zippy5 Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 I don't care about these departures. The MAC has been a one bid league for my lifetime, and it's not changing either way. The MAC is getting easier to win every year, and with our program and NIL, we aren't going anywhere. Go Zips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy87 Posted March 18 Author Report Share Posted March 18 30 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said: Seeing all these portal transfers make me sad for the MAC, and sad for the state of college basketball. Year ago Don Ohlmeyer famously said "The answer to all your questions is money." Sucks what greed and money do to just about everything good. For whatever inexplicable reason the planets aligned and the Zips got John Groce and Bud Wentz at the precise time we needed them, or we'd be in the same boat and everyone else. So grateful for those guys. But it all can come crashing down at any second, and we'll be like Buffalo and Toledo...losing our best players because they're chasing a couple quick bucks rather than getting a meaningful degree and making lifelong friendships with college teammates. The bulk of the portal transfers are pure basketball mercenaries majoring in eligibility. Kowalczyk spoke the truth...it'll be interesting to see where these guys end up in 20 years...with the $38,000 in NIL long gone, and no college degree to fall back on. For every decent MAC player that ascends to a P4 school with success, there are 15 who sit the P4 pines eagerly awaiting the season's end and the chance to transfer yet again. I think the NCAA could have gotten ahead of this a long time ago. I am in favor of letting players get paid - there just need to be some guardrails added to get it under control. A few ideas: - A NIL cap for each team - Contracts (with multi-year options) - Limits on number of times a player can transfer in their college career Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 5 minutes ago, Zippy87 said: I think the NCAA could have gotten ahead of this a long time ago. I am in favor of letting players get paid - there just need to be some guardrails added to get it under control. A few ideas: - A NIL cap for each team - Contracts (with multi-year options) - Limits on number of times a player can transfer in their college career The NCAA tried to put up guardrails, but everything they have tried to implement has been challenged in court and overturned. Trying to put more rules in place, which won't hold up in court anyway, is just wasteful spending and pointless. It was always going to be like this when the higher courts ruled that players could earn money. The only option really now would be the players unionizing and a collective bargaining agreement put in place. That will be challenging given the large number of collegiate athletes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1981 grad Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 54 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said: Seeing all these portal transfers make me sad for the MAC, and sad for the state of college basketball. Year ago Don Ohlmeyer famously said "The answer to all your questions is money." Sucks what greed and money do to just about everything good. For whatever inexplicable reason the planets aligned and the Zips got John Groce and Bud Wentz at the precise time we needed them, or we'd be in the same boat and everyone else. So grateful for those guys. But it all can come crashing down at any second, and we'll be like Buffalo and Toledo...losing our best players because they're chasing a couple quick bucks rather than getting a meaningful degree and making lifelong friendships with college teammates. The bulk of the portal transfers are pure basketball mercenaries majoring in eligibility. Kowalczyk spoke the truth...it'll be interesting to see where these guys end up in 20 years...with the $38,000 in NIL long gone, and no college degree to fall back on. For every decent MAC player that ascends to a P4 school with success, there are 15 who sit the P4 pines eagerly awaiting the season's end and the chance to transfer yet again. Great post and it reminds me of when Groce was asked what he wanted his players to do during the tournament his response was enjoy the moment. In 20 years the $38,000 will be long gone but the Akron players who stuck with Groce, Tevari, Lyles and Nate will have a memory of winning back to back MAC titles and going to the NCAA tourney two years in a row. As they get older, their hard work and teamism will be serve them well in whatever profession they choose and their championships will stay with them forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 1 hour ago, Zippy87 said: I wonder if Michaels would be a target for us with Okonkwo presumably returning, should we have a scholarship or two open up. UK connection and could learn under Harris (again, assuming he returns). 1 hour ago, LZIp said: That one hurts. Why? Screw em. Toledo is a trash program and Simmons is Kent-esque with his antics. I haven't hated a non-Kent/Ohio player so much since Doug Penno. Him stepping on Lyles's ankle in one of the recent games was the icing on the cake. 1 hour ago, Captain Kangaroo said: Seeing all these portal transfers make me sad for the MAC, and sad for the state of college basketball. Year ago Don Ohlmeyer famously said "The answer to all your questions is money." Sucks what greed and money do to just about everything good. For whatever inexplicable reason the planets aligned and the Zips got John Groce and Bud Wentz at the precise time we needed them, or we'd be in the same boat and everyone else. So grateful for those guys. But it all can come crashing down at any second, and we'll be like Buffalo and Toledo...losing our best players because they're chasing a couple quick bucks rather than getting a meaningful degree and making lifelong friendships with college teammates. The bulk of the portal transfers are pure basketball mercenaries majoring in eligibility. Kowalczyk spoke the truth...it'll be interesting to see where these guys end up in 20 years...with the $38,000 in NIL long gone, and no college degree to fall back on. For every decent MAC player that ascends to a P4 school with success, there are 15 who sit the P4 pines eagerly awaiting the season's end and the chance to transfer yet again. They'll be fine. There are tons of overseas leagues paying livable wages for basketball talent. Kowalchoke needs to look in the mirror and ask why all his top talent wants to leave so quickly. 