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Great game to watch .. back and forth .. emotional and energetic. It's good to get a win against these guys.

My thoughts on the game:

1. I thought DT came out with pretty good intensity. Certainly had a great shooting afternoon to help propell the Zips over Can't State. That type of intensity the whole game and season .. and we're talking about different things the next few weeks.

2. I'm happy for Seibart. Great start to the game this afternoon. He should be proud to have converted on the opportunity that he had this afternoon. Several guys have had good nights on senior nights over the years and in their last games (Jawanza Moore comes to mind especially .. even Scott Gooden). Nice he was able to put a shot in over Edwards & contribute.

3. Joyce impressed me again today .. it won't show in the box score, but I really felt he played a steady, steady game and kept things going. We're in good shape with him at the point. Not happy about losing JH .. but I didn't think about him during the game. Joyce & Collins got it done.

4. Wood / Travis / Futch .. nice upside & hustle today. Rebounded well in the second half. My dream is that thes guys learn to post up the way Andrick did. Great fastbreak conversion by Wood late in the game. He had several shots that I couldn't believe didn't drop today.

5. If we can beat a healthy 20-4 MAC East Champion team with the reduced troops we had today .. why are we 13-12 on the season .. inquiring minds want to know.

6. Hugely disappointed in the small size of today's crowd & the large percentage that was Can't State fans. It's a tribute to their recent success that their fans travel over here that well .. and a sign of our lack of the same success that that many seats are available to them. Makes me sick ...

Finally ..

Anyone happen to tape the game today? I'd pay money to see a replay of Tarver's move on Haynes in the second half. He simply abused Haynes .. made him look silly .. the guy friggin FELL DOWN he got juked so bad. That's a highlite I would love to have in avi or mpg format and post here on the site. I think I'd play it everytime I visited the site. Anyone have a tape of the game???? Maybe we can start "highlight" reels in a forum or something .. there haven't been many this season, but that was certainly one!

These are the things I remember about todays game. Doesn't make the season a good one or make the frustration go away .. but it is nice to beat the teams we're supposed to.

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Good post, ZW. My comments would be:

Our best wins this year were vs. Miami (Tarver sat) and Can't (Hollingsworth sat). The most "gutsy" game was the loss to Drake (both Tarver and Hollingsworth sat). Remember early 3-game win streak: Hampton, Radford, George Mason...without the suspended Hollingsworth? Why are our best games played without one or both of these guys? My hope is that Tarver and Hollingsworth were like oil and water. With both in the game, we sucked. With one or both out, we have played pretty good.

I see the "kind" wishes to Hollingsworth. I can't join them. There's a reason he had his Cincinnati scholarship offer revoked. When he came to Akron he stated how grateful he was to have the Zips staff stand by him and honor their offer. For a year he played like he meant that. Then...old habits returned. To make a long story short, he quit on his team and his school. I watched it all season. Hipsher rode Hollingsworth like Enron...he held on to him until his stock was virtually useless. If Hipsher would have jettisoned Hollingsworth in December (and there was reason to do so), we'd be much better than 13-12 right now. If anyone thinks it was Hollingsworth's actions over the past week that got him suspended, you're delusional. The writing was on the wall from the Cincinnati game. I hope he turns his life around, but he's got no one to blame but himself and I have no pity for him. What a waste of talent.

The crowd of 4K was to be expected. We've stunk all season. We've had "star" players suspended. Comming off a home loss to 8-20 Drake? The JAR has been a morgue all season. I can't blame people for not showing up. What was that about 9 years of mediocrity?

Joyce played awesome. Great clutch freethrow shooting, great energy. That, unlike Hollingsworth who rarely filled up a stat sheet in 2003-4, frequently missed clutch freethrows and generated the energy of Wilt Chamberlain (not the one of 30 years ago, but the dead one of 2004).

I agree with JP. Regardless of the season's disappointment, sending 2000+ back to Portage county crying in their sheep never gets old!

