tboned Posted February 1 Report Share Posted February 1 Great win! As an Alumni and long time supporter of zips athletics, I am stunned that there aren't 5,000 fans at every home game. John Groce is nothing short of spectacular. GO ZIPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted February 1 Report Share Posted February 1 13 hours ago, 1981 grad said: In my mind, Sullinger has regressed. Does not look like the same player as last year. Not as quick and not as good of shooter. I can see why Kent is struggling. Zips playing really good ball. Great ball movement and controlling the boards. KJ is just so smooth on his jump shot in the key. Really fun to watch. I really wish TV announcers would quit sugarcoating or lying about the offseason Sullinger/VCD/Kent had. It really does a disservice to the general public by preventing them from seeing just how much of a clown show Kent's program is, especially under Pinky. Applauding their return in the "Portal era" without mentioning that both went looking for better and either didn't get what they wanted or couldn't get into what they wanted is annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1981 grad Posted February 1 Report Share Posted February 1 Even though Kent's basketball team is currently not firing on all cylinders the Kent faithful know its only 6 short months till football begins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWAkron Posted February 1 Report Share Posted February 1 20 minutes ago, tboned said: Great win! As an Alumni and long time supporter of zips athletics, I am stunned that there aren't 5,000 fans at every home game. John Groce is nothing short of spectacular. GO ZIPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Groce is the greatest Akron Zips basketball coach ever. I will pat myself on the back and say I've been in his camp from Day 1. At Ohio, he took the Zips out twice in Cleveland. 4-0 in MAC titles. And, yes, he's benefiting from the financial help of Wentz BUT that benefit wouldn't be coming if Groce wasn't the coach he is. Wentz and others wouldn't throw that kind of $ at Boals or Lewis. This current group of players are solid and mature. Any MAC team would start Gray, Okonkwo, either Johnson, or Seth Wilson. I remember early in season Seth Wilson was benched. He was out of shape. A few weeks later Wilson was starting. Groce mentioned in the post game show that Wilson knocked off some bad habits. He's now a massive presence. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted February 1 Report Share Posted February 1 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illini Zip Posted February 1 Report Share Posted February 1 Now can the Zips push through the emotional let-down game home against Ball State? With South Alabama to follow it looks to be a classic trap game scenario. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted February 1 Author Report Share Posted February 1 2 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said: I really wish TV announcers would quit sugarcoating or lying about the offseason Sullinger/VCD/Kent had. It really does a disservice to the general public by preventing them from seeing just how much of a clown show Kent's program is, especially under Pinky. Applauding their return in the "Portal era" without mentioning that both went looking for better and either didn't get what they wanted or couldn't get into what they wanted is annoying. Yep, they do everything but play the Beach Boys "Be True to Your School" in the background. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted February 1 Author Report Share Posted February 1 (edited) Highlights from the Mr. Pinky whinefest for those unable to access the Ohio.com article: "When I watch them, to me, I equate it to Major League Baseball," Senderoff said. "This is something that maybe people don't quite understand. They are right now in this conference, like when I grew up it was the New York Yankees or nowadays like the Los Angeles Dodgers." "They have great players. They get in what's free agency. They get the best free agents in our league. They have an unbelievable coach who does a great job. I refer to John Groce as like Joe Torre. He is a great coach. They are undefeated. "The free agents they get, they develop their returning players, they got Joe Torre as the head coach and you are just sitting there saying I am trying my best to compete and right now my team, we did not play great tonight," Senderoff said. "I gotta credit Akron for that to some degree. They played really well." Free agents? Dodgers? Yankees? Those are clearly criticisms and/or jealousy of Akron's NIL status. Unfortunately, Senderoff doesn't recognize that PCCC exists on a level playing field to UA. It's not the Dodgers and Guardians. The only difference is that Groce's approach and success attracts top talent and has gained the loyalty of alums and fans. Edited February 1 by clarkwgriswold 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy5 Posted February 1 Report Share Posted February 1 Kent keep up! