Men's Basketball Concludes Road Trip on Saturday at South Carolina

December 27 | Men's Basketball

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Akron at South Carolina Game Notes in PDF Format

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Akron (6-4) at South Carolina (4-6)

Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013 • 4 p.m. ET
Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Columbia, S.C.

Television: ESPNU. Joe Davis (play-by-play) and Paul Biancardi (analyst).

Webcast/Live Statistics: Available at GoZips.com – webcast and live statistics free of charge.

Radio: SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron (flagship), for free at SportsRadio1350.com and on iHeartRadio. Steve French (play-by-play) and Joe Dunn (analyst) will have the call beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Akron Coach Keith Dambrot (Akron, 1982): Is in his 10th season at Akron, posting a 216-98 (.688) mark. Dambrot is 324-168 (.659) in 16 seasons as a collegiate head coach. Coach Dambrot is 0-1 against the Gamecocks following the neutral-site meeting in Hawaii.

Series: This is the second-straight meeting between Akron and South Carolina, with the Gamecocks winning round one in Hawaii. The Zips are 3-5 against current members of the SEC (0-1 vs. Alabama, 0-2 vs. Kentucky, 2-0 vs. Mississippi State, 0-1 vs. South Carolina, 1-1 vs. Texas A&M).

Zips Conclude Road Trip at South Carolina
The Zips will close their four-game road trip on Saturday at South Carolina on ESPNU.

News, Notes and Storylines
• The Zips dropped their second-straight game to conclude the 2013 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, falling 69-59 to South Carolina on Christmas Day.
• Demetrius "Tree" Treadwell (12) and Quincy Diggs (10) were the lone Zips in double figures.
• After averaging just 10.6 turnovers per game over the past five games, the Zips turned the ball over 16 times against South Carolina.
• Akron is 3-5 against the current members of the SEC. The last win for the Zips against an opponent from the league was Nov. 9, 2011, when UA downed Mississippi State 68-58 in Starkville, Miss.
• After playing just one regular season contest in a 28-day stretch, in addition to one exhibition, the Zips are in the middle of a nine games in 19 days stretch (Dec. 14 through Jan. 2).
• The Zips have won 28 of their last 35 games dating back to last season (.800).
• UA is 49-21 (.700) in the month of December under 10th-year head coach Keith Dambrot, including wins in 14 of the last 19 games.
• The last time the Zips played the same non-conference opponent twice in a season was against Youngstown State during the 1992-93 campaign. The only time Akron has played the same non-conference opponent in back-to-back games and at different locations was a home-and-home with Middle Tennessee (Jan. 11 and Jan., 1988).
• In games through Dec. 22, senior forward Demetrius "Tree" Treadwell ranks 44th in the nation in double-doubles (4) and 59th in rebounds per game (8.9) while the Akron defense ranks 56th in rebound margin (+5.3).
• Akron has won 22-plus games in each of the last eight seasons, one of only six Division I programs to do so. The other five teams are Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Ohio State and Pittsburgh.

Scouting the Gamecocks
South Carolina enters the game with a 4-6 record following the contest against the Zips in Hawaii. The Gamecocks are 2-2 at home, losing their last two games at Colonial Life Arena

Two South Carolina players are scoring in double figures, including Sindari Thornwell (12.1 ppg) and Tyrone Johnson (11.5 ppg). Mindaugas Kacinas leads the team in rebounding (6.0 rpg).

On the Line vs. South Carolina
• A win over the Gamecocks would snap a two-game losing streak for the Zips.
• An Akron win would be the fourth for the Zips over a SEC program, pushing UA's record over the conference to 4-5.
• A victory would give the Zips two wins over the power conferences (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC) in the same season for the first time in program history.

Akron vs. South Carolina Recap
The Zips dropped a 69-59 decision to the Gamecocks on Wednesday in the third-place game of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.

Akron closed the game shooting 37.9 percent from the floor (22-of-58) and 29.4 percent from long range (5-of-17). The Zips committed 16 turnovers to just 10 by the Gamecocks.

Demetrius "Tree" Treadwell led the Zips with 12 points and seven boards while Quincy Diggs was the only other Zip in double figures (10).

Duane Notice led five South Carolina players in double figures with 15 points.

Making the Most of the Break
The start of the 2013-14 schedule was an odd one, but the Zips are making the most of it. After playing three games in the first eight days of the season, Akron had 21 days off before playing another regular season game. Follow that time off, the Zips have seen some big improvements.

Stats Per Game	First 3 Games	Last 7 Games
Points Scored	69.3	73.1
Points Allowed	76.0	66.3
Scoring Margin	-6.7	+6.9
Assists/Game	8.7	13.0
Turnovers	18.0	12.0
Assist/Turnover Ratio	0.5	1.1
3-Point Percentage	26.7	40.5

The New Block Party
There's a new block party in Akron following the graduation of Zeke Marshall, the all-time blocked shots leader at Akron and in the Mid-American Conference.