58 minutes ago, NWAkron said: i can imagine certain states with certain types of legislators passing laws that eliminate state taxes on NIL $. Good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72 Roo Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 2 hours ago, Captain Kangaroo said: But it all can come crashing down at any second, and we'll be like Buffalo and Toledo...losing our best players because they're chasing a couple quick bucks rather than getting a meaningful degree and making lifelong friendships with college teammates. Like it or not we are already there in seeing players chasing money and forgetting about the benefits of staying at UA. It is called football. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWAkron Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said: I wonder if Michaels would be a target for us with Okonkwo presumably returning, should we have a scholarship or two open up. UK connection and could learn under Harris (again, assuming he returns). Yes, since they both have a connection to the United Kingdom logically it follows that they will work well together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip JD Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 3 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said: Simmons and Johnson can get buckets. I'm not a fan of Simmons as he just plain whines and b!tches too damn much on the court. I don't see Johnson playing on an up tempo Zips team. Agree on both, esecially Johnson. He's Big Dog 2.0 and I have no desire to see the ball go down to him 8 trips in a row in crunch time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip JD Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 2 hours ago, Zippy87 said: I think the NCAA could have gotten ahead of this a long time ago. I am in favor of letting players get paid - there just need to be some guardrails added to get it under control. A few ideas: - A NIL cap for each team - Contracts (with multi-year options) - Limits on number of times a player can transfer in their college career At least go back to where they have to sit a year or show hardship after the first or even second transfer. Four schools in four years is bad for the game and the players. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 (edited) 29 minutes ago, Zip JD said: At least go back to where they have to sit a year or show hardship after the first or even second transfer. Four schools in four years is bad for the game and the players. That was challenged in court and the NCAA was going to lose the battle, which is why they backed off. Between the courts and the P4 organizing, they've lost all power. It's more a figurehead institution than one that has any authority. Edited March 18 by kreed5120 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy87 Posted March 18 Author Report Share Posted March 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LZIp Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 Kam Craft from Miami in the portal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 26 minutes ago, LZIp said: Kam Craft from Miami in the portal. 😂😂😂😂😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 If I was a coach, I don't know that I'd leave the door open for a kid to return after he entered the portal. I'd recruit a kid once, with the rare exception of a kid like Ali who found the grass wasn't greener and wanted to return. Craft is likely seeing what the market is for his services. I don't think it is at a higher level than where he is at Miami but we'll see. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illini Zip Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 On 3/17/2025 at 11:18 AM, Zippy87 said: I think someone doesn’t want to deal with the wrath of TJ next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted March 18 Report Share Posted March 18 1 hour ago, clarkwgriswold said: If I was a coach, I don't know that I'd leave the door open for a kid to return after he entered the portal. I'd recruit a kid once, with the rare exception of a kid like Ali who found the grass wasn't greener and wanted to return. Craft is likely seeing what the market is for his services. I don't think it is at a higher level than where he is at Miami but we'll see. It depends on the role that he would be willing to accept. I'm sure there are a lot of schools out there that could use a 6'6" wing who shoots .430 behind the arc. He could certainly be a 6th or 7th man on a lot of P4 teams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy87 Posted March 18 Author Report Share Posted March 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted March 19 Report Share Posted March 19 1 hour ago, kreed5120 said: It depends on the role that he would be willing to accept. I'm sure there are a lot of schools out there that could use a 6'6" wing who shoots .430 behind the arc. He could certainly be a 6th or 7th man on a lot of P4 teams. Agreed. I just don't see his playing time or involvement increasing at a P4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWAkron Posted March 19 Report Share Posted March 19 Sam Lewis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy87 Posted March 19 Author Report Share Posted March 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted March 19 Report Share Posted March 19 Few coaches have ever done so little with so much like Kowalchoke has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted March 19 Report Share Posted March 19 46 minutes ago, Zippy87 said: That kid's a player. I thought he was the best player on their team. Athletic 6'6" with a nice outside shot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy87 Posted March 20 Author Report Share Posted March 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kangaroo Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 Here's the viable back up big that @NWAkron has been clamoring for...go get 'em John and Bud. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkwgriswold Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 4 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said: Here's the viable back up big that @NWAkron has been clamoring for...go get 'em John and Bud. 21 minutes per game, 6.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg as a sophomore backup. There's a rumor floating that there's a Big 10 big that could be on the way to the Zips. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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