The University of Akron Athletics
Keith Dambrot MAC Media Teleconference Quotes
January 06 | Men's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio - Below is the transcript of head coach Keith Dambrot's discussion with the media on Thursday's Mid-American Conference men's basketball teleconference.
Where the team stands at the end of the non-conference
schedule:
"We wish we were a little more consistent. We are getting
a little bit better with Brett
McKnight coming back and our younger kids getting better. I
think the key for us is becoming more consistent."
"We had a hard schedule, including five formidable teams that we didn't beat. We haven't shown that we can step up and beat those high-level teams yet, but we have been taking care of business against teams we know we have to win against. The next step for us is beating the really good teams."
On any changes to coaching philosophy with the 2010-11
team:
"Our philosophy has never changed since we have been here.
We want to be a defensive-oriented team that shares the ball and
throws the ball inside. We haven't been as tough defensively this
year, but we work on it every day."
On the play of the Akron bench:
"We are able to bring three really good players off the
bench in Brett
McKnight, Darryl
Roberts and Quincy
Diggs. Those guys have really given us a good lift off the
bench."
"We have more offensive pop with Brett McKnight (on the court). It allows us to use Mike Bardo as our ninth man and does a good job. If Quincy Diggs continues to improve, that is our wildcard. It allows us to not play a lot of our younger kids and should allow us to become a better offensive team."
On the play of the Akron starters:
"Zeke
Marshall is a defensive presence and has good touch around the
rim. Nikola
Cvetinovic has improved his scoring but must maintain his
junkyard dog attitude. Brett
McClanahan has greatly improved and gives us a pop from the
outside while improving defensively this year. Alex
Abreu has done a terrific job of penetrating and distributing
the ball and is improving defensively. Steve
McNees has played a lot of basketball at Akron and hasn't been
shooting the ball as well as we would like to this point, but we
believe he will."
Thoughts of the other teams in the league heading into
conference play:
"I have not watched any film on the league. It seems to me
that what we are going through, a lot of the teams in the league
are going through at the same time...inconsistency shooting the
ball...inconsistent effort at times...inconsistent defensive
soundness. We are pretty much an example of what the other teams
are going through."
On playing Kent State:
"I think the one thing I have tried to emphasis with our
guys is that this game is dangerous from the perspective that if
you win the game, it doesn't mean you are going to win the regular
season and it doesn't mean you are going to win the MAC Tournament.
If you lose the game, it doesn't mean anything either."
"When you play Kent State this early, the game is important because it is a huge rivalry but it really means nothing in the grand scheme of things."
