Zips sports news, features and notes
- UA football: Zips lift quarterback prospect Chandler Kincade from Pitt’s backyard
- Mid-American Conference announces kickoff times for some UA and KSU football games
- George M. Thomas: Finals ratings go up with stakes
- George Thomas: Magic Johnson prescribe’s Heat’s cure
- UA notebook: Keith Dambrot has Zips working for future
- On the record — Three former KSU golfers in U.S. Open
- Zips teams showing academic progress
- Q&A with Quincy Diggs, who returns to Zips basketball after suspension
- Former Zips point guard Abreu pleads guilty in drug case
- UA football: Defensive lineman gains sixth year of eligibility, set to transfer to UA from Florida State
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John Groce a top candidate for Illinois job
Men's basketball
It's not Akron news, but the departure of John Groce could sway the balance of power in the MAC East.
This evening, CBS is reporting that Ohio University's coach is a top choice for Illinois, and Groce is interested.
Keith Dambrot, perhaps looking to a silver lining in the press conference following the MAC Championship, mentioned that Groce "is a young guy" and "will get another" job. Of course, this statement predated the Bobcats' march to the Sweet Sixteen and thrilling loss to North Carolina.
I was talking to some Bobcats friends of mine -- who, of course, now believe that Ohio is the best program ever to lace up in the MAC -- and I had to remind them of a key fact: The Bobcats weren't better than Akron over the MAC regular season, and they only won the tournament because of a rimmed-out 14-footer by Brian Walsh.
Here's what I won't dispute: Akron could not have done what Ohio did. It takes a special player like D.J. Cooper to pull off two (and nearly three) upsets on a big stage. The question for the offseason will be: Can Alex Abreu rise to that level?
But with Cooper back for his senior year (as well as every other OU player), the Bobcats will still be favored to repeat as MAC champs, irrespective of Groce's plans.
