The University of Akron Athletics
Men's Basketball Closes Regular Season Friday vs. Kent State
March 07 | Men's Basketball
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Kent State (18-12, 8-7 MAC at (rv/rv) Akron (24-5, 14-1 MAC)
Friday, March 8, 2013 • 7:00 p.m. ET
James A. Rhodes Arena (5,500)
Akron, Ohio
Television: ESPN2. Mike Crispino (play-by-play) and Tim McCormick (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 6:30 p.m. ET.
Akron Coach Keith Dambrot
(Akron, 1982):
Is in his ninth season at Akron, posting a 208-92 (.693) mark. Dambrot is 316-162 (.661) in 15 seasons as a collegiate head coach. He is 11-14 all-time against Kent State, including a 11-10 mark at Akron.
The Series: Kent State holds a 69-67 advantage. The Zips have won five-straight and six of the last seven. UA downed KSU 71-67 in Kent on Jan. 19. Akron is 39-22 when playing KSU at home and has won three of the last four at Rhodes Arena. The Zips have not swept back-to-back season series since the 1961-62 and 1962-63 seasons.
Zips Close Regular Season on Friday
Akron will close the regular season at home with a match-up with neighborhood rival Kent State.
News, Notes and Storylines
• The Zips became just the third team in the last 30 years to win back-to-back MAC regular-season titles thanks to a 72-58 win over Miami (Ohio) on Tuesday.
• The win as the 20th in the last 21 games for the Zips.
• Zeke Marshall led the Zips with 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. Nick Harney (13), Alex Abreu (12) and Demetrius "Tree" Treadwell (10) also reached double figures in the scoring column.
• Akron is just the 12th team in 65 years of MAC basketball to win back-to-back regular season crowns.
• The victory was the Zips' 15th-straight and the 36th in the last 38 games at James A. Rhodes Arena.
• UA will be the No. 1 seed in next week's MAC Tournament and will receive a bye to Friday's semifinals.
• The Zips six votes in the USA TODAY Coaches poll and received four votes in the AP poll.
• Tonight's game marks the 15th time in the last 16 regular-season meetings that either UA and/or KSU is in first place or is playing for first place in the MAC East (dating to 2005-06).
• The Zips and Golden Flashes will play on TV for the 24th-straight game, the longest streak in the MAC between two league programs.
• Akron and Kent State will meet for the second time on the hardwood this season as part of the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge.
• Akron has won 20 of its last 21 games dating back to Dec. 15. During the current run, the Zips are out-scoring their opponents by 12.6 points/game and hold a +8.2 rebounding advantage. UA is shooting 46.0 percent from the field while holding opponents to 38.1 percent shooting from the field and 31.7 percent from behind the arc.
A Look at the Golden Flashes
Kent State enters tonight's contest with an 18-12 overall record and an 8-7 mark in MAC play. KSU has won seven of their last nine games and are 7-6 on the road (3-4 conference).
Two Golden Flashes are averaging double figures in the scoring column, including Chris Evans (16.8 ppg) and Randal Holt (14.5 ppg). Evans is the team's leading rebounder (7.7 rpg).
On the Line vs. Kent State
• An Akron victory would be the sixth-straight in the series for the Zips, the longest streak for UA in since winning six-straight from 1961-63.
• A win would guarantee the Zips conclude the 2013-13 season with at least a share of the MAC East lead for the 32nd-consecutive league game.
• A victory would break the school record for most wins in a MAC season for the Zips (15).
• With a win, the Zips would post the third perfect home record in Rhodes Arena history (16-0) and tied for the second-most home wins in a season in program history (16).
What You May Not Know About the Series
• Akron and/or Kent State have played in the MAC Title Game in each of the last seven years.
• The Akron-Kent State series (136 games) is the most played series in program history, ahead of Wooster (92), Baldwin-Wallace (91), Youngstown State (88), Mount Union (70) and Cleveland State (66).
• The first team to score 60 points in the rivalry has won 28 of the last 30 games in the series.
Last Time Out vs. Kent State
A 45-point second half and double-doubles by Demetrius "Tree" Treadwell and Zeke Marshall was the difference as the Zips defeated Kent State 71-67 on Jan. 19 in Kent, Ohio.
Down 10 at the half, the Zips held the Golden Flashes to just six buckets in the second half en route to a 45-point performance.
Treadwell scored 15 points and grabbed a career-high 16 boards, including seven on the offensive glass. Ten of Treadwell's 16 rebounds came in the second half.
