The University of Akron Athletics
Men's Basketball Opens MAC West Play at Ball State
January 23 | Men's Basketball
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Akron at Ball State Game Notes in PDF Format
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Akron (12-7, 4-1 MAC) at Ball State (12-5, 4-1 MAC)
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 • 7:00 p.m. ET
Muncie, Ind.
Worthen Arena (11,500)
Television: SportsTime Ohio. Michael Reghi (play-by-play) and Steve Mix (analyst).
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 174-82 (.680) mark. Dambrot is 282-152 (.650) in 14 seasons as a collegiate head coach. He is 7-5 all-time against Ball State, including a perfect 7-0 record with the Zips.
The Series: The all-time series is tied 15-15, with Akron winning the last seven meetings between the two programs. The Zips are 6-10 all-time in Muncie, winning three straight on the road. UA defeated BSU 75-60 at Rhodes Arena last season (Feb. 12).
News, Notes and Storylines
• The Zips open cross divisional play at Ball State. Akron is 62-33 against the West since divisional play began during the 1997-98 season (32-12 under head coach Keith Dambrot).
• Today's game is the sixth-straight contest in which the Zips will appear on TV (4-1).
• The Zips have won eight of their last nine games against MAC opponents dating back to last season's league tournament.
• With Akron's win over Kent State (Jan. 21), head coach Keith Dambrot took over sole possession of seventh place on the all-time wins as a MAC coach list (194). With a win over Ball State, Dambrot will tie CMU's Dick Parfitt (1972-85) for eighth place on the all-time MAC wins list (95).
• Sophomore forward Nick Harney scored a career-high 21 points (19 in the second half) against Kent State. He has now scored in double figures in four-of-five MAC games.
• UA is 47-20 (.701) in the month of January under eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot.
• Over the last 11 games, UA has posted an 9-2 record. The Zips have outscored their opponents by 11.0 ppg (75.5-64.5), are averaging 15.5 assists/game and hold a +4.5 rebounding advantage.
• Akron has seven players averaging 7.0 or more points per game, including Zeke Marshall (10.7), Nikola Cvetinovic (10.4), Nick Harney (10.4), Quincy Diggs (9.4), Brian Walsh (8.1), Alex Abreu (7.7) and Demetrius Treadwell (7.0).
• UA is the only program in the MAC with six players connecting on 10-plus 3-point buckets.
• Akron has owned the second half so far during MAC play, shooting 50.7 percent, outscoring opponents by 7.0 ppg and holding a +4.8 rebounding advantage.
• Alex Abreu has seven games with at least five assists, including four of the last six contests.
• UA has been held under 42.0 shooting from the field just twice this season [35.7 percent at West Virginia (Nov. 28); 28.6 percent at Middle Tennessee (Dec. 4)].
• The Zips are ranked in the top-35 nationally in 3-point percentage (39.3, 24th) and 3-point percentage defense (30.0, 33rd) in games through Jan. 22.
A Look at the Cardinals
Ball State is coming off a 75-65 road with at Northern Illinois on Jan. 21. BSU is tied for the MAC West lead (4-1), and have won six of their last seven games. The Cardinals are 7-1 at home.
The Cardinals have two players averaging double figures in the scoring column, including Jarrod Jones (16.9 ppg) and Jesse Berry (10.2 ppg). Jones is the team's leading rebounder (8.4 rpg).
Akron-Kent State Recap
Nick Harney scored a career-high 21 points, 19 in the second half, to lead Akron to an 84-75 comeback win over neighborhood rival Kent State on Jan. 21 in front of a sold out Rhodes Arena crowd.
Harney, who went 10-of-12 from the field, played just 14 minutes and was one of three UA players to post double-figure points as Chauncey Gilliam scored 11 and Brian Walsh 10.
Zeke Marshall finished with seven points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots for the Zips, while Alex Abreu had seven assists compared to just one turnover.
What You May Not Know About the Series
• The Zips own the longest winning streak in the series seven games (current).
• Seven of Akron's 15 wins in the series have come by double digits, including two in the Zips' current winning streak.
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.
Road Warriors
• Akron is in the middle of its second stretch of six road games in eight contests this season (5-1) after opening the 2011-12 campaign with six-of-eight away from Rhodes Arena (3-5).
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 256 games, the Zips have held 186 opponents to 70 points or less, going 150-36 (.806). Akron has held 145 of those foes to 65 points or less, going 126-19 (.869). On the flip side, Akron is 24-46 when allowing 70-plus points (.343).
1,000-Point Club
Thanks to a 17-point performance at Buffalo (Jan. 18), senior forward Nikola Cvetinovic became the 39th player to break the 1,000-mark. He now will set his sights on moving up the all-time scoring list.
