The University of Akron Athletics
Men's Basketball Faces Kent State for MAC Title, NCAA Bid
March 12 | Men's Basketball
March 12 • 6:00 p.m. ET
Quicken Loans Arena • Cleveland, Ohio
Television: ESPN2. Bob Wischusen (play-by-play) and Stephen Bardo (analyst).
Webcast/Audio Stream/Live Statistics:
Webcast
(by subscription) and live statistics (free of charge) available at
MAC-Sports.com. Audio stream available at GoZips.com through
subscription.
Radio: Akron Sports Network from IMG College - SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron and on the Internet at GoZips.com. Steve French (play-by-play) and Joe Dunn (analyst) (5:30 p.m. ET airtime).
Akron Coach Keith
Dambrot (Akron '82):
Coach Dambrot is in his seventh season at the helm of the Zips,
posting a 161-74 (.685) mark. Both his wins total and wins
percentage rank third all-time in program history. Dambrot is
269-144 (.651) in 13 seasons as a collegiate head coach. He is 6-14
all-time against Kent State, 6-10 at Akron.
Kent State Coach Geno Ford (Ohio '97):
Coach Ford is in his third season as the head coach at Kent State.
He has a 66-35 record at KSU (.653) and is 117-67 overall (.636) in
six seasons as a head coach. He is 4-2 against the Zips.
The Series: Kent State holds a 69-62 advantage in the series, which dates back to the 1915-16 season. The Zips won the first game in the season series (65-62) in the MAC opener for both teams on Jan. 8 at Rhodes Arena. Kent State scored a 79-68 win at the M.A.C. Center in the season finale for both squads on March 4.
Last Time Out...
• For the fifth-straight season, the No. 6-seeded Zips
advanced to the FirstEnergy Mid-American Conference Title Game,
defeating Western Michigan 79-68 on Friday at Quicken Loans
Arena.
• The Zips tied Miami (Ohio) for the most-consecutive title
game appearances in MAC history (1997-2001) and now has the
third-longest active streak of title game appearances among any
Division I team (Gonzaga, 14; Butler, 6).
• Quincy
Diggs led the Zips with a career-high 18 points on 6-for-6
shooting and had four rebounds.
• Darryl
Roberts added 16 points while Brett
McClanahan had 14 points. Steve
McNees dished out a game-high seven dimes to go with a
career-high seven boards and six points.
• The Zips are 8-1 in their last nine games at Quicken Loans
Arena, dating back to the start of the 2009 MAC Tournament.
• Akron closed the game shooting 48.2 percent from the floor
(27-for-56) and 45.0 percent from long range (9-for-20).
A Look at the Golden Flashes...
• Regular season Champion Kent State enters tonight's contest
with a 23-10 record (12-4 MAC) and is the No. 1 seed in the MAC
Tournament. The Golden Flashes have won six of seven games entering
tonight's game. KSU is led by junior forward Justin Greene's 15.7
points per game. Guards Rodriquez Sherman (13.1 ppg) and Carlton
Guyton (12.4 ppg) are also averaging double figures. Greene is the
team's top rebounder, averaging 8.5 rebounds per game.
On the Line Versus Kent State...
• An Akron victory will give the Zips their second MAC
Tournament Title in three years and a bid to the 2011 NCAA
Tournament for the third time (1986, 2009).
• A victory will give Akron the series win for the season and
even the series at 2-2 in MAC Tournament contests.
• A win by the Zips will give them nine wins in their last 10
games at Quicken Loans Arena.
• A MAC Title will be Akron's fifth tournament title (Ohio
Athletic Conference, 2; Ohio Valley Conference, 1; Mid-American
Conference 2).
The Zips in the MAC Tournament...
• Akron is making its 15th appearance in the Mid-American
Conference Tournament, posting a 16-12 record in 28 previous games.
Fifteen of Akron's 16 wins have come under head coach Keith
Dambrot (15-5), including appearances four-straight MAC Title
games. Akron is 4-6 in the opening round (3-0 under Dambrot), 6-2
in the Quarterfinals (6-1 under Dambrot), 5-1 in the Semifinals
(all under Dambrot) and 1-3 in the Title game (all under
Dambrot).
Rivalry Notes...
• Akron and/or Kent State have played in the MAC Title Game
each of the last six years.
