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cschierh Offline
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Postgame transcript
Because I had credentials for the women's tournament, I got emails with all the transcripts of every postgame press conference.

Here's Kent State's (I'll post Akron's in a minute):

COACH SENDEROFF: Sorry if we kept you waiting, fellas and ladies, sorry.

Listen, just an unbelievable game. Couldn't be prouder of our group. You know, Akron, we know how good they are and how good a program it is, and I say to myself, because I know how hard it was for us to even get to this game, just thinking that they've been there nine out of the last 13 years is just an incredible accomplishment.

But tonight the story is about our guys and what they've been able to accomplish here tonight, what they've been able to accomplish here over the past week, what they've been able to accomplish over the entire season, and just really, really proud of the entire group. Tonight Jaylin Walker, I said it to somebody, like a star is born. He didn't get any All‑Conference recognition. He had 30 points tonight in the championship game, career high. Just amazing.

And Jimmy, everybody who knows, he's carried us for the entire season. Three‑time All‑Conference player, First‑Team All‑Conference player, the MVP of the MAC Tournament.

JIMMY HALL: J‑Wall.

COACH SENDEROFF: Oh, J‑Wall was the MVP of the tournament? My bad. I think I got that one messed up. Three‑time First‑Team All‑Conference player, scored 1600 points plus in his career.

I wanted to make sure that Jon Fleming was here tonight because just how much he's meant to our team. I know he doesn't get the recognition that these other guys get, but he behind the scenes just does so much to help our program and our team. Again, I'll let you guys ask some questions and then we can talk about the game all you want, but that's really what I wanted as my statement.

Q. Jaylin, has it sunk in yet what you guys have done over the last six days, taking out the top scorer in the country, and then the top three seeds in the tournament?

JAYLIN WALKER: No. I mean, a little bit, but it's not going to sink in until I lay down, just start thinking about it, like dang, like this really happened, you know? Like our dreams really came true, now we've just got to keep going forward.

Q. Jimmy, what was the mindset tonight going against Isaiah, et cetera, and just how hard did you fight, how tired do you feel right now?

JIMMY HALL: You know, the mindset was just to battle. I knew it was going to be a battle. He's a great player, and I just feel like I've got a lot of pride in myself and what I do, and I just wanted ‑‑ I knew it was going to be a battle. It was mano y mano and see who comes out on top. And like how I feel, you know, I could keep playing, you know, the adrenaline is still in me so we could keep going if need be but.

Q. Jaylin, I've seen you in these press conferences a few days now. You seem like this kind of unassuming dude, your coach mistakenly call Jimmy the player, you just kind of smile it off. When you're out there you're kind of owning that stage. What switch turns for you, you seem to have appear different personality on the court?

JAYLIN WALKER: Out there, Deon and I think Jimmy had got in foul trouble so we was kind of just on me so I got to pick up my waiting a little bit and during half time, you know, I had it like, I think I had like 11 points and I was just feeling myself and my teammates, they was saying just keep going, you know, keep going and came out on top.

Q. Jimmy, after the game, I notice you go straight to your family and you have this emotional moment. From your personal journey from where you come from to have this great career, how could you describe that moment that you got caught up there at the end there?

JIMMY HALL: I can't even describe it. It's been a great journey, I'm blessed to be in this position, all my emotions just went when I see my mom and how much she cares for me and how much she comes out to every game, and her little scouting reports she be sending me.

COACH SENDEROFF: She sends them to me, too.

JIMMY HALL: Everything just came out. I just want to thank her so much for having me and raising me and believing in me and everything.

Q. Jaylin, can you talk about what it feels tonight compared to last night?

JAYLIN WALKER: I mean, I feel ‑‑ I actually feel way better than last night after saying, hey, you're the game winner, I'm just going to humble myself because I knew we had one more left. Now, the words can't explain how I'm feeling right now, man.

Q. Jon, you've been there all four years. This has to be ‑‑ this run, can you put it into words starting with the first Akron game when you broke their winning streak, it seemed like every game you've gotten better and better and better, thanks to Jaylin and Jimmy and Deon and all of them. Just watching them, can you just describe it for us what this team has done the last month and the last week starting with the Central Michigan game?

JON FLEMING: It's pretty simple, man. We just played so unselfishly and started playing for each other. These two right here, man, have stepped it up, along with Deon Edwin. Jimmy, if you ask me, he's player of the year. J‑Wal. Deon the same. So I'm riding and dying with these guys. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I talk about them.

