NIU @ Akron Game Thread

[gozips19]

great question ZW....... the defensive effort scares me. the guards have been very bad at picking up the ball in their transition defense and in the half court the big's very soft in post and have a hard time getting borads. for the rest of the season Akron needs to stick with the zone. that is the only time they have been ok in the half court. so they give up a few rebounds....they've been doing that already. i really think it's just a mentality and the youngesters need to step up. a few have asked why b. mcknight didn't come back in the game, it's becasuse he can't (or wont) guard anyone right now. KD was quoted as saying he wont play people who don't play D. i think the only thing that can save this team on the defensive side is the 1-3-1.

[zipfan 81]

great question ZW....... the defensive effort scares me. the guards have been very bad at picking up the ball in their transition defense and in the half court the big's very soft in post and have a hard time getting borads. for the rest of the season Akron needs to stick with the zone. that is the only time they have been ok in the half court. so they give up a few rebounds....they've been doing that already. i really think it's just a mentality and the youngesters need to step up. a few have asked why b. mcknight didn't come back in the game, it's becasuse he can't (or wont) guard anyone right now. KD was quoted as saying he wont play people who don't play D. i think the only thing that can save this team on the defensive side is the 1-3-1.

Here's another question, why are we chucking up three's with about 5 minutes to go, instead of driving inside, it made no sense to me whatsoever, and again, KD cannot blame all this on his team either, I think he has to take some of it with the coaching last night....

[Blue & Gold]

I know Brett McKnight's not great on defense, but was he THAT bad last night? I'm no basketball analyst, so honestly, I don't know... but I doubt it. Jeez. This kinda goes back to a thread I started a week or two ago which I called: "KD's Coaching Strategy, Doesn't This Break Positive Momentum?" In the post I said that I had noticed that KD sometimes takes a player OUT of a game immediately after that player's either made a good play or shot - usually a big shot. I asked some of the more knowledgeable posters if they'd shed some light on this puzzling tendancy. KD did it again last night w/ Brett McKnight. I just don't get it. Just from playing at the YMCA I know that you're supposed to, "Feed the hot man," not take him out of the game. The only logical conclusion I can draw is, yeah, Brett McKnight is in fact THAT bad on defense. But, like I said, I didn't see him playing THAT bad last night.

[Zips Win!]

Z-Pouch and Zip Watcher.....Right on the money.This was just like the #13 seed CMU coming to the JAR and pounding a #4 seed, Bosley led Zips team from several years back in the first round of the MAC tournament. Embarrassing. Looks like the program is headed back to those days...Seniors playing like crap, teams shooting the lights out, Zips making excuses and well, losing to as Bill Walton would say " A HORRIBLE TEAM".Brett M. has more offensive ability in his pinky than most of the players have in total...yet after putting up 9 points, he's on the bench. Sure he can't play D, but someone has to help him out. We needed to outscore NIU last night and we had no scorers on the court.Save the excuses....Middleton just plain stinks, Milum is lost, Dials is mostly out of position and we are in touble...If we can't beat NIU, who can we beat that is left on the schedule?When is the spring game?

[Zip Watcher]

.....it's becasuse he can't (or wont) guard anyone right now. KD was quoted as saying he wont play people who don't play D.

If that were the case, we would have been playing 2 on 5 last night ...On second thought .. maybe we were. If you give up 80+ at home .. you're not guarding anybody

[Zip Watcher]

..... Looks like the program is headed back to those days...Seniors playing like crap, teams shooting the lights out, Zips making excuses and well, losing to as Bill Walton would say " A HORRIBLE TEAM".

Easy Win .. easy. Don't let this lead you to "the program is headed down" .. they were bad last night. No argument. But look at the roster .. look at the players .. we're no-where near the quitters. These guys are struggling .. but they're not quitting.No comparison to the quitters in my mind.

Save the excuses....Middleton just plain stinks, Milum is lost, Dials is mostly out of position and we are in trouble...If we can't beat NIU, who can we beat that is left on the schedule?

A very good question. I'm looking forward to finding out more @ BG on Saturday. See you there?

[Captain Kangaroo]

.....it's becasuse he can't (or wont) guard anyone right now. KD was quoted as saying he wont play people who don't play D.

