The University of Akron Athletics
Men's Basketball Picked First in MAC Preseason Poll
October 24 | Men's Basketball
CLEVELAND - The University of Akron men's
basketball team was picked to finish first in the Mid-American
Conference East Division and was also tabbed to win the conference
tournament in a poll released on Tuesday by the MAC News Media
Association in conjunction with the league's Men's Basketball Media
Day at the Renaissance Hotel.
The Zips received 35 first-place votes and 26 tallies to win the
FirstEnergy MAC Tournament.
Akron, which is led by third-year head coach
Keith Dambrot, finished
last season with a 23-10 record - the most wins in the program's
Division I era (joined in 1980-81). The Zips also notched the
school's first D-I postseason victory in the form of an 80-73
overtime win at Temple in the opening round of the National
Invitation Tournament.
UA, which finished second in the East Division last season with a
14-4 mark, returns its top four scorers and four starters from a
year ago. Highlighting that group are seniors
Romeo Travis (Akron,
Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary HS) and
Dru
Joyce (Akron, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary HS). Travis, a
candidate for MAC player of the year, led the Zips in scoring (13.5
ppg), rebounding (6.8 rpg) and field goal percentage (52.4
percent/175-of-334). Joyce led the team in assists (5.0 apg) and
was third in scoring (10.0 ppg). Travis was named to the NABC
All-District 10 Second Team as well as to the All-MAC first team,
while Joyce was picked as an all-league honorable mention.
Travis was one of 10 players chosen to this year's Preseason
All-MAC Team and joined Dambrot in Cleveland for the media
gathering.
Ohio was picked to finish second in the East Division, with Kent
State, Miami (Ohio), Buffalo and Bowling Green rounding out the
standings.
The MAC News Media Association chose Toledo as the favorite in the
West Division for the third-straight year. Northern Illinois and
Western Michigan were selected 2-3, with Ball State, Eastern
Michigan and Central Michigan following.
Akron will play host to Hillsdale College (Mich.) in an exhibition
game on Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. EDT at Rhodes Arena. The Zips get the
regular season underway in Lubbock, Texas at the College Basketball
Experience (CBE) Classic (formerly the Guardians Classic) on Nov.
13, with a neutral match up against Arkansas-Little Rock at United
Spirit Arena. The winner of that game will face the winner of the
Texas Tech vs. Gardner-Webb contest on Nov. 14 on ESPN2.
2006-07 Mid-American Conference News Media Association
Preseason Poll
East Division
1. Akron (35) - 224
2. Ohio (3) - 151
3. Kent State - 146
4. Miami (Ohio) -144
5. Buffalo - 83
6. Bowling Green - 50
West Division
1. Toledo (34) - 217
2. Northern Illinois (1) - 158
3. Western Michigan - 151
4. Ball State (3) - 148
5. Eastern Michigan - 66
6. Central Michigan - 58
First place votes in parentheses ()
Tournament Votes: Akron 26, Miami (Ohio) 4, Toledo
4, Kent State 2, Ohio 2.
