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

[zippy5]

2 hours ago, tpsjugglerdude said:

We knew about the Purdue game way back on page 14. Akron is getting $90k for it.

Crazy, I just thought none of these teams would pay us to come play at their place

[RoyalBlu]

2 hours ago, zippy5 said:

Crazy, I just thought none of these teams would pay us to come play at their place

 

I understood none would play Akron ... that's what we always heard ... much less PAY Akron to play them.

 

It's truly a new world we're living in.

 

[kreed5120]

With all the recent conversation about Akron football APR scores it makes me feel even more grateful to have Groce running a basketball program that we can be proud of. On numerous post game interviews over the years I've heard him talk about players getting their degrees and praise individuals success in the classroom.

 

He's the embodiment of what a college coach should be. He could be looking to cut corners and bring in unruly characters in hopes of adding an extra win or two, but he's not. He genuinely seems to care about his players and their long-term futures.

[ZippyRulz]

And getting a 6 figure income is very motivating in maintaining one's APR.

 

[Let'sGoZips94]

 

[kreed5120]

10 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

 

Unless there is one that I'm missing it looks like we were the only mid-major to make the list.

 

Edit: I see Gonzaga/St. Mary's now

Edited May 11 by kreed5120

[1981 grad]

1 hour ago, kreed5120 said:

 

Unless there is one that I'm missing it looks like we were the only mid-major to make the list.

 

Edit: I see Gonzaga/St. Mary's now

Great to see this rivalry on the list.  We have had some great games with Kent.

[Illini Zip]

The Illinois vs. Missouri rivalry game is intense every year and a great event. But there isn’t anything special about the Illinois v Iowa game. Not anymore anyway. I do still hate Bruce Pearl, but that stuff goes back to the 80’s. 

[clarkwgriswold]

Nate and Evan received their degrees yesterday.

[RoyalBlu]

This probably belongs in another thread, but looking forward to next season, I would suggest checking out late recruiting being done by Eastern Michigan, UMass, Central Michigan, Toledo and even Kent. MAC teams will definitely be taking on some new personalities around the league.

 

For example, CMU has picked up a pair of 7-footers, and a PG, former Michigan HS POY, originally signed by Michigan. Toledo, UMASS and EMU have hit the portal/juco hard. Kent has hit portal/HS ranks.

 

Looking at some of those rosters is very interesting.

[zippy5]

I think next year is BG's year 

[Let'sGoZips94]

3 hours ago, RoyalBlu said:

This probably belongs in another thread, but looking forward to next season, I would suggest checking out late recruiting being done by Eastern Michigan, UMass, Central Michigan, Toledo and even Kent. MAC teams will definitely be taking on some new personalities around the league.

 

For example, CMU has picked up a pair of 7-footers, and a PG, former Michigan HS POY, originally signed by Michigan. Toledo, UMASS and EMU have hit the portal/juco hard. Kent has hit portal/HS ranks.

 

Looking at some of those rosters is very interesting.

 

This feels like fake hype. Of course Toledo, UMass, EMU, and Kent are hitting the portal/HS ranks/JUCO hard; they all lost the majority of their production/rosters. 

 

Akron went 17-1 and outside of Miami & Ohio, nobody came particularly close to challenging the Zips. UMass, Miami, and Ohio will be our biggest threats to start the season until others prove themselves (or not). 

[RoyalBlu]

52 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

This feels like fake hype. Of course Toledo, UMass, EMU, and Kent are hitting the portal/HS ranks/JUCO hard; they all lost the majority of their production/rosters. 

 

Akron went 17-1 and outside of Miami & Ohio, nobody came particularly close to challenging the Zips. UMass, Miami, and Ohio will be our biggest threats to start the season until others prove themselves (or not). 

 

Not trying to 'hype' any team. Just saying take a look at what other programs are bringing in, and how these new rosters look. Yes, most of these teams lost a lot through defection, ejection or graduation. Just saying players these teams are bringing in seem to be interesting pieces. Doubtful any of these teams turn out like the Zips of last season - putting it all together to run through the conference - but, based on in-coming talent (?), the bottom of the league should be higher, the middle of the league thicker, and the top of the league about the same.

 

[Let'sGoZips94]

9 minutes ago, RoyalBlu said:

 

Not trying to 'hype' any team. Just saying take a look at what other programs are bringing in, and how these new rosters look. Yes, most of these teams lost a lot through defection, ejection or graduation. Just saying players these teams are bringing in seem to be interesting pieces. Doubtful any of these teams turn out like the Zips of last season - putting it all together to run through the conference - but, based on in-coming talent (?), the bottom of the league should be higher, the middle of the league thicker, and the top of the league about the same.

 

 

That's fair and if that becomes reality, it will be a good thing for the MAC. I will say the top of the league will get a huge boost from UMass joining in general. If only NIU were hitting the road a year earlier...

