Zips Basketball- Looking Back to 22-23/Looking Forward to 23-24

[ZIPS96]

I don’t understand why people are so down on Tavari.  He was a true freshman out there playing.  You can’t compare him to LCJ when we first saw him.  He had a year at Long Beach State (which stat wise was similar to Tavari this year) and he had to sit out a year, but practiced with the team and learned the system and culture). I’m not saying he will be LCJ, but don’t write him off.  

[clarkwgriswold]

I think Garvin is a legitimate D1 point guard, as a backup.  15 minutes a night to spell the starters and not hurt the team while he's in, an occasional start when someone is out.

 

I think Tavari will be in time a good starting D1 point guard.   Oddly, the Zips success this year may have slowed his development as being in contention forced the Zips to keep the veteran guys on the floor.  It was no time to experiment or prepare for the future.  Clearly, Groce likes point guards that cab score the ball and Tavari has shown an ability to do that.

[LoyalZIP]

2 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

 

 

A good watch as always. They replay every angle of Greg's block in the semifinal game and it is absolutely glorious. If we had pulled that one out, it would go down as an unforgettable moment in the rivalry, and as one of the biggest moments of the tournament had Akron been able to win Saturday. That play was sweet, the Kent fans around me were shockingly complaining that it was goaltending, but it may be the cleanest block like that I've seen since June 2016, or so

[tpsjugglerdude]

I know it's probably pretty early, but do we have any insights on next year's schedule? I know the majority of ESPN pre-season tournaments have announced their teams and haven't seen Akron on any of them. 

[Zippy87]

13 minutes ago, ZIPS96 said:

I don’t understand why people are so down on Tavari.  He was a true freshman out there playing.  You can’t compare him to LCJ when we first saw him.  He had a year at Long Beach State (which stat wise was similar to Tavari this year) and he had to sit out a year, but practiced with the team and learned the system and culture). I’m not saying he will be LCJ, but don’t write him off.  

 

I'm not down on him, it's more:

 

A) I don't think it's realistic to expect him to go from not seeing the floor in big games to starter.

If we bring in a transfer PG and Clarke also stays, it seems likely one of Tavari/Garvin wouldn't play much.

 

Personally, I'd rather bet on the upside of Tavari and let Garvin go find a better fit.

[LoyalZIP]

Just now, tpsjugglerdude said:

I know it's probably pretty early, but do we have any insights on next year's schedule? I know the majority of ESPN pre-season tournaments have announced their teams and haven't seen Akron on any of them. 

 

Not sure on an early tournament. He has talked about the strength of the schedule ad nauseam this year, so I'm really hoping they're able to put together another good one. I think the team taking some blows earlier in the year helped them once MAC play rolled around. To my knowledge, the only games set as of now is a return trip to South Dakota State and a rematch with Bradley at the JAR.

[kreed5120]

6 minutes ago, LoyalZIP said:

 

Not sure on an early tournament. He has talked about the strength of the schedule ad nauseam this year, so I'm really hoping they're able to put together another good one. I think the team taking some blows earlier in the year helped them once MAC play rolled around. To my knowledge, the only games set as of now is a return trip to South Dakota State and a rematch with Bradley at the JAR.

Also, two games against Sun Belt teams (opponents still TBD)

 

Edit: I know they said they planned to schedule one game in Nov/Dec and the other in February. They also said they'd be using records to match up similar teams. If that's the case I see Marshall finished 3rd in the Sun Belt, the same as us in the MAC. I wonder if that's who we get assigned to or if they will assign that game based off preseason rankings instead.

Edited March 15, 2023 by kreed5120

[72 Roo]

3 hours ago, Zippy87 said:

 

I'm not down on him, it's more:

 

A) I don't think it's realistic to expect him to go from not seeing the floor in big games to starter.

If we bring in a transfer PG and Clarke also stays, it seems likely one of Tavari/Garvin wouldn't play much.

 

Personally, I'd rather bet on the upside of Tavari and let Garvin go find a better fit.

I agree with ol'Zippy. Tavari has a far greater upside. Garvin can play the point, but has little offense. He hesitates on his 3 pointers. When he goes in the paint he clearly demonstrates why he has earned the rep as the most blocked guard in the MAC. Sometimes he works magic in the lane, but not often enough to overcome his blocks and TO's. I'd rather give the PT to Tavari altho' I don't see him as our starting PG. Hope Groce can mine the TP.

[kreed5120]

I feel what some here seem to be missing is we're losing Hankerson too. That means there will be minutes available at the 2 guard position too. That means it's still very possible for us to bring in a transfer to give us 25-30 minutes a night plus still giving Clark and Tavari opportunities to both play. IMO until Tavari becomes a better decision maker on the court, he's more a 2 guard anyways.

[Blue & Gold]

From July '22 a nice little Rivals.com article on Darrion Baker

 

one of the most pleasant surprises at this month’s adidas 3SSB Championships in South Carolina, 

Darrion Baker spent his time at the event proving that he might be a touch under-recruited. The 6-foot-8 forward flashed high-major athleticism and the ability to guard most positions on the floor while also showcasing a versatile skill set that should translate to the next level. 

Baker, who handles the ball well for his size and position, can knock down looks from deep and impact the game in the high-post. He recently spoke to Rivas.com about his growing offer list and which schools are in the mix.

 

 

[RooFan]

3 hours ago, 72 Roo said:

I agree with ol'Zippy. Tavari has a far greater upside. Garvin can play the point, but has little offense. He hesitates on his 3 pointers. When he goes in the paint he clearly demonstrates why he has earned the rep as the most blocked guard in the MAC. Sometimes he works magic in the lane, but not often enough to overcome his blocks and TO's. I'd rather give the PT to Tavari altho' I don't see him as our starting PG. Hope Groce can mine the TP.

