The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Bowling Green
Men's Basketball Plays Host to North Carolina A&T Wednesday
December 20 | Men's Basketball
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North Carolina A&T at Akron Game Notes in PDF Format
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North Carolina A&T (4-8) at Akron (6-5)
Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011 • 7:00 p.m. ET
Akron, Ohio
Rhodes Arena (5,500)
Television: None.
Webcast/Live Statistics:
Available at GoZips.com – webcast and live statistics free of charge.
Radio: SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron (flagship) and for free at SportsRadio1350.com. Steve French (play-by-play) and Joe Dunn (analyst) (6:30 p.m. ET airtime).
Akron Coach Keith Dambrot
(Akron, 1982):
Is in his eighth season at Akron, posting a 168-80 (.677) mark. Dambrot is 276-150 (.648) in 13 seasons as a collegiate head coach. He is 2-0 against Youngstown State, with both wins coming while at Akron.
The Series: The Zips hold a 6-3 advantage in the series which began during the 1963-64 series. Akron is 4-1 at home against the Aggies, including a 70-53 win in their last meeting on Dec. 13, 2008.
Special Note: Tonight's game will serve as the inaugural Community Centers Appreciation Day in conjunction with the LeBron James Family Foundation and the Akron Urban League. As part of the inaugural event, the men's basketball program distributed 500 tickets throughout 13 community centers and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve.
News, Notes and Storylines
• Akron closes out is four games in seven days stretch tonight against North Carolina A&T. The Zips have gone 3-0 so far during the stretch.
• The Zips are 38-16 (.704) in the month of December under Dambrot, including a 25-2 mark at home (.926).
• Akron has won 12-straight December games at home dating back to a 54-50 loss to Dayton on Dec. 6, 2008.
• The Zips' 13-game home winning streak is currently the 19th-longest active streak in the nation (games through Dec. 19). Three teams in the top-20, including Akron, put their streak on the line Wednesday.
• UA has not played five-straight home games since the 2009-10 season when Akron also played host to five-straight teams in the month of December.
• Against Youngstown State, Akron had five players score double-figure points for the second-straight game (Florida A&M) and for the third time this season (Hiram on Nov. 12).
• During its three-game winning streak, the Zips are outscoring their opponents by 23.7 ppg (88.7-65.0) and hold a +7.7 rpg advantage on the glass (42-34.3).
• Zeke Marshall was named MAC East Division Player of the Week on Dec. 19 after helping Akron to a 2-0 record and averaging 17.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 5.0 bpg the previous week.
• Akron has five players averaging 9.0 or more points per game, including Zeke Marshall (10.6), Nick Harney (10.6), Quincy Diggs (9.9), Demetrius Treadwell (9.1) and Nikola Cvetinovic (9.0).
• The Zips are 29th in the nation in 3-point shooting defense (.277) and 34th in 3-point shooting offense (.394).
• While on the court, Zeke Marshall is blocking 9.36 percent of the shots taken by Akron opponents while on the court. That is the top rate in the MAC and is tied for the 12th-best mark in the nation (games through Dec. 19).
• Sophomore guard Alex Abreu is recording a steal 5.75 percent of the time while on the court, which is the top mark in the MAC and tied for the 19th-best mark in the nation (games through Dec. 19).
A Look at the Aggies
North Carolina A&T enters tonight's contest with a 4-8 record and are coming off a 65-57 loss to Hawai'i on Dec. 18. The Aggies have lost five-straight contests and are 1-8 on the road.
NCAT has two players averaging double figures in the scoring column including Nic Simpson (10.7 ppg) and Marc Hill (10.6 ppg). Austin Witter (5.6 rpg) is the squads top rebounder.
Akron-Youngstown State Recap
Demetrius Treadwell scored 15 points to lead five Zips in double-figures as Akron pushed its win streak to three with an 88-62 victory over Youngstown State on Dec. 19.
Treadwell connected on 7-of-11 shots from the floor and grabbed six rebounds in just 19 minutes for the Zips, who improved to 6-5 on the season. UA won its sixth-straight game over the Penguins (6-5) overall and 14 in a row in the series at Rhodes Arena.
Joining Treadwell in double figures was Nikola Cvetinovic (14), Chauncey Gilliam (12), Alex Abreu (10) and Brian Walsh (10).
Home Cooking
Akron is 97-15 (.866) at Rhodes Arena under eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot (5-0 overall, 0-0 MAC this season). The Zips have recorded nine-straight winning seasons at home overall and have won at least 13 home contests in six of the last seven years. In fact, the Zips have not posted a losing home record since 1995-96 (2-11).
Finding the Right Mix
Last season, the Zips used just three starting lineups in 36 games, with eight players making at least one start. So far this season, Akron has had four different starting lineups with seven players making at least one start.
Just How Young Are They?
Akron entered the season as one of the youngest teams in the nation. With 15 players having a total of 19 seasons of collegiate experience, the Zips are the 16th-youngest team in Division I basketball. In fact, nine of 15 players have one year or less in the experience column.
