Not sure if you caught this, but.....

[Big Zip]

OU knocked off Maryland last night, they play Kansas next and then St. John -- all on the road. Someone has the balls to schedule a tough schedule. I'm guessing this team is going to be tough this year.

[zipsbandman]

You can't win 'em if you don't play them.

[Zipgrad1990]

You can't win 'em if you don't play them.

I agree and this is where I disagree with KD on scheduling teams that won't come to the JAR. I think we should schedule a couple per year if for no other reason then to get an idea of how good or bad we are. Plus even loosing those games helps your RPI - not that the NCAA selection committee looks at that except as a reason to put a big name school in with a worse record than a mid-major. Every year I am hoping the MAC will get more than the one automatic bid. Maybe this year will be the year? How long has it been since the MAC has had more than one bid? I think it was 1999.

[Quickzips]

It's ok, OU will fold as soon as they get to the meat of the MAC schedule like they do every year under O'Sham.Who needs Bubba???

[Z.I.P.]

OU knocked off Maryland last night, they play Kansas next and then St. John -- all on the road. Someone has the balls to schedule a tough schedule. I'm guessing this team is going to be tough this year.

Coach O'Shea and the Bubbacats are beginning their journey to Honolulu for next week's Rainbow Classic. The Zips in Paradise will be locked and loaded and ready to welcome our favorite traitor to the Paradise of the Pacific next Wednesday nite as they take on the Redmen of St Johns. Anybody got any spare ZipsRowdy T-shirts? Let me know, please!

[Captain Kangaroo]

In my opinion OU, Miami and K.e.n.t. are tops in the MAC at this time...not like that's going out on too big a limb. This is the best the top of the MAC has looked in at least 5 years. The Zips are in the mix if the Cavalry can contribute soon after their eligibility commences. Or the hip flexor heals.The MAC East is as strong and a lot of "Major" conferences right now. Even if we beat each other up in conference play, this could be the year we get back to being a 2-bid league.

[jeaglet1]

I'd agree with the assesment. Id probably rank them Miami, Ohio, K.e.n.t, Akron right now, simply because Miami and Ohio have those road wins. I'd like to see K.e.n.t win a game outside of K.e.n.t (somewhere other than Youngstown St. I mean) before putting them 1 or 2. The top 4 just need to make sure they take care of business against UB / BG and the west... These 4 would make a great final 4 in Cleveland. Akron-K.e.n.t and Miami-OU on a friday night might sell the place out.The key to scheduling these teams is getting them at the right time. Ohio hit Maryland on a down cycle. Not to say UMD isnt a good team, just not top of the ACC good. Let's see how they do on ESPN2 tommorrow.

[Valpo Zip]

I love it! I cheer for all mac teams in their OOC games. Yes, even Can't... here i said it. We all blame KD for not scheduling the top mid majors. Now the MAC east teams are becoming top mid majors.We just have to go out and beat them.

[ZipAnalyst]

The reality is that only the Mid-American Conference tournament winner is going the "big-dance." KD's modality now is that the Zips have a lot of improving to do to be in a position to win the MAC tournament. True enough, but OU, Miami and Can't will be advantaged in the MAC tournament because of their tougher non-conference schedule.The Zips current schedule (in terms of difficulty) makes no sense at all. Even if Zips were to lose only 2, 3 or 4 games, we would be hanging onto the edge of our seats when the NCAA tournament selections are announced - if we have not won the MAC tournament.ZipsNation folks ought to start a steady drumbeat for a qualitative non-conference schedule that crescendos into a cacophany which the athletic administration must respond to. If ZipsNationeers cannot effect a response and change by University of Akron officials; what value added is the Nation to improving overall Zip athletic standing within the inter-collegiate community and to improving the fan support level in northeast Ohio?Can the ZipNation be a catalyst for change?

[skip-zip]

Good post. Almost everything that is being said here is right in line with how I feel. For gosh sakes.....if we play just at least a couple of high-ranked teams a year, we're in a far better position than what we are with the schedule we have currently.