Marshall closed the day with 17 points and 11 boards, in addition to four blocked shots. Chauncey Gilliam, just 15 days off knee surgery, pitched in with 11 points. Chris Evans led KSU with 19 points.
Success in League Play
• UA has seen a ton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season. Akron is 107-40 overall (.728), including a 64-9 mark in MAC play at home (.877). The Zips' 107 wins are the most in the MAC during that stretch.
• The Zips have won 27 of their last 31 and 33 of the last 39 regular-season MAC games.
Best MAC Start
• Akron's 13-0 start to Mid-American Conference play was the best start under ninth-year head coach Keith Dambrot and was the best start in 21 seasons for Akron in the league.
• The Zips snapped Miami (Ohio)'s 55-year record for the best start to MAC play. The RedHawks finished the 1957-58 season with a perfect 12-0 mark.
Back-to-Back Crowns
With Akron's 72-58 win over Miami (Ohio) on Tuesday, the Zips reached rare status in the Mid-American Conference. The Zips became just the third team in the last 30 years to win back-to-back regular season crowns (Ball State 1989-90; Kent State 2010-11) and just the second since the league went to divisional play in 1997-98 (Kent State, 2010-11). In all, 12 programs have repeated as regular season champions in the MAC's 65 years of basketball.
MAC Records on the Line
• Akron's MAC season has been a memorable one and the Zips have a chance to add to the list of achievements. With a win over Kent State, Akron would tie Western Michigan (1975-76) for the overall record (15-1) and MAC wins (15) record for a 16-game MAC season.
• Should the Zips beat Kent State, their 15 wins would be tied for fifth overall in MAC history. UA would post the first one-loss season since 2001-02 (Kent State, 17-1) and the 13th one-loss season in league history. It would be just the second one-loss campaign in the last 37 seasons.
Looking Ahead to the MAC Tournament
With one game left in the Mid-American Conference season, seeding for the league tournament is taking shape.
In MAC games through March 5, Akron and Ohio have locked up the top-two seeds and a bye into the MAC Tournament Semifinals. The Zips earned the No. 1 seed while the Bobcats will play as the No. 2 seed.
MAC West Division Champion Western Michigan earned the No. 3 seed while Akron's opponent, Kent State, will be the No. 4 seed. Seeds 5-11 are still up in the air.
Home Cooking
Akron is 119-17 (.875) at Rhodes Arena under ninth-year head coach Keith Dambrot (15-0 overall, 7-0 MAC this season). UA has now won 36 of its last 38 games at the JAR (.947). The Zips have recorded 11-straight winning campaigns at home, including this season, and have won at least 13 home contests in eight-of-nine years. UA's last losing record at home came in 1995-96.
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 14 teams have reached 20 wins in each of the last eight seasons (Akron, Butler, BYU, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, Marquette, North Carolina, Ohio State, San Diego State, Syracuse and Pittsburgh).
• 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 season (Akron, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Ohio State and Pittsburgh).
• 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 (8) and tied for the 10th-longest streak at the same program. Only two coaches [Mark Few, Gonzaga (14); Stew Morrill, Utah State (13)] have posted longer runs of 20-win seasons solely at mid-major programs.
A Look at the Polls
• The Zips received six votes in the March 4 USA TODAY Coaches and four votes in the AP poll.
• Three opponents appeared in the March 4 editions of the AP and USA TODAY Coaches polls. Oklahoma State (13/14) was ranked in both while Middle Tennessee (5/51) and Creighton (7/10) received votes in both polls.
• Akron is ranked 8th in the March 4 CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll. Seven UA opponents appeared in the poll, including No. 2 Middle Tennessee, No. 7 Creighton, No. 18 Ohio and No. 23 Detroit. Princeton (21), NDSU (18) and Western Michigan (4) received votes.
Polling History
The Zips appeared in both polls for the fourth-straight week, the longest run in program history. On Feb. 25, Akron moved into the USA TODAY Coaches Poll Top-25 for the first time in program history, entering the poll at No. 24. The Zips also received a program-best 43 points in the AP poll that week, falling 11 points shy of the top-25.
PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge
Akron enters the contest with a 5.0-3.0 lead in this season's PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge. The Zips earned their points with wins in men's and women's cross country, season sweeps in volleyball and women's basketball, a men's basketball win in January and a win for the men's indoor track and field team at the league championships. Tonight's contest will earn the winner 0.5 points in the overall standings. For more information on the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge, visit: www.wagonwheelchallenge.com.
