(04-02-2017 01:27 AM)pono Wrote:  Point 1) The MAC may have been weak toward the top but the wins over at Ga. Tech, Texas and Houston all have to be considered legit.

2) The bottom third of the MAC was better than average this year. Although, that's nothing to open champagne over.

3) The Antino Jackson and Josh Williams transfers are no big deal. Jackson was an undersized hit or miss player who had a free run of the court under Dambrot always played loose and a could play little above his level on good nights. He is very replaceable. Plenty of good fast undersized and underrated guards on the recruiting trail if that's your thing (Dambrot likes em).

4) The Weathers transfers are worse as the PG twin gave the worst team in the league a pretty big time player running the show. I think there's a chance he stays if the new coach can re-recruit him back, unless the issue is more the school than the team.

5) The MAC keeps adding transfers too. Buffalo and Toledo got some great JUCO and D1 transfers coming in and there will be a little run on grad transfers from big programs looking for a starting role on a mid major in the coming month or two.

I agree with the thrust on transfers.

Transfers are a two way street: Transfers in and out.

We lose some, not too many, and we gain a lot. Transfers are theoretically trying to find the best school for them.

Most are trying to find the highest level they think they can be successful.

E.g., Ethan Alvano a role player PG for us for two years transferred home to So Cal - Cal State San Marcos. He averaged more than 15 ppg this season in D-II ball.

We have seen a number of players from Cleveland State move up to L'ville, etc. as graduate transfers.

Some players are just trying to find a better fit, maybe escape a situation they didn't like, etc.

Generally speaking, I don't have problems with most transfers I see. Still a large percentage are players 'moving down' where they will try to become more successful than at their current level. I see a lot of these transfers with 1, 2, or 3 ppg averages and those usually go D-II. For them to play D-II ball is better than sitting on the end of a D-I bench.

(03-28-2017 08:34 PM)Wadszip Wrote:  

(03-28-2017 04:00 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  And if our new hire isn't able to somehow convince them to stay, this two-year rebuild just turned into a four-year rebuild.

I don't want to sound like a "I told you so," but that is always the risk you run with firing a coach. Granted, Cooper had every reason to be fired, but I still felt like he should've gotten one more year just to see what he could do with the Weathers' as sophomores.

And to make this a not Miami thing, and albeit different circumstances, I fully expect to see similar departures from Akron ... We'll see you at the race for the bottom next year.

A late reply, but the bottom line is that there's no guarantee that they'd stay even if Coop was still coach, and even if they did Coop had an awful track record with developing players. It'd be a disservice to them to be stuck under a coach like him for four years, I wish they stayed but at some point you have to rip the band-aid and move on. No one within our athletic department or what's left of our fan base were realistically expecting us to turn things around in a season, we're going to give Owens time to get us winning again.

I agree even without knowing the relationship between the Weathers and Cooper.

There is always a chance that players want, after a good frosh season, take a chance at a higher profile program.

When that happens I don't blame it on the current coach or situation.

In many respects it is no different than a very successful MAC FB coach who has a very good first season and move up to a bigger program.

Antino Jackson currently in attendance at Groce press conference. Maybe he isn't transferring after all?

(04-06-2017 10:20 AM)kreed5120 Wrote:  Antino Jackson currently in attendance at Groce press conference. Maybe he isn't transferring after all?

A couple years back, after Orr or Jan's left, half BG's roster was rumored to be leaving and only one or two actually went. If it was me I'd see who the new coach was and go from there, unless I just didn't like the school or, like Weathers, thought I could move up in the food chain.

I actually feel under Groces's system Antino would have a chance to showcase his talents. After my post yesterday, I heard a radio interview with Antino saying he has talked to some schools but made a point of emphasis to make it clear not to rule out a return to Akron.

Rosel Hurley will be transferring from Kent State

Leo Edwards has graduated from Kent State with one year of eligibility left, and won't be continuing his college basketball career

Together, they played 87 minutes on 2016-2017

(03-31-2017 07:02 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  

(03-31-2017 12:15 AM)emu steve Wrote:  MAC MBB is really starting (continuing) to hurt.

I believe the shift of financial resources to football (away from MBB) is really being seen.

We are falling further and further behind the American, A-10, etc. as well as a conference, MWC, on the other side of the country.

I don't know if it is a Midwest thing? The Horizon League is way down.

- the shift towards football happened 15yrs ago, not yesterday.
- The new ESPN contract brought more money and exposure to basketball than ever before.
- The MAC has gained on those conferences over the last 5 yrs, not slipped.

Note that the 2nd point, the additional money & exposure from the new ESPN contract, has not been in place long enough to have had an impact on the 3rd point.

MAC schools spend money on sports as a marketing spend ... if a school decides that a greater commitment to BBall is a good way to leverage the position of all MAC conference games on ESPN3 if not better, it's going to start to spend that money. If three or four make that decision, that's the start of something to build on.

But looking at 2000 and then looking at today with eyes firmly shut on what went on in between will give a false picture on the current trend ... things are not improving anywhere near as fast or as far as most anyone would wish for, but I reckon things are better than five years ago.

http://verbalcommits.com/players/noah-robotham

How much of a roster is left in Akron? With or without Antino.

Big Dog, Cheaham, Robotham, Antino (?), Dunn-Martin, etc. All seniors or transfers (or maybe transfers).

(04-09-2017 06:36 AM)emu steve Wrote:  http://verbalcommits.com/players/noah-robotham

How much of a roster is left in Akron? With or without Antino.

Big Dog, Cheaham, Robotham, Antino (?), Dunn-Martin, etc. All seniors or transfers (or maybe transfers).

Sort of like Buffalo when Hurley left along with several top players destroying any hope they had for a successful season under the new coach.

(04-09-2017 08:16 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  

(04-09-2017 06:36 AM)emu steve Wrote:  http://verbalcommits.com/players/noah-robotham

How much of a roster is left in Akron? With or without Antino.

Big Dog, Cheaham, Robotham, Antino (?), Dunn-Martin, etc. All seniors or transfers (or maybe transfers).

Sort of like Buffalo when Hurley left along with several top players destroying any hope they had for a successful season under the new coach.

Yeah - Buffalo was set back so far in Nate Oats' first season, they didn't win any NCAA tournament games after winning the MAC

Did anybody notice Simmons from Ohio was visiting Michigan over the weekend -- Senior Transfer???

(04-10-2017 06:59 AM)cleveland Wrote:  Did anybody notice Simmons from Ohio was visiting Michigan over the weekend -- Senior Transfer???

Graduate eligible transfer?

Antino currently has offers from NMSU and LSU.

Did I see Robothom is transferring from Akron too?

(04-10-2017 12:07 PM)BullBoy Wrote:  Did I see Robothom is transferring from Akron too?

Next year might be a Groce (or gross?) year for the Zips.

I fully expected Robotham to transfer. Given everyone else that the Zips were losing, he wasn't going to make or break the season.

goodness! it seems like Akron's program has sprung a leak if all of these transfer rumors are true. yowza!

Most players left before Groce was hired. Antino leaving even after Groce had a chance to talk to him is telling. Antino is a good fir for the type of system that Groce runs, and he still chose to leave.

Antino is on record saying that he was planning on looking at his options even if Dambrot had stayed. He just really wants to play for a P6 team.