And what switched was, man, we start playing unselfishly, started trusting each other, and the process of getting better every day, win, loss. We won a lot, but there were losses, too. We bounced back, too.

Senior night, we lost, and Demetric Shaw came in and told us that's the best thing that could have happened to us because we were hungry. I've got to agree with that man and it's just been a great ride.

Q. Jon, a couple questions. One, talk about the fact that Jalen Avery and Mitch, both of them hit big ‑‑ I mean, these guys are hitting maybe one or two shots a game, but they've been big shots. Mitch's 3‑pointer was huge, that's his only point of the game. Jalen's two free throws keep you guys with a cushion. Talk about that, number one.

And number two, you probably have to give away some trade secrets here, what do you and Coach talk about during the game? Because I see you guys talking. He walks down to your end of the bench and just stands in front of you and talks. What are you guys talking about?

COACH SENDEROFF: Usually I say what in the hell are these guys doing?

JON FLEMING: That's it about 80 percent of the time. Other times, we just talking about what we think we should do, bouncing ideas off each other.

We've got a great coaching staff, he does it with everybody. I'm blessed that he'll let me stay and be a part of it again as a graduate assistant next year.

For your question about JA, especially, man. People that know me, my first three years here, man, I pretty much lived in the gym. And when Jalen Avery came in, I think he was the first person that was in there just as much or more than me. So everything you're seeing, man, is a product of what he did last year. Staying in the gym every night. Every time, I take a (inaudible) he's in the gym. Everybody time I'm in the gym, he's in the gym.

So I think that's what you see from Jalen Avery. And Mitch, man, just being confident in himself. He's really grown. He hit that shot and came back and said it's a man's game. For him to say that, he's showing how much his confidence has grown. I'm proud of everyone, Jalen Avery, too, because he's worked harder than anyone on this team, so I'm very proud for everybody, especially him.

Q. Jaylin, not to rain on your parade a little bit, but that 3‑pointer that Williams hit on, he kind of got you a little bit on that one, but then you come up and you're smiling still. You're on national TV, dude, how are you still smiling after that?

JON FLEMING: He had 30.

JAYLIN WALKER: Something like that where you like ‑‑ where you know that he did it, make you pause. So I just laughed at it, so I'm like just saying it just happens. So I just kept going because I know we was up and, like, three of them. It's cool, you know, things happen.

Q. You stop Akron's home winning streak, and then you beat them for the title. This would be great anyway, but does that make it a little extra sweeter?

JIMMY HALL: Yes.

COACH SENDEROFF: Yes.

Q. Do you guys feel the same way?

JIMMY HALL: I definitely do. We're rivals.

Q. And Jimmy, you've been battle balancing Isaiah for a long time, I guess that's over, but just describe how that was for you all those years?

JIMMY HALL: It's been fun, it's been fun. Just competing with him and just happy to get this win.

Q. Coach, could you talk about, like, how you guys were down 15 versus Central Michigan in the first half. What does your team look like now compared to when you guys were down 15 on Monday night in the first half?

COACH SENDEROFF: Just again, to me, it's just an amazing story, right? That was all part of the story is that we had won all these games and lost senior night, and then we come out against Central Michigan, and we're down I think it was 26‑9, and just the resiliency. Down 13 at halftime.

Over this last month, we've been up only two games at halftime, tonight and Buffalo, so we had been down almost all of them. So just the toughness we've shown and the togetherness they've shown, just an incredible story.

Q. Did you know Jaylin had this in him? Has he shown flashes of this?

COACH SENDEROFF: Oh, shoot, absolutely. He's our second leading scorer on the season. I thought last night he struggled from the field but he hit the game winner, and I think that really helped his confidence because he really hadn't played as well as he's capable of, and tonight he was just, he was like a man possessed. I mean, I say it, he deserves to have been the MVP. He was unbelievable.

Q. Coach, you guys got off on an 11‑3 run to start the game. How important was it to get off on a quick start against the Zips?

COACH SENDEROFF: I do think that was important. They have been getting off to fast starts here in the tournament and we haven't in particular. We sort of, like I said, we've generally been down at halftime at a lot of these games. So I thought getting off to a quick start, I thought that was important for us and I thought it helped our confidence. It also allowed me to maybe put a couple guys in to get some rest for other guys that maybe helped down the stretch.

