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This is why you go on the road and play top programs. Maybe then your team won't wilt in big games:

From the ABJ:

Quote:Despite a 90-61 rout by No.1-ranked North Carolina early in the season, it was a game Scott points to as one that helped KSU get where it is today. One that, for all intents and purposes, should eliminate the awe factor this time around.

''What that game did was give us confidence that we can play with any team in the country, regardless of who they are,'' Scott said. ''Whether they are Kansas, Duke, UNLV — whoever they may be. We've played in front of tens of thousands of fans before, and I can't imagine a setting bigger than that, playing against the No. 1 team in the country.''

They're too busy harping on all of the things they claim our coach/team/fans do wrong to get around to noticing why they're not considered an elite program by any committee.

A few KSU fans should receive a copy of that memo too.

The Flash Wrote:This is why you go on the road and play top programs. Maybe then your team won't wilt in big games:

From the ABJ:

Quote:Despite a 90-61 rout by No.1-ranked North Carolina early in the season, it was a game Scott points to as one that helped KSU get where it is today. One that, for all intents and purposes, should eliminate the awe factor this time around.

''What that game did was give us confidence that we can play with any team in the country, regardless of who they are,'' Scott said. ''Whether they are Kansas, Duke, UNLV — whoever they may be. We've played in front of tens of thousands of fans before, and I can't imagine a setting bigger than that, playing against the No. 1 team in the country.''

If "play with" means "lose by nearly 30," I'll keep taking games vs. the Winthrops, Daytons, Temples and VCUs of the world. Zips lost to a superior team talent-wise 3 times this year in Kent. Just like Kent lost to a superior Akron team 3 times last year. Say what you want, but no one thinks Kent is "elite" just because of a few trips to the dance. You have to win some games to obtain that moniker (please don't cite '02, what other success have you had?). Akron and Kent are two high-quality programs, going about success in different ways. Kent goes the JUCO route often, Akron refuses and only develops HS Seniors. Kent is willing to take a thrashing by whoring out to top-tier "BCS" schools (as are a LOT of other MAC schools), Akron refuses to do so, and is developing a continually more respectable non-conference schedule (with a few band-aids such as NC A&T, etc), but those will go away over the next couple years. Are both of these programs respectable? Hell yes! Are either "elite"? Nope, but they both could be on their way. I sure hope it's Akron that gets there first, because there's no room for two in NE Ohio.

RowdyZ, there's not enough room for Akron and Kent in NEO in general, I hope Fingerhut realizes that too...

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... Kent goes the JUCO route often, Akron refuses and only develops HS Seniors....
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don't paint the Zip picture too purely...looks like Middleton, Dials and Rydell all came 'indirectly' through other programs [Mr. Dials couldn't get too many minutes in the big-time Big 10...remember?]
Recognition comes with doing well over a longer period of time, and Akron has just begun to be successful again after many years of limited success. At this point, Kent has done it longer and therefore, usually gets the nod.
You are right, neither program is an 'elite' program' and neither will be...these are mid-major programs, and among those, Kent is recognized as very successful and clean program that graduates its kids, many of which make their mark at the pro level [overseas]. but with the rarest exception, they do extremely well after college -- and that's what it is all about.
Try beating your chest a little less...its not becoming...

By any measureing stick one wants to use, Kemt has been, by far, the MAC's elite program for a decade. It is totally beyond me as to what some Akron fans think can be gained by having Kent State lose in the first round. The more success Kent has, the better it is for Akron and the whole conference. I'm certain Coach Dambrot, and all the coches in the MAC wanted Kent to go deep. The idea that even one Akron fan could be so stupid as to take enjoyment in Kent's loss is mind boggling. I guess Mike Royko was right when he said, "People really are stupid,"

Its funny. Akron almost never comes on ncaabbs anymore. But when they do, they don't go post on their board. They come right to Kent to talk as though they have something we don't. I'm not sure if they think that because they had a good soccer team, they think they can tell us about elite athletic programs.
However, I laugh when an Akron fan -who's athletic marketing scheme: "Fear the Roo," was so successful that they can't even fill up a nationally televised home bracketbuster or that they can only get a small corner of the Q filled for the championship game aginst their rival.
Again... Funny.
It just leads me sit back and smile, that while we got killed in the NCAA Tournament, at least we didn't get killed in the confrence championshp game, aginst our rival.
Enjoy the attempt at becomming the 66th best team in the nation, RowdyZ.

Quote:This is why you go on the road and play top programs. Maybe then your team won't wilt in big games:

Great advice! Thanks!

Zipsrifle Wrote:

Quote:This is why you go on the road and play top programs. Maybe then your team won't wilt in big games:

Great advice! Thanks!

74-55

Obviously the fact that we are not on their board every time they lose a game speaks to the quality of their fans... And they also block and delete posts that they do not agree with... but hey you gotta do stuff like that when you're all smoke and mirrors like Akron.

The fact that we were, AND HAVE BEEN, in the tournament and they haven't, speaks enough to who is the elite program in the MAC.

I just want to take this opportunity to point out that it is true!
It really is better to lose in the first round of the NCAA, than the second round of the NIT.