Big Games vs. Kent State
• Several Akron players have stepped up their game when playing Kent State.
• In nine career games against KSU, Zeke Marshall is averaging 10.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.7 blocked shots. He has two double-doubles in the series and a memorable nine-point, 13-rebound, nine-blocked shot performance in the 2011 MAC title game (March 12).
• Junior Alex Abreu has made seven appearances against the Golden Flashes, averaging 8.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He has reached double figures twice against KSU.
• Despite only playing four games against UA's biggest rival, senior Chauncey Gilliam has had an impact on the series. He is averaging 11.3 points and 2.0 rebounds per game while shooting a blistering .653 from the field (17-of-26) and .538 from long range (7-of-13). He has scored in double figures in all four contests.
On a Roll
• Akron has two winning streaks that rank in the top-15 nationally. The Zips' 19-game winning streak earlier this season is the longest overall streak in the nation this season, while UA's run of 15-straight victories at home is tied for 11th (games through March 5).
• Looking at the MAC records, Akron's 13-game league winning streak earlier this season was the second-longest in a single season while UA's 14-game winning streak over multiple seasons (2012-13) was tied for third all-time.
Lights, Camera, Action
The Zips will appear on television a minimum of 17 times this season, including a TV game in next month's MAC Tournament Semifinals. Akron has gone 11-4 so far, defeating Miami (Ohio) 72-58 on SportsTime Ohio in its last TV appearance (March 5). UA will appear on television in each of its next two contests.
RPI Watch
• Entering tonight's game, the Zips check in at No. 54 in the Ken Pom RPI rankings (games through March 6).
• In other RPI rankings, the Zips are 46th (NCAA), 46th (RPIRatings.com), 48th (Real Time RPI), 48th (ESPN RPI) and 48th (ESPN BPI).
• So far, Akron has played three teams inside the top 40 of the RPI (Ken Pom; on gameday), including Creighton (No. 15), Oklahoma State (No. 24) and Middle Tennessee (No. 38), in addition to five top-100 opponent in North Dakota State (No. 58), Ohio (No. 70 & No. 72) and Princeton (No. 91).
Rare Company
Senior center Zeke Marshall is on pace to do something only three other players have done in the last 30 years. At his current pace of 12.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg and 3.6 bpg, plus shooting 66.7 percent, Marshall would join Bo Outlaw (Houston, 1992-93), Patrick Ewing (Georgetown, 1983-84) and Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston, 1983-84) as the only players to average at least 12.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.5 bpg and shoot 65 percent or better in a single season (Courtesy of ESPN Stats & Research).
Inside the Scoring Numbers
The Zips have been one of the top defensive squads in the league over the last nine seasons. In 300 games under head coach Keith Dambrot, the Zips have held 218 opponents to 70 points or less, going 179-39 (.821). Akron has held 171 of those foes to 65 points or less, going 151-20 (.883). The Zips are 29-53 (.354) when allowing more than 70 points.
And Then There Were Seven
In 2004, college basketball saw 34 programs hire new head coaches, including ninth-year head coach Keith Dambrot. Of those 34 coaches to take over new programs that year, only seven remain at the same program.
Compared to those coaches, Dambrot ranks second in wins and is one of two coaches in that group to lead his program to eight-straight 22-plus win seasons, including 2012-13 (Thad Matta, Ohio State).
Of the coaches not at the program they were hired at in 2004, only Lon Kruger (UNLV, 2004-11) won more than 150 games (161-71).
The Century Club
Junior guard Alex Abreu has appeared in 96 games in two-plus seasons for the Zips. Barring injury, Abreu and the Zips need to play in three postseason games for him to reach the century mark this season, joining senior center Zeke Marshall.
Lou Henson Award Finalist
Senior center Zeke Marshall was named one of 25 finalists for the Lou Henson award, presented to the nation's top mid-major player by CollegeInsider.com. Marshall is the first player from Akron to be named a finalist for the award, which is named after former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach Lou Henson.
Game No. 300
Ninth-year head coach Keith Dambrot coached his 300th game at the helm of the Akron program on Tuesday night against Miami (Ohio). He is just the second UA coach to lead the Zips in 300-plus games, joining Russell Beichly (432 games in 19 seasons).
Kretzer Did What?