Q. On the same territory there, Jimmy got his second foul. The fact that you were holding on to the lead there, did that give you some leeway in terms of, I know you brought him back, but did that give you some leeway in terms of ‑‑

COACH SENDEROFF: Having the lead allowed us ‑‑ it made the decision easier, let's put it that way. You want him to play as many minutes as he can. When he got his second foul, I think that was about the it 12‑minute mark, the fact that we had the lead allowed me to take him out and sort of feel confident of okay, we can maybe hold on a little bit here, and get him back in and get him out again.

We were able to keep the lead going into halftime, which again he only played 12 minutes in the first half. He's normally going to play 17 minutes in the first half. So that I thought was important.

Q. Coach, 2008, I believe, since you guys have been to the tournament. Quite a journey for you as a coach as well, so kind of what I asked Jimmy, I noticed you had your arms folded with two seconds left, but once you guys won, what was this journey like for you?

COACH SENDEROFF: I'm just thankful, you know, I'll start with one of my closest friends, Geno Ford, who hired me back to Kent along with Mr. Kennedy, Laing Kennedy, along with President Lefton. Personally I had some baggage that not everybody would have given me an opportunity to coach here.

And then when Geno left, our current AD, Joel Nielsen, entrusted me with this program and I'm more thankful and grateful for the opportunity that those people gave me and just feeling happy that I was able to help lead the group to get back to the NCAA tournament because I know how important it is to the school and to our current president, President Warren. I now how much she loves basketball. The amount of support she's given to our program is just incredible, not just financial support but personal support. She's at almost every game, it's amazing the investment she has personally in our guys and knows every player on the roster.

So for me, when the clock was winding down, these guys deserve all the credit, but you asked about the personal thing ‑‑ I mean my family, I was happy for them because this isn't easy for a family. I've got two daughters, young daughters. When their dad's got to go recruiting and he's missing things, you know, I just felt happy for them.

And really grateful to the people at Kent State who gave me this opportunity to lead the program.

Q. With the way you guys have been on the offensive glass all year, how fitting was it that two of the biggest plays of the game came with Jaylin coming in with the tip‑ins

COACH SENDEROFF: Huge, huge. We're fourth, I think, in the country in offensive rebounding, and it was fitting that those plays ‑‑ I mean, he's a 2 guard and we allow our 2 guard to go offensive rebound because it's Jaylen Walker, and he's one of the best that you would ever see. I.

Didn't really think about it until you just mentioned it, but it really is fitting that those offensive rebounds were huge, huge plays to allow us to win.

Q. Turnovers has been something you talked about a lot this year, 12 against Buffalo, 14 against Ohio, and you guys are currently averaging 7. What's been the key of keeping control of the ball against the Zips?

COACH SENDEROFF: That's something that Jon mentioned. If there's things that we changed, I mean we really, putting Jalen Avery in the lineup, I don't know how many turnovers he's had in the last 15 games, I think he has like five or six, so I think he sort of steadied the ship for us as a team. Us trusting each other more as a group, and then obviously tonight, six turnovers in an up‑and‑down, get in your face, tough, hard‑nosed game to only have six turnovers in a game like this on this stage, there's jitters and they're pressuring you, it speaks volumes and that's why we won, absolutely.

Q. Rob, can you talk about your shooting in the second half? I remember a month ago at Toledo when the Rockets hit everything out at Savage Arena, it seemed like you had that mojo and momentum, just making almost everything. You blunted every run that the Zips tried to make. Can you talk about that?

COACH SENDEROFF: Yeah, I mean, listen, 63 percent we shot against a really good defensive team in the second half. Today was our day. I mean, today was our day. This week was our week. Again, I said it to the guys, Central Michigan had a shot that was halfway down at the buzzer. Then we would be sitting here saying, you know, how did Kent lose at home to the 11 seed. They had two All‑Conference players. That's not your normal 11 seed now. But that didn't go in and the rest of the story is the story, the rest of the story is us then beating the 2 seed, 1 seed, who we had just beaten two weeks prior. These are the best three teams in the league that we beat but you know what, we felt like we were the best team and over the course of the last month I think we've shown that we are.

Q. Starts with Jimmy and Jaylin, seems like the more you guys won this week, your team got a little more swagger. How do you think that's going to transfer now that you guys are moving on to an even bigger stage?