If that were the case, we would have been playing 2 on 5 last night ...On second thought .. maybe we were. If you give up 80+ at home .. you're not guarding anybody

No one shoots 65% in a game unless:a.) They flat-out over match the opponent (like when my intramural team got waxed by BUS FREE AFRIKA back in 1988)b.) They have confidence out the ying yangNIU didn't over match us. They're a bottom-feeder MAC program. They were supremely confident, because they knew they could get their shot off. It is SO much easier to shoot if you know no one's going to bother you.I agree with ZW - KD needs to figure out another way to win. Winning with defense isn't going to happen...these guys simply aren't good defensive players right now. And I don't think that's going to change over the next couple months. It'll take the whole summer.When Pitino got replaced by O'Brien a few years back, the Celtics progressively started playing better defense. A reporter asked Paul Pierce "What gives?" Pierce replied - "When Pitino was here, he yelled at us 'PLAY DEFENSE!'. When O'Brien got here, he TAUGHT us how to play defense."KD has some teaching to do with the youngsters. Until the "D" starts clicking, I'm inclined to let the McKnights "go Tarver" and take our chances until Wood returns.

[meatwad]

I'm inclined to let the McKnights "go Tarver" and take our chances until Wood returns.

Lol, I love the Tarver reference.

[Blue & Gold]

The Zips could have gone Tarver with him last night and probably pulled the game out.

Haha! I was thinking the same! I love that reference! It's catchy too! I'm gonna have to remember that one and use it once in a while. I hope I go Tarver at the church league tonight! Fortunately for me, there's not much D played in the church league either!

[Captain Kangaroo]

I'm inclined to let the McKnights "go Tarver" and take our chances until Wood returns.

Lol, I love the Tarver reference.

Can ZipWatcher get "Go Tarver" T-shirts printed before the next home game? I'm in for THU-REEEEEEEEEEEE!!

[meatwad]

Can ZipWatcher get "Go Tarver" T-shirts printed before the next home game? I'm in for THU-REEEEEEEEEEEE!!

Count me in! HAHA

[bigzipguy]

Final from Savage Hall: Toledo 54 OU 52. A little help.

[Zip Watcher]

And Eastern takes down BGSU .. also a little help.Go Zips!

[zippy5]

This is a very unlikely hypothetical question, but one can dream...What if we win out, and Can't can manage to lose another game than against us, we end up tied with Can't for first same records, split the season series, what's the next tiebreaker?

[ziprowdy]

man z-pouch--or something like that...sorry man if i messed up your profile name...--he said exactly what i was freakin yelling at them for the entire 2nd half...drive the damn ball to the basket...i could not believe some of the crap i was seeing...granted in the first half when we drove we didnt exactly score a lot of the time...we missed some easy close ones, quade was unable to finish...however, thats all im conceeding on this...towards the end of the first half and the second half when we drove and took the ball to the hoop, we got points...not driving halfway or 3/4 of the way and pulling up and shooting...not driving halfway and kicking out for a 3 pointer...when our GUARDS DROVE THE LANE AND TOOK IT TO THE HOLE...imagine that, a guard driving the lane instead of just throwing up 3's...we got points...and then brett mcknight sure understood what the heck was going on there on offense and what needed to be done for a couple possessions...HE TOOK THE DAMN BALL TO THE HOLE...then mcnees one or two times, TOOK THE BALL ALL THE WAY TO THE BASKET and scored...however, in the 2nd half this was a commonality----drive the lane and score on possession...ON THE VERY NEXT POSSESSION...or sometimes the one after that...wed come down the court and do nothing for like 15, 20, 25 seconds...pass it around a lil and then put up a 3-pointer...and low and behold missed it...now wed did make 8 3's the whole game, i know b/c i put the 3-point signs up in the rowdies section...i know SOMETIMES we can shoot pretty well from behind the arc...BUT WHEN DRIVING THE LANE IS GETTING US POINTS...AND 3'S ARENT...its easy to see what the game plan should have for the 2nd half...maybe the last part of the 1st if the coaches would have seen that...in the 2nd half when we drove the full way strong, we were able to finish and get points on the board...thats what its about...not about shooting 3's to try and look good...shoot 3's every once in a while, when you have a hot hand...nobody had a hot hand from behind the arc...i wouldnt call 8 3's "hot" at all...some of you may say "well the game nowadays pretty much requires 3-point shooting because teams can rack up a score pretty quickly".....if its not adding to the score, its hurting the team...last night the 3-point catastrophe hurt the team...idk if its that kd doesnt like to drive the lane, but last night shouldve opened up his eyes...wood had nothing to do with it, becasue before he was hurt we werent really posting him THAT MUCH...now granted we were posting him...and he did score...but not enough...why cant the ball go inside every possession, or close to it...i know they cant always get inside position...then the guards or forwards need to drive...i mean its a simple concept...and all you who want them to take outside shots, DRIVING THE LANE HELPS THAT...if we actually establish an inside game...which ill admit we didnt the other night--we didnt establish anything except that the team looked lost on the floor...if we establish an actual inside game...not posting up 15 feet from the basket and doing some cutsie jump hook piece of crap...they need to throw their weight around...theyre big guys most...our big guys are big...throw their weight around, get some position closer to the basket drive to the hole...power it in there...obviously not going crazy and fouling...but seriously...3-point shooting is not our game...outside shooting could be helped by penetration...true penetration...like ive said, not driving to the foul line and stopping...ALL...THE...WAY...TO THE BASKET...i realized the other night, that we really have no semblance of an offense...i mean i see them calling plays and all...but sometimes the guys are confused what to do when dials calls a play...not good

