Akron Game - Tuesday January 9, 2023

I was going to say the same thing! Last 2 minutes lately we just can’t seem to make the magic happen or keep the fires clicked. Effort was definitely there though! Another tough one coming up at Toledo. Need the same effort and energy consistently to be competitive.

Just make what we saw Saturday all the more sickening.

Give credit to the staff on a good game plan. That is the best team in the MAC and we competed despite our obvious limitations. Jihad played his best game and guards were competent. We need more than 3 players to score but we just don't have that. If they keep playing hard like they did tonight maybe we can at least compete for the win against the lower and mids of the conference.

I'd love to see us go on the road Saturday and not bend over.

No question. They are by far the most talented and best coached team in the MAC. 

I thought the season was over Saturday, and while I still don't have much hope because the starters are already running out of gas, I felt genuinely bad for the team tonight. That's the most lopsided officiating job I've seen in a long time. Phantom fouls like crazy on us in the second half, while Akron absolutely raped Jihad and Anderson every time they touched  the ball the last 5 minutes with virtually no calls. I'll die on that hill. It was utter bullshit. 

Look, Akron is a solid team and Groce is a helluva coach, but he's the whiniest bitch I've ever seen in Worthen. He works the refs WAY more than he coaches his team, and his staff works the refs a lot too. He eventually just gets his way, and it sucks. I can't stand him. He also has some very interesting neurotic behaviors/ habits that are kinda interesting to watch. 

Having said that, Lewis better figure out how to recruit with him and how to work the refs the way he does or he'll never find himself at the top of the league. 

Now, what I will say is that Jihad, while a beast most of the night, must learn (along with Anderson) when to not force it. And Anderson's ballhandling has to get better. Bailey's lack of clock awareness late in the game was disappointing. One thing I noticed the last 2 games is that both coaches exposed us on inbounds plays, as we had a really hard time getting the ball inbounds and getting into offense both games. 

MAC Results Tuesday 1/9/2024
Akron beats Ball State 80-76 at BSU
Central Michigan beats Eastern Michigan 80-64 at EMU
Western Michigan beats Northern Illinois 95-90 in OT at home.
Toledo beats Kent State 89-75 at KSU
Miami beats Buffalo 86-65 at UB
Bowling Green beats Ohio 83-78 at home.