely give NWAkron’s right arm for such a player. 

[GJGood]

9 hours ago, Illini Zip said:

Projections are that the Big Ten will be sending between 8-10 teams of its 14 team conference to the Tourney. Half of them will be gone after the first game and a few might make the Sweet 16. We all know it’s a racket. 
 

I don’t know what the metrics are exactly, but both Toledo and Kent State pass the eye test to me. 

I don’t understand why the NCAA uses the First Four in Dayton almost as a second chance for those 11/12 seed at large teams and then also to have an extra 16 seeds..... I wish the Fist Four would stay “as is” for the 11s and 12s but let the 16s go straight into the round of 64 and let those other two first four games be between the top ranked teams that were regular season conference champs that did not make it as an at large directly into the round of 64. Make the First Four a “second chance” reward for a great season over the long haul.

Edited March 11, 2023 by GJGood

[Hilltopper]

18 turnovers resulting in 30+ points for KSU. Kent won the first 5 minutes of each half due to our lack of execution. Zips made a valiant effort but ran out of gas at the end.

[GJGood]

30 minutes ago, Illini Zip said:

I agree, I would definitely give NWAkron’s right arm for such a player. 

I honestly thought that Akron was the better team at the end of the true road game and that result could easily have been different.

Last night, though, Akron was not the better team. A lot has to do with officiating. I am not complaining as I think the officials were pretty consistent throughout the game but different crews allow different levels of aggression, call more/less ticky-tack fouls, flops, etc...

Edited March 11, 2023 by GJGood

[GP1]

13 minutes ago, Hilltopper said:

 but ran out of gas at the end.

This is a good point and something I thought about. A lot of the Zips long range shots were coming up short or just badly missed, especially late. Often this is a sign of fatigue and happens in tournaments requiring daily play. Given they won in a blowout the night before, they had time to reduce minutes for key players and I thought fatigue wouldn't have been a problem. You never know....

[zippy5]

Just now, GP1 said:

This is a good point and something I thought about. A lot of the Zips long range shots were coming up short or just badly missed, especially late. Often this is a sign of fatigue and happens in tournaments requiring daily play. Given they won in a blowout the night before, they had time to reduce minutes for key players and I thought fatigue wouldn't have been a problem. You never know....

I'd attribute that more to Kent's defense making them work hard for 30 seconds each trip. 

[GP1]

Just now, zippy5 said:

I'd attribute that more to Kent's defense making them work hard for 30 seconds each trip. 

Sure, but Akron missed a lot of wide open shots. 

[zippy5]

Yeah. I'm agreeing with you. Tired legs, just not from playing the night before imo