MAC Tournament Diary: Day Two

March 10 | Men's Basketball

GoZips.com reporter Andy Harris will follow the Akron men's basketball team through its daily routine in Cleveland as it seeks its first ever Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship. Check back throughout the week for the latest scoop...

DAY TWO

10:48 a.m. - While the Zips are enjoying a team breakfast at the Renaissance, excitement back on the Akron campus is sky high. A line of students waiting for tickets stretches across the lobby of Rhodes Arena, and junior engineering major Donny Jarvis says he's going to brave the long line to buy tickets for himself and his parents. Forty miles north, the team those rabid fans are excited to see enjoys a low-key meal after a physical, exciting win over Central Michigan the night before. With a late tip tonight (although scheduled for 9 p.m., the game isn't likely to tip off until 9:30), the schedule for the day is pushed back a couple of hours.

12:00 p.m. - The Zips depart for practice at John Carroll University. One of the drawbacks of both the men's and women's tournaments being played at the same arena is that having practice at the venue is a near impossibility. Most of the players are still feeling the effects of last night's action, but the two that were injured in the game, Nate Linhart and Nick Dials, have no doubt that they'll play tonight. Practice isn't lengthy, only an hour and a half of offensive sets, set plays and strategy, and it's now time to head back to the hotel for some afternoon R&R.

1:37 p.m. - Donyell Marshall can't get enough of MAC basketball and the Akron Zips. The Cleveland Cavaliers forward is bumping around the lower level of Quicken Loans Arena, and you can be sure he'll be in attendance later on tonight when the Zips square off against Kent State. He (along with LeBron James) attended Sunday's Akron-KSU thriller at Kent State, a game won 66-64 by Akron in overtime.

2:18 p.m. - The action isn't just on the court. During tournament week, some of the most important activities take place off to it. Film study and review are a major part of the preparation for the Zips and in the makeshift team meeting/dining room at the team hotel, team manager Brian Raymont is busy setting up the video footage for the upcoming scouting session. On the floor in the far corner, the team's uniforms sit in a neat row, folded precisely and ready to be worn. The team was expected back from practice by now, but is running a bit late.

2:30 p.m. - The team bus pulls up outside the hotel and one by one, the players and coaches unload and head into their meeting room for a late lunch. Outside of this room, the hype for tonight's game is reaching exponential highs, but the team maintains a calm, relaxed demeanor - at least outwardly.

2:35 p.m. - Near the hotel's front desk, Blair Danner, a graduate assistant in the athletic department, is sorting through an oversized shoebox full of tickets for tonight's game. Akron has sold out its allotment of tickets for tonight's game, and that doesn't even account for those who will buy their tickets at the gate. The sellout crowds for the first two UA-KSU games this season will pale in comparison to the scores of fans expected to attend tonight.

2:42 p.m. - A member of the UA athletic training staff passes through the lobby, rushing right by a Miami University assistant coach, who walks a few feet in the other direction and passes a member of the Toledo coaching staff. That's life here at the MAC Tournament, where the same opponent you'll see on the court later in the day could be a fellow passenger in an elevator ride up to your room. The cohabitation with the other teams doesn't bother Coach Keith Dambrot, who explains with a shrug, "Does it bother me? Nah, that's just the way it is."

3:14 p.m. - Passing through the mostly quiet concourse of the arena, it's easier to notice small details. In the quiet, a Dippin' Dots stand sits idle, its awning proclaiming in bold print, "The Ice Cream of the Future". Still no explanation as to how it's been the ice cream of the future for more than twenty years.

4:23 p.m. - The women's semifinals have ended, with Bowling Green scoring a decisive 75-57 triumph over Eastern Michigan. The Falcons will face Ball State in the final, hopefully preceding an appearance by the Zips in the men's title game. The crowd is small but hearty, with many hearty Bowling Green fans in attendance. The arena will now be cleared and for the time being, all is quiet. Neither Miami nor Toledo has arrived yet for the first semifinal game, and the Zips are laying low at the hotel.

5:00 p.m. - The Zips are definitely hungry for a MAC title, but right now, they're hungry for some pasta and chicken. Players gradually drift in, many of them waking up from afternoon naps. Coach Dambrot initially wants to hold the scouting session first, but relents and lets everyone eat first. Freshman forward Chris McKnight won't be among those partaking in the food, though. He's not feeling well, hasn't been able to keep any food down most of the day and is clearly not feeling well. Meanwhile, Nick Dials stretches in the corner, trying to keep loose while playing through the ankle sprain he suffered in the quarterfinal against Central Michigan. Redshirt freshman guard Steve McNees and sophomore guard Jimmy Conyers engage in an intense staring match, but both end up breaking out in laughter instead.

5:14 p.m. - With most everyone done eating, it's time for the scouting session to commence. The only problem is that junior forward Jeremiah Wood is not present, having stepped out for a minute. He returns just in time and Coach Dambrot begins breaking down the Flashes. The scouting report entry for KSU guard Omni Smith reads: "He is their go-to guy. Has the green light." When discussing the Flashes' other senior guard, Armon Gates, Dambrot warns his players, "Attack him on the dribble. Also, we can't give him any free looks at the basket - none."

5:26 p.m. - A clip from Sunday's game at Kent allows Dambrot to show Conyers that he needs to be more active on the glass. "You see yourself watching there?" he asks Conyers. "You've gotta help out on the boards." Director of Basketball Operations Rick McFadden has taken the place of Lamont Paris for tonight's film session, and he helps Dambrot make points to specific players on what they need to do on a given play.

5:40 p.m. - McFadden plays a series of 10 clips illustrating second-chance baskets the Flashes scored Sunday because of the Zips' failure to properly box out. "We get those rebounds and don't give them those baskets, we're gonna win fellas," Dambrot declares. Not all of the analysis is negative; the coaches are also quick to praise players when they execute correctly and make the right choices on the court.