COACH SENDEROFF: Listen, we said it, we're hoping and thinking and going into whoever we play thinking that we say it's our story that they're telling, that there may be another chapter in the story and that's what our plan is. Whoever we play ‑‑ I do know this, whoever we play, they're going to get our best effort. These guys have played so hard over the last month and so together, it's really a little more than a month, about the last month and a half that whoever we face, we'll respect them, and obviously they're going to be a high seed because that's how it works. But we'll be ready, we'll be ready.

Q. Rob, talk a little bit about ‑‑ I saw a lot of guys from a lot of different eras, I saw a lot of guys walking around with their rings.

COACH SENDEROFF: That's Kent State.

Q. You fostered that.

COACH SENDEROFF: That's Kent State. I don't mean to, but yeah, you know what, I mentioned Geno, but Coach Christian, Jim, he brought me here in 2003 after the Elite Eight run when he became the head coach and to see so many of these guys, the pride that they feel in Kent State basketball, Mike Scott drove in from Indianapolis, he was on the last team that went to the NCAA tournament. Julian Sullinger was here, Mike Perini, Justin Manns. I mean, Demetric Shaw was giving our guys pep talks after every game. I mean, he does this for a living, but people need to hire him as a motivational speaker. This dude's unreal. Just to see that's part of what makes Kent, Kent. You know this, Elton, we don't have the prettiest facilities and things like that, but what we do have is we have a tradition. And again, we have a toughness level and it doesn't start ‑‑ it starts way before these guys here. But these guys now can carry that on very proudly.

MODERATOR: Thank you, Rob.

COACH SENDEROFF: Thank you, guys, appreciate it.
03-11-2017 11:33 PM
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cschierh Offline
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RE: Postgame transcript
Here's the Akron transcript:

COACH DAMBROT: Well, I think clearly Kent State had a better night than we did. Hats off to them. Their guys played well. I thought our guys competed hard and I'm really ‑‑ I feel sick for our guys because they had a terrific season and that's just the reality of this league is if you have an average night when it really matters, the regular season kind of goes out the window.

So I'm a big boy, I can take it, but I really feel bad for all the work our guys put in because, you know, we just can't go to the big dance, and it comes down to you can play great for 32 games or win the regular season, you just can't do it. So we bit the bullet, they made all the plays in the last eight minutes, we didn't, and just feel bad for our kids.

Q. Noah, what happened on those couple of ‑‑ the Walker tip‑ins towards the end of the game with the box‑outs there?

NOAH ROBOTHAM: I think just we had blown assignments. Obviously we know how dangerous he is as a guard to offensive rebound, and I think it was just a little bit of miscommunication. But we know better than that, but I think there was just some blown coverages. Credit to him, he went in there and made the right plays at the right times.

MODERATOR: Any questions for Noah or Josh?

COACH DAMBROT: It's a winner's world, boys. See that?

Q. Just in general, Noah, and also Josh, just make a comment about the season so far and your experience here and what this is going to prepare you for the next round?

NOAH ROBOTHAM: I mean, it's tough now, but I think overall we had a good season. Obviously not the outcome that we wanted. I feel so bad for Big Dog and Kwan, Carlitos and Mark, guys that just come in and compete every single day.

I came in here as a 17‑year old kid, and I'm 20 years old now, and those guys just taught me a lot on and off the court. Just tremendous, I mean I'm hurting really bad inside, but I mean, I got those guys to fall back on. I know those guys will keep me sane for at least the next couple days.

I mean, it hurts right now, but I'm appreciative to be a part of this university. Being from Las Vegas, moving to Akron, I appreciate all the hospitality that I've received, and I'm glad to be a Zip. It's a tough day today, but we're a great institution, the great president, great coaching, great players and we have a great support system. But it hurts now, but I'm appreciative of the opportunity that I just had.

MODERATOR: Josh, your three days here obviously, the three games, just your experience here this year, talk about it in general.

JOSH WILLIAMS: It's been a good experience. Like Noah said, we had a good season. In my two years, I've had a good season, regular season, MAC champions both years, and these last two years we made it to the championship both times. We've come up short but it's been a humbling experience. Everything's a learning block for what's coming next. Just got to get back to the drawing board, get ready for the next game that we have.

