The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Creighton
Zips to Play No. 10 Ranked Creighton Bluejays
December 02 | Men's Basketball
GAME NOTES (PDF) | LIVE STATS | Web Stream | Akron-IMG Sports Network | Season Tickets | Akron Basketball Schedule
Akron Zips (6-1, 0-0 Mid-American) at No. 10 Creighton (7-0, 0-0 Big East)
Saturday, December 3 • CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,390)
Omaha, Neb. • 8:00 p.m. ET
TV/Video: Fox Sports 2 (FS2) - Steve Physioc (PxP) and Nick Bahe (Analyst)
Live Stats: GoZips.com - Live Stats
Radio: Akron-IMG Sports Network - Steve French (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst) WARF 1350 AM (flagship), iHeart Radio, TuneIn.com/Akron Zips
Head Coaches
Creighton - Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa '88)
Overall Record:428-267 (23rd season)
Record at Creighton: 148-72 (7th season)
Akron - Keith Dambrot (Akron '82