• Akron and Kent State have finished 1-2 in the MAC East in
four of the last six years.
• Akron leads the MAC in wins since the 2004-05 season (161).
Kent State is second (160).
• Tonight's contest marks the 19th-consecutive TV game
between these two rivals dating back to the 2003-04 season. Kent
State holds a slim 11-7 advantage.
Last Five Games...
• The Zips are 3-2 over the last five contests, averaging
70.2 ppg and are allowing 71.0 ppg (-0.8 ppg). Akron has turned the
ball over an average of 12.0 times/game while forcing 11.6
turnovers (-0.4) and holds a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Six Zips are averaging 7.8 points or better during that
stretch, led by Brett
McKnight's 10.2 ppg as the only player scoring in double
figures. Brett
McClanahan (9.8 ppg), Nikola
Cvetinovic (9.4 ppg), Darryl
Roberts (9.2 ppg), Quincy
Diggs (8.6 ppg) and Zeke
Marshall (7.8 ppg). Cvetinovic leads the team with 5.4 rpg each
while Abreu is averaging a team-best 3.4 apg.
How Hard Can 20 Wins Really Be?
• Currently, the Akron Zips are the only team in the
Mid-American Conference to have won 20-plus games the last six
seasons. How hard of a feat is that? In the last four seasons, only
34 of 336 teams (10.1 percent) have won 20 games each year. Over
the past five years, that number drops to 23 of 336 teams (6.8
percent). Through March 11, only 20 of those teams, including
Akron, have already reached 20 wins (6.0 percent).
Season Records...
• Freshman guard Alex
Abreu, broke the freshman season record for assists on Feb. 15
at Bowling Green. He now has 122 dimes and is the 17th player in
school history to post 100-plus assists and the first since Nick
Dials (147, 2007-08). He is four dimes away from cracking the
top-10 performances in a season (126, Dru Joyce, 2004-05).
• Sophomore center Zeke
Marshall (79) set the sophomore blocks season record against
Ball State on Feb. 12, passing Joel Price (58, 1978-79). He broke
Romeo Travis' single-season mark of 65 (2006-07) at Ohio on March
1. Marshall is four blocks from cracking the top-10 season
performances in the MAC (83).
Did You Know...
• The last time the Zips opened Mid-American Conference play
1-3 was the 2008-09 season. The Zips answered with a seven-game
winning streak, including six-straight in the MAC, and closed out
the season 9-3 to earn the No. 5 seed in the MAC Tournament (10-6
MAC). Akron would win four games in five days to capture its first
MAC Tournament title and face Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament (No.
13 seed).
Tournament Tested...
• The Zips enter the tournament as one of the more
experienced teams in the conference. Seven Zips' upperclassmen have
combined to play in 74 combined MAC Tournament games, with seniors
Steve
McNees (13), Brett
McKnight (13) and Darryl
Roberts (13) leading the way.
• Darryl
Roberts (10.2 ppg) is averaging double figures, followed by Brett
McKnight (9.9 ppg), Zeke
Marshall (8.3 ppg) and Steve
McNees (7.9 ppg). Marshall leads the team, averaging 5.7
rebounds and 2.8 blocks/game while Alex
Abreu is averaging a team-best 4.0 assists/game.
Lights, Camera, Action...
• Akron has been a familiar figure on television this year as
the Zips are currently scheduled to make 15 appearances throughout
the 2010-11 season. So far, the Zips are 8-6 on television,
defeating Western Michigan 79-68 on March 11 (SportsTime Ohio) last
time out. Last year, the Zips played on television 11 times,
posting a 5-6 record.
1,000 Point Club...
• Senior forward Brett
McKnight became the 38th member of the 1,000 Point Club with
his 13 points against Western Michigan on Feb. 9. He is now tied
for 29th place on the career scoring list.
29. 1,120 - Brett
McKnight (2007-Present, 123 games)
29. 1,120 - Cedrick Middleton (2005-08, 130 games)
28. 1,136 - Andy Hipsher (2000-04, 120 games)
27. 1,143 - Ryan Andrick (1996-2000, 102 games)
26. 1,151 - Jeremiah Wood (2004-08, 101 games)
25. 1,152 - Ray Pryear (1955-59, 91 games)
Ball Protection...