Q. This may have been asked already, you guys climbed back a couple times to take a quick lead, but just never could extend it. Can you just talk about how tough that was or what it was that you weren't able to get 3, 5, 7 point lead, kind of get yourself a cushion?

NOAH ROBOTHAM: Yeah, from what I recall in the game, I believe at 7:58, there's a foul on Zabo, and he went to the free throw line. I believe we were up 2 at the time, and he hit those free throws to bring the game back tied up.

I mean, with the coaching staff, with my teammates, I felt confident moving forward with 7:58 being tied.

Credit to Kent State. They made the plays. Peterson, I don't think he scored in the two games, and now it's the third game and he has probably the biggest 3 of the night. And Jaylin Walker, we doubled down on Jimmy Hall and he hits a big 3. I felt like those are the plays that we typically make, and the opposing team typically misses, but they made the big shots today and sometimes you've just got to tip your hat off to the other team.

MODERATOR: We'll continue now with questions for Coach Dambrot.

COACH DAMBROT: Don't be scared.

Q. Keith, you said several times that the one thing that makes them dangerous is when they shoot it, when they're able to shoot it. Can you just kind of talk about what you saw of that?

COACH DAMBROT: First off, Rob did a really good job of rallying his team when they were down and out earlier in the year. Made some good changes. They competed hard. They became a very dangerous team, so he did a terrific job. That's hard to do when your team's not playing well and then rallying them, so he rallied them into championship quality.

You know, we've talked about this before, you know. They had the one guy go for 30 points. He made some tough shots and that was the difference in the game really. They had the one guy that did more than our perimeter guys did. He hasn't really hurt us much in the two years that we've played him, and we even got him going left, which we wanted him to go, and he made those going left, and at that point, you know, sometimes guys have some outlier games. Now, he's capable. He's the X factor, and we knew it. If he plays like that, and Jimmy Hall gets his normal, then we've got some issues, and that's what happened tonight. He played really good, he made every play.

And Noah's right, when Peterson hit the 3 it was very similar to the game we played at Kent when we made every play when it mattered. They made every play when it mattered.

That's the tough part of this league. Everybody's so close and on a given night, if somebody plays a little better than the other one, you end up losing. All you can do is put yourself in position to win and get to the game and then hope you play a good game.

I thought we were a little tight, you know, the first half especially, for whatever reason. They're pretty good defensively. They do a good job defensively, they guard us pretty well. But I thought the second half we started to get a little more fluid. And I agree with you, we never really got over the hump. Had we been able to take a 4, 6 point lead, then I thought the mindset might have changed, and we never could.

Q. Coach, you said on Thursday playing Isaiah 37 minutes was, I believe, dumb. After playing him 37 minutes again last night, do you think that took a toll on tonight's game?

COACH DAMBROT: That's a good question. I mean, we didn't have any choice, we had to play him that much. I mean, we might not have won game 1 if we didn't play him that much. I'm not justifying it. I thought he played pretty well, he had 24 points, but I thought he struggled in the first half a little bit. They've got big‑bodied guys, big and strong. They did a good job, they didn't have to double him. They didn't double him much, which affected us a little bit as well.

Again, I think they played pretty well defensively. I thought we improved defensively. We had a little bit of trouble in the second half but they made some tough ones on us.

Q. How big was it not being able to get a substantive lead in the first half when Hall's sitting on the bench, and you were going to Dog?

COACH DAMBROT: I don't know. It still became an eight‑minute game, right? I expected it to be a close game. It became an eight‑minute game. We only made six 3s, which is an issue. I felt like we had some really good looks at the beginning of the second half that we did not make, and I think that put us in a little bit of a precarious position. I felt like if we could have come out to start the second half and felt good about ourselves, we would have been better off, but we turned the ball over the one, and then we missed, I think, two wide open 3s, and then all of a sudden now that's a little tough to overcome.

But our guys, you could see our guys turn it up when we got our back against the wall, right? You could see like Robotham, that guy's a competitor. He could see him start really trying to pick up the pace, and he did an unbelievable job of getting us back into the game.

Q. Hey, Coach, your luck in championship games hasn't been great, the number of close ones. How does this one feel? How do you ramp it up year after year when you lead the league all year and you still have this one‑game playoff and the disappointment that sometimes comes with that?

COACH DAMBROT: Are you going to nice to me, Jason? This is a first.

