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2024 NCAA Tournament


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32 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

I'll post more in the game thread once @clarkwgriswold creates one, but on paper, I LOVE this matchup. Creighton is only 6-7 deep and while they do have some height, their production mainly comes from 4 guys. It's a big drop off in production after their top 4. 

 

Well Akron's production has come from one guy for like the past month 😞

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I am only mentioning this because of how crazy this is for travel. We're so used to having to travel to the West Coast or something crazy like that. 

 

Creighton - Akron - South Carolina - Oregon winner plays in the Sweet 16....

 

in DETROIT!!!!!!!!!!!

 

The Midwest regional semifinal and regional final will be in Detroit. 

 

You can't ask for a better path for Akron fans to travel if this team finds a way to make a tournament run with Pittsburgh & Detroit being the path!

 

EDIT - Groce's first NCAA Tournament win was as a 14 seed vs 3 seed Georgetown before losing to an SEC team (Tennessee) in second round. Just wanted to throw that in there 😎

 

 

 

Edited by mes102
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Found this on Draftmatic from 3 days ago if you want to do some scouting of your own. Creighton vs. Providence in the Big East Tourney. The Flushes vs. Akron game is on there too.

 

Edit: Please move this post to the Creighton page. My bad. 

 

 

Edited by Illini Zip
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On 3/17/2024 at 11:57 PM, ZippyRulz said:

it's not like the MAC is winning all of its OOC games currently..

Akron, per Kenpom, had the #42 rated non-conference SOS. There were plenty of opportunities to get statement wins, but Akron lost each and every single one of those times. They also lost several games in MAC play that they had no business losing. The 14 seed was very justified.

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5 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

Akron, per Kenpom, had the #42 rated non-conference SOS. There were plenty of opportunities to get statement wins, but Akron lost each and every single one of those times. They also lost several games in MAC play that they had no business losing. The 14 seed was very justified.

KReed is 100% correct.   Someone on the Creighton board wrote simply that the Zips are inconsistent and prone to scoring droughts.  Those droughts occurred in all 3 MAC tournament games.  I think the 2022 Zips were a better team at this point in the season compared to the 2024 team.  Creighton will be tough sledding for these guys.  I cleared my calendar for the MAC tournament but not for Thursday.  When the Zips make it to Saturday, I will be there.

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24 minutes ago, Westie said:

Have we heard from LeBron since the Zips won the MAC? Noticed he posted on X yesterday a congrats to Jake Diebler.

 

Nope. #JustAKidFromAkron must have forgotten about his hometown school. Or maybe repping Akron is a stain on his brand this time around. 

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1 hour ago, NWAkron said:

KReed is 100% correct.   Someone on the Creighton board wrote simply that the Zips are inconsistent and prone to scoring droughts.  Those droughts occurred in all 3 MAC tournament games.  I think the 2022 Zips were a better team at this point in the season compared to the 2024 team.  Creighton will be tough sledding for these guys.  I cleared my calendar for the MAC tournament but not for Thursday.  When the Zips make it to Saturday, I will be there.

 

If you count having a top scoring PG as having a better team, this might be correct. However, the 2024 Zips are overall a better team top to bottom. Freeman, Ali Ali, and Tribble are all significantly better than their 2022 versions. Dawson has regressed but we have Nate Johnson, Hunter, and several more capable guards. 

 

The 2022 team lost to UCLA by 4 in the first round. They played 8 guys...

 

Freeman

Dawson

Ali

Tribble

X2.0

Aziz

Wynn

Clarke

 

 

This team, as a whole, is better than that team. That team, though, had X2.0 - AKA The X Factor on an otherwise very average team (if we're being honest).

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50 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

If you count having a top scoring PG as having a better team, this might be correct. However, the 2024 Zips are overall a better team top to bottom. Freeman, Ali Ali, and Tribble are all significantly better than their 2022 versions. Dawson has regressed but we have Nate Johnson, Hunter, and several more capable guards. 

 

The 2022 team lost to UCLA by 4 in the first round. They played 8 guys...

 

Freeman

Dawson

Ali

Tribble

X2.0

Aziz

Wynn

Clarke

 

 

This team, as a whole, is better than that team. That team, though, had X2.0 - AKA The X Factor on an otherwise very average team (if we're being honest).

Honestly, last year was really our year.  Ali wasn't supposed to transfer out, Dawson wasn't supposed to get injured, and X2.0 running the show. That team would have been amazing 🫤

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53 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

If you count having a top scoring PG as having a better team, this might be correct. However, the 2024 Zips are overall a better team top to bottom. Freeman, Ali Ali, and Tribble are all significantly better than their 2022 versions. Dawson has regressed but we have Nate Johnson, Hunter, and several more capable guards. 

 

The 2022 team lost to UCLA by 4 in the first round. They played 8 guys...

 

Freeman

Dawson

Ali

Tribble

X2.0

Aziz

Wynn

Clarke

 

 

This team, as a whole, is better than that team. That team, though, had X2.0 - AKA The X Factor on an otherwise very average team (if we're being honest).

 

53 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

If you count having a top scoring PG as having a better team, this might be correct. However, the 2024 Zips are overall a better team top to bottom. Freeman, Ali Ali, and Tribble are all significantly better than their 2022 versions. Dawson has regressed but we have Nate Johnson, Hunter, and several more capable guards. 

 

The 2022 team lost to UCLA by 4 in the first round. They played 8 guys...

 

Freeman

Dawson

Ali

Tribble

X2.0

Aziz

Wynn

Clarke

 

 

This team, as a whole, is better than that team. That team, though, had X2.0 - AKA The X Factor on an otherwise very average team (if we're being honest).

I see your point that top to bottom this version is a better team.  However, X2.0 is the difference maker and having an outstanding point guard who can run the team makes the 2022 version of this team better.  Ali is better in the paint but his 3 point shot has regressed.

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The main difference between the 2022 and 2024 teams is that the 2022 team was playing their best basketball in March after struggling early in the year. This year's Akron team is probably better on paper, but that hasn't really translated on the court. 

 

I don't think this year's team ever reached their potential, but they were playing their best basketball in November/December. They stumbled to the finish line in March.

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8 minutes ago, 1981 grad said:

 

I see your point that top to bottom this version is a better team.  However, X2.0 is the difference maker and having an outstanding point guard who can run the team makes the 2022 version of this team better.  Ali is better in the paint but his 3 point shot has regressed.

And the version of Dawson at the end of 2022 was better than the current post-injury Dawson.  Lesser factor but still relevant.

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16 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

And the version of Dawson at the end of 2022 was better than the current post-injury Dawson.  Lesser factor but still relevant.

And I think that most people on the board  would agree that this year's team has been a disappointment toward the end of the season.  Getting to the tourney has raised the issue of which team is better.  Winning against Creighton would settle the argument.

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