• The Zips have been very protective of the ball this season,
turning the ball over just 12.1 times/game while forcing 14.9
turnovers/game. On the road, the Zips are averaging 12.7 turnovers
in 18 games while committing 11.4 turnovers/game at home in 16
games.
• Akron turns the ball over on just 17.2 percent of its
possessions, tied for 51st in the country and tops in the MAC.
Inside the Scoring Numbers...
• The Zips have been one of the better defensive squads in
the league under seventh-year head coach Keith
Dambrot. In 235 games, the Zips have held 171 opponents to 70
points or less, going 138-33 (.808). Akron has held 133 of those
foes to 65 points or less, going 115-18 (.864). On the flip side,
Akron is 23-41 when allowing 70-plus points (.351).
"Bench"-mark...
• The Akron bench has been a productive force over the last
23 games, averaging 26.5 points/game while out-scoring the
opposition 609-372.
MAC Tournament Block Party...
• In six MAC Tournament games, sophomore center Zeke
Marshall has swatted 17 shots (2.8 bpg). He has four
multi-block performances, including six blocked shots against EMU
in last year's MAC Quarterfinals (March 11, 2010).
Century Club...
• On Feb. 26, junior forward Nikola
Cvetinovic played in his 100th game as a Zip. He joins seniors
Mike
Bardo, Steve
McNees, Brett
McKnight and Darryl
Roberts as one of five members of the current Zips' squad to
have played in 100-plus games.
Player Notables...
• While on the floor, sophomore center Zeke
Marshall is blocking 8.72 percent of the shots taken by Akron
opponents, which is 14th in the nation (third MAC).
• Junior guard Brett
McClanahan has made at least one 3-point bucket in 31-of-34
games this season.
• Senior guard Steve
McNees has three or more assists in 20-of-34 games this season
including four-plus in nine of the last 15.
• Senior guard Darryl
Roberts has at least one assist in 30-of-34 games this
season.
• Junior forward Nikola
Cvetinovic is on pace to become the first player to average
seven-plus rebounds per game since Jeremiah Wood did so during the
2007-08 season (7.7).
• Freshman guard Alex
Abreu has 26 games with at least three assists, including 11 of
the last 13 games. He also has 10 games this season with five-plus
dimes.
Junior Leadership...
• One junior stepping up to help lead the Zips this season
has been forward Nikola
Cvetinovic. Entering the season with a career average of 5.6
points and 3.4 rebounds per game, he has emerged up as the Zips'
leading scorer (12.1 ppg, 18th in the MAC) and leading rebounder
with 6.9 rpg (seventh in the MAC). He has five double-doubles this
year.
What a Difference a Year Makes...
• For junior guard Brett
McClanahan, a year has made a big difference. So far this
season, he is second in scoring on the team (10.4 ppg, 26th in the
MAC) and third in rebounds/game (3.6 rpg). He recorded his first
double-double against Youngstown State (22 points, 10 rebounds) on
Nov. 20. Last season, he averaged 3.3 points and 1.5 boards per
game.
Home Cooking...
• Akron is 91-14 (.867) at Rhodes Arena under seventh-year
head coach Keith
Dambrot (14-2 overall, 7-1 MAC this season). The Zips have
recorded nine-straight winning seasons at home overall, including
the 2010-11 season, and have won at least 13 home contests in six
of the last seven years.
Career Chart Watch...
• Two Zips, Steve
McNees and Mike
Bardo, are taking over the career games played list. McNees set
the career mark against Miami (Ohio) on March 10 (139 games). Bardo
(134) needs to play in four games to pass Chris
McKnight's (137, 2006-10) for second on the career games played
list.
• Sophomore center Zeke
Marshall, with 79 blocks on the season, passed George Phillips
(107, 1996-2000) and Bruce Weinkein (109, 1998-2001) against
Central Michigan and is now in second place on the career blocks
list (138). He trails only Romeo Travis (165, 2004-07). He has 40
multi-block games, including 25 this season.
• Senior center Mike
Bardo is ninth on the career blocks list with 58 swats for his
career and is seven blocks behind Quade Milum (65, 2005-08) for
eighth place.
• Senior guard Steve
McNees (314) passed Joe Jakubick (300, 1980-84) for seventh
place on the career assists list against Buffalo on Feb. 26. He
needs 12 assists to catch Nick Dials for sixth place (326,
2006-08).