[RACER]

it's funny how some of the zip fans want akron to schedule some acc,big ten teams.they are the first ones to complain though when we lose a game.case in point -the board was all over kd when we lost to our last game.im sure if kd did schedule some acc teams they would complain when akron lost them.kd went 26-7 last year,and went to the nit won game the year before. thats not good enough so we should always go back to the good old days of hipsher,or c.crawford again.jd goes 5-7,4-8 and everyone says give him more time? i just dont get it?

[Big Zip]

People on this board were upset with the Zips because they blew a 10 point lead late in the game, then lost by 10 points. A 20 point swing. Additinoally, this was not losing UNC or Duke this was Winthrop -- a team we should be able to play with and beat. Your post makes no sense. All we are asking for is to schedule about three real tough tests in the OOC. Here is where it really makes the most sense -- if (as some suggest) the days of the MAC getting two teams in the tournament are gone these games don't matter. On the othere hand if you win a few of these big name games and you don't win the MAC tournament you've got a far better chance for consideratino than if you played the teams South Carolina Central State Beauty School. They need to show they can win against a decent team on the road today. Meanwhile OU is playing Kansas and Central Michigan's got Michigan.

[Quickzips]

It's still early, and it is the #3 team in the nation, but OU looks like the same old OU tonight. They've abandoned their bread and butter, their inside game. They are playing no defense (just got done allowing Kansas 3 second chance opportunities on one possession) and they are just settling for late clock 30 footers to try and keep them in the game. It is one thing to schedule these big names, but if you're going to lose to them like it looks like OU is going to lose to Kansas tonight (probably lose by 30 plus at this rate) does it really do anything for you???

[ZipAnalyst]

The Zips need to be playing as many quality mid-majors (Butler, Nevada, Southern Illinois, Gonzaga, Marquette, DePaul, et cetera) as will schedule them in the out-of-conference games. If they can break 500, they will have a much better chance to go to the NCAA tournament not being the MAC tournament champion than if they go undefeated with a schedule full of Youngstown States.It does no good to play teams (Duke, UCLA, North Carolina, and the likes) that you have very little chance to win against. Even if a "huge upset" happenes, it would be explained away as being "a fluke."Once Zip fans know that at home they have better than a 50/50 chance to win against a quality mid-major (it will take some time, after creating an actual history of results for the 'winning expectation to to sink in), then the Zips can look for a JAR to be filled game, after game, after game.Playing a steady diet of quality mid-majors and getting results will help KD recruit those "one-notch-up" level kids to the Zip program. Success breeds success!

[zip37]

YOU STILL DON'T GET IT, THEY WON'T PLAY US HOME/HOME, THEY'RE RUNNING SCARED, WHEN HIPSHER WAS HERE THEY ALL WANTED TO PLAY US!

[RACER]

good point zip37.you can complain about the way kd schedules but at least he has plan and stays with it.our fb program on the other hand has no clue about building a schedule.i am not blamming jd in any way for the way we schedule.for most zips fans our fb schedule is a joke.i do not understand why we play bcs teams on the road year in year out.you cannot use $ as an excuse.how is it then we are building a new stadium then.i think the fb teams could learn a few things about scheduling from kd.like it or not at least kd has a plan.fb is another story.

[BirdZip]

YOU STILL DON'T GET IT, THEY WON'T PLAY US HOME/HOME, THEY'RE RUNNING SCARED, WHEN HIPSHER WAS HERE THEY ALL WANTED TO PLAY US!

Wrong! The majors won't play us home-and-home, but we don't need the majors. We need a steady dose of quality mid-majors, as ZipAnalyst noted. And this is what KD is doing. This year's schedule is a nice step in the right direction, and hopefully next year it will continue along that pathway. Once you do that for a few years and are successful at it (that means establishing yourself as an elite mid-major), then the majors will be more interested in scheduling you.Also, I often find it interesting how some people will chastise the majors for not wanting to play us and then chastise KD for playing teams such as NCCentral. Sounds like having your cake and eating it too. KD does it to them just as the majors do it to us. If NCCentral wants a game, we'll give it to them, but a home only. Once they establish themselves, we'll talk about a return trip. Seems to me KD does a fine job of living in the world he is in. Right now, I'll pass on the 37 point pastings.

