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Topic: Akron keeps skating by

Topic: Akron keeps skating by

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100%Cat
General User

Member Since: 1/17/2013
Post Count: 2,630

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Akron keeps skating by

Posted: 2/14/2013 9:46:22 AM

I have a lot of respect for Akron. I hate them, but I still respect them. They have a great squad this year. That being said, they seem to be winning a LOT of games this year by unimpressive margins, considering the competition. They played a great game against us, but games against teams like EMU last night, Miami last weekend, and Buffalo at home when they trailed by 20 are pretty shocking for a team undefeated in conference this late in the year. When I watched some of their game at BG I thought they were pretty unimpressive for stretches. Is it playing down to their competition? Are they weaker than their conference record indicates? For as talented and deep as they are, I expect to see them blowing out weak teams in the MAC.

I'm really excited for their trip to Athens to see how they handle the atmosphere. Obviously they were overwhelmed here last year, and I'm starting to think it could happen again. I still think the only game between us that will matter will be in Cleveland, though.

Last Edited: 2/14/2013 9:47:47 AM by 100%Cat

Andrew Ruck
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Member Since: 12/22/2004
Location: Columbus, OH
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RE: Akron keeps skating by

Posted: 2/14/2013 11:18:41 AM

I don't know that it is fair to label them as skating by. Point differential in games other than each other:

Akron +104 in 10 games (10.4 per game)
Ohio +115 in 9 games (12.8 per game)

They still have Buffalo on the road and BG/Miami/Kent at home...we still have BG and Buffalo on the road and Kent/Miami at home. We've probably had the slightly easier schedule to this point, which could be enough to explain the minor difference in our favor.

Interesting to note - Akron has only scored more than 71 points in 1 MAC game - Ohio. Ohio has only given up more than 68 points in 1 MAC game - Akron. This would suggest that the 86 points against us was a product of them being really ampled up and played really really well that day.

Andrew Ruck
B.B.A. 2003

Bhugh24
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 50

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RE: Akron keeps skating by

Posted: 2/14/2013 11:35:06 AM

I agree about Akron struggling - point deferrentials are one thing, but if you watched them play against CMU, Miami and EMU, you can tell something isn't right (or at least compared to the game against us). They were losing or tied most of the Miami game until the last minute, same with CMU. And EMU was within 2 or 3 with a few minutes to go.

It reminds me a little of our football team - we kept winning MAC games for a little bit against bad teams where the games were really close and we had to come back. You could tell injuries, other things weren't right, but some people kept saying "we are winning", "we are playing down to competion", etc. and eventually we ran into better teams and things went wrong for a bit.

Maybe the Zips are just struggling a bit, maybe a couple of injuries are slowing them down, maybe they are playing down to competition...and they'll be fine and not lose another game. But if I were a betting man, I could see them losing two or three games in the last month.

Jeff McKinney
Moderator

Member Since: 11/12/2004
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RE: Akron keeps skating by

Posted: 2/14/2013 11:44:13 AM

It's pretty normal in the MAC for the top teams to struggle and win by small margins against lower teams...although this is an aberrant season in some ways.

I think Akron is playing OK and will be fine down the stretch. But I honestly think that Ohio will find a way to edge them out for the NCAA berth. Guess we'll see if it happens.

UpSan Bobcat
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Location: Upper Sandusky, OH
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RE: Akron keeps skating by

Posted: 2/14/2013 12:04:13 PM

Ohio clearly established itself as superior to its opponent by the early part of the second half in all but a few games (WMU, Toledo, Kent State, Akron, BG) and had only the WMU and Kent State games came down to the last few minutes. The Bobcats have won by 18+ four times in one less game.

Akron's most convincing wins actually were against Toledo and Western Michigan (the Zips' only win of 16+). Ball State was within four in the last three minutes, Kent State was tied with just over a minute to go, Buffalo down one with just over a minute left, CMU trailed by one with two minutes left, Miami tied with 2:30 left, EMU down 4 with less than five left.

I think Ohio certainly had a chance to add to its scoring margin but went to its bench very early on multiple occassions. Buffalo and NIU were cases where the margin was well over 30 but ended up 20 or less. I don't think Akron had the luxury of sitting the starters early more than once.

I'm not sure what this all says. Maybe Akron takes longer to get playing at a high level (it took them a little time even in the Ohio game). Maybe teams bring it more against the Zips. Maybe it is an Akron flaw. Or maybe it's just a bit of luck in the way games have played out.

Mark Lembright '85
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Location: Highland Heights, OH
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RE: Akron keeps skating by

Posted: 2/14/2013 12:46:30 PM

UpSan Bobcat wrote:

I don't know, I think Akron's 14 point margin of victory over Ohio, far and away the second best team in the MAC (but soon to be the best), is rather impressive.