5:41 p.m. - Film session is over, and while players place food orders to eat after the game, they are reminded that the bus will leave for the arena at 7:30. "Don't be late," are Dambrot's final words. The irony is that the Zips will likely have to wait awhile once they arrive at the Q; the first semifinal could leak over past 9 p.m. and force the Zips to be patient as they await their chance to take the court.

7:30 p.m. - With the first semifinal just underway, the Zips team bus leaves the hotel on time for a second straight night. One decided advantage of playing in the late game is that traffic is considerably lighter and what was a 20-minute ride yesterday is only five minutes tonight. Most players look out the windows; only one or two speak during the ride. Coach Dambrot sits in the front of the bus, eyes fixed straight ahead and arms folded.

7:35 p.m. - Back into the service tunnel again. Junior guard Cedrick Middleton munches on some fruit-flavored candy and listens to a favorite group, Crime Mob, on his iPod. He calls it his "hype song", and you can see from the fire in his eyes that he's ready for this game.

8:15 p.m. - At the 16:28 mark of the second half, the Zips' nemesis, Toledo, trails by seven against Miami. The momentum looks to be shifting, though, thanks to the Rockets' quickness. Also, the stands are rapidly filling up, with Akron and Kent State fans comprising the bulk of the crowd.

8:20 p.m. - While the Golden Flashes are leaking out to courtside, the Zips remain entrenched in their locker room. KSU coach Jim Christian lingers at the end of the tunnel leading to the court, but there is no sign of activity outside the UA locker room. Zips coaches Lamont Paris and Jeff Boals scout the UT-Miami game in preparation for a potential matchup tomorrow.

8:46 p.m. - Game time is approaching, but the Zips are still conspicuously absent from courtside. They have elected to lay low and stay insulated from the madness in the arena, preferring time to themselves and a chance to focus.

8:58 p.m. - With 17.4 seconds left in the UT-Miami game, the Zips have moved out into the tunnel. They watch with great interest as Miami's Michael Bramos hits a key 3-pointer and a late dunk by Tim Pollitz seals the win for Miami.

9:05 p.m. - Finally….the Zips have returned to the court. Led by a jumping, yelling Dru Joyce, Akron bursts out of the tunnel with a vengeance.

9:23 p.m. - Back to the locker room for one final word from Coach Dambrot. The trip is a brief one, though, and within a few minutes...

9:30 p.m. - In the tunnel, the huddle is filled with intensity, and senior co-captain Romeo Travis bellows, "Let's go out and take what's ours!" Then, in a sight very familiar to Akron fans, Joyce tosses a ball high in the air and follows it onto the court, leading his team into battle one more time.

9:35 p.m. - The starting lineups are introduced to noise so deafening that it's impossible to tell the difference between boos and cheers. The crowd has even spilled into the upper deck of the Q, which has been opened up due to the high demand for tickets to this game.

10:00 p.m. - For three straight possessions, Akron pounds the ball inside to Jeremiah Wood, and three straight baskets are the result. Wood is playing with a bounce in his step and an extra confidence after shedding his bulky knee brace several games ago.

10:11 p.m. - The UA offense is struggling mightily. The Zips are going long stretches without scoring, and the deficit is slowly growing.

10:14 p.m. - Even a soft Nate Linhart layup, banked off the backboard at a near-perfect angle, spins all around the rim and falls out. The Zips are not finding any answers offensively, and are having a tough time keeping the Flashes off the boards.

10:26 p.m. - The game reaches halftime, and the Zips have posted their worst offensive first half of the season at 19 points. The deficit is 14, and the Zips fans in the crowd look as shocked as the team at what has transpired so far.

10:45 p.m. - At the 19:04 mark of the second half, a Nick Dials triple from the left corner gives the Zips the momentum they desperately need. The deficit is still large, but the comeback is underway.

10:49 p.m. - Another three ball for Dials, this one from the same spot. He's knocked to the floor as the shot swishes through the hoop, and as the ball nestles safely in the net, the margin is four at 36-32.

11:02 p.m. - The threes are raining for the Zips. A huge Dru Joyce three has even Coach Dambrot pumping his fist and Joyce himself letting out a primal scream.

11:18 p.m. - At long last, the lead is back in the hands of the good guys. A bullish drive by Jeremiah Wood results in a layup and Akron leads, 42-40.

11:22 p.m. - Nick Dials, en fuego. He buries his third huge three of the half and puts the capper on a 30-7 Akron run to begin the second half, and Akron leads 47-40.

11:27 p.m. - Down the stretch, the Zips make their free throws enough to keep the Flashes at bay. The lead never dips below five, and in the end, it's the Zips who end up on top, 61-54.

12:32 a.m. - A happy but tired Dru Joyce stands in the Akron locker room, which is slowly clearing out. When asked about his off-night offensively (2-7 FG, 11 points), he explains, "Offense isn't the whole game. At half, we were down big and we needed me more on defense, so that was my focus." As for that halftime locker room, Joyce described it as a time for the players to rally themselves. "There was nothing left for the coaches to say to us, we know we were awful in that first half and that we had to pick it up." Late in the game, though, when it came time to shoot key free throws, "You can't worry about your last shot, just the one you're taking," Joyce says. And does a stunning comeback win over your archrival make the victory even sweeter? "I don't know about that," he laughs. "It's important that we win, and that's all that's important."

12:34 a.m. - The call goes out from Coach Dambrot that it's time to leave. It's been a long, emotional night, but in less than 19 hours, it'll be time to do it again. But still, it sounds so sweet: Akron 61, Kent State 54.