[zip37]

OK, Gonzaga would play us a their place and return to the Q, Pitt AD & ours agreed to play, 'til the BB coach at Pitt backed out. And on and on and on..... You think So. Ill will play home & home??????????

[BirdZip]

OK, Gonzaga would play us a their place and return to the Q, Pitt AD & ours agreed to play, 'til the BB coach at Pitt backed out. And on and on and on..... You think So. Ill will play home & home??????????

Gonzaga to me is not mid-major. Even though they obviously are, they've also been good enough long enough to warrant "major status". So Illinois might (especially if they continue to fall--we're ranked higher than they are in the mid-major poll). It doesn't have to be Gonzaga and SI. There are other quality mid-majors out there. George Mason came to Can't.

[ZIPCODE]

OK, Gonzaga would play us a their place and return to the Q, Pitt AD & ours agreed to play, 'til the BB coach at Pitt backed out. And on and on and on..... You think So. Ill will play home & home??????????

Gonzaga to me is not mid-major. Even though they obviously are, they've also been good enough long enough to warrant "major status". So Illinois might (especially if they continue to fall--we're ranked higher than they are in the mid-major poll). It doesn't have to be Gonzaga and SI. There are other quality mid-majors out there. George Mason came to Can't.

The George Mason game @ Can't was a return Bracketbuster game. They were obligated to play that game @ Can't. Can't beat them on their home floor last season . I'm not sure GM would give Can't a home & home outside of the Bracketbuster.

[Big Zip]

The reason to schedule games against the big Div. 1 schools is because this is basketball. Basketball, unlike football, produces far more upsets regularly. The talent distribution is less extreme and there are infinitely more opportunities to play these teams on a neutral court. I'm not suggesting KD play all his OOC games on the road. I'm saying there are a lot of schools that find there way into these real preseason tournament against far better competition we lost to. Additionally, there is always the opportunity to schedule one or two of these games at their place. You can fill the rest of your schedule with mid majors and also-rans, but why not have some games that test you beyond your limitations. If you win some of those games you get the bonus points that go along with them -- they only call it a fluke if you then lose to schools like Portland State or a sub par Miaim team like we did last year -- there is still an expectation for you to take care of business when you are supposed to. If you lose those games people at least won't say -- well they didn't play anyone. Finally, there is more interest in Cleveland State than there has ever been in the past -- why you ask? Because they beat Florida State -- a nobody in basketball, but a big name. On top of that Gary Waters was able to get OSU to play them at the Q. This is the same team that beat John Carroll by 10 points, but there is interest where it hasn't been in the past because Waters has creatively scheduled. We talk about attendance -- buzz generates attendance and we don't get buzz from losing to Portland State and Winthrop. If we play OSU tight or if we play them at all it generates buzz.

[ZachTheZip]

Here's KD's reasoning on his schedule, from what I have heard him say or what he has implied:Everything is held against you. You beat Kentucky, and they say it's a fluke. You lose, and they tell you you didn't win enough games. The only way to get them to look at you is to schedule a killer record and win most of your games. Scheduling 2 or 3 top teams in the place of the NC Centrals and keeping the rest of the schedule like it is won't cut it, even if you pull off an upset or two. You need to win against all of those tough teams, and not lose any games you shouldn't so that they see that you are a real competitor and that the wins weren't flukes. We have an exponentialy better chance of winning at the JAR, so we need to play as many home games as possible, which also happens to generate local interest, which helps local recruiting. The big name teams won't come here under any circumstances, and as said previously we would need to schedule many of those teams to have a shot without being labeled a fluke, so until that time we need to improve our record so that we have something concrete to point to to say we are legit.KD is building the program. Remember what is was like before he came? Winless MAC seasons and such are no longer a reality here. Building the type of program reputation that we want, and some of us think we already have, takes time. When it comes to scheduling major opponents, it's all or nothing, and right now nothing is the better option while we grow as a program. Kansas has a 155 SOS right now, which is almost exactly average, nothing too big, but they are ranked #17 in the RPI because they won all nine of their games, only one of which was on the road. It can be done, but first Akron needs to find a way to get teams to play us at home.