Game 29- Toledo

[Reslife4Life]

Evan Wilson start come on John do it

[Illini Zip]

2 minutes ago, Reslife4Life said:

Evan Wilson start come on John do it

The players need to file into Groce’s office and lay their jersey’s on his desk. “This is for Evan coach, this is for Evan”

[zippy5]

35 minutes ago, Illini Zip said:

Say it @zippy5

Road kill. Onto Buffalo 

 

 

By the way, a couple weeks ago we were worried about this being the hardest stretch of the year. 16-1 ain't bad 

[Illini Zip]

5 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

Road kill. Onto Buffalo 

 

 

By the way, a couple weeks ago we were worried about this being the hardest stretch of the year. 16-1 ain't bad 

💯💯💯

[NWAkron]

48 minutes ago, Illini Zip said:

I saw that too. 

I think that final foul by Toledo angered Groce.  His facial expression wasn't good.

[72 Roo]

I realize when you play with all gas, no brakes you risk turnovers, but tonight was ridiculous. That cannot be allowed. Nate and Tavari seemed to be sleep-walking like they didn't care which led to unforced TO's. 18 total in the game. 13 in the second half. Even my hero Shammah made a bonehead unforced TO.  Just score on half of the second half TO's and we continue the rout of the first half.  Please John, coach this crap out of the team.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Gave up 63 in the 2nd half? Gotta be some sort of record?

[Zippy87]

Anyone catch if Harris was on the bench tonight? 

[Let'sGoZips94]

10 hours ago, zvillezip said:

Shammah went JUCO so now he gets that time back.

 

 

Confirmed by Shammah's grandfather. 

 

[zippy5]

Ohh the new juco rule. I was trying to remember why we weren't even considering him coming back even though this is really his third year. That's awesome!

[Reslife4Life]

Shammah coming back is interesting tho. I know groce says there are 10 starters on this team, but it’s hard not to think we would have Shammah, Tavari, and Sharron again and someone (or 2) would come off the bench next year. Don’t want to lose any of them to the portal, you just never know

[Let'sGoZips94]

We need to win the MAC tournament. Akron is viewed as a destination to go dancing, and 3x in 4 years would very much solidify that. Add in our NIL, and we can make as good of an argument for any player to stay or come here. 

[Captain Kangaroo]

24 minutes ago, Reslife4Life said:

Shammah coming back is interesting tho. I know groce says there are 10 starters on this team, but it’s hard not to think we would have Shammah, Tavari, and Sharron again and someone (or 2) would come off the bench next year. Don’t want to lose any of them to the portal, you just never know

If Harris returns, there will not be many game-minutes remaining for anyone else in 2025-26. Harris would take the minutes from Gray's departure, and the others will be fighting for Seth's minutes.

 

In addition, someone like Nate Johnson could get some P5 interest if he has a nice tournament.

 

I have to believe there will be some portal departures.

[Zippy87]

1 hour ago, Reslife4Life said:

Shammah coming back is interesting tho. I know groce says there are 10 starters on this team, but it’s hard not to think we would have Shammah, Tavari, and Sharron again and someone (or 2) would come off the bench next year. Don’t want to lose any of them to the portal, you just never know

 

I can't envision Tavari and Sharron starting together, personally. I do think they can offer Sharron starter-type minutes, though. Shammah is 4th in MPG this season but has only started 1 game. 

 

Harris

N. Johnson

Okonkwo

Scott

T. Johnson

 

Young

Lyles

Hardman

MMK

Mahaffey

Brisco

 

Unless there's a transfer from the top 8 listed, I would guess MMK and/or Brisco to be the most likely to be on the outside looking in in regard to PT. I could see it, with JG targeting another combo guard-type in the portal. 

[NWAkron]

Zips had their best first half and worst second half.  If that happens in Cleveland, they will be toast.  63 points (when is last time THAT happened) and many, many boneheaded turnovers.  Yes, refs made some bad calls, but they put themselves in the position where the refs could make a difference.   FTs count like any other point and those won them the game.

[clarkwgriswold]

3 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

Zips had their best first half and worst second half.  If that happens in Cleveland, they will be toast.  63 points (when is last time THAT happened) and many, many boneheaded turnovers.  Yes, refs made some bad calls, but they put themselves in the position where the refs could make a difference.   FTs count like any other point and those won them the game.

 

Well stated.  A decent team in the tournament won't let them off of the hook when they play like they did in the second half.

[clarkwgriswold]

1 hour ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

If Harris returns, there will not be many game-minutes remaining for anyone else in 2025-26. Harris would take the minutes from Gray's departure, and the others will be fighting for Seth's minutes.

 

In addition, someone like Nate Johnson could get some P5 interest if he has a nice tournament.

 

I have to believe there will be some portal departures.

 

My biggest concern is Young.  My worry is that he sees the team's depth as an impediment to his playing time.  He certainly won't have any shortage of suitors.

[zippy5]

My biggest concern is Coach Groce - don't leave us!

[NWAkron]

13 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

Well stated.  A decent team in the tournament won't let them off of the hook when they play like they did in the second half.

The practice today will be brutal.  

[Zippy87]

27 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

My biggest concern is Young.  My worry is that he sees the team's depth as an impediment to his playing time.  He certainly won't have any shortage of suitors.

 

Yeah, I keep trying to tell myself it won't happen. He seems like a great young man - I believe Groce mentioned him in the same breath as Enrique earlier this year. But he will definitely have some tempting offers this summer. 

[Illini Zip]

I think Lyles continues to grow as an offensive threat. And Harris has great potential, but he missed a whole season. He’s a bit of a wild card. That said, this is my preferred starting lineup for next year.

 

Tavari

Nate

Harris

Amani

Jimmy

[Let'sGoZips94]

6 minutes ago, Illini Zip said:

I think Lyles continues to grow as an offensive threat. And Harris has great potential, but he missed a whole season. He’s a bit of a wild card. That said, this is my preferred starting lineup for next year.

 

Tavari

Nate

Harris

Amani

Jimmy

 

Move Amani to the bench, Harris into Amani's slot, and put Scott or Young into the starting lineup. We've played fast this year, and if everyone outside of the graduates return, look for us to play even faster next year. 

Edited 11 hours ago by Let'sGoZips94

[Illini Zip]

8 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Move Amani to the bench, Harris into Amani's slot, and put Scott or Young into the starting lineup. We've played fast this year, and if everyone outside of the graduates return, look for us to play even faster next year. 

That would be good too. 

[Illini Zip]

Groce knows what it’s like to be without a quality point guard, unfortunately, and to run this system wide open he needs at least two. I think the NIL/portal reality spooks our staff as well, which is why they started to stack them up. Next year we will have three legitimate point guards on the roster, in addition to Scott. That is a feat all by itself. Most point guards are prima donnas and want to play right away. But if you find “Akron guys” who buy into the vision and care about the right things the sky is the limit. Young knows that he is in line to be the man come his Junior year if he continues to improve. Hopefully that will be enough. Being on a winning team doesn’t hurt either.

 

 

Edited 10 hours ago by Illini Zip

[Captain Kangaroo]

1 hour ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

My biggest concern is Young.  My worry is that he sees the team's depth as an impediment to his playing time.  He certainly won't have any shortage of suitors.

I like him quite a bit, but he's the prototypical 6' MAC guard.

 

In his last 8 games, he's scored in single digits in 7 of them (6, 5, 3, 4, 10, 7, 4, 3). I can't believe any competing program is beating the JAR door down with a wheelbarrow of NIL money just yet. 

 

If he goes, it's because we have a bevy of really good players in front of him. It's sorta like the NY Yankees, if you think about it?