The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Ohio
Men's Basketball Faces Ohio for MAC Title Tonight on ESPN2
March 10 | Men's Basketball
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MAC Tournament Championship Game Notes in PDF Format
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No. 3 Ohio (26-7) vs. No. 1 Akron (21-10)
Saturday, March 10, 2012 • 8:00 p.m. ET
Cleveland, Ohio
Quicken Loans Arena (20,562)
Television: ESPN2. Bob Wischusen (play-by-play) and Stephen Bardo (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) (7:30 p.m. ET airtime).
Akron Coach Keith Dambrot
(Akron, 1982):
Is in his eighth season at Akron, posting a 184-85 (.684) mark. Dambrot is 292-155 (.653) in 14 seasons as a collegiate head coach.
News, Notes and Storylines
• Akron will play in its sixth-straight Mid-American Conference Tournament Title Game tonight, its first as the No. 1 overall seed.
• UA's run of six-straight title games is the longest in MAC Tournament history and the second-longest active streak in the nation (Gonzaga, 15).
• A win would propel the Zips to their third NCAA Tournament appearance in the last four seasons and the fourth trip in the program's Division I era (1986).
• The Zips, making their 15th appearance in the MAC Tournament, are 18-12 in 30 games.
• Akron is 17-5 in the MAC Tournament under head coach Keith Dambrot, including a 2-3 record in the championship game.
• In the MAC Tournament, UA is 4-6 in the opening round (3-0 under Dambrot), 6-2 in the Quarterfinals (6-1 under Dambrot), 6-1 in the Semifinals (all under Dambrot) and 2-3 in the Title game (all under Dambrot).
• Akron is 15-5 when playing at Quicken Loans Arena under coach Dambrot.
• The Zips have won six of their last seven games in the month of March.
• UA has won five-straight MAC Tournament games and have been on the winning side in 11 of its last 12 tourney contests.
• With a win, Akron would become the third team to repeat as MAC Tournament Champs.
• In 32 MAC Tournaments, the No. 1 seed has won the event 17 times.
• Akron has eight players averaging 6.0 or more points per game, including Zeke Marshall (10.2), Nikola Cvetinovic (10.1), Alex Abreu (9.4), Nick Harney (8.7), Brian Walsh (8.2), Quincy Diggs (8.1), Demetrius Treadwell (7.6) and Chauncey Gilliam (6.4).
• UA is the only program in the MAC with six players connecting on 15-plus 3-point buckets.
• UA has been held under 40.0 shooting from the field just four times this season (35.7 percent at West Virginia; 28.6 percent at Middle Tennessee; 36.9 percent at Western Michigan; 32.7 percent at Ohio).
• The Zips are ranked in the top-10 nationally in 3-point percentage defense (28.9, 10th) in games through March 8.
Marshall Named MAC Defensive POY
Junior center Zeke Marshall was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year on March 6. He is the third player in the last four seasons to earn Defensive POY honors for the Zips, joining Jimmy Conyers (2010) and Nate Linhart (2009).
Marshall has 89 blocked shots this season, tied for the 11th-most in the nation while his 2.9 blocked shots/game average is tied for the 13th-best mark nationally. He has sent back 8.8 percent of the shots taken while on the court, the top mark in the MAC and the 12th-best percentage in the nation. He has more blocked shots than four MAC programs and 123 teams nationally this season.
Diggs Tabbed as MAC Sixth Man of the Year
Junior forward Quincy Diggs joined fellow junior Zeke Marshall on the postseason honors list, earning MAC Sixth Man of the Year on March 6.
After starting the first seven games of the season, Diggs took the leadership role of the Akron reserves, providing a spark on the bench in addition to playing minutes at point guard, a position he hasn't played until this season.
For the season, Diggs is averaging 8.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He is the third Zips' player to earn the award (Brett McKnight, 2009; Cedrick Middleton, 2007).
All-MAC Honors
Sophomore Alex Abreu, junior Zeke Marshall and senior Nikola Cvetinovic were named to the Mid-American Conference all-conference team the league office announced on March 7.
Abreu and Marshall were named second-team All-MAC, the first all-conference honors for both, while Cvetinovic, named third-team All-MAC, earned his second-straight all-league honor (second-team All-MAC in 2011). This is the third time that Akron has placed three players on the All-MAC roster (2010, 2009).
Akron vs. Ohio
Ohio leads the overall series 34-31. The Zips won the first meeting between the two teams this season, a 68-63 win in Akron on Jan. 14 on ESPNU. Ohio defeated Akron 85-61 on Feb. 26 in Athens, also on ESPNU. This will be the third meeting between these two programs in the MAC Tournament, with OU holding a 2-0 advantage.
Last Time in the MAC Championship Game
Last season, the Zips won four games in five days to win their second MAC Tournament title in three seasons, capped off by a 66-65 overtime win against Kent State on March 12, 2011.