Just so we're clear, in the future, I love Jaaron Simmons as a person, and I think he's a great player. I'm sorry I'm diverging, but I want to make this clear. I was asked a statistical question and I answered it statistically honestly, so if there's any misinterpretation, I love that kid, I love what he stands for, I believe he's one of the best players in the league, I voted him that way two years in a row, and I apologized to him as well.

So if it was misconstrued, but I just wish sometimes that people would just understand that I am a good person and that I care about kids. I really don't care what anybody else thinks, but I care about kids.

Now I'll answer the question now that I got that off my chest because it's important to me that the young people know that I'm behind them.

So I had to get that off my chest, I'm sorry, but I feel like sometimes people take shots at me because we have a good program, and it bothers me. So I have to tell you that. And I respect you as a writer, so you know that as well, but I just wish sometimes people would be a little more fair with me because I felt like people aren't very fair sometimes.

Now what was the question? Sorry about that.

Q. Basically the question is you guys are in the tournament final nine out of 11 years, and that's a good thing, but one‑game playoffs in a one‑bid league, there's all that disappointment when it doesn't go your way. How do you ramp up year after year when this is the result sometimes?

COACH DAMBROT: That's a really good question. All I can say is, look, we've been good enough to get in the championship game year after year, and sometimes the ball hasn't bounced very well for us. I know the first time they banked in a 40‑footer on us with a clock malfunction, I think we lost one overtime game to Ohio, we lose at the buzzer last year to Buffalo. The league is so close that ‑‑ like the year we pounded Ohio, right? I don't think we were that much better than Ohio, it was just a weird game, right? They got really good players and we just played well and they didn't.

So I mean it's disappointing. You get there, that's the hard part about sports, right? When you're good, then you set yourself up for disappointments. If you're no good, there are no disappointments because you're never in the championship game, right?

I think the hard part about athletics is unless you're careful, the lows, the lows last a lot longer than the highs. Even for me, like I have to fight that constantly. Think about the young people. We just lost two tough championship games in a row, and ultimately when we don't win the championship game, that's on me. Like my job's to win championship games, period. It's not on our players, it's on me. So luck, not luck, make your own luck. Obviously we just didn't play well enough tonight. But it's disappointing, yeah, and I probably won't talk to my wife for about three days, which is unfair to her, but I just won't feel like talking to anybody. Maybe I'll talk to my dog, because I don't know. Like I'm sick for my guys, I just feel bad for them, and that's the disappointing thing because of our league. I love our league. It's a great league, but it's so hard because it comes down to one game every year. Unfortunately, we've been in that one game a lot. It's the way it goes.

MODERATOR: Thank you, Keith.

COACH DAMBROT: Thank you.
03-11-2017 11:34 PM
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cschierh Offline
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RE: Postgame transcript
Here's a link to Todd Starkey's commentary on the first hall with Allen Moff of the Record-Courier:

http://recordpub.com/sports/2017/03/11/v...f-vs-akron
03-11-2017 11:36 PM
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anti-zip Online
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RE: Postgame transcript
Thanks for posting this. Anyone know the background story behind Dambrot defending his opinion of Simmons from OU?
03-12-2017 12:49 AM
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OhioBobcatJohn Online
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RE: Postgame transcript
His excuse for Akron's lose at Ohio was Simmons had a fluke performance when he dropped in 38 on his Zips. He said if Simmons had his normal game Akron would have won that game. Ohio beat Akron by 15 points that day as Akron had a meltdown in the last five minutes kind of like what happen in the final. I guess Walker going for a career high 30 was similar to what Simmons did.
03-12-2017 01:33 AM
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anti-zip Online
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RE: Postgame transcript
Thanks. I can see why OU people would take issue with that. I did think this transcript was interesting to see the two coaches perspectives on Walker's game. Sendy says a star was born. Dambrot says he had an outlier performance otherwise they would've won.
03-12-2017 01:51 AM
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Post: #7
RE: Postgame transcript
Here's the original quote from Dambrot about Jaaron back during the post-game when Akron lost in Athens.-


Quote:..Simmons scored a career-high 38 points against Akron. That prompoted Akron coach Keith Dambrot to provide bulletin-board material for Simmons to use the rest of the season.

“We lost at Ohio when Jaaron Simmons gets 38,” Dambrot said last week after a 70-67 loss to Kent State. “I’m not sure if you don’t guard Simmons at all at the 3 line, he can get 38. That’s not an absurd statement. It’s a fact. It’s just one of those games.”