38. 1,017 - Nikola Cvetinovic (2009-Present)
37. 1,023 - Nate Linhart (2006-09)
36. 1,041 - Hank Vaughn (1946-50)
35. 1,046 - Dru Joyce (2004-07)
34. 1,055 - Bobby Walker (1,055)
Lights, Camera, Action
The Zips will appear on television ten times this season, with the potential for seven additional TV games to be added to the schedule. Akron is 5-2 so far this season on TV, defeating Kent State 84-75 on SportsTime Ohio on Jan. 21. Last season Akron went 9-7 on TV.
Home Cooking
Akron is 99-16 (.861) at Rhodes Arena under eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot (8-1 overall, 2-0 MAC this season). The Zips have recorded nine-straight winning seasons at home and have won at least 13 home contests in six of the last seven years. Akron has not posted a losing home record since 1995-96 (2-11).
Let the Block Party Continue
• While on the court, Marshall is blocking 8.96 percent of the shots taken by Akron opponents while on the court. That is the top mark in the MAC and 13th-best in the nation (games through Jan. 19).
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. So far this season, six different players have led Akron in scoring, with only two players (Zeke Marshall and Nikola Cvetinovic) leading the way in the scoring column in back-to-back games.
Long Range Defense
The Akron defense has been stout this season, allowing opponents to connect on just 29.7 percent from behind the 3-point arc. In fact, the Zips have held nine opponents under 30.0 percent from long range, including a shutout of Valparaiso (0-of-14) on Nov. 18. In games through Jan. 22, the Zips were 33rd in the nation in 3-point defense.
Stealing the Show
Last season, the Zips had six games where they posted 10 or more steals and average 6.7 steals per game. So far this season, Akron has posted five 10-plus steal performances and is averaging 7.1 steals per game.
Welcome to the MAC Mr. Harney
Sophomore Nick Harney is one of the reasons why the Zips are off to a 4-1 start in conference play. Harney has scored in double figures in four of five league contests (12.4 ppg), including the game winner at Bowling Green (Jan. 11) with 0.5 seconds left. He is also averaging 3.4 rpg while shooting 61.9 percent from the field (26-of-42). Forty-six of his 62 points have come in the second half (9.2 ppg).
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 (91 total). In the past 11 contests, UA is dishing out 15.5 assists/game (170 total).
Bench Power
The Akron bench has provided a ton of productivity early on this season. So far this season, the Zips' bench players hold a 544-349 scoring advantage and are averaging 28.6 points/game. The Zips' reserves have outscored their opponent in 17 games this season, including a season-high 41 points against Kent State (Jan. 21).
Now Starting at Guard
Sophomores Brian Walsh continues to make improvements, especially since earning a starting spot. In his 12 starts, he is averaging 8.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. In seven games off the bench, he posted an average of 7.7 ppg and 2.3 rpg.
Cleaning the Glass
• Sophomore forward Demetrius Treadwell has been on a tear lately, especially on the offensive glass. In the last nine games, he is averaging 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 offensive boards per game.
• As a team, the Zips have been strong on the glass during the same stretch, averaging 38.1 rpg and holding a +4.7 advantage. On the offensive boards, the Akron is averaging 12.0 offensive boards/game and are grabbing an offensive rebound once every 2.5 missed shots. Before this current stretch, the Zips were averaging an offensive board once every 2.8 missed shots.
A Look at the Polls
• Three opponents appeared in the latest AP Top 25 and three in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. Mississippi State was the only ranked team (18/16) in both polls. West Virginia (96/33) and Middle Tennessee (9/28) received votes in both polls. Akron is 1-2 against these teams.
• Akron received 30 votes in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll (Jan. 23). Six Zips' opponents also appeared in the poll, including No. 5 Middle Tennessee, No. 10 Cleveland State, No. 16 Ohio, No. 17 VCU and No. 22 Kent State. Valparaiso (22) also received votes.
• 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.
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 490 wins, Akron needs 10 victories to reach the 500 plateau.
The Century Club
• Junior center Zeke Marshall is closing in on the 100 games played mark. He currently sits at 90 games and needs to appear in 10 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.
Climbing the Coaching Ladder
Eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot continues to climb the coaching ranks at The University of Akron. Currently sitting at 174 wins at the helm of the Blue and Gold, Dambrot needs five 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.
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 sits at 82 wins and need nine 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 126 contests, Cvetinovic needs to appear in 16 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 205 blocked shots in his career, broke the career blocked shots record at Akron against Detroit on Nov. 26 (76 games). 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 198 assists and needs 64 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.
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 (205). Against Ohio (Jan. 14), he became just the eighth player in MAC history with 200 blocked shots and needs six more to pass James Hughes (NIU, 210) 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 fifth place with a .626 win percentage while coaching in the MAC (194-116 overall; 174-82 Akron, 20-34 CMU), seventh in overall wins (194), ninth in conference wins (94) and 11th in league games winning percentage (.606, 94-61).
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 174-82 (.680) record, the most wins of any UA coach in their first seven season. He ranks third in UA history in wins (174) and fourth in winning percentage (.680).
• 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 362-consecutive games, 256-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.