Zeke Marshall earned MAC Tournament MVP honors after braking the school and MAC Tournament record with nine blocks, none more important than his swat of KSU's Rodriquez Sherman with six seconds left to help seal the victory. He finished the game with nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Marshall was joined on the all-tournament team by senior forward Brett McKnight. McKnight had 15 points, including two free throws with 12 second to go to give UA its final margin. Senior guard Steve McNees had 14 points, all in the first half to keep the Zips close.
MAC Tournament Semifinals Recap
Nikola Cvetinovic scored 15 points and Alex Abreu made two free throws with 15 seconds left, giving top-seeded Akron a 78-74 win over neighborhood rival and fouth-seeded Kent State in the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference tournament on Friday night.
The defending tournament champion Zips held off a late rally by the Flashes to advance to their MAC record sixth-straight title game.
Abreu finished with 13 points and four assists. Nick Harney posted 12 points and Chauncey Gilliam 11 points for UA, which swept all three games from their nearest conference neighbors for the first time since 2006-07. Harney added six boards, four coming on the offensive end.
Akron shot 46.6 percent (26-of-56) from the field, compared to Kent State's 51.0 percent (25-of-49). The Zips out-rebounded the Flashes 35-28, including a 14-7 edge off the offensive glass.
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.
Defending the Crown
For the second time in three seasons, the Zips open up play as the defending Mid-American Conference champions. Since joining the Division I ranks, Akron posted records of 21-9 (1986-87) and 24-11 (2009-10) in the season following a conference championship.
Repeating as tournament champion in the MAC is no easy feat. Since the tournament began in 1980, only two teams, Ball State (1989-90) and Kent State (2001-02), have successfully repeated as tourney champs.
Welcome to the MAC Tournament
In his MAC Tournament debut, sophomore forward Nick Harney recorded 12 points, six rebounds (4 offensive) and one steal in 14 minutes.
History of the No. 1 Seed
In the 33-year history of the MAC Tournament, the No. 1 seed has seen a lot of success. Since 1980, the top overall seed has won 17-of-32 MAC Tournaments. The last No. 1 seed to win came in 2008 (Kent State). Coincidentally, that was the same season a team with at least a share of the regular season title last won the automatic NCAA Tournament bid by taking the tourney crown.
The Road Less Travelled
The Zips, with their victory over Kent State, advanced to their sixth-straight MAC Title game, breaking Miami's record of five-straight title game appearances (1997-2001). Akron also ranks third on the list of consecutive semifinals appearances. UA's current streak of seven-straight (2006-Pres.) trails only Miami (Ohio) (10, 1992-2001) and Ball State (8, 1989-96).
Lights, Camera, Action
The Zips are appearing on television for the 14th time this season, posting a 10-4 record so far this season on TV. UA defeated Kent State 78-74 on March 9 on SportsTime Ohio in the MAC Tournament Semifinals. Last season Akron went 9-7 on TV.
Ball Protection
In the last nine games, the Zips have turned the ball over just 12.7 times/game (114) and have posted a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio. In the previous eight games, UA averaged 15.8 giveaways (126) and a 0.9 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Charity Change
Over the last nine games, the Zips have connected on 76.4 percent at the charity stripe (159-of-208). UA connected on just 64.4 percent (177-of-275) over the previous 12 games.
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 six 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 seven seasons. In games through March 9, only 15 teams (Syracuse, Ohio State, BYU, San Diego State, UNC, Marquette, Duke, Louisville, Kansas, Gonzaga, Florida, Akron, Butler, Texas, Xavier) have won 20-plus games in seven-straight seasons (3.8 percent).
• On the coaching side of 20-win seasons, head coach Keith Dambrot is currently tied for 13th place among active coaches with current 20-plus game winning streaks (7) and tied for the tenth-longest streak at the same program (games through March 4). Only two coaches [Mark Few, Gonzaga (13); Stew Morrill, Utah State (12)] 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 269 games under head coach Keith Dambrot, the Zips have held 195 opponents to 70 points or less, going 158-37 (.810). Akron has held 151 of those foes to 65 points or less, going 132-19 (.874). On the flip side, Akron is 26-48 when allowing 70-plus points (.351).
Let the Block Party Continue
• While on the court, Zeke Marshall is blocking 8.78 percent of the shots taken by Akron opponents. That is the top mark in the MAC and 12th-best in the nation (games through March 9).
The Drive for 500
With their 61-55 win over Kent State on March 2, the Zips record program win No. 500 as a Division I program.
Stealing the Show
Last season, the Zips had six games where they posted 10 or more steals and averaged 6.7 steals per game. So far this season, Akron has posted eight 10-plus steal performances and is averaging 7.3 steals per game.
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 139 contests, Cvetinovic needs to appear in three 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 sole possession of the top spot.