Here's hoping the post-Hollingsworth team chemistry is the catalyst for a good MAC tourney run!

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Guest Guest_Z.I.P.

:huh: Here are a couple of contradictory or perhaps ironic factors that were obvious throught the Can't State game, that no one has mentioned: Akron got crushed on the boards, and had (I think) only 9 assists yet managed to win. I have to think, A.) This is because of the singular (no --not the CBS halftime sponsor, but the one with an "s") performance put down by Derrick Tarver; and B.) It bodes poorly for next year when his best-in-the-MAC athleticism and over-all abilities disappear.

Can't was ahead in rebounding at the half something like 20-11, and midway throught the 2nd half was up 36-20. We did have a late surge that drew us within 29-20 at the end (I watched the Gametracker device closely while listening to French and Dunn). I don't know how to analyze our victory in light of these two crucial factors (assists where we had 9 to 10 TOs, and the rebounding). Maybe it proves there's more than one way to skin a flush.

Finally, I am compelled to respond to my learned colleague, the late great Capt Kangaroo and his ceaseless diatribe against Johnny Hollingsworth. Now, I have no personal relationship with said Mr Hollingsworth, and am terribly disappointed with his apparent decision to ditch his senior academic year in the anticipation of a pro career (??), but that notwithstanding, I am unconvinced by the Captain's anti-Hollingworth harangue. I suspect CK feels that JH was both expected and needed to duplicate last year's scoring average of 17+ ppg, in order to duplicate last year's MAC championship season -- oh, whoops, that's my mistake, we were 15 and 15 with that performance. HOWEVER, if you go back, you'll see that Johnny led (as the PG) his junior college club to the NJCAA National Championship while averaging only 11 PPG. He also averaged 7 assists I believe. Johnny was averaging about 9 PPG this season, so it is my considered wisdom that Johnny Hollingsworth's athletic (as contrasted from his academic) performance played a small part in Akron's much-less-than-expected team performance. I don't believe you can lay much of the blame for this heartache at the door of any of the players on the team. Which places the accountability right where it belongs, in the coaches office. And that is where those in charge will look, when seeking a turnaround.

There's still a chance that we could finish with a better record than last year. Big whoops! Let's clear the deck for 04-05.

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Anyone happen to tape the game today?  I'd pay money to see a replay of Tarver's move on Haynes in the second half.  He simply abused Haynes .. made him look silly .. the guy friggin FELL DOWN he got juked so bad.  That's a highlite I would love to have in avi or mpg format and post here on the site.  I think I'd play it everytime I visited the site.  Anyone have a tape of the game????  Maybe we can start "highlight" reels in a forum or something .. there haven't been many this season, but that was certainly one!

I don't have a tape of the game, but this was spotted at the end of the JAR floor.

It got fedexed back to Haynes today !

B0000AR2EM.01-A12J7Z25BKBAUQ._AA160_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

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I am unconvinced by the Captain's anti-Hollingworth harangue. I suspect CK feels that JH was both expected and needed to duplicate last year's scoring average of 17+ ppg, in order to duplicate last year's MAC championship season -- oh, whoops, that's my mistake, we were 15 and 15 with that performance. HOWEVER, if you go back, you'll see that Johnny led (as the PG) his junior college club to the NJCAA National Championship while averaging only 11 PPG. He also averaged 7 assists I believe. Johnny was averaging about 9 PPG this season, so it is my considered wisdom that Johnny Hollingsworth's athletic (as contrasted from his academic) performance played a small part in Akron's much-less-than-expected team performance.

From Hawai'i I can understand your point of view. From section 2a of The JAR...the pre-season 1st Team All MAC senior point guard (team leader) put forth a profoundly weak effort in 2003-4. He quit before the season began. There's no "stat" for effort, unfortunately.

At least we now have a chance in the tourney.

BTW: No more H-Worth stuff from me. I've offically moved on. :wub:

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