100%Cat
General User

Member Since: 1/17/2013
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RE: Akron keeps skating by

Posted: 2/14/2013 1:09:01 PM

Mark Lembright '85 wrote:

UpSan Bobcat wrote:

I don't know, I think Akron's 14 point margin of victory over Ohio, far and away the second best team in the MAC (but soon to be the best), is rather impressive.

But even in their game against us, as poorly as we played from the 10 minute mark on, it was a single digit game late.

Bhugh24
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RE: Akron keeps skating by

Posted: 2/14/2013 1:32:06 PM

I'm not saying Akron's team and their winning streak hasn't been impressive - their accomplishments are legitimate. You don't win all those games by not being a good team.

But if you have followed them recently and watched their games, I think it is obvious something isn't clicking right.

It could just be a bad stretch, its a long season and every team goes through it, at all levels. But as I mentioned above, I think they could end up losing two or three games during the stretch run here.

perimeterpost
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Member Since: 7/6/2010
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RE: Akron keeps skating by

Posted: 2/14/2013 2:10:04 PM

Akron's winning streak looks alot like our football team's winning streak- one impressive win and a whole bunch of games that had no business being as close as they were.

Let's wait and see if Akron can keep it within 20 at the Convo, then we'll have a better idea of how good they really are.

MY STATE. MY TEAM.

UpSan Bobcat
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Member Since: 8/30/2005
Location: Upper Sandusky, OH
Post Count: 3,812

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RE: Akron keeps skating by

Posted: 2/14/2013 3:06:18 PM

Mark Lembright '85 wrote:

UpSan Bobcat wrote:

I don't know, I think Akron's 14 point margin of victory over Ohio, far and away the second best team in the MAC (but soon to be the best), is rather impressive.

It certainly was and Akron was impressive vs. WMU and Toledo too. Why have they been so much less impressive against inferior opponents?

whocaresgobobcats
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Member Since: 8/29/2011
Post Count: 519

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RE: Akron keeps skating by

Posted: 2/14/2013 6:07:06 PM

UpSan Bobcat wrote:

Mark Lembright '85 wrote:

UpSan Bobcat wrote:

I don't know, I think Akron's 14 point margin of victory over Ohio, far and away the second best team in the MAC (but soon to be the best), is rather impressive.

It certainly was and Akron was impressive vs. WMU and Toledo too. Why have they been so much less impressive against inferior opponents?

thinking about their final 4 apperance imo

Pataskala
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RE: Akron keeps skating by

Posted: 2/15/2013 7:23:06 AM

I think Akron was cranked for our first meeting. Big home crowd; Abrieu had something to prove vs. DJ; Marshall wanted to dominate underneath. The thing I've noticed in the few times I've seen them is their maturity this season. Even last year Marshall and Abrieu were easily rattled. Lost their composure a lot. This year they seem to be more in control of their emotions. The only minus I saw in that regard vs. Ohio was one of their guys hit a three and went down the court pointing his fingers like guns. Probably could've drawn a T but I don't think the refs saw it.

We will get by.
We will get by.
We will get by.
We will survive.

Bobcatbob
General User

Member Since: 12/21/2004
Location: Coolville, OH
Post Count: 1,347

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RE: Akron keeps skating by

Posted: 2/15/2013 8:40:01 AM

I will only say this, when this much screen ink and energy is spent trying to convince ourselves that we are still a better team than the team that beat us handily, it smacks of envy. Give them credit, for heaven's sake. They beat us and every other team on their MAC schedule so far. If we beat them (twice in a month) those will undoubtedly be our two best conference wins of the year. i wouldn't want it any other way.

And, by the way, just like we visit other team's board after wins to see their snarky remarks about being better then us so we can laugh at their inadequacy (PSU football, anyone?), I'll bet the Zip faithful (all three of them) are doing the same thing right now.

Bhugh24
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 50

Status: Offline

RE: Akron keeps skating by

Posted: 2/15/2013 9:18:14 AM

Bobcatbob wrote:

My intention is not to disparage - I've said it a couple times, they are having a great season. My observation was just that based on how they've been playing, they could be in trouble the next few weeks.

And your mentioning of the football team (and others) was the example I was referring too.

We kept winning that early part of the MAC schedule, others were saying we were lucky and hating on us, and we just kept pointing to the wins. But a lot people at the time, and now looking back, were concerned because even though we were winning games, you could tell we were struggling and that we could be in for a rough go at the end of the season.

I think there are parallals with the Zips.

OUVan
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Bethesda, MD
Post Count: 5,580

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RE: Akron keeps skating by

Posted: 2/15/2013 10:38:18 AM

Bobcatbob wrote:

Maybe but their resume isn't much better than ours. The difference is they played one fewer road game OOC (they lost all their OOC road games as well) and our head to head matchup was up there. Right now they are and should be ranked ahead of us but that could easily change after they come down to Athens.

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