[UAZipster0305]

man z-pouch--or something like that...sorry man if i messed up your profile name...--he said exactly what i was freakin yelling at them for the entire 2nd half...drive the damn ball to the basket...i could not believe some of the crap i was seeing...granted in the first half when we drove we didnt exactly score a lot of the time...we missed some easy close ones, quade was unable to finish...however, thats all im conceeding on this...towards the end of the first half and the second half when we drove and took the ball to the hoop, we got points...not driving halfway or 3/4 of the way and pulling up and shooting...not driving halfway and kicking out for a 3 pointer...when our GUARDS DROVE THE LANE AND TOOK IT TO THE HOLE...imagine that, a guard driving the lane instead of just throwing up 3's...we got points...and then brett mcknight sure understood what the heck was going on there on offense and what needed to be done for a couple possessions...HE TOOK THE DAMN BALL TO THE HOLE...then mcnees one or two times, TOOK THE BALL ALL THE WAY TO THE BASKET and scored...however, in the 2nd half this was a commonality----drive the lane and score on possession...ON THE VERY NEXT POSSESSION...or sometimes the one after that...wed come down the court and do nothing for like 15, 20, 25 seconds...pass it around a lil and then put up a 3-pointer...and low and behold missed it...now wed did make 8 3's the whole game, i know b/c i put the 3-point signs up in the rowdies section...i know SOMETIMES we can shoot pretty well from behind the arc...BUT WHEN DRIVING THE LANE IS GETTING US POINTS...AND 3'S ARENT...its easy to see what the game plan should have for the 2nd half...maybe the last part of the 1st if the coaches would have seen that...in the 2nd half when we drove the full way strong, we were able to finish and get points on the board...thats what its about...not about shooting 3's to try and look good...shoot 3's every once in a while, when you have a hot hand...nobody had a hot hand from behind the arc...i wouldnt call 8 3's "hot" at all...some of you may say "well the game nowadays pretty much requires 3-point shooting because teams can rack up a score pretty quickly"....if its not adding to the score, its hurting the team...last night the 3-point catastrophe hurt the team...idk if its that kd doesnt like to drive the lane, but last night shouldve opened up his eyes...wood had nothing to do with it, becasue before he was hurt we werent really posting him THAT MUCH...now granted we were posting him...and he did score...but not enough...why cant the ball go inside every possession, or close to it...i know they cant always get inside position...then the guards or forwards need to drive...i mean its a simple concept...and all you who want them to take outside shots, DRIVING THE LANE HELPS THAT...if we actually establish an inside game...which ill admit we didnt the other night--we didnt establish anything except that the team looked lost on the floor...if we establish an actual inside game...not posting up 15 feet from the basket and doing some cutsie jump hook piece of crap...they need to throw their weight around...theyre big guys most...our big guys are big...throw their weight around, get some position closer to the basket drive to the hole...power it in there...obviously not going crazy and fouling...but seriously...3-point shooting is not our game...outside shooting could be helped by penetration...true penetration...like ive said, not driving to the foul line and stopping...ALL...THE...WAY...TO THE BASKET...i realized the other night, that we really have no semblance of an offense...i mean i see them calling plays and all...but sometimes the guys are confused what to do when dials calls a play...not good

Easy there killer...I understand your passion for the game, but the vulgarity is not necessary and only diminishes the intellectual credibility of your post. Let's try to hold ourselves to higher standards than those hippies to the east.[MODERATOR EDIT] Sanitized these posts for the innocent ears & eyes.

