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

[Zippy87]

I've heard it hits schools in waves. One guy gets paid (Okonkwo in our case) and then another guy hears the number and thinks, "Damn, what could I get?"

[NWAkron]

Easter Weekend betrayal.  They sold out Groce and the Zips for 30 pieces of silver.

[akzipper]

1 hour ago, Illini Zip said:

If Young hits the portal I will be in the fetal position. No doubt. But Groce and Wentz could have been working the phones themselves behind the scenes for weeks. We are all completely in the dark here as to their agenda going into the off-season. 

 

The fact that Instagram posts are being deleted means they know something. One guy left and they are all following suit because a team that looked like an easy pick to win the MAC is now spiraling. 

 

Part of me wonders if the writing is on the wall and these guys know Akron's ceiling in a first round exit or are the just chasing money. 

[Let'sGoZips94]

It all depends on how we fill these vacant roster spots (I think we are overvaluing a bit the talent portion of what we've lost), but this constant turnover year after year isn't fun. What a broken, rotten system the NCAA has. 

[72 Roo]

I'm in the group that says let me see a confirmation that Tavari is in the portal. Then I'll spazz out.

[clarkwgriswold]

There's a post on X of Nate that shows him in his Akron uni with the UA logo and "PORTAL".  At the bottom is has the tags @cbb_alerts, cincyhoops andtheportalreport.  Heading to Cincinnati? 

[Zippy87]

On 4/17/2025 at 4:27 PM, akzipper said:

 

I'm a bit concerned that only 6 of the "Back to work" images are still up on the ZipsMBB Instagram. 

 

Young and Tavari Johnson's specifically have both been deleted. 

 

I think a lot more dominos are still yet to fall. 

 

Sharron's is still on Twitter

 

 

[clarkwgriswold]

Okay, assuming Tavari is gone.  Young for Tavari, Eric Mahaffey for Nate.  Such is our world.

 

...and, above it all-  we still have the best head coach in the MAC.

[kreed5120]

44 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

There's a post on X of Nate that shows him in his Akron uni with the UA logo and "PORTAL".  At the bottom is has the tags @cbb_alerts, cincyhoops andtheportalreport.  Heading to Cincinnati? 

Where are you seeing that? The last post that I see on his page is his announcement about entering the draft.

[clarkwgriswold]

21 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

Where are you seeing that? The last post that I see on his page is his announcement about entering the draft.

 

Instagram, not X, under @cbb_alerts.

[kreed5120]

6 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

Instagram, not X, under @cbb_alerts.

 

I don't think it's anything. The page only has ~1300 followers. It seems to be jumping to conclusions solely based off of where Nate is from. Tagging those pages in hopes of driving views to his post.

[tpsjugglerdude]

CBS ranks Nate as the 39th best player in the portal. 
 

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/college-basketball-transfer-rankings-2025-heated-debate-at-no-1-headlines-updated-top-100-and-1-free-agents/

[Let'sGoZips94]

12 minutes ago, tpsjugglerdude said:

CBS ranks Nate as the 39th best player in the portal. 
 

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/college-basketball-transfer-rankings-2025-heated-debate-at-no-1-headlines-updated-top-100-and-1-free-agents/

 

Wow. I... uhhh... I don't think this list was given much thought.

[1981 grad]

Does anyone else think it is weird that we have had 3 players jump ship after Mahaffey from Ohio State joined the team.  Is it possible that he got paid more than the other players on the team and that upset the other players and they decided to leave.  No idea if this is true but just wonder why everyone waited so long to enter the transfer pool.

[Let'sGoZips94]

10 minutes ago, 1981 grad said:

Does anyone else think it is weird that we have had 3 players jump ship after Mahaffey from Ohio State joined the team.  Is it possible that he got paid more than the other players on the team and that upset the other players and they decided to leave.  No idea if this is true but just wonder why everyone waited so long to enter the transfer pool.

 

I don't think Evan has anything to do with what has happened. I think an earlier post eluded to what is probably the closest thing to the truth - teams are getting desperate to fill roster spots and All-Conference Teams are easy accolades to find and sell to your fan/donor base. James is a little bit different because his value comes from basic supply & demand economics for bigs. 

 

I truly believe we have a shot to really improve with these 3 open spots. Can't wait to see who we add. 

