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Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
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kreed5120 Offline
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Post: #1
Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
"Akron, unsurprisingly, is MAC shootyhoops last hope"

http://www.hustlebelt.com/2017/3/20/1498...sten-radio
03-20-2017 02:14 PM
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kreed5120 Offline
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RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
Akron is getting taken to the woodshed by UTA. Pathetic showing by the MAC this postseason. We have a long way to go as a conference.
03-20-2017 08:17 PM
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perimeterpost Offline
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Post: #3
RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
Big Dog frustrates the heck out of me- loads of talent trapped in a slow, bloated body.
03-20-2017 08:24 PM
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axeme Offline
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Post: #4
RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
There aren't too many pro leagues that play as slow as he needs a game to be, assuming he wants to continue playing somewhere overseas.
03-20-2017 08:40 PM
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inductchuck16 Offline
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RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
What the heck happened to Akron? Come on, you gotta do better than that for the sake of the league. Team probably wasn't mentally in it anymore.
03-20-2017 10:50 PM
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kreed5120 Offline
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RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
(03-20-2017 10:50 PM)inductchuck16 Wrote:  What the heck happened to Akron? Come on, you gotta do better than that for the sake of the league. Team probably wasn't mentally in it anymore.

Akron came out sloppy and made a lot of unforced errors. I believe they finished the game with 7-8 travel calls alone. Not to take anything away from UTA as they were the far better team. UTA came in with a solid game plan to make Big Dog a non-factor as they managed to consistently force the ball out of his hands with double and occasionally triple teams while at the same time being quick enough on their rotations to not allow open 3's. Akron's guards couldn't find ways of creating quality looks for themselves nor their teammates. Defensively the Zips had no answer to UTA's pure athleticism and good ball movement. Every shot UTA put up was a high % shot.

I wouldn't necessarily say UTA is 16 points better than Akron, but they are still better nonetheless. They would have won the MAC this season no doubt in my mind.
03-21-2017 08:29 AM
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axeme Offline
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Post: #7
RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
It's hard to measure at this point. Seeing them play vs. Akron doesn't tell us a lot. While Akron was the best team in the MAC for the first 2/3 of the season, they clearly were not the best team in the MAC over the last third. So the team UTA played last night was not really the best measure of how they would have done in the MAC. They were 12-4 in the Sun Belt and lost their title game. They just didn't show Akron those weaknesses last night. And Akron has not been very good over the last 4-5 weeks.
03-21-2017 08:41 AM
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kreed5120 Offline
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RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
(03-21-2017 08:41 AM)axeme Wrote:  It's hard to measure at this point. Seeing them play vs. Akron doesn't tell us a lot. While Akron was the best team in the MAC for the first 2/3 of the season, they clearly were not the best team in the MAC over the last third. So the team UTA played last night was not really the best measure of how they would have done in the MAC. They were 12-4 in the Sun Belt and lost their title game. They just didn't show Akron those weaknesses last night. And Akron has not been very good over the last 4-5 weeks.

Akron was still good enough to make the title game and good enough to push the eventual tournament winner to the closing minutes. Also, good enough to beat a pretty good Houston team.

UTA smoked a good BYU team just as badly. It should be noted UTA loss to Texas State in the tournament also happened to be their 1st game without their 2nd leading scorer who got injured the game prior and was ruled out for the year. Whatever adjustments they have made since then have appeared to work for them. Kaelon Williams, the guy most benefiting from the extra minutes, has combined for 38 points, 10 boards, and 3 assists on an efficient 15/20 shooting.

Perhaps what's really happening is UTA is just now peaking and they weren't this good all year. Either way what Akron faced last night was better than any team we encountered during MAC play.
03-21-2017 09:29 AM
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KSU5 Offline
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Post: #9
RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
[/quote] Perhaps what's really happening is UTA is just now peaking and they weren't this good all year. Either way what Akron faced last night was better than any team we encountered during MAC play.
[/quote]

This is spot on. UTA slipped up in their tournament, but they have been explosive all year. Same thing with CSU-Bakersfield. Both teams are peaking at the right time in the NIT.
03-21-2017 02:25 PM
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cleveland Offline
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Post: #10
RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
Perhaps what's really happening is UTA is just now peaking and they weren't this good all year. Either way what Akron faced last night was better than any team we encountered during MAC play.
[/quote]

This is spot on. UTA slipped up in their tournament, but they have been explosive all year. Same thing with CSU-Bakersfield. Both teams are peaking at the right time in the NIT.
[/quote]

There is a lot to be said, not only for teams peaking, but also for teams adjusting. UTA made what looks like a really good adjustment after losing its second leading scorer and now the team is 'peaking.' ... It can be argued Kent State made a late-season adjustment (four guards) and then it started 'peaking.'

It happens. ... The problem is two-fold. First, the 'peaking' team is still judged mostly by what it did before ... so no at-large opportunity for improving.

Second .. the losing teams/teams (Akron/UB/Ohio MAC Tournament) are penalized for falling to what is perceived to be a bad team, when, in fact, they are now pretty good.

Rigged system.
03-21-2017 04:31 PM
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MileHighBronco Offline
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Post: #11
RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
No sugar coating it. I thought that Akron looked terrible last night. I was embarrassed for them and for the MAC.