Inside the Scoring Numbers
The Zips have been one of the better defensive squads in the league under eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot. In 248 games, the Zips have held 181 opponents to 70 points or less, going 145-36 (.801). Akron has held 140 of those foes to 65 points or less, going 121-19 (.864). On the flip side, Akron is 23-44 when allowing 70-plus points (.343).
Who to Guard Tonight?
One aspect of the Zips' lineup that makes it so hard to defend is the ability for any player to lead the squad in scoring on any given night. Through 11 games, six different players have led Akron in scoring, with only one person (Zeke Marshall) leading the way in the scoring column in back-to-back games (at Cleveland State; vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff).
Line Change
Over the last six games, the Zips have seen significant change in their performance at the charity stripe. Akron has connected on more free throws (110) over the last six games than it attempted over the first five (77) contests.
During its current six-game stretch, UA is shooting 72.4 percent from the free throw line (110-of-152) compared to 58.4 percent during the first five contests of the season (45-of-77).
Long Range Defense
The Akron defense has been stout this season, allowing opponents to connect on just 28.2 percent from behind the 3-point arc. In fact, the Zips have held six opponents under 30.0 percent from long range, including a shutout of Valparaiso (0-of-14) on Nov. 18. In games through Dec. 18, the Zips were 29th in the nation in 3-point defense.
Pass the Rock
After a slow start in the assists category, the Zips are starting to come around. Over the first eight games, Akron averaged just 11.4 assists/game. In the past three contests, UA is dishing out 18.7 assists/game.
Let the Block Party Continue
Junior center Zeke Marshall continues to break Akron school records, adding the Rhodes Arena record for blocked shots by a Zips player with seven against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Dec. 15). For his career, he has 48 multi-block games and has four or more blocked shots in 14 career games. He has blocked at least one shot in 24 of the last 25 games and in 72-of-82 career games.
Bench Power
The Akron bench has provided a ton of productivity early on this season. In 11 games, the Zips' bench players hold a 330-177 scoring advantage and are averaging 30.0 points/game. The Zips' reserves have outscored their opponent in every game this season.
Stealing the Show
Last season, the Zips had six games where they posted 10 or more steals and average 6.7 steals per game. Through 11 games this season, Akron has posted five 10-plus steal performances and is averaging 8.1 steals per game.
Making an Impact
Junior Chauncey Gilliam and sophomores Brian Walsh, Nick Harney and Demetrius Treadwell have stepped into the Akron rotation early this season to make an immediate impact. The four have combined to make nine starts and average 33.2 points and 13.1 rebounds over the first 11 games.
Gilliam has started five games and is averaging 5.8 ppg and 1.2 rpg. Harney is tied for the top scorer on the squad (10.6 ppg) and is averaging 4.1 rebounds.
Walsh has made four starts and is averaging 7.7 ppg and 2.9 rpg for the Zips while Treadwell is third on the team in rebounding (4.9 rpg) and is averaging 9.1 ppg.
A Look at the Polls
• Three opponents appeared in the latest AP Top 25 and one in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. Mississippi State was the only ranked team (18/17) in both polls. Cleveland State (7) and Ohio (3) received votes in the AP poll. Akron is 1-1 against these teams.
• Eight Akron opponents appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll (Dec. 19), including No. 4 Cleveland State, No. 8 Kent State, No. 12 Ohio, No. 16 Middle Tennessee and No. 20 VCU. Valparaiso (13), Ball State (10) and Buffalo (7) are also receiving votes. The Zips are 0-3 against these programs.
• For the first time since Nov. 12, 2007, the Zips are receiving votes in the AP poll. Akron received a vote in the Nov. 14 edition of the poll.
A Winning Standard
Since taking over the program before the 2004-05 season, eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot has created a winning mentality in the program that has not been seen in 110-plus seasons of basketball. Of the five senior classes to win 90 or more games in their career, four of those have come under Dambrot. The current senior class of Nikola Cvetinovic, Brett McClanahan and Kyle Petersen currently sit at 76 wins and need 16 more to move into the top-five in program history.
• Class of 2010 (2007-10) – 97 wins
• Class of 2009 (2006-09) – 96 wins
• Class of 2011 (2007-11) – 94 wins
• Class of 2008 (2005-08) – 92 wins
• Class of 1966 (1963-66) – 91 wins
Career List Watch
• Senior forward Nikola Cvetinovic is on pace to break Steve McNees' (141, 2008-11) record for career games played. Currently sitting at 118 contests, Cvetinovic needs to appear in 24 games to take over the top spot. Looking at the schedule, the Zips would have to play in four postseason contests for Cvetinovic to take over the top spot.
• Junior center Zeke Marshall, with 181 blocked shots in his career, passed Romeo Travis (165, 2004-07) on Nov. 26 to become the all-time leader at Akron. Marshall also owns the single-game (9), single-season (92), freshman season (59), sophomore season (92) and Rhodes Arena single-game (UA) blocked shot records.