• In Akron's 88-81 overtime win at Ohio on Feb. 27, freshman wing Jake Kretzer became the first Zip in over five seasons to go perfect from behind the 3-point arc on a minimum of five attempts (5-of-5). The last UA player to do so was Steve McNees, who went 6-of-6 against Miami (Ohio) on Jan. 5, 2008.
• Just how good was the performance? According to ESPN Stats & Research, Kretzer is the first bench player in over 15 years in the MAC to post a perfect shooting night from the field (6-of-6) that included five or more 3-pointers.
Recent Domination
• During its run of 20 wins in the last 21 games, the Zips have been dominating in almost every statistical category.
• Akron is averaging 72.4 points/game during the stretch while out-scoring opponents by 12.6 points/game (59.9). UA is shooting 46.0 percent while holding the opposition to just 38.1 percent from the floor.
• UA is averaging 38.8 rebounds/game and holds a +8.2 rebounding advantage while dishing out 15.8 assists and recording 7.1 steals.
• A key part to the stretch has been the play of the Akron front line. Zeke Marshall (13.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg), Demetrius "Tree" Treadwell (11.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and Nick Harney (10.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg) have accounted for 48.6 percent of UA's points and 50.0 percent of the Zips' rebounds.
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. So far this season, eight players have had a least a share of the top-scoring performance, with Brian Walsh, Zeke Marshall, Alex Abreu and Nick Harney as the only players to lead the Zips in back-to-back game. No player has led UA in scoring in three-straight contests this season.
1,000 Point Club
Senior center Zeke Marshall one of 40 players in school history to score 1,000 career points and just the 22nd player to score 1,200 points as a Zip. He needs four points to pass George Phillips (1996-2000) to break into the top-20.
21. 1,212 - Zeke Marshall (2010-Present)
20. 1,215 - George Phillips (1996-2000)
19. 1,217 - Bob Whaley (1956-60)
18. 1,229 - Fred Golding (1955-59)
17. 1,258 - Fritz Nagy (1943-47)
How Many Double-Doubles?
• In Akron's 91-63 win over Coppin State on Jan. 2, three Zips' players recorded double-doubles in the same game for the first time in the program's Division I era (since 1980-81). Zeke Marshall (13 points, 12 rebounds), Nick Harney (14 points, 11 rebounds) and Jake Kretzer (14 points, 12 rebounds) helped make history and record just the fourth such instance of three double-doubles in the same game this season (LIU Brooklyn, Dec. 1, 2012; Iowa State, Nov. 9, 2012; Jacksonville, Jan. 10, 2013).
• Additionally, Akron is one of six schools with five players with at least one double-double [Baylor, Hampton, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Youngstown State].
Solid Bench Play
• The Akron bench has been the catalyst for success under ninth-year head coach Keith Dambrot and this year is no different.
• The Zips' bench holds a +6.4 scoring advantage (23.0-16.6), but have been out-scored in six of the past 10 games. The Akron reserves are shooting 40.4 percent from the floor compared to 35.1 percent by the opponent reserves.
Just How Young Are They?
• Akron entered the season as the ninth-youngest teams in the nation, with 16 players having a total of 15 seasons of collegiate experience (0.94 years/letters won per player). In fact, 12 of 16 players had one year or less in the experience column prior to 2012-13.
• Last season, the Zips had 15 players with a total of 19 seasons of collegiate experience, the 20th-youngest team in Division I basketball (1.27 years/letters won per player. Akron is one of just four teams to appear on this list in each of the past two seasons (Navy, Illinois State and Wright State).
Defense is Our Business
Akron's defense has been one of the best in the nation so far this season. In games through March 6, the Zips are tied for 11th in 2-point field goal defense (41.9), 13th in blocked shots per game (5.7), tied for 29th in field goal percentage defense (39.1) and tied for 35th in points per possession allowed (0.91). The Zips have held 19 opponents to 65 points or less (19-0).
Torching the Net
It's no coincidence that senior center Zeke Marshall is torching the nets while the Zips have been winning 20 of their last 21 games. During this run, he is shooting 68.3 percent from the floor (110-of-161). Only 40 of his 110 makes have come via the dunk. Just to show how consistent he has been, he has shot under under 55 percent just three times.
Breaking Down the Stats
• Junior guard Alex Abreu ranks fifth in the MAC and 31st in the nation in assist rate, recording a dime on 36.20 percent of the field goals made by the Zips while on the floor.