[clarkwgriswold]

23 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said:

Nate and Evan received their degrees yesterday.

Shammah also received his degree Saturday.

[UAZipster0305]

On 3/22/2025 at 2:54 PM, RoyalBlu said:

The  'They won't Play us' argument is old and outdated. Teams can find those. games if they want them. Just commit to playing on the road.

 

Coming off a 30-pt NCAA Tournament loss, make that November game a 20-pt loss. Then make the next NCAA Tournament game a 10-pt game where the pressure now shifts to the higher seed to win down the stretch. At worse you look like Bobby-MO vs. Alabama. At best, you get the upset.

 

 

It's similar to Dambrot's, "All that matters is winning the MAC attitude." It's precisely why he never won an NCAAT game here. The standards were too low. If you are consistently competing for the MACC and half the time winning it, the standards have to be higher, and that entails winning a game or two in the NCAAT.

[RoyalBlu]

It would be sound to say, "Post Season Success" is what Akron is looking for. That might equate to a NCAA Tournament victory ... a 2 or 3-game run in the NIT ... or a championship run in whatever post season tournament the Zips choose to play in.

 

The key here, no matter NCAA, NIT, Whatever, is to get into a 'one-and-done tournament vs. teams you probably don't know,...  and rise above.

 

Beating MAC teams you play 3-times a year, and beat, kind of loses its luster over 5-10 years, when that is as far as you get, year after year.

 

[NWAkron]

Doesn't really matter.  BG is legit, loaded, and lethal next season.

[RoyalBlu]

I see where Harris signed with Cleveland State ... interesting. Thought he would get some A-10, Mo-Valley looks. Even other MAC looks. He didn't play much for Zips due to injury, but his West Virginia resume was pretty solid before that.

 

 

[Captain Kangaroo]

21 minutes ago, RoyalBlu said:

I see where Harris signed with Cleveland State ... interesting. Thought he would get some A-10, Mo-Valley looks. Even other MAC schools.

I’m sure he thought the same thing. When you enter the portal there’s a decent chance there isn’t a pot of gold at the end. Sometimes it’s a smelly old CSU jersey.

[zippy5]

43 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

I’m sure he thought the same thing. When you enter the portal there’s a decent chance there isn’t a pot of gold at the end. Sometimes it’s a smelly old CSU jersey.

I'm not sure entering the portal was his choice 

[Let'sGoZips94]

Been 4 days since we had a post on the basketball section. Just wanted to say...

 

Kent Sucks. 

[1981 grad]

23 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

Been 4 days since we had a post on the basketball section. Just wanted to say...

 

Kent Sucks. 

If you want to read postings, go to the football forum where our football team is the only team in the country to not qualify academically and cannot go to a bowl game.  Kent players may suck and include want to be felons, but at least they can read and do not get lost on their way to class.  Hard to take the high ground when our football program is mired in a quicksand of stupidity. 

[Let'sGoZips94]

1 hour ago, 1981 grad said:

If you want to read postings, go to the football forum where our football team is the only team in the country to not qualify academically and cannot go to a bowl game.  Kent players may suck and include want to be felons, but at least they can read and do not get lost on their way to class.  Hard to take the high ground when our football program is mired in a quicksand of stupidity. 

 

Kent just fired a coach for debt/legal problems after already extending him. There were allegations of verbal abuse, drinking on the job, etc. that they neglected to investigate. Their program has the nation's longest losing streak and is 1-23 these past 2 seasons (their lone win coming against a FCS squad). Whatever they did to circumvent the APR threshold is the least they could do. Akron's APR issue seems to have stemmed largely from Arth/Portal, and the APR is a joke regardless. If anyone is mired in a quicksand of stupidity, it's the NCAA. 

 

Kent basketball had 2 players quit the team last season (one was allegedly punched in the face by a teammate), they've had numerous DWI/DUI issues over the years, the 2022 diss track debacle, and a head coach who was part of a large recruiting scandal at Indiana (not to mention he called Akron the Yankees). 

 

In a college athletics world judged solely by what is done on the field of competition, Kent hasn't beaten Akron in football/men's basketball since March 2023. In addition, Akron are back to back MAC champs and have won 3 out of the last 4 MAC tournaments. 

 

Furthermore, regarding the high ground - speaking quite literally - Akron is located in SUMMIT County, and according to Britannica, sits at a higher elevation than Kent. 

 

It's over, Anakin. Akron has the high ground, and Kent State Still Sucks. 

Edited 2 hours ago by Let'sGoZips94

[kreed5120]

1 hour ago, 1981 grad said:

Kent players may suck and include want to be felons, but at least they can read and do not get lost on their way to class. 

 

Akron football players would be very upset if they could read this comment.