[Z.I.P.]

7 hours ago, NWAkron said:

Easter Weekend betrayal.  They sold out Groce and the Zips for 30 pieces of silver.

For Pete's sake, people!  On one page of this thread it seems the consensus that everyone -- basketball players included, have the right to seek their value on the open market.  Then on the next page you're expecting "loyalty"??  The "free market" and loyalty don't work together.  You and universities and the SCOTUS should have recognized this fact long ago, before the Northwestern athletes tried to unionize!  Now the door is open to my grandkids 5th grade basketball team declaring free agency.

[Captain Kangaroo]

What is going on with college basketball in the state of Utah?

 

Utah Valley stole Bandaogo from us. Utah steals Okonkwo.

 

BYU buys AJ Dybantsa, the #1 recruit in the 2025 class, 4-star Xavion Staton and likely Rob Wright from Baylor.

[clarkwgriswold]

3 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

What is going on with college basketball in the state of Utah?

 

Utah Valley stole Bandaogo from us. Utah steals Okonkwo.

 

BYU buys AJ Dybantsa, the #1 recruit in the 2025 class, 4-star Xavion Staton and likely Rob Wright from Baylor.

 

It has to be the plural wives thing.

[1981 grad]

Does anyone remember a time when the basketball board went nearly silent in March and April because the season had just ended and there really was not much discussion about Akron Basketball?  Instead, people were posting about spring football and how the Zips were going to look next year.

[clarkwgriswold]

4 minutes ago, 1981 grad said:

Does anyone remember a time when the basketball board went nearly silent in March and April because the season had just ended and there really was not much discussion about Akron Basketball?  Instead, people were posting about spring football and how the Zips were going to look next year.

 

Basketball = Good

 

Football = Bad

[kreed5120]

2 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

It has to be the plural wives thing.

 

I never understood the appeal. The last thing that I'd need is multiple women nagging me to take out the trash. One is plenty.

[Hilltopper]

2 hours ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

What is going on with college basketball in the state of Utah?

 

Utah Valley stole Bandaogo from us. Utah steals Okonkwo.

 

BYU buys AJ Dybantsa, the #1 recruit in the 2025 class, 4-star Xavion Staton and likely Rob Wright from Baylor.

The Mormon's are flush with cash. 

[kreed5120]

11 hours ago, Z.I.P. said:

For Pete's sake, people!  On one page of this thread it seems the consensus that everyone -- basketball players included, have the right to seek their value on the open market.  Then on the next page you're expecting "loyalty"??  The "free market" and loyalty don't work together.  You and universities and the SCOTUS should have recognized this fact long ago, before the Northwestern athletes tried to unionize!  Now the door is open to my grandkids 5th grade basketball team declaring free agency.

 

I feel the criticism of players has been a far minority of the posts. I would think just about any one on this board would leave their current job if another offered to double or triple their salary.

 

The majority of the complaints is about how the current system in broken. At least with pro sports, which is what D1 basketball has become, there are mechanisms in place to keep order (multi-year contracts, max deals, soft salary cap, no tampering with players on others rosters). College basketball is the wild west. It's just utter chaos.

[clarkwgriswold]

1 hour ago, kreed5120 said:

 

I feel the criticism of players has been a far minority of the posts. I would think just about any one on this board would leave their current job if another offered to double or triple their salary.

 

The majority of the complaints is about how the current system in broken. At least with pro sports, which is what D1 basketball has become, there are mechanisms in place to keep order (multi-year contracts, max deals, soft salary cap, no tampering with players on others rosters). College basketball is the wild west. It's just utter chaos.

 

Any criticism of the players comes from the same place in our brains that criticizes our flame when she breaks up with us.  She really wasn't that hot.

[NWAkron]

13 hours ago, Z.I.P. said:

For Pete's sake, people!  On one page of this thread it seems the consensus that everyone -- basketball players included, have the right to seek their value on the open market.  Then on the next page you're expecting "loyalty"??  The "free market" and loyalty don't work together.  You and universities and the SCOTUS should have recognized this fact long ago, before the Northwestern athletes tried to unionize!  Now the door is open to my grandkids 5th grade basketball team declaring free agency.

I never said they have the right to seek their value on the open market😇.