Simmons took the high road when asked about Dambrot’s comments Saturday.

“He lost. He was upset,” Simmons said. “I never let a man take my confidence. It’s as simple as that.”
03-12-2017 02:30 AM
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dannyb73 Offline
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Post: #8
RE: Postgame transcript
Basically, Dambrot is a prick. And a sore loser.
03-12-2017 03:45 AM
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Muskrat Online
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Post: #9
RE: Postgame transcript
Heck, whenever a team loses, it is usually because an opponent or two had a really good game! At least Dambrot gave Kent State credit. Too many coaches act as if they would never lose if they did everything they usually do, as if the opponent is an afterthought. Bobby Knight was that way, with his "playing against the game, not the opponent" b.s. On any given night you can go out there and bust your butt and play well and still lose. It happens all the time.
03-12-2017 07:25 AM
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OLNWFLSH Offline
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Post: #10
RE: Postgame transcript
(03-12-2017 07:25 AM)Muskrat Wrote:  Heck, whenever a team loses, it is usually because an opponent or two had a really good game! At least Dambrot gave Kent State credit. Too many coaches act as if they would never lose if they did everything they usually do, as if the opponent is an afterthought. Bobby Knight was that way, with his "playing against the game, not the opponent" b.s. On any given night you can go out there and bust your butt and play well and still lose. It happens all the time.

It's my understanding that KD and RS are actually fairly close - face it the man had to be bummed and then getting questioned about how many trips to Cleveland without winning.
03-12-2017 08:28 AM
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Muskrat Online
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Post: #11
RE: Postgame transcript
Agree, OLNWFLSH. Dambrot has nothing to be ashamed of. He's done a fantastic job at Akron.
03-12-2017 08:41 AM
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AlphaFlash Offline
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Post: #12
RE: Postgame transcript
It is funny the #1 seed rarely wins this thing. Akron is 2013 and Kent in 2008 were the 2 recents I can think of. I almost hope we don't get a #1 seed in the furure.
03-12-2017 08:54 AM
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Muskrat Online
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Post: #13
RE: Postgame transcript
AlphaFlash, that is because in the MAC the #1 seed is rarely that much better, if at all, then the #2 and even several more. Even in 2001 and 2002 Kent State had tough games in the tournament, especially in the finals with Miami and Bowling Green.
03-12-2017 09:16 AM
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Muskrat Online
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Post: #14
RE: Postgame transcript
I mean, look at this year - Akron was #1 and Kent State #6, yet in the regular season they split- both on the other's home court. Obviously, at least the top 6 seeds had an excellent chance. And Kent State barely got by, at home, against #11. Incredible balance most years in the MAC.
03-12-2017 09:20 AM
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burden Offline
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Post: #15
RE: Postgame transcript
I think most one bid conferences are the same way. Playing each other year after year tends to make teams all start to look alike. There's always a few poorly coached or unlucky teams in a Conference but for the most part scores are close especially when games are played on neutral courts. Also the three games in three nights is tough to accomplish even if you are a strong Number one seed. A team that wins 80% of its games only wins three in a row 50% of the time. Also they get to 80% only by beating up on the 9-12 seeds. It's more like 60% -70% when playing only the top 8 teams. The system is set up to make it difficult for a one seed to win the tournament. It still has the best chance but it's far from likely.
(This post was last modified: 03-12-2017 10:07 AM by burden.)
03-12-2017 09:46 AM
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burden Offline
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Post: #16
RE: Postgame transcript
(03-12-2017 02:30 AM)perimeterpost Wrote:  Here's the original quote from Dambrot about Jaaron back during the post-game when Akron lost in Athens.-


Quote:..Simmons scored a career-high 38 points against Akron. That prompoted Akron coach Keith Dambrot to provide bulletin-board material for Simmons to use the rest of the season.

“We lost at Ohio when Jaaron Simmons gets 38,” Dambrot said last week after a 70-67 loss to Kent State. “I’m not sure if you don’t guard Simmons at all at the 3 line, he can get 38. That’s not an absurd statement. It’s a fact. It’s just one of those games.”

Simmons took the high road when asked about Dambrot’s comments Saturday.

“He lost. He was upset,” Simmons said. “I never let a man take my confidence. It’s as simple as that.”