• Junior center Zeke Marshall, with 242 blocked shots in his career, broke the career blocked shots record at Akron against Detroit on Nov. 26 (76 games). He is two swats (91) away from breaking his own school season record (92) and is 17 blocked shots ahead his pace from last season through 31 games (71). Marshall also owns the single-game (9), single-season (92), freshman (59), sophomore (92) and junior season (89), and Akron 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 260 assists and needs two dimes to pass Mike Dowdell (261, 1984-87) for tenth place. Abreu's 128 dimes last season were also the 10th-best of any season in program history.
Looking at the MAC Record Book
• Junior center Zeke Marshall passed Ben Poquette (CMU, 1974-77) against Oral Roberts to move into the top-five all-time (242) for career blocked shots in the MAC. He needs 16 blocked shots to pass EMU's Theron Wilson for fourth place (257). 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 25 more games.
• Compared to other coaches all-time in the MAC, head coach Keith Dambrot is fifth in league history with a .632 win percentage while coaching in the league (204-119 overall; 184-85 Akron, 20-34 CMU), tied for fifth in overall wins (204), sixth in league games winning percentage (.620, 103-63) and seventh in conference wins (103). He passed BGSU's Jim Larranaga (1987-97) for seventh in conference wins with UA's victory at Kent State on March 2, in addition to tying Ohio's Larry Hunter (1990-01) for fifth place in wins as a MAC coach (204).
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-point mark. He continues to move up the all-time scoring list.
27. 1,144 - Nikola Cvetinovic (2009-Present)
26. 1,151 - Jeremiah Wood (2004-08)
25. 1,152 - Ray Pryear (1955-59)
24. 1,185 - Anthony Buford (1987-90)
23. 1,190 - Derrick Tarver (2003-04)
Painting the Scoreboard
One area that has helped the Zips be so successful this season is scoring in the paint. During MAC play, Akron is averaging 33.1 points in the paint and holds a +4.1 ppg advantage in the category. UA out-scored its opponents in 10-of-16 conference games and allowed more than 35 points in the paint just twice (46, vs. Toledo; 40 vs. Buffalo). On the other hand, the Zips have surpassed 35 points seven times, including a season-high 50 points against Kent State (Jan. 21).
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.
Long Range Defense
The Akron defense has been stout this season, allowing opponents to connect on just 28.9 percent from behind the 3-point arc. In fact, the Zips have held 18 opponents under 30.0 percent from long range, including a shutout of Valparaiso (0-of-14) on Nov. 18. In games through March 8, the Zips are 10th in the nation in 3-point defense.
Pass the Rock
• Sophomore guard Alex Abreu has been on a tear of late, dishing out 77 dimes in the last 15 games (5.1 apg). He has posted five or more assists in 10 of those 14 games to go along with 11.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.9 steals and a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio per game.
• Against NIU, Abreu became the seventh player ever to record two 100-assist seasons as a Zip. Against Kent State, he broke Dru Joyce's sophomore assists record of 126 (2004-05). His back-to-back 132 assists this season rank 10th all-time in program history.
Bench Power
The Akron bench has provided a ton of productivity this season. The Zips' bench players hold a +9.8 scoring advantage and are averaging 27.2 points/game. The Zips' reserves have out-scored their opposition in 27 games (one tie) this season.
A Look at the Polls
• Three opponents appeared in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches and one in the AP Top 25 polls. VCU (3/6) received votes in both polls while Mississippi State (8) and Middle Tennessee (1) received votes in the ESPN poll. Akron is 1-2 against these teams.
• Akron dropped one spot to No. 25 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll (March 5). eight Zips' opponents also appeared in the poll, including No. 7 VCU, No. 9 Oral Roberts, No. 11 Middle Tennessee, No. 19 Valparaiso and No. 24 Ohio. Buffalo (8), Cleveland State (5) and Detroit (5) 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.
Let's Go Streaking
• Akron has enjoyed seven-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; 22-10 in 2011-12). 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 eight 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 six-straight times, with those being the only five appearances in their 19 years in the league. The run is also the second-longest active streak in the nation behind Gonzaga (15).
• Akron has hit at least one 3-point bucket in 375-consecutive games, 269-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 is at 28 games. Akron has shut out opponents from behind the arc seven times under Dambrot.
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 111 seasons of basketball. Of the six senior classes to win 90 or more games in their career, five of those have come under Dambrot. The current senior class of Nikola Cvetinovic, Brett McClanahan and Kyle Petersen currently sits at 92 wins, tied for fourth place in program history.
• Class of 2010 (2007-10) – 97 wins
• Class of 2009 (2006-09) – 96 wins
• Class of 2011 (2008-11) – 94 wins
• Class of 2012 (2009-12) – 92 wins
• Class of 2008 (2005-08) – 92 wins
• Class of 1966 (1963-66) – 91 wins
Winning Ways
• In his time at Akron, head coach Keith Dambrot has led the Zips to a 184-85 (.684) record, the most wins of any UA coach in their first eight seasons. He is second in UA history in wins (184) and fourth in winning percentage (.684).
• 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.
Climbing the Coaching Ladder
Eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot continues to climb the coaching ranks at The University of Akron. Currently sitting at 184 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.
