The University of Akron Athletics
Men's Basketball Welcomes Miami (Ohio) to Akron on Wednesday
February 14 | Men's Basketball
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Miami (Ohio) at Akron Game Notes in PDF Format
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Miami (Ohio) (8-15, 4-7 MAC) at Akron (18-7, 10-1 MAC)
Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012 • 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 180-82 (.687) mark. Dambrot is 288-152 (.655) in 14 seasons as a collegiate head coach. He is 12-10 all-time against the RedHawks, including an 12-6 record with the Zips.
The Series: Miami (Ohio) owns a slim 24-23 lead in the series which dates back to the 1914-15 season. The Zips have won three-straight in the series, including a 65-60 road win in Oxford, Ohio, on Jan. 7. UA is 13-5 at home and have won eight-straight at Rhodes Arena in the series.
Schedule Note: Akron will travel to Tulsa, Okla., to face Oral Roberts in the 2012 Sears BracketBusters event on Feb. 18. The game will air live on ESPN2 and will tip off at 2 p.m. ET.
News, Notes and Storylines
• Akron returns to Mid-American Conference East play tonight against Miami (Ohio).
• The Zips swept the West for the third time in program history (2005-06, 1998-99) since the beginning of cross divisional play.
• With Akron's win over NIU, head coach Keith Dambrot became the seventh coach with 200 overall wins and the eighth coach with 100 league wins all-time as a MAC coach.
• The Zips have won 14 of their last 15 games against MAC opponents.
• UA has posted a 24-11 record (.686) record when facing the MAC East Division the second time around under Dambrot, including a 14-3 mark at home (.824).
• Akron's 10-1 start to conference play is the best MAC start for the Zips in program history. UA's start is also the first 10-1 start in the league since the 2005-06 season (Kent State).
• A win over Miami (Ohio) will be the first 11-1 start by Akron and the first since 2001-02 in the MAC (Kent State).
• UA is 43-15 (.741) in the month of February, including a 18-3 (.857) mark the last two-plus seasons, under Dambrot. The Zips have won 11-straight contests in the month of February.
• UA has posted an 15-2 record over the past 17 games, including winners of seven-straight.
• Akron has seven players averaging 7.3 or more points per game, including Zeke Marshall (10.6), Nikola Cvetinovic (10.0), Quincy Diggs (9.4), Nick Harney (9.3), Alex Abreu (8.5), Brian Walsh (8.2) and Demetrius Treadwell (7.3).
• The Zips have won by 10 points or more in six of their last seven games (7-0).
• UA is the only program in the MAC with six players connecting on 10-plus 3-point buckets.
• UA has been held under 42.5 shooting from the field just three times this season (35.7 percent at West Virginia; 28.6 percent at Middle Tennessee; 36.9 percent at Western Michigan).
• The Zips are ranked in the top-35 nationally in 3-point percentage defense (28.5, 10th) and 3-point percentage (38.2, 34th) in games through Feb. 12.
A Look at the RedHawks
Miami (Ohio) enters tonight's game with an 8-15 overall record and is 4-7 in MAC play. The RedHawks have won 3-of-4, including a 1-1 mark on the road, and are 2-10 overall away from Oxford.
Miami (Ohio) is led by Julian Mavunga, who is first in the MAC in rebounding (9.6 rpg) and second in scoring (17.1 ppg). Brian Sullivan (10.3 ppg) is the only other player scoring in double figures.
What You May Not Know About the Series
• Of the 47 meetings between these two programs, the winning team has scored 55 or fewer points on 16 occasions (Akron 9-7).
• The Zips have won nine of the last 11 contests in the series.
Last Time Out Against the RedHawks
Quincy Diggs scored 14 points, including 10 in the second half, to lead Akron to a 65-60 road win over Miami (Ohio) to open Mid-American Conference play on Jan. 7.
Diggs led three players in double figures for Akron, including Brian Walsh with 13 points and Nick Harney with 11 points.
Akron forced 14 Miami (Ohio) turnovers compared to just seven by the Zips, including just one in the final 20 minutes. UA finished the game shooting 44.0 percent from the floor (22-of-50) and 58.3 percent from long range (7-of-12).
Akron-Northern Illinois Recap
Three players scored in double figures to help the Zips to their third sweep of the Mid-American Conference West Division in program history thanks to a 75-51 victory over Northern Illinois on Feb. 11.
The sweep of the MAC West (6-0) is the second under eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot and the first since 2005-06. Akron (18-7, 10-1 MAC) went 8-0 in cross-divisional play in 2005-06 and 1998-99.
Nikola Cvetinovic led all players with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe. Nick Harney (12) and Demetrius Treadwell (11) also reached double figures. Treadwell added a game-high eight boards, including seven in the second half.
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.
Looking Ahead to the MAC Tournament
With five games left in the Mid-American Conference season, seeding for the league tournament is beginning to take shape.
If the MAC Tournament started today, Akron, Buffalo, Kent State and Bowling Green would receive byes, with UA and UB advancing to the semifinals as the top-two seeds.
Currently, Akron can finish no-worse than sixth place (10-6), guaranteeing the Zips at least a home game in the opening round of the tourney.
Home Cooking
Akron is 102-16 (.864) at Rhodes Arena under eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot (11-1 overall, 5-0 MAC this season). The Zips have recorded 10-straight winning seasons at home, including this season, and have won at least 13 home contests in six-of-seven years. UA's last losing record at home came in 1995-96 (2-11).
Best MAC Starts
The Zips 10-1 start to MAC play is the best in program history and is the first 10-1 start for any program in the league since 2005-06 (Kent State, 10-1).
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 497 wins, Akron needs five victories to reach the 500 plateau.
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.