I think we said very similar things after Indiana beat us in the NCAA.
03-12-2017 09:58 AM
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axeme Offline
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Post: #17
RE: Postgame transcript
You had Akron, who was running away with league in January and early February and wished the tourney was then. Over the last month, KSU clearly became the best team in the conference and proved that with two wins over Akron, Buffalo, and Ohio in the last 3 weeks.

Even as the game was close last night, KSU dictated the action. Johnson was tremendous, and played a tough championship game, but beyond him, the Flashes were better at almost every position. Walker, Edwin, and Avery over Jackson, Robotham, and Cheatham all day. Hall and Johnson is basically a wash, but KSU was able to not double Johnson much and Akron had to double Hall almost every time he touched the ball, so defensive edge to KSU who was able to stifle the Akron outside game.

Sendy coached brilliantly the last half of the season and Dambrot's team peaked mid-season. College basketball is a March game. Teams that play their best basketball in January have a forgotten season.

It's great to be the face of the MAC again. Buffalo had a nice run, and it might have been Ohio had they not had the injury. But it's our time again!

Going to be a fun Selection Sunday!
03-12-2017 10:12 AM
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dannyb73 Offline
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Post: #18
RE: Postgame transcript
(03-12-2017 10:12 AM)axeme Wrote:  You had Akron, who was running away with league in January and early February and wished the tourney was then. Over the last month, KSU clearly became the best team in the conference and proved that with two wins over Akron, Buffalo, and Ohio in the last 3 weeks.

Even as the game was close last night, KSU dictated the action. Johnson was tremendous, and played a tough championship game, but beyond him, the Flashes were better at almost every position. Walker, Edwin, and Avery over Jackson, Robotham, and Cheatham all day. Hall and Johnson is basically a wash, but KSU was able to not double Johnson much and Akron had to double Hall almost every time he touched the ball, so defensive edge to KSU who was able to stifle the Akron outside game.

Sendy coached brilliantly the last half of the season and Dambrot's team peaked mid-season. College basketball is a March game. Teams that play their best basketball in January have a forgotten season.

It's great to be the face of the MAC again. Buffalo had a nice run, and it might have been Ohio had they not had the injury. But it's our time again!

Going to be a fun Selection Sunday!

Joe Lunardi and Jerry Palm of ESPN and CBS Sports both have us as a 15 seed playing Kentucky in Indianapolis.
03-12-2017 10:50 AM
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OLNWFLSH Offline
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Post: #19
RE: Postgame transcript
(03-12-2017 09:16 AM)Muskrat Wrote:  AlphaFlash, that is because in the MAC the #1 seed is rarely that much better, if at all, then the #2 and even several more. Even in 2001 and 2002 Kent State had tough games in the tournament, especially in the finals with Miami and Bowling Green.

Right you are Muskrat - I seem to recall that we had to beat BG three times and they ended the year with something like 6 losses - although not a Dakich fan I felt for their fans not getting an NCAA bid with that record. In the end we ended up highly ranked - wonder how they - BG - would have fared in the tourney given a chance. I have seen similar scenarios in other conferences like the Big Sky where the regular season champ has nice wins over PAC 10 but looses in conference tourney
03-12-2017 10:58 AM
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axeme Offline
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Post: #20
RE: Postgame transcript
(03-12-2017 10:58 AM)OLNWFLSH Wrote:  
(03-12-2017 09:16 AM)Muskrat Wrote:  AlphaFlash, that is because in the MAC the #1 seed is rarely that much better, if at all, then the #2 and even several more. Even in 2001 and 2002 Kent State had tough games in the tournament, especially in the finals with Miami and Bowling Green.

Right you are Muskrat - I seem to recall that we had to beat BG three times and they ended the year with something like 6 losses - although not a Dakich fan I felt for their fans not getting an NCAA bid with that record. In the end we ended up highly ranked - wonder how they - BG - would have fared in the tourney given a chance. I have seen similar scenarios in other conferences like the Big Sky where the regular season champ has nice wins over PAC 10 but looses in conference tourney

One of the most intense MAC games I have ever seen was that '02 KSU team at Anderson Arena. Incredible game between two very hard-nosed teams and a crazy crowd in that little bandbox. I thought '02 BG was the best MAC team to ever not get an at-large bid.
03-12-2017 12:01 PM
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