2024-25 Post Mortem and Looking Ahead to 2025-26

[zipsrule]

1 hour ago, 1981 grad said:

Does anyone on this board have a clue on what happened in the last few weeks.  Here is Okonkwo's quote in the Beacon at the end of March:

 

“This season has been so much fun,” “I am so thankful to the coaching staff for giving me this opportunity to go out and be myself and bring the energy that is unique and bring hustle plays. I love doing that. I can’t thank Coach [John Groce] enough for the role he has given me. I will forever be in debt to him for that.”

 

“I plan on staying here for as long as I possibly can,” “I love it here. I have no reason to leave. The coaching staff here, the atmosphere, it is everything you could want in a place. I am so thankful I came to Akron.”

 

 

$$$

[dirtyolcrowe]

Wow!!!   
so we have UW-Milwaukee & Princeton at home 

and visit to Purdue. 
nice!!!

[tpsjugglerdude]

44 minutes ago, dirtyolcrowe said:

Wow!!!   
so we have UW-Milwaukee & Princeton at home 

and visit to Purdue. 
nice!!!

 

The Purdue game is 11/16 with a $90k guarantee.
 
Milwaukee 12/14
 

Princeton 12/30 

 

it’s a shame the Princeton game is during break. 
 

 

Edited April 13 by tpsjugglerdude

[Let'sGoZips94]

 

Big 12 poached him. 

[zippy5]

Purdue, nice. I thought those big schools were too scared of us or something 

[Illini Zip]

1 hour ago, zippy5 said:

Purdue, nice. I thought those big schools were too scared of us or something 

Sure, at Purdue and when they are ranked 2nd in the country going into next year. Good luck trying to get last year’s Minnesota, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech or Oklahoma State on a neutral court. All were our peers or worse in terms of NET. We break that top 75 mark and things could get much more exciting.

 

 

Edited April 13 by Illini Zip

[Illini Zip]

Playing Purdue will help our strength of schedule and the pay day will be nice. I’m just curious if Groce is more upset with his team’s performance against a much taller team or being asked about not scheduling enough tall opponents in the postgame interview? Either way, message received. 

[1981 grad]

2 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Big 12 poached him. 

Much tougher competition than in the MAC.  He is really going to have to improve his game to get significant playing time.  Only time will tell.

[Let'sGoZips94]

7 hours ago, zippy5 said:

Purdue, nice. I thought those big schools were too scared of us or something 

 

Painter & Groce are friends; Purdue is throwing us a bone, especially with paying us to go there, because of the scheduling struggles we've had. 

 

One interesting component to this matchup: Purdue guard Fletcher Loyer's dad, John, played for Akron in the 1980s. 

Edited April 13 by Let'sGoZips94

[clarkwgriswold]

7 hours ago, 1981 grad said:

Much tougher competition than in the MAC.  He is really going to have to improve his game to get significant playing time.  Only time will tell.

He must enjoy the view from a seat closer to the end of the bench.

[Illini Zip]

9 hours ago, tpsjugglerdude said:

 

The Purdue game is 11/16 with a $90k guarantee.
 
Milwaukee 12/14
 

Princeton 12/30 

 

it’s a shame the Princeton game is during break. 
 

 

I do like Milwaukee and Princeton heading to the JAR. And I’m counting on our radio guys to lobby the refs on any close calls when we play Princeton. 

[kreed5120]

7 hours ago, Illini Zip said:

Sure, at Purdue and when they are ranked 2nd in the country going into next year. Good luck trying to get last year’s Minnesota, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech or Oklahoma State on a neutral court. All were our peers or worse in terms of NET. We break that top 75 mark and things could get much more exciting.

 

 

We would only ever face those type of programs on a neutral court if we play them in an exempt tournament anyway.

 

I don't mind playing Purdue on the road. Either we win and gain instant credibility or we lose, like everything expects, and it doesn't really ding us any sort of way.

[RoyalBlu]

2 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

We would only ever face those type of programs on a neutral court if we play them in an exempt tournament anyway.

 

I don't mind playing Purdue on the road. Either we win and gain instant credibility or we lose, like everything expects, and it doesn't really ding us any sort of way.

 

The above is very true ... which again begs the question why the Zips don't play more of these games.