Sophomore Pat Forsythe (Detroit) and freshman Isaiah Johnson (Bethune-Cookman) have each posted a game with four blocked shots this season. They are the only two players not named Zeke Marshall with four swats in a game since the 2007-08 season. Forsythe also blocked four shots at Creighton last year (Dec. 9).

Playing an NBA Schedule
Beginning with the Zips home game against Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 14, Akron will play nine games in 19 days – including four road contests – and will log 9,749 miles. When looking at the NBA schedule, only 13 of 30 teams play more games than Akron, with four teams (Indiana, Washington, Boston and Philadelphia) actually playing fewer games than UA during that same stretch (8).

Inside the Scoring Numbers
The Zips have been one of the top defensive squads in the league over the last 10 seasons. In 314 games under head coach Keith Dambrot, the Zips have held 227 opponents to 70 points or less, going 186-41 (.819). Akron has held 178 of those foes to 65 points or less, going 158-20 (.888). The Zips are 30-57 (.345) when allowing more than 70 points.

Welcome to December
• The Zips are 49-21 (.700) in the month of December under 10th-year head coach Keith Dambrot, including a 34-3 mark at home (.919).
• Akron has won 23 of its last 24 December home games, with UA's only loss coming against VCU in overtime on Dec. 29, 2011 (76-75).

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. Last season, eight different players led Akron in scoring, with only two players holding top scoring honors in back-to-back games. Zeke Marshall was the only player to lead the Zips in scoring in more than back-to-back games, leading Akron in four-straight contests.
• So far this season, five Zips have had at least a share of top scoring honors, with Quincy Diggs and Demetrius "Tree" Treadwell being the only players to share top-scoring honors in multiple games. Treadwell is the only player to lead the Zips in scoring in back-to-back games through eight contests.

Lights, Camera, Action
The Zips will appear on television at least 12 times this season, with the possible addition of four wildcard games. Akron is 1-3 on the year, falling 69-59 to South Carolina on ESPN2 in its last TV appearance (Dec. 25).

Frequent Flyer Program
During the non-conference portion of the schedule, the Zips will put their frequent flyer membership to work. Akron will play four true road games and three games in Hawaii at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. Adding up the round trip miles, the Zips will log 15,941 miles before MAC play begins in January.

at Saint Mary's: 4,320 miles
at Middle Tennessee: 896 miles
at Cleveland State: 60 miles
at Diamond Head Classic: 4,591 miles
at South Carolina: 5,575 miles
Return to Akron: 499 miles

A Look at the Polls
• Akron is ranked 11th in the Dec. 23 CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll. Five opponents appeared in the poll, including No. 3 Toledo, No. 5 Saint Mary's, No. 14 Kent State and No. 18 Ohio. Eastern Michigan (35) received votes.
• Three opponents appeared in this week's AP and USA TODAY Coaches polls. Iowa State was the only ranked team earning the No. 14 spot in the AP poll and the No. 13 spot in the USA Today Coaches poll. Toledo (27/13) and Saint Mary's (8/23) received votes in both polls.

RPI Watch
• In games through Dec. 25, the Zips hold the No. 79 in the RPI Forecast rankings.
• The Zips have nine opponents on their schedule with an RPI of 125 or higher, including Iowa State (6), Saint Mary's (43), Toledo (48), Ohio (53), Eastern Michigan (83), Oral Roberts (99), Middle Tennessee (104), Kent State (107) and Cleveland State (116), with South Carolina (129) and Oregon State (137) just outside the top-125.

A Mix of Youth and Experience
On paper, the Akron roster may look like a youthful one, but it is also an experience roster. The Zips list nine freshmen and sophomores on the roster. UA's five sophomores have made 175 appearances and 54 starts in their Akron careers. In fact, three sophomores – Carmelo Betancourt, Pat Forsythe and Jake Kretzer – have appeared in every game at Akron, while Reggie McAdams has made 42 appearances in 43 possible games.

Solid Bench Play
The Akron bench has been the catalyst for success under 10th-year head coach Keith Dambrot and this year was no different. So far this season, the Zips' bench holds a +12.2 scoring advantage (32.0-19.8). UA reserves are hitting 43.0 percent from the floor and 39.5 percent from long range. The Akron backups have a 1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio. In the last seven games, the UA bench has out-scored the opposition 244-139 (+15.0 ppg).

The Quest for 1,500 Wins
Akron, as a program, is on a quest to join some elite programs this season. Entering the 2013-14 campaign, 49 Division I teams had won at least 1,500 games all-time. So far this season, Minnesota, USC and Montana State have joined that group to push that number to 52 programs.
In games through Dec. 23, there are currently seven teams, including the Zips, within reach of that milestone this season. Akron has 1,490 wins, the most by any Mid-American Conference team.

Playing the Power Conferences
In recent seasons, the Zips have seen the number of games played against the six power conferences (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC) go up. Saturday's contest at South Carolina will be the Zips' fourth against one of the power leagues (1-2 so far). A win against South Carolina would give Akron two wins in the same over opponents from these six leagues, the most in program history.

