Use this thread to talk about anything game-related.

Date: February 22nd, 2014  6:00 PM

Opponent: Akron   (17-9, 9-4 MAC)

Site: James A. Rhodes Arena

TV: TWC SportsChannel, ESPN FullCOurt

Radio:  Ohio Radio

Webcast: ESPN3 (subject to blackout in Ohio) and MAC-sports.com (for those blacked out on ESPN3)

Akron's media guide, roster and statistics. 

Fan site:  ZipsNation   

The schedule tells us that Saturday’s Akron game is a rematch, but I’m not so sure that’s the truth.

Eleven games have passed since the overtime thriller in game two of the MAC season. Akron has lost Nick Harney to disciplinary issues, Reggie McAdams to mono, and possibly Jake Kretzer with a back flare up. Ohio was adjusting to like without Ric Johnson, but is taking on the air of a MASH unit in the last 10 days with injuries to Taylor and Hall. Anybody who thinks they know who’s going to play, let alone what’s going to happen at Rhodes Arena Saturday night, is making stuff up.  

This game, like so much of life, will be about struggle, and how one deals with it.

And so it went one time when I was a junior librarian at Alden Library.  I worked in the stacks, putting back books that had just been returned. It’s an important job, because if a shelf tag is read wrong and the book is placed in an incorrect spot, it is essentially lost. We would spend hours debating the merits of the Dewey decimal system against the Library of Congress codes. I was in favor of strict decimal identification, because the LCC codes integrated letters, both capital and lower case, and that added a whole new layer to the complexity of shelving books.

I’d been working at the brand new library for just a short time when the Hocking River flooded. Those were grand events for students, because we’d jump from the patios West Green dorms into what had become a defacto swimming pool. Was it smart? Hell no! Was it fun? You bet your sweet bippy it was fun! And it was great stress relief after hours of library toil. And the eye infection suffered by the entire 6th floor staff shortly after ignoring the warnings of responsible adults in the offices on the 5th floor was entirely worth the experience of pretending to be a pearl diver in the James Hall parking garage.

That eye infection however, had unfortunate effects on the quality of reshelving at Alden for several weeks. It’s difficult to distinguish all those letters and numbers when vision is compromised and the only medication you have is penicillin.  A number of graduate students missed deadlines after books they needed to find again in order to defend their theses. It was quite the debacle.

But we persevered. Our collective vision returned, and with it, a resolve to go through every shelf in the library and find those books that were in the wrong places. And we made it right again. And then Claude Sowle became president, but that’s another story about struggle.

Weather will remain above freezing, but roads could be questionable as high waters inundate the region. Use caution driving near high water. Even more swimming in it.

Kretzer didn't have a back flareup; he got elbowed in the mouth at Buffalo, suffering a possible concussion and severely cut upper lip.

Boys and girls, it's gut check time around the MAC  !   Most teams are nicked up as they round the corner and head down the home stretch!   Some are limping like Stevie, some are on crutches like Rico, others are reeling from hitting the freshman and sophmore walls that pop up this time of the year.  The Bobcats should probably just meet Akron at the local emergency room and battle it out there where help is close bye.
Now is the time for the toughest, most seasoned teams in the league to show their class in the next couple of weeks.  Hint:   I would guess we saw the best of the bunch dressed in black uni's last night in the convo.  The Broncos are very big, solid, fundamentally sound, experienced, and well coached.    Scary thought:  What if last year's Freshman of the year had not chosen to transfer to Illinois?  How good would WMU be with that kid still with them ??
Very difficult road ahead for the Cats.  We need to find a couple of wins someplace along the way !

Is it just me, or would Ohio be better off putting N'Dour on Diggs and letting Jon Smith try to slow down Treadwell? Diggs killed the Bobcats last game anytime a smaller guard like Taylor, Kellogg or Willis guarded him. Campbell and Setty better be ready to spell Smith off the bench.

No Harney (suspension) McAdams or Kretzer (injuries) for the Zips tomorrow. per Arkley

Son and I will be there to cheer on the Cats tomorrow

This is kind of bizarro world.  Both Akron and Ohio have been relatively spared of the injury bug for several years, now both teams are close to being decimated by it. 

Who wants it more? This is an opportunity both teams need to take advantage of. Both teams can throw in the towel if they want to. Who wants to keep fighting?

It's been a while since I've been to the JAR.  Just walk up for tix? 2 of us.

Prefer to sit behind Bobcat bench....kind a last minute trip.

Down to just GA for the game.  Get there early if you want a decent view.  I think ill head down and catch the Kent UB game before grabbing food on my way to our game.  Go Flashes!!

You will be lucky to get any ticket at all.  Lower bowl sold out for the season.

Hall and Ndour are expected to play. I imagine it will be a gametime decision for Stevie.

Is the MAC feed working for anyone?