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 in each of the last six seasons. 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 years. In games through Feb. 12, only 10 teams have won 20-plus games in seven-straight 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 solely at mid-major programs.
Inside the Scoring Numbers
The Zips have been one of the top defensive squads in the league over the last eight seasons. In 262 games, the Zips have held 191 opponents to 70 points or less, going 155-36 (.812). Akron has held 149 of those foes to 65 points or less, going 130-19 (.872). On the flip side, Akron is 25-46 when allowing 70-plus points (.352).
Let the Block Party Continue
While on the court, Zeke Marshall is blocking 9.96 percent of the shots taken by Akron opponents while on the court. That is the top mark in the MAC and ninth-best in the nation (games through Feb. 12).
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.
34. 1,070 - Nikola Cvetinovic (2009-Present)
33. 1,086 - Larry Jenkins (1970-74)
32. 1,087 - Nick Dials (2006-08)
31. 1,108 - Marcel Boyce (1985-87)
30. 1,120 - Cedrick Middleton (2005-08)
A Return to Form
Demetrius Treadwell, after a couple of quiet games on the boards, has returned to form over the last three contests, averaging 8.7 rpg. For the season, he has five games with nine boards and 14 games with five or more rebounds. He leads the team in offensive boards (58) and is fourth in the MAC in offensive rebounds per game (2.5).
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, eight 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.
Cleaning the Glass
UA has grabbed 104 offensive boards, extending its possession once ever 2.4 missed shots. Akron's opponents are averaging an offensive board every 2.8 missed shots.
Long Range Defense
The Akron defense has been stout this season, allowing opponents to connect on just 28.5 percent from behind the 3-point arc. In fact, the Zips have held 14 opponents under 30.0 percent from long range, including a shutout of Valparaiso (0-of-14) on Nov. 18. In games through Feb. 12, the Zips are 10th 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 seven 10-plus steal performances and is averaging 7.6 steals per game. In fact, UA is recording 9.5 spg over the last four games (38 steals).
Pass the Rock
• Sophomore guard Alex Abreu has been on a tear of late, dishing out 45 dimes in the last eight games (5.6 apg). He has posted seven or more assists in three of those eight games to go along with 9.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game, in addition to a 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Against NIU, Abreu became the seventh player ever to record two 100-assist seasons as a Zip.
Bench Power
The Akron bench has provided a ton of productivity early on this season. The Zips' bench players hold a +10.9 scoring advantage and are averaging 28.7 points/game. The Zips' reserves have outscored their opponent in 22 games this season.
Now Starting at Guard
Sophomores Brian Walsh continues to make improvements, especially since earning a starting spot. In his 18 starts, he is averaging 8.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. In seven games off the bench, he posted an average of 7.7 ppg and 2.3 rpg.
The Century Club
Junior center Zeke Marshall is closing in on the 100 games played mark. He currently sits at 96 games and needs to appear in four more contests to reach the century mark. He should play in his 100th game at Ohio on Feb. 25.
Lights, Camera, Action
The Zips will appear on television 12 times this season, with the potential for six additional TV games to be added to the schedule. Akron is 8-2 so far this season on TV, defeating Western Michigan 69-66 in overtime on SportsTime Ohio on Feb. 8. Last season Akron went 9-7 on TV.
A Look at the Polls
• Two opponents appeared in the latest AP Top 25 and three in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. Mississippi State is ranked No. 23 in the ESPN poll and received 108 points in the AP poll. VCU (2/3) received votes in both polls while Middle Tennessee (8) received votes in the ESPN poll. Akron is 1-2 against these teams.
• Akron moved up one spot to No. 20 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll (Feb. 13). Eight Zips' opponents also appeared in the poll, including No. 7 Middle Tennessee, No. 11 VCU, No. 14 Oral Roberts, No. 15 Cleveland State and No. 22 Valparaiso. Ohio (59), Kent State (26) and Buffalo (9) 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.
Climbing the Coaching Ladder
Eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot continues to climb the coaching ranks at The University of Akron. Currently sitting at 180 wins at the helm of the Blue and Gold, Dambrot passed 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 88 wins and need three more wins 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 132 contests, Cvetinovic needs to appear in 10 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 231 blocked shots in his career, broke the career blocked shots record at Akron against Detroit on Nov. 26 (76 games). He is 20 blocked shots ahead of his school record pace from last season through 25 games (60). Marshall also owns the single-game (9), single-season (92), freshman season (59), sophomore (92) and junior season (73), and Rhodes Arena single-game (7) 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 228 assists and needs 34 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 passed Patrick Flomo (Ohio, 1998-2002) for sixth place (222) on the MAC career blocked shots list (231). He needs four swats to pass Ben Poquette (CMU, 1974-77) to move into the top-five all-time (234). Against Ohio (Jan. 14), he became just the eighth player in MAC history with 200 blocked shots. At his current pace of 2.4 blocked shots per game for his career, he should break the MAC record of 301 (Lonnie Jones, BSU, 1998-02) in roughly 29 more games.
• Compared to other coaches all-time in the MAC, head coach Keith Dambrot is fifth in league history with a .633 win percentage while coaching in the MAC (200-116 overall; 180-82 Akron, 20-34 CMU), sixth in league games winning percentage (.621, 100-61), seventh in overall wins (200) and eighth in conference wins (100). He needs two MAC wins to catch BGSU's Jim Larranagga (1987-97) for seventh in conference wins (102) and three overall wins to tie Toledo's Stan Joplin (1997-2008) for sixth place in wins as a MAC coach (203).
Winning Ways
• In his time at Akron, head coach Keith Dambrot has led the Zips to a 180-82 (.687) record, the most wins of any UA coach in their first eight seasons. He is second in UA history in wins (180) and fourth in winning percentage (.687).
• 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.