For my two cents you will never hear me wishing any of our team move on. Especially not hastened by the possibility or idea that we 'might' recruit another player yet to sign. They worked hard for the opportunities here at Akron.  I respect them for that and the coaches for giving them the chance. Now we reshuffle in the off season,  but you will always here me rooting for our boys.

 

And as a reminder in Cleveland in 2022 Garvin helped as much as everyone else on the court when we won and were on to face the Bruins. I'll take Garvin any day, he is gamer.

[GoZips4824]

I think Garvin is a great glue guy to have on the team, like it was pointed out last year in both tournaments he played a key role and I think back to this year at home against Kent. He can play in those big time moments. Is he gonna give you 30 or 20 like X or Enrique? No, but he is damn sure gonna make an impact on the game, him and Dawson I feel are very similar in the toughness and experience they bring to the program. I think Tavari does have greater upside in the future but I would love for Garvin to stay around for that veteran presence and scrappiness. Being injured for a portion of the year also did not play into his favor. 

[Illini Zip]

I just want Garvin to be more of a scoring threat. And he needs to eliminate the occasional lazy pass turnover and running straight into a shot blocker under the rim. Otherwise he is developing nicely. 

[Let'sGoZips94]

50 minutes ago, Illini Zip said:

I just want Garvin to be more of a scoring threat. And he needs to eliminate the occasional lazy pass turnover and running straight into a shot blocker under the rim. Otherwise he is developing nicely. 

 

In high school, we had a multi-time Mr. Ohio powerlifter as an assistant coach (spoiler alert: he was our strength & conditioning coach, too; shocking, I know). He would be the guy on the body bag when we did layup drills to teach us how to explode up and finish through contact. 

 

Garvin needs a body bag guy and 2-3 other people to hold brooms over his head to simulate long arms as he does layup drills. This + 1000 shots per day, and he just might be able to get to where we need him to be.

[LZIp]

Core returning + Dawson coming back from injury + 2 scholarships (as of now) to fill holes with transfer portal players. The staff appears to have seen what us fans have seen. Starting to feel pretty good about next year. Of course, results will depend on the quality of guys we bring in...

Edited March 17, 2023 by LZIp

[Hilltopper]

Our #1 priority is finding a guard who can create his own shot off the dribble.

[Blue & Gold]

9:30 a.m. 3/17

How we currently stand:

PG: Tavari...... Garvin

W:  Dawson... Prather

W:  Tribble..... Nate..... Marvin

P:  Sammy..... Darrion

P:  Freeman... Amani

 

Currently 2 open scholarships

[Illini Zip]

Random thoughts;

 

I think Amani Lyles was brought in to play the Camron Reece role. Slightly undersized power forward with great strength, physicality and athleticism for rebounding. Even if he develops a shot from range, his bread and butter will be dominating the lane.

 

Darrion Baker, I have penciled in as Sammy’s replacement at the stretch 4.

 

And I am hopeful we use the two open scholarships on a shooting guard and a legit shot blocker like Aziz would have been. 

[clarkwgriswold]

17 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

9:30 a.m. 3/17

How we currently stand:

PG: Tavari...... Garvin

W:  Dawson... Prather

W:  Tribble..... Nate..... Marvin

P:  Sammy..... Darrion

P:  Freeman... Amani

 

Currently 2 open scholarships

 

Where do you see Kobe Mitchell fitting in?

 

I'd love to see the reincarnation of Xeyrius and a 6'4" guard with some offense fill those last two spots. 

[Captain Kangaroo]

21 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

Where do you see Kobe Mitchell fitting in?

West Virginia Wesleyan?

[zipsrule]

23 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

Where do you see Kobe Mitchell fitting in?

He's in the transfer portal.

[72 Roo]

1 hour ago, Blue & Gold said:

9:30 a.m. 3/17

How we currently stand:

PG: Tavari...... Garvin

W:  Dawson... Prather

W:  Tribble..... Nate..... Marvin

P:  Sammy..... Darrion

P:  Freeman... Amani

 

Currently 2 open scholarships

B & G, you have laid out a team poised to win again. Thanks. I disagree that Tribble should be a starter. His offense (no outside shot, TO's when he goes into the lane against better teams) limits what he gives us against the best of the MAC during the season and in the tournament. I would rather see us invest in Nate, Prather or Marvin even Darrion during the year as we prepare for the tournament. There will be a lot of angst during that time with many learning opportunities for these younger players, but the upside is worth it. Greg can come off the bench giving us leadership, defense and energy. Change is needed to play with the best.

 

 

[clarkwgriswold]

23 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

West Virginia Wesleyan?

It has been a busy week!  LOL.  I'm a little out of the loop.

[Zippy87]

Two schollys open so far. With several MAC rivals losing key players to graduation or the portal, this is a huge opportunity for the Zips.

 

A scoring guard who can create his own shot and be a playmaker for others is a must.  A big who can rebound and block/change shots would be #2 on my wishlist. If you can't find that, get me another wing who can shoot.

 

Both players have to be immediate impact...no HS players.

[Let'sGoZips94]

Fairleigh Dickinson - the shortest team in the country whose tallest player is 6'7" - just beat the tallest team in the country in Purdue whose tallest player is 7'4". 

 

We have two open scholarships and they need to go to shooters/scorers. Period. 

Edited March 18, 2023 by Let'sGoZips94