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted February 1 Report Share Posted February 1 14 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said: Highlights from the Mr. Pinky whinefest for those unable to access the Ohio.com article: "When I watch them, to me, I equate it to Major League Baseball," Senderoff said. "This is something that maybe people don't quite understand. They are right now in this conference, like when I grew up it was the New York Yankees or nowadays like the Los Angeles Dodgers." "They have great players. They get in what's free agency. They get the best free agents in our league. They have an unbelievable coach who does a great job. I refer to John Groce as like Joe Torre. He is a great coach. They are undefeated. "The free agents they get, they develop their returning players, they got Joe Torre as the head coach and you are just sitting there saying I am trying my best to compete and right now my team, we did not play great tonight," Senderoff said. "I gotta credit Akron for that to some degree. They played really well." Free agents? Dodgers? Yankees? Those are clearly criticisms and/or jealousy of Akron's NIL status. Unfortunately, Senderoff doesn't recognize that PCCC exists on a level playing field to UA. It's not the Dodgers and Guardians. The only difference is that Groce's approach and success attracts top talent and has gained the loyalty of alums and fans. These are embarrassing comments for Pinky and Kent. From everything I've heard from Bud Wentz and those with knowledge of our NIL collective, it is not a buy-the-best type of system. Our NIL collective rewards players who want to be a Zip and commit to the Akron/Groce way - play hard, show humility, and be involved in the community. Those who do that will receive a solid long-term return on their investment (I believe Wentz has said part of the collective is designed to help alumni as long as they stay involved). Okonkwo was a P4 journeyman big man that played very sparingly at both WVU and UNC. Wilson was a deeper bench role player at WVU. Hardman was a benchwarming 3P specialist at Ohio State. Harris had a decent track record of success at WVU, but he's out for the season. Gray was a solid player for Cornell. I'm sure there was competition for these players, but I doubt many if any had legitimately lucrative offers from bigger programs. They chose to come to Akron because of what Groce can do for them, which is elevate them as young men and players. Groce designed this team like a master architect and provided them the patience and room to grow into the team they are today. Groce has owned Pinky/Kent ever since he filled the cupboards after his first year. NIL wasn't even a thing in the beginning. Freeman, Ali Ali, and Tribble were all homegrown. This is the first year we've made legitimate moves in the transfer portal (2019-20 was big, too, but that didn't involve NIL), and the only difference is we're scoring 85 when we beat Kent instead of 62. If Pinky wants NIL, maybe he shouldn't be coaching at a fashion-first school that has continually neglected its athletics outside of catching lightning in a bottle every once in a while. Or maybe he should go back to his roots of recruiting violations/cheating (didn't realize Steele was on that staff as well). Groce is 100x the coach Pinky is - I'm low-balling with that - and that's the sole difference between where Akron is with basketball and where Kent is. Cry more, clown. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LZIp Posted February 1 Report Share Posted February 1 The Yankees lol? Definitely a whiny look from Pinky. I’ve came to the conclusion in piecing things together that we are probably at or near the top of the MAC when it comes to NIL in men’s basketball, but I’d be suprised if anyone on the roster is making more than mid 5 figures, so not like we’re straight buying players. Anyone have an idea how much we are working with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted February 1 Author Report Share Posted February 1 It just all sounds like a strange unhinged rant. PCCC doesn't have an alum who will step up and help their head football coach to avoid embarrassing the school. It's unlikely anyone is kicking into the NIL pot. Oddly, their sports forum is down today. Maybe it's imploding like their mens athletic program. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy5 Posted February 1 Report Share Posted February 1 I don't blame him. He's trying to get the admin to get him some money to compete. Just like Moorhead trying to do the same with our football program. It's kind of satisfying seeing us as the program with the resources and everyone knows it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted February 1 Report Share Posted February 1 27 minutes ago, LZIp said: The Yankees lol? Definitely a whiny look from Pinky. I’ve came to the conclusion in piecing things together that we are probably at or near the top of the MAC when it comes to NIL in men’s basketball, but I’d be suprised if anyone on the roster is making more than mid 5 figures, so not like we’re straight buying players. Anyone have an idea how much we are working with? I believe UMass is somewhere in the neighborhood of $250k-$300k and it was reported they would have biggest NIL in MAC hoops. That would make me guess Akron is in $100k-$200k range. Large enough that it's a competitive advantage. Not large enough that other programs can't overcome if they learn to get their sh*t together. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipsrule Posted February 1 Report Share Posted February 1 3 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said: Free agents? Dodgers? Yankees? Those are clearly criticisms and/or jealousy of Akron's NIL status. Unfortunately, Senderoff doesn't recognize that PCCC exists on a level playing field to UA. It's not the Dodgers and Guardians. The only difference is that Groce's approach and success attracts top talent and has gained the loyalty of alums and fans. It's easy for Senderoff to blame someone else on why he can't win. NIL doesn't change the fact that the talent he has is underperforming compared to expectations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted February 1 Report Share Posted February 1 32 minutes ago, kreed5120 said: I believe UMass is somewhere in the neighborhood of $250k-$300k and it was reported they would have biggest NIL in MAC hoops. That would make me guess Akron is in $100k-$200k range. Large enough that it's a competitive advantage. Not large enough that other programs can't overcome if they learn to get their sh*t together. It's this exact conversation that is turning me against college sports. I don't care if a guy can make money, but the handouts are gross. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted February 1 Author Report Share Posted February 1 1 hour ago, zippy5 said: I don't blame him. He's trying to get the admin to get him some money to compete. Just like Moorhead trying to do the same with our football program. It's kind of satisfying seeing us as the program with the resources and everyone knows it. I don't blame him for trying to motivate the administration. I'm just not a fan of the analogy to what are for all intents and purposes the "evil empires" of MLB who win in large part because of their superior budgets. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted February 1 Report Share Posted February 1 16 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said: I don't blame him for trying to motivate the administration. I'm just not a fan of the analogy to what are for all intents and purposes the "evil empires" of MLB who win in large part because of their superior budgets. In the big picture we're all the Pittsburgh Pirates. Duke, UNC, Kentucky etc are the Dodgers/Yankees. Programs like Dayton would be like the Guardians. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reslife4Life Posted February 2 Report Share Posted February 2 4 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said: It just all sounds like a strange unhinged rant. PCCC doesn't have an alum who will step up and help their head football coach to avoid embarrassing the school. It's unlikely anyone is kicking into the NIL pot. Oddly, their sports forum is down today. Maybe it's imploding like their mens athletic program. Kent has some very prosperous alumni as well. Antonio Gates, Drew Carey, Steve Harvey, Michael Keaton. And I didn’t even realize this, but Jeff Phelps is a kent alum and now he is the Zips color commentator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWAkron Posted February 2 Report Share Posted February 2 12 minutes ago, Reslife4Life said: Kent has some very prosperous alumni as well. Antonio Gates, Drew Carey, Steve Harvey, Michael Keaton. And I didn’t even realize this, but Jeff Phelps is a kent alum and now he is the Zips color commentator Western Michigan has the billionaire Stryker family. One insignificant check from them would rebuild that program immediately. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted February 2 Report Share Posted February 2 (edited) 5 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said: It just all sounds like a strange unhinged rant. PCCC doesn't have an alum who will step up and help their head football coach to avoid embarrassing the school. It's unlikely anyone is kicking into the NIL pot. Oddly, their sports forum is down today. Maybe it's imploding like their mens athletic program. According to Pinky, they're too poor to operate their own fan forum (shoutout @Captain Kangarooand those who fund ZN), so they're at the mercy of CSNbbs. It's back up but unfortunately the day's-long outage has prevented more funeral posts. The most recent post does mention that they have a couple guys who were supposed to be key factors not playing this season. Someone want to let them know about Josiah Harris? Edited February 2 by Let'sGoZips94 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted February 2 Report Share Posted February 2 1 hour ago, NWAkron said: Western Michigan has the billionaire Stryker family. One insignificant check from them would rebuild that program immediately. The Stryker family gave WMU athletics $50 million around the time of covid. I'm not sure how WMU went about spending it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted February 2 Report Share Posted February 2 1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said: According to Pinky, they're too poor to operate their own fan forum (shoutout @Captain Kangarooand those who fund ZN), so they're at the mercy of CSNbbs. It's back up but unfortunately the day's-long outage has prevented more funeral posts. The most recent post does mention that they have a couple guys who were supposed to be key factors not playing this season. Someone want to let them know about Josiah Harris? The sites back up so the tears may start flowing again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy5 Posted February 2 Report Share Posted February 2 38 minutes ago, kreed5120 said: The sites back up so the tears may start flowing again. It would be a sad place if they had fans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spin Posted February 2 Report Share Posted February 2 17 hours ago, GP1 said: It's this exact conversation that is turning me against college sports. I don't care if a guy can make money, but the handouts are gross. Isn’t NIL just a legal form of what a lot of programs were doing already? “Allegedly” of course. Now it’s out in the open, and the contributors can use it as advertisement. See also NASCAR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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