Akron already as posted a win over a Power Six Conference member in three-straight seasons, including this season (at Mississippi State in 2011-12; vs. Penn State in 2012-13; vs. Oregon State in 2013-14).

#4PetesSake
On Dec. 14, director of basketball operations Dan Peters took a medical leave of absence to begin treatment for pancreatic cancer. The Zips will honor Peters by wearing a patch this season with a purple ribbon and the words "4 Pete's Sake."

Prospering at the Line
Demetrius "Tree" Treadwell has been one Zip that has been prospering at the charity stripe in recent games.

Over the last four contests, Treadwell has connected on 26-of-33 from the line (.788) after opening the season 23-of-41 (.561). He sank 12-of-15 freebies against Detroit (Dec. 18), followed by a 10-of-13 performance against Oregon State (Dec. 22).

Treadwell Named MAC Player of the Week
Demetrius "Tree" Treadwell was named Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week on Dec. 23.

Treadwell earned his second-career POTW honor after helping the Zips to a 3-0 record, including wins over Oral Roberts, Detroit and Oregon State. His first award came on Dec. 17, 2012.

Treadwell averaged 21.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game. He finished the week shooting 57.6 percent from the floor (19-of-33) and 68.4 percent from the charity stripe (26-of-38). He posted three-straight double-doubles during the week.

Home Cooking
Akron is 123-18 (.872) at Rhodes Arena under 10th-year head coach Keith Dambrot (4-0 overall, 0-0 MAC this season). UA has now won 40 of its last 43 games at the JAR (.930). The Zips have recorded 11-straight winning campaigns at home and have won at least 13 home contests in eight-of-nine years. UA's last losing record at home came in 1995-96.

Continuing the Trend
Since taking over the program at the start of the 2004-05 season, losing back-to-back games has been a rarity under 10th-year head coach Keith Dambrot.

During his tenure, the Zips have only lost two or more games in a row on 15 occasions, including 12 two-game and three three-game losing streaks. Of those 15 losing streaks, 11 included two or more games on the road (road/neutral site).

What is more impressive is how Akron has responded following those runs. Of the 13 losing streaks that did not end the season, Akron has responded with some impressive runs.

Dates	Losing Streak	After
J. 6-8, 2005	2: @UT, @WMU	10-2
F. 17-22, 2006	2: @Nevada, @MU	4-2
J. 23-26, 2008	2: @KSU, @CMU	7-3
J. 3-13, 2009	3: @URI, @MU, UB	9-2
N. 15-20, 2009	2: Austin Peay, @NCSU	12-2
D. 12-15, 2010	2: @Temple, @Minn.	6-1
J. 12-19, 2011	3: OU, @UB, @MU	9-2
M. 1-4, 2011	2: @OU, @KSU	4-1
N. 18-19, 2011	2: @Valpo, Duquesne	5-3
N. 28-D. 10, 2011	3: @WVU, @MTSU, @CSU	16-2
F. 26-29, 2012	2: @OU, UB	2-2
D. 9-15, 2012	2: @Creighton, @Detroit	19-0
N. 12-16, 2013	2: @SMC, @MTSU	5-2

Going for the Three-peat
As the two-time defending Mid-American Conference regular season champions, the Zips will look to do something that is rare in the league...win three-straight regular season crowns. In 67 years of basketball, 12 teams before the Zips had a chance to three-peat (including shared titles), with only one program claiming three-straight regular season titles. From 1948 through 1951, founding member Cincinnati won four-straight titles. In fact, of the 11 previous back-to-back champs not to three-peat, only three finished second in their bid for a third title.

And Then There Were Five
In 2004, college basketball saw 34 programs hire new head coaches, including 10th-year head coach Keith Dambrot. Of those 34 coaches to take over new programs that year, only five remain at the same program.

Compared to those coaches, Dambrot ranks third in wins and is one of two coaches in that group to lead his program to eight-straight 22-plus win seasons (Thad Matta, Ohio State).

How Hard is it to Win 20 Games?
• The Akron Zips are the only team in the MAC to have won 20-plus games in each of the last eight seasons. In fact, only 15 teams have reached 20 wins in each of the last eight years (Akron, Butler, BYU, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, Marquette, North Carolina, Ohio State, San Diego State, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Utah State).
• Taking things one step further, the Zips are one of only six programs with at least 22-plus wins in each of the last eight seasons (Akron, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Ohio State and Pittsburgh).
• On the coaching side of 20-win seasons, head coach Keith Dambrot is currently tied for 12th place among active coaches with current 20-plus game winning streaks (8). Dambrot's eight-straight 20-win seasons is tied for the ninth-longest streak at the same program. Only two coaches [Mark Few, Gonzaga (14); Stew Morrill, Utah State (14)] have posted longer runs of 20-win seasons solely at mid-major programs.