Similar to talk on BA last week about former MAC rival Marshall ending this thing.

UMass did play Miami to a 2-pt loss in Oxford last month. I'm sure they'll give them their best shot again next week. But Miami will prevail again.

I think Akron might’ve got them tonight. Miami didn’t shoot it well in the first half and Ohio missed free throws. Then ran out of gas. There was an opening, but this is not the team to capitalize on that.

If you like good basketball then Miami is a very fun team to watch.

Akron wins by 7; Miami by 16.

Being good making twos and giving up threes is not a good strategy to win in college basketball nowadays

Granted Miami is a decent team, but they wouldn’t be undefeated if they had played anybody good. If you want to get a good laugh, check their OOC schedule.

Reminder to myself that I can’t take any game that had to wait for the NBA All-Star Rock N’Jock MVP trophy presentation too much to heart. It was one step away from being pre-empted by Slippery Stairs on the Ocho.

I like Jeff Boals as a person. But as a coach... man, it's no longer working.

Remember when we beat Virginia, and then a year later we were 22-3 at one point? (sigh...) It's time for us all to agree that those were Saul's recruits and that Boals' recruits can't cut it. And he can't coach guys up.

This team is bad and really, really hard to root for. I like Jackson, but that's it.

Dear OU: Please clean house. New coach, new roster. Tear it down to the studs.

At season end we can discuss next year, good and bad.






GO BOBCATS

Talent evaluation and recruiting have been abject failures. This roster is the Island of Misfit Toys. Akron, KSU, Miami and Toledo coaches must laugh their asses off every signing day.

Awesome scene inside and outside Millett. There were lines at every entrance around hour before doors open. I knew I had to arrive early to get the seats I like by the visitor locker room tunnel. It was halfway to Who concert at doors as Miami students really bum-rushed to get in. I've seen video of Allen Fieldhouse on gameday, which I think is first come first served seating for students, where they are running to their seats. That's what it was last night. The only time I've seen anything like it at a MAC game was Gary Trent day.

The place really showed out with Dewine in the front row and lots of Miami 'pubs coming over to kiss the ring. Devin Davis double fisting Nutrls. It seemed as though every GA section was at least 75% students. I don't know how they determine the matrix between free student tickets vs general public sales, but combine that with free parking and I think Miami is missing out on a ton of money with these big crowds.

My main takeaway was that there seemed to always be a mismatch in Miami's favor. I said beforehand that guarding Suder and Elmer would be bleak. We put Kelly on Suder to start but that led to some weird matchups and switches, like Sheldon on Elmer or Pav on Byers. This is a game where you really feel the loss of AJ Brown, and not that he is a defensive dynamo but I think he can counterbalance Suder's scoring with his own scoring. If Miami makes it to the tournament, their ability to play Suder and Elmer at the 2 and 3 instead of the 3 and 4 will be huge for playing against a power conference team.

Pav is the only player on this team that can raise his game to this level environment and pressure. Not enough from Simmons and Hadaway. Not one Ohio player had more than four rebounds. Byers shooting 16 free throw makes me sad for what Hadaway should have become in his senior year.

I'm not in full roster upheaval mode. We lose five guys anyway at least. Simmons ultimately is a positive on the roster. Kelly, Kuany, and Burris could become some great pieces in time. Burris' shoots with great confidence from the arc and mid range. He reminds me of Scott Thomas at BG like a decade+ ago. Guy always seemed to have a great game against us. Kuany's length and athleticism alone account for some scoring on their own but his defense has a way's to go. Three defensive blunders I can remember last night. Elliott gets a pass for his health, as does Mosley. Who knows with Fisher but we should make that offer every time. If Evans can't make a commitment to get up to like 230 pounds, I don't need him.

I'm saying I want Simmons back. Kuany and Burris can stay and it's not fair to them to expect Kelly level production when they are freshman and sometimes play like freshmen. A redshirt freshman in the rotation or a true freshman out of the rotation are, I think, too soon to tell.

Miami's men's team takes its undefeated record into UMass Tuesday night. Miami's women's team suffered its first MAC loss today at . . . . you got it, UMass. Just saying - I actually don't see Miami losing until Saturday of the MAC tourney.