• Senior center Zeke Marshall is second in the MAC and fourth in the nation in block rate, swatting 11.11 percent of the shots taken by Akron opponents while on the floor. He is also fifth in the nation in blocked shots per foul committed (1.41).
• Redshirt freshman center Pat Forsythe is sixth in the MAC (6.01) in blocked shot percentage.
A Winning Standard
Since taking over the program before the 2004-05 season, ninth-year head coach Keith Dambrot has created a winning mentality in the program that has not been seen in 112 seasons of basketball. Of the seven senior classes to win 90 or more games, six have come under Dambrot. Zeke Marshall, the lone member of the senior class that has been with Akron for his entire career, earned his 93rd win against Miami (Ohio) on March 3.
• Class of 2010 (2007-10) – 97 wins
• Class of 2009 (2006-09) – 96 wins
• Class of 2011 (2008-11) – 94 wins
• Class of 2013 (2010-13) – 93 wins
• Class of 2012 (2009-12) – 92 wins
• Class of 2008 (2005-08) – 92 wins
• Class of 1966 (1963-66) – 91 wins
Welcome to the Block Party
• One area the Akron defense has been stout is in the shot blocking category. The Zips lead the Mid-American Conference and are 13th in the nation in blocked shots per game (5.7) in games through March 6.
• Senior center Zeke Marshall continues to be one of the premier shot blockers in the nation. In games through March 6, Marshall is fifth in the nation in blocked shots per game (3.59), has blocked more shots (104) than 187 DI teams and is averaging more swats per game (3.59) than 194 DI squads.
• Redshirt freshman Pat Forsythe is emerging into a solid shot blocker in his first season with Akron. He is second on the team and 13th in the MAC with 0.86 blocked shot per game.
• Combined, Marshall and Forsythe have more blocked shots per game (4.45) than nine of 12 MAC programs and 283 DI teams (out of 347). The two alone would be tied for 65th in the nation in blocked shots per game.
Watching the Akron Record Book
• Senior center Zeke Marshall is looking to add to his list of school records. With 104 blocked shots, he broke his own school record for swats in a single season against Ohio on Feb. 27 (95). Marshall is on pace for 111 swats (through the MAC Semifinals). He is the first UA player to crack the century mark for blocked shots in a season.
• For the third-straight season, the career games played school record could be equalled or eclipsed. Senior center Zeke Marshall has appeared in 134 games over the last three-plus seasons. The Zips would need to appear in six postseason games to tie and seven to break the school record of 141, set by Steve McNees (2008-11) and Nikola Cvetinovic (2009-12).
• After breaking the freshman and sophomore season assists records, junior guard Alex Abreu is setting his sights on moving up the career list. Against Ohio on Feb. 2, he became just the third player in UA history to record 400 career assists (450). He is currently third on the all-time UA list, trailing Eric McLaughlin (476, 1985-89) for second place.
• With three assists at Buffalo on March 2, Abreu broke Dru Joyce's single-season assists mark of 165 dimes (2005-06) with his 166th assist. He is currently on pace for 185 assists (through the MAC Semifinals).
Looking at the MAC Record Book
• With four blocked shots against Kent State on Jan. 19, senior center Zeke Marshall became the Mid-American Conference's all-time blocked shots leader and now has 350 career swats. He passed Ball State's Lonnie Jones (301, BSU, 1998-02).
• The career mark is not the only MAC record Zeke Marshall is chasing. He become the second player in MAC history to crack the century mark for blocked shots (Patrick Flomo, Ohio, 105, 2000-01). Marshall, with 104 swats on the season, is on pace for 111 swats (through the MAC Semifinals).
• Compared to other coaches all-time in the MAC, head coach Keith Dambrot is fourth in overall wins (228), fourth in league history with a .644 win percentage while coaching in the league (228-126 overall; 208-92 Akron, 20-34 CMU), fifth in league games winning percentage (.646, 117-64) and seventh in conference wins (117).
Let's Go Streaking
• Akron has enjoyed eight-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; 22-12 in 2011-12; 24-5 in 2012-13). 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 nine seasons (19-10 in '04-05).
• UA has advanced to the postseason in five-straight and six of the last seven years, participating in the NCAA Tournament in 2009 and 2011, the National Invitation Tournament in 2006, 2008 and 2012, and the CBI in 2010.
• The Zips have appeared in the MAC tournament championship game six-straight times, with those being the only six appearances in their 20 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 406-consecutive games, 300-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 59 games. Akron has shut out opponents from behind the arc seven times under Dambrot.