• After breaking the freshman season assists record (128), sophomore guard Alex Abreu is setting his sights on the career top-10. He currently has 162 assists and needs 100 dimes to pass Mike Dowdell (261, 1984-87) for tenth place. Abreu's 128 dimes last season were also the ninth-best of any season in program history.
1,000-Point Club
For the second-consecutive season, a Zips' student-athlete has the potential to join the Akron 1,000-point club. Senior forward Nikola Cvetinovic enters the season with 919 career points and needs 81 points to become the 39th player to break the 1,000-mark. If he maintains his 7.8 ppg career scoring average, he will score his 1,000th point against Toledo on Feb. 1.
The Drive for 500
This season, the Zips will have the opportunity to notch win No. 500 as a Division I program. Currently sitting at 485 wins, Akron needs 15 victories to reach the 500 plateau.
Climbing the Coaching Ladder
Eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot continues to climb the coaching ranks at The University of Akron. Currently sitting at 168 wins at the helm of the Blue and Gold, Dambrot needs 11 wins to pass Tony Laterza (178, 1960-68) for second place on the career wins list. Russell Beichly (1941-59) owns the school record with 286 career victories.
Looking at the MAC Record Book
• Junior center Zeke Marshall currently sits in ninth place on the career blocked shots list for the Mid-American Conference (181). He passed John Edwards (KSU, 179) and is now one blocked shot away from eighth place [Chris Kaman (CMU, 182)]. Should he have a repeat performance of 92 blocked shots from last year, Marshall would finish the season in fifth place (243). If Marshall posts the same number of blocks the next two seasons as he did the last two seasons (151), he would break Lonnie Jones' (Ball State, 1998-2002) conference record of 301 by one blocked shot.
• Compared to other coaches all-time in the MAC, head coach Keith Dambrot is in seventh place with a .623 win percentage while coaching in the MAC (188-114 overall; 168-80 Akron, 20-34 CMU), eighth in overall wins (188), 10th in conference wins (90) and 11th in league games winning percentage (.600, 90-60).
The Century Club
• Senior guard Brett McClanahan appeared in his 100th career games for the Blue & Gold Cleveland State, joining senior forward Nikola Cvetinovic as the only other player on the squad to appear in 100 contests.
• Junior center Zeke Marshall is also closing in on the 100 games played mark. He currently sits at 82 games and needs to appear in 18 more contests to reach the century mark. If he doesn't miss a game, he will play in his 100th game at Ohio on Feb. 25.
How Hard is it to Win 20 Games?
• The Akron Zips are the only team in the Mid-American Conference to have won 20-plus games the last six seasons. How hard is it to win 20-plus games on a regular basis? In the last four seasons, only 34 of 346 teams (9.8 percent) have won 20 games each year. Over the past five years, that number drops to 24 of 346 teams (6.9 percent). At the end of the 2010-11 season, only 20 teams, including Akron, were able to reach 20 or more wins (5.8 percent) in the last six seasons.
• On the coaching side of 20-win seasons, head coach Keith Dambrot is currently tied for 14th place among active coaches with current 20-plus game winning streaks (6). Eighteen active coaches in Division I basketball have posted longer streaks of 20-win seasons than Dambrot and only three of those coaches (Mark Few, Gonzaga; Stew Morrill, Utah State; Dana Altman, Creighton) have posted longer streaks of 20-win seasons than Dambrot solely at mid-major programs.
Winning Ways
• In his time at Akron, head coach Keith Dambrot has led the Zips to a 168-80 (.677) record, the most wins of any UA coach in their first seven season. He ranks third in UA history in wins (168) and sixth in winning percentage (.677).
• Through his first seven seasons, Dambrot led the Zips to a 162-75 record (.684). The program's 162 wins are tied for the top spot in the MAC and tied for 29th-best in the nation during that period.
Let's Go Streaking
• Akron has enjoyed six-straight 20-win seasons (23-10 in 2005-06; 26-7 in 2006-07; 24-11 in 2007-08; 23-13 in 2008-09; 24-11 in 2009-10; 23-13 in 2010-11). It is the longest streak of 20-win seasons in school history. The Zips have won at least 19 games in each of head coach Keith Dambrot's first seven seasons (19-10 in '04-05).
• UA has advanced to the postseason in four-straight and five of the last six years, participating in the NCAA Tournament in 2009 and 2011, the National Invitation Tournament in 2008 and 2006, and the CBI in 2010.
• The Zips have appeared in the MAC tournament championship game five-straight times, with those being the only five appearances in their 19 years in the league.
• Akron has hit at least one 3-point bucket in 354-consecutive games, 248-straight under head coach Keith Dambrot. The last time the Zips missed from long range was Dec. 27, 2000, against Purdue at Rhodes Arena (0-for-10). The UA opponents' streak of 3-point buckets ended at 12-straight games at Valparaiso on Nov. 18 (0-of-14). Akron has shut out opponents from behind the arc seven times under coach Dambrot.