[Zip Watcher]

This is a very unlikely hypothetical question, but one can dream...What if we win out, and Can't can manage to lose another game than against us, we end up tied with Can't for first same records, split the season series, what's the next tiebreaker?

We lose pretty much all the tie breakers to Can't State.After head to head, it goes to best record against the top teams in the west.Can't State beat WMU .. the Zips didn't. Can't State is the 1 seed.At this point, they'd really have to implode to blow the reg. season championship.

[GoZips88]

Typical MAC stuff last night with OU losing on the road at Toledo and BG losing at Eastern. Miami loses at Western in OT Tuesday night.The bye contenders are doing their best to help us stay in the hunt ofr a top-four finish. ROUGH road to a bye though unless we can get some things sorted out, win our home games and possibly steal another one on the road. Sure would like to get the BG game this Saturday - not confident at all we'll have much luck in Athens or (nose pointed up at 45-degree angle with emphasis on first syllable) OX-ferd. Really pains me to have to root for Can't on Saturday vs. OU (FSN @ 3PM). Wouldn't surprise me at all at this point if Buffalo managed to beat Miami at home on Saturday.

[zipfan 81]

Typical MAC stuff last night with OU losing on the road at Toledo and BG losing at Eastern. Miami loses at Western in OT Tuesday night.The bye contenders are doing their best to help us stay in the hunt ofr a top-four finish. ROUGH road to a bye though unless we can get some things sorted out, win our home games and possibly steal another one on the road. Sure would like to get the BG game this Saturday - not confident at all we'll have much luck in Athens or (nose pointed up at 45-degree angle with emphasis on first syllable) OX-ferd. Really pains me to have to root for Can't on Saturday vs. OU (FSN @ 3PM). Wouldn't surprise me at all at this point if Buffalo managed to beat Miami at home on Saturday.

Sorry I will never root for Can't

[Z-Pouch]

Most of us here seem to be thinking the same thing about our offensive offense. I’ve seen a lot of posts here in the past right after we lost Wood about our inside/outside game and post players. I didn’t agree with much of the conversation – It seems to me that you have to evaluate the talent you have and then use them accordingly within a system. With Wood, the inside/out worked beautifully – He was a force, he had to be double teamed, he was a great passer – Heck, he was the MAC tourney MVP until the bank shot and serious POY candidate this year until the injury. Forward to life without Wood – does the same inside/outside work ALL the time – NO, we just don’t have that same type of player in the post – C and B McKnight are better facing the basket right now, Quade is Quade, Bardo is young, Linhart is a wing/slasher, Conyers development has been stunted because he is also a wing/slasher that has been hog tied for 2 years (is it me or is the BB a hot potato with that guy looking to make a pass asap) – What it all adds up to is the offensive scheme has to be tweaked to the talent. Right now, we are stuck in the old analogy of the square peg in the round hole. It’s just not working.What I would like to see - By no means do we abandon the OPEN 3 point shot, that is the great equalizer of the college game. But we have lost our open 3 point shots because our inside/out Wood approach has been taken away. What we seem to have now (and more recruits on the way) is some kids that can drive and score ---OR kick out to our strength the open 3 when the defense collapses – We used to do this to compliment the inside game (See Cedric hurt…). Now, KD doesn’t seem to trust anyone but Dials driving – ie when Brett, Roberts, McNees do it, they get yanked…..we’ve all seen it. While KD may not be comfortable with these guys driving the hoop as turnovers are going to inevitably increase, it’s what we’ve got left in talent. If teams start to respect our driving capability, you will see basically the same potent offense that was there with Wood – the means to the end is just tweaked. If we can get back to Open 3s, the MAC tourney is wide open for us. There’s no dominant team in the MAC that cannot be beat. Maybe I’m wrong, but I can’t stand watching more off balance 3 pointers off of high screens as the shot clock runs down or forcing players into schemes that they are not going to be successful. You can’t tell Bardo/C.McNight – we’re going to run the offense thru you and you better see the court, make the right pass and develop Wood like footwork over the next week/month. I don’t think we get to 20 wins with that mentality.Sorry for the way too long post but the NI game really bugged me on a lot of aspects. Maybe, it was just an anomaly and I can go back to being fat and happy with wins/coaching and just reading the board.