Yes, their opponent was good. You would expect that in the second round of the NIT I would think.
03-21-2017 05:41 PM
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Wadszip Offline
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Post: #12
RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
(03-21-2017 05:41 PM)MileHighBronco Wrote:  No sugar coating it. I thought that Akron looked terrible last night. I was embarrassed for them and for the MAC.

Yes, their opponent was good. You would expect that in the second round of the NIT I would think.

You know what's embarrassing is a WMU fan saying they were embarrassed for Akron. Oh well, bad road losses happen.

What you really should be embarrassed about is WMU's record against Akron in the Hawkins era ... what is it now, 4-19?
(This post was last modified: 03-21-2017 09:33 PM by Wadszip.)
03-21-2017 09:32 PM
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Wadszip Offline
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RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
(03-21-2017 09:29 AM)kreed5120 Wrote:  
(03-21-2017 08:41 AM)axeme Wrote:  It's hard to measure at this point. Seeing them play vs. Akron doesn't tell us a lot. While Akron was the best team in the MAC for the first 2/3 of the season, they clearly were not the best team in the MAC over the last third. So the team UTA played last night was not really the best measure of how they would have done in the MAC. They were 12-4 in the Sun Belt and lost their title game. They just didn't show Akron those weaknesses last night. And Akron has not been very good over the last 4-5 weeks.

Akron was still good enough to make the title game and good enough to push the eventual tournament winner to the closing minutes. Also, good enough to beat a pretty good Houston team.

UTA smoked a good BYU team just as badly. It should be noted UTA loss to Texas State in the tournament also happened to be their 1st game without their 2nd leading scorer who got injured the game prior and was ruled out for the year. Whatever adjustments they have made since then have appeared to work for them. Kaelon Williams, the guy most benefiting from the extra minutes, has combined for 38 points, 10 boards, and 3 assists on an efficient 15/20 shooting.

Perhaps what's really happening is UTA is just now peaking and they weren't this good all year. Either way what Akron faced last night was better than any team we encountered during MAC play.

That last paragraph is spot on.

Here's some food for thought. Akron played 35 games this season.

In 32 of those games (including all 21 MAC games), they had held a lead in the second half. In those MAC games, I believe they held a lead with five or less minutes remaining in every one, at that.

In two other games (Gonzaga and Creighton) they had been within two possessions at the 32 minute mark (I don't believe they ever led in the second half of either ... know they got to within one against Creighton, can't remember against Gonzaga).

The only game they hadn't either led or been within two possessions late was last night.

Even as mediocre as some want to think Akron played down the stretch (despite essentially locking up the regular season title with three weeks left, advancing to the tourney title game and winning a first-round game in Houston just four days earlier) they were still the best the MAC had to offer.

As much as some MAC fans don't want to admit the Sun Belt is every bit as good as the MAC, this was the first time all year Akron has been taken to the woodshed. I'm going to give all the credit to UT-Arlington and not try to make excuses for why Akron got hammered.

And yes, UT-Arlington absolutely would've been the best team in the MAC this year ... they do, after all, have 27 wins and went 14-4 in the SB (same record as Akron in the MAC).
(This post was last modified: 03-21-2017 10:12 PM by Wadszip.)
03-21-2017 09:53 PM
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OhioBobcatJohn Offline
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RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
Arlington beat Ohio State in Columbus early in the season. They were top 50 rpi despite playing in a weaker conference.
03-21-2017 10:01 PM
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Wadszip Offline
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RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
(03-21-2017 10:01 PM)OhioBobcatJohn Wrote:  Arlington beat Ohio State in Columbus early in the season. They were top 50 rpi despite playing in a weaker conference.

That was last year. Though Arlington did beat Texas by 11 this year, along with winning @St. Mary's.

They also lost @Arkansas by 4 this year and lost to Texas in OT last year. And they won @Memphis last year.

It's a very good program.
03-21-2017 10:08 PM
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RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
Arlington is very good and was probably the second best mid major (after Illinois State) to not get in the dance.
03-21-2017 10:39 PM
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MacLord Offline
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RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
Aaaaand.... Arlington got rolled by Bakersfield to send a WAC team to MSG.
03-22-2017 11:08 PM
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pono Offline
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RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
Bakerfield is playing out of their minds. This NIT run is like Loyola Marymount back in the day in the NCAAs. Bakersfield was the lowest seeded team in the NIT. 31st or 32nd out of 32. They have come out punching people in the face with every game on the road. Halftime at Cal 44-19. Colorado State 52-32. at UT-Arlington with a bigger crowd than for Akron ... 45-29.
03-23-2017 03:32 AM
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emu steve Offline
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RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
I like the NIT because of the match-ups.

Last night UCF, with Tacko Fall, hosted and beat the Illini. Earlier Oakland beat Clemson. Richmond beat Alabama. Even Boise beat Utah.

Chance to play the power conference teams.

So we have Cinderellas beating bigger name schools.

The Final Four are two fours, a six, and an eight. Wow!!
(This post was last modified: 03-23-2017 05:07 AM by emu steve.)
03-23-2017 04:43 AM
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MacLord Offline
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RE: Akron Zips at UT-Arlington
This illustrates why they give so few mid-majors bids to the big tournament. The level is play is closer than they ever want to admit. When the MVC exposed this years ago, rather than getting more respect, they got fewer bids.
03-23-2017 10:11 AM
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