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2024 MAC Tournament


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Let's be honest. The Zips in their current fragile state playing a KSPoo team with nothing to lose and looking for revenge would not have been ideal. Beating anyone won't be easy at this stage but Miami presents a good chance to get a win and some confidence. 

 

Akron is the most talented team in the conference. I'll stay positive until it's over. Groce needs to push the right buttons this week. The swagger needs to be located.

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33 minutes ago, Reslife4Life said:

Whatever happened this week just needs to be forgotten, play the way we have for the first 25 games of the season 

We're 6-6 over our past 12 games. We've pretty much lost every "measuring stick" game this season. We are strongly heading in the wrong direction, at the wrong time. 

 

We started the season as the MAC favorites. Now we're relegated to a puncher's chance in Cleveland...if a couple of our guards decide to play as hard as the WMU guards competed in the second half last night. And we really haven't had any bad luck...were just Freeman at center, with a mediocre assembly of talent milling about him. 

 

I've never seen a team shoot as poorly as this one. 

 

When Freeman exits the game, we are a complete sh!tshow. We'd need to improve exponentially just to reach the level of "sieve" on the defensive side of the ball.

 

That's just the way it is. See you Thursday night.

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19 minutes ago, ewbrooman1 said:

I missed Groce's post game interview, if there was one. How did that go?

I don’t remember much, but I think he said if it was obvious what buttons to push he would have done it weeks ago. He said he has been waiting for any of the other guys not named, Freeman, Ali or Tribble to step up and separate themselves as a starter. They all have different strengths and weaknesses which he is trying to manage. For example, this wasn’t a favorable matchup for Tavari so he didn’t play at all. 

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My approach to next week is going to be thinking positive and enjoying what remains of Enrique Freeman as a Zip. One of my favorites to come through the program.

 

I have a feeling next year will be rough - likely similar to what Kent did this year - so I'm hopeful we can make one more run.

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I think I'd rather be playing KSUcks.  We've beaten them twice this year & now Payton is hurt.  Miami beat us earlier in the year (when we were playing much better than we are now).  Big 6'8" 305-pound (probably closer to 350 than 305) Anderson Mirambeaux has surprisingly quick feet, can hit outside shots, & gave Enrique trouble in our first meeting... in fact I'd go as far as to say he outplayed Enrique in their first meeting.  It's the only time this season a P has outplayed 'Rique.  

 

And our guards cannot throw it in the ocean. WTH?? This is supposed to be D-1 basketball!!! 😡

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33 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

I think I'd rather be playing KSUcks.  We've beaten them twice this year & now Payton is hurt.  Miami beat us earlier in the year (when we were playing much better than we are now).  Big 6'8" 305-pound (probably closer to 350 than 305) Anderson Mirambeaux has surprisingly quick feet, can hit outside shots, & gave Enrique trouble in our first meeting... in fact I'd go as far as to say he outplayed Enrique in their first meeting.  It's the only time this season a P has outplayed 'Rique.  

 

And our guards cannot throw it in the ocean. WTH?? This is supposed to be D-1 basketball!!! 😡

 

PCCC has 3 bonafide shooters that, on any given night, can each go off for 20+. Not to mention the stench from their fans in the stands being a 6th man for them. 

 

Miami is not good offensively. We have not been good defensively, and this is the perfect team to "get right" against in the quarterfinals. 

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53 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

I think I'd rather be playing KSUcks.  We've beaten them twice this year & now Payton is hurt.  Miami beat us earlier in the year (when we were playing much better than we are now).  Big 6'8" 305-pound (probably closer to 350 than 305) Anderson Mirambeaux has surprisingly quick feet, can hit outside shots, & gave Enrique trouble in our first meeting... in fact I'd go as far as to say he outplayed Enrique in their first meeting.  It's the only time this season a P has outplayed 'Rique.  

 

And our guards cannot throw it in the ocean. WTH?? This is supposed to be D-1 basketball!!! 😡


I am really hoping the neutral court makes a difference in Cleveland. We have struggled since Miami and JMU showed everyone how to beat us. Double and triple team Freeman. Pack the paint and play extra physical. We have some mentally tough guys, but we are not physically tough at all. And except for Scott hitting 3 threes in garbage time we can’t buy a bucket. All of our loses except for Eastern (who really did play well), were on the road - including Miami. A neutral court will at least keep teams from hacking and hopefully keep Freeman out of foul trouble. I am as frustrated as everyone that we have not been able to overcome these shortcomings and as a result failed on some of our goals. But if Freeman is able to play at his best, we make a few outside shots and limit the mental lapses we can still take the MAC Tournament. I am grateful that Freeman survived the MAC regular season without injury because the guy got the crap beat out of him. You would never know it because of his good nature.

 

Go Zips!!

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The good thing is we know as good as everyone things change very quickly in Cleveland. Take care of business Thursday and we'll all be singing a different tune. Just last week we thought we could get the 1 seed and see OU on Friday as the 4 seed. So whatever, win some games

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7 minutes ago, ZippyRulz said:

Looks like our game will start around 5-ish. Are we assuming whoever wins the tourney will land as a 13/14 seed?

 

As bad as the MAC has been this year, they should be sent to Dayton for a play in game for punishment!

 

Looking back, with the exception of Freeman, there's really no one that has exceeded expectations.  Tribble's offense was certainly improved.  Ali is the same player he was two years ago and has not lived up to his pre-season first team All-MAC status.  Hunter's the same guy we saw the last two season.  Dawson has been bad.  Nate gets an incomplete (and an inconsistent).   Scott was merely a defensive presence.  Thornton was meh.  Tavari failed to grow as a player.  Lyles is merely a 5 minute a game player.  I guess maybe we got more out of Prather than expected.  At the end of the day, this team needs guys to step up to help Freeman and that's not happening recently.

 

Sure, the talent's there on paper, but since they left for JMU, they've folded like paper when challenged.

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Can anyone find Vegas odds on a MAC Tournament winner?

 

TeamRankings.com still has us as the favorite:

 

32% - Akron

23% - Toledo

21% - Ohio

11% - Kent

 

With everyone else below a 10% chance to win.

 

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4 hours ago, MDZip said:

This is Toledo's fourth straight regular season title. They have yet to make the NCAA tournament.

 

I really thought they'd get over the hump last year and couldn't. I will never bet on them in Cleveland until they prove they can win there. 

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17 minutes ago, Zippy87 said:

 

I really thought they'd get over the hump last year and couldn't. I will never bet on them in Cleveland until they prove they can win there. 

None of Toledo's teams have been strong defensively. That's why they come up short in March. Offense wins games, defense wins championships.

Edited by kreed5120
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On 3/9/2024 at 3:05 PM, Zippy87 said:

Can anyone find Vegas odds on a MAC Tournament winner?

 

TeamRankings.com still has us as the favorite:

 

32% - Akron

23% - Toledo

21% - Ohio

11% - Kent

 

With everyone else below a 10% chance to win.

 

I'd like to think Akron is still the best team in the conference overall, and now is usually the time Akron kicks it into gear. Toledo, like others have mentioned, is a team I have no worries about in the tourney until they actually win it. Much like Ohio U in football. The last time the Bobcats won the MAC in football, the song "Fortunate Son" by CCR wasn't even a thing. (Ok ok, off topic)


Kent and Ohio I think always have a chance simply because they have great history in Cleveland, and Ohio is a hot team at the moment. 

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