 

[Illini Zip]

4 minutes ago, RoyalBlu said:

 

The above is very true ... which again begs the question why the Zips don't play more of these games.

 

I do like it, but one of these low probability games a year is enough for me. 

[Captain Kangaroo]

F*ck Utah.

[Illini Zip]

33 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

We would only ever face those type of programs on a neutral court if we play them in an exempt tournament anyway.

 

I don't mind playing Purdue on the road. Either we win and gain instant credibility or we lose, like everything expects, and it doesn't really ding us any sort of way.

I love the holiday tournaments for this reason.  No excuse for us not seeing an occasional low tier P4 opponent in a holiday tourney going forward. 

[kreed5120]

The YSU C committed to USC last night. @Captain Kangaroo lost one of his desired replacements.

[Illini Zip]

12 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

F*ck Utah.

…and the horse they rode in on!!

[HoopsFan03]

8 hours ago, 1981 grad said:

Much tougher competition than in the MAC.  He is really going to have to improve his game to get significant playing time.  Only time will tell.

Even though he started. Lyles was clearly better. So in my opinion he was a backup 4 here with very little offensive skills. 

[Illini Zip]

Having not seen a second of Brisco it’s hard to predict his role and productivity next year. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see Brisco step right into the void left by Okonkwo. Here’s hoping anyway. 

[zippy5]

Does anyone else wonder if perhaps there was a better option out there and we told James to explore his options? Or am I just being too optimistic 

[Let'sGoZips94]

2 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

Does anyone else wonder if perhaps there was a better option out there and we told James to explore his options? Or am I just being too optimistic 

 

I heard it was a surprise to the team. Jimmy being committed to Utah so quickly likely supports the unexpectedness of the decision. 

 

I would not expect it to take too long to fill his spot, though. 

[Illini Zip]

15 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

Does anyone else wonder if perhaps there was a better option out there and we told James to explore his options? Or am I just being too optimistic 

I have been vulnerable to being overly optimistic as well. I think the proof will be in the quality of his replacement, that’s if we land another big at all.

 

Edited April 13 by Illini Zip

[kreed5120]

57 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

I heard it was a surprise to the team. Jimmy being committed to Utah so quickly likely supports the unexpectedness of the decision. 

 

I would not expect it to take too long to fill his spot, though. 

 

This is my thoughts as well. His agent behind the scenes likely gathered a few offers and Okonkwo picked whichever one he thought was best. A deal was most likely in place before he even entered his name in the portal. It's also likely why the Memphis reporter broke the news he was entering the portal. His agent probably reached out to Memphis to see about getting a offer. Someone on staff passed the news onto the beat reporter.

 

It would seem unlikely we would force him out. He was a productive player, particularly on defense which Groce loves, for us and his game was still developing offensively. Besides it would be a poor look for us to force a guy out this late in the recruiting process when we're promoting a team culture.

 

Proven quality bigs are in short supply in the portal and cost a pretty penny. They all will find their way onto a P5 or high major roster. My best guess is we'll target someone under the radar who wants an opportunity to play and prove themselves. Parks from OSU is still available I believe. Some speculated we had interest in him earlier before we signed his his teammate (Evan).

[1981 grad]

48 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

This is my thoughts as well. His agent behind the scenes likely gathered a few offers and Okonkwo picked whichever one he thought was best. A deal was most likely in place before he even entered his name in the portal. It's also likely why the Memphis reporter broke the news he was entering the portal. His agent probably reached out to Memphis to see about getting a offer. Someone on staff passed the news onto the beat reporter.

 

It would seem unlikely we would force him out. He was a productive player, particularly on defense which Groce loves, for us and his game was still developing offensively. Besides it would be a poor look for us to force a guy out this late in the recruiting process when we're promoting a team culture.

 

Proven quality bigs are in short supply in the portal and cost a pretty penny. They all will find their way onto a P5 or high major roster. My best guess is we'll target someone under the radar who wants an opportunity to play and prove themselves. Parks from OSU is still available I believe. Some speculated we had interest in him earlier before we signed his his teammate (Evan).

If a player wants out after commenting how much he loves Akron and appreciates the opportunity to play for Akron and competing in the NCAA tourney then he not the type of player we really want to keep.  The agent makes more money if his player makes more money so the advice was probably get the most money you can since this is your senior year.