The University of Akron Athletics
Men's Basketball Faces Marshall in New Year's Day Matchup
December 31 | Men's Basketball
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Akron at Marshall Game Notes in PDF Format
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Akron (7-6) at Marshall (9-3)
Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012 • 4:00 p.m. ET
Huntington, W.Va.
Cam Henderson Center (9,043)
Television: None.
Live Statistics:
Available at GoZips.com – 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) (3:30 p.m. ET airtime).
Akron Coach Keith Dambrot
(Akron, 1982):
Is in his eighth season at Akron, posting a 169-81 (.676) mark. Dambrot is 277-151 (.647) in 13 seasons as a collegiate head coach. He is 2-0 against Marshall, with both meetings coming at Akron.
The Series: Marshall owns a slim 11-9 advantage over the Zips as both teams were members of the Mid-American Conference from 1997-2005. Akron is 3-7 in Huntington, but have two-straight and four of the last five in the series. The two squads last met on March 2, 2005, a 71-64 win in Akron for the Zips.
News, Notes and Storylines
• For the second time this season, the Zips will play six of the their next eight on the road when they play Marshall on New Year's Day.
• Akron will be playing its first New Year's Day game in program history.
• Today's game will be the last non-conference game before the Zips open Mid-American Conference play on the road at Miami (Ohio) on Jan. 7.
• The overtime loss to VCU on Dec. 29 snapped several Akron streaks, including a 14-game home winning streak (tied for 13th-longest active streak in the nation at the time), 13-straight home wins in the month of December, four-straight overall wins and four-straight overtime wins.
• The Zips held VCU to just 26.3 percent (5-of-19) shooting from long range, the seventh opponent this season held under 30.0 percent from the 3-point arc.
• Akron is 42-19 (.689) in the month of January under eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot.
• Over the last five games, the UA has posted a 4-1 record. The Zips have outscored their opponents by 19.4 ppg (84.0-64.6) and hold a +8.8 advantage on the boards (42.4-33.6).
• Akron has seven players averaging 8.0 or more points per game, including Zeke Marshall (11.3), Nikola Cvetinovic (10.2), Nick Harney (9.8), Quincy Diggs (9.7), Brian Walsh (8.5), Demetrius Treadwell (8.4) and Alex Abreu (8.0).
• Akron is 15-12 all-time against current Conference USA members.
• After not playing a game in his college career at Akron, Nitro, W.Va.-native Brett McClanahan will play his second-career game in his home state (at West Virginia, Nov. 28).
• While on the court, Zeke Marshall is blocking 10.29 percent of the shots taken by Akron opponents while on the court. That is the top rate in the MAC and is the 10th-best mark in the nation (games through Dec. 30).
• Sophomore guard Alex Abreu is recording a steal 5.07 percent of the time while on the court, which is the second-best mark in the MAC and tied for 30th place in the nation (games through Dec. 30).
A Look at the Thundering Herd
Marshall is coming off a 79-74 road loss to Belmont on Dec. 29. The Thundering Herd have won four-straight games at home and are 7-1 overall in their own gym.
Three players are averaging double figures in the scoring column, including DeAndre Kane (17.3 ppg), Damier Pitts (14.8 ppg) and Dennis Tinnon (10.8 ppg). Tinnon is averaging a double-double as the team's leading rebounder (10.6 rpg).
Akron-VCU Recap
Darius Theus' lay-up with under three seconds to play in overtime pushed visiting VCU to a 76-75 win over Akron on Dec. 29.
The game featured 14 lead changes and 10 tie scores as VCU fought back from 12 down in the second half to take the win. Akron shot well all night, finishing the game 26-of-56 (.464) from the field and 10-of-20 (.500) from behind the arc. The Rams were granted 12 more free throws than the Zips, making 21-of-31 from the stripe. UA converted 13-of-19 from the line.
Senior Nikola Cvetinovic led Akron with a season-high 21 points and seven rebounds. Cvetinovic was 8-of-12 from the field in the game. Brian Walsh and Alex Abreu each scored 11. Zeke Marshall finished the game with 10 points and six blocks.
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 five different starting lineups with eight 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 250 games, the Zips have held 182 opponents to 70 points or less, going 146-36 (.802). Akron has held 141 of those foes to 65 points or less, going 122-19 (.865). On the flip side, Akron is 23-45 when allowing 70-plus points (.338).
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 13 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 eight games, the Zips have seen significant change in their performance at the charity stripe. Akron has connected on 71.4 percent from the line during that stretch (142-of-199).
During the first five games of the season, Akron connected on just 58.4 percent (45-of-77).
Long Range Defense
The Akron defense has been stout this season, allowing opponents to connect on just 29.0 percent from behind the 3-point arc. In fact, the Zips have held seven 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 five contests, UA is dishing out 18.0 assists/game.
Let the Block Party Continue
Junior center Zeke Marshall has be a force in the paint over the last five games, averaging 4.4 blocked shots/game (22 total). For his career, he has 51 multi-block games and has four or more blocked shots in 17 career games. He has blocked at least one shot in 26 of the last 27 games and in 74-of-84 career games.
Bench Power
The Akron bench has provided a ton of productivity early on this season. In 13 games, the Zips' bench players hold a 375-240 scoring advantage and are averaging 28.8 points/game. The Zips' reserves have outscored their opponent in 11-of-13 games 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 12 games this season, Akron has posted five 10-plus steal performances and is averaging 7.8 steals per game.
Now Starting at Guard
Sophomores Brian Walsh continues to make improvements, especially since earning a starting spot six games ago. In his six starts, he is averaging 9.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. In seven games off the bench, he posted an average of 7.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per contest.
A Look at the Polls
• Two opponents appeared in the latest AP Top 25 and five in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. Mississippi State was the only ranked team (15/14) in both polls. Ohio (5), Middle Tennessee (3), Cleveland State (2) and West Virginia (1) are receiving votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Akron is 1-3 against these teams.
• Akron received 21 votes in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll (Dec. 26). Seven Zips' opponents also appeared in the poll, including No. 5 Cleveland State, No. 8 Ohio, No. 11 Middle Tennessee, No. 12 Kent State and No. 16 VCU. Ball State (10) and Buffalo (5) 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 77 wins and need 14 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 120 contests, Cvetinovic needs to appear in 22 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 192 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 166 assists and needs 96 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 952 career points and needs 48 points to become the 39th player to break the 1,000-mark. If he maintains his 7.9 ppg career scoring average, he should score his 1,000th point against Kent State on Jan. 21.
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 486 wins, Akron needs 14 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 169 wins at the helm of the Blue and Gold, Dambrot needs 10 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.
Home Cooking
Akron is 97-16 (.858) at Rhodes Arena under eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot (6-1 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).
Looking at the MAC Record Book
• Junior center Zeke Marshall currently sits in eighth place on the career blocked shots list for the Mid-American Conference (192). He passed Chris Kaman (CMU, 182) for eighth place against North Carolina A&T (Dec. 21) and needs nine blocks to pass James Hughes (NIU, 201) for seventh place. 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 .622 win percentage while coaching in the MAC (189-115 overall; 169-81 Akron, 20-34 CMU), eighth in overall wins (189), 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 84 games and needs to appear in 17 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? 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 169-81 (.676) record, the most wins of any UA coach in their first seven season. He ranks third in UA history in wins (169) and sixth in winning percentage (.676).
• 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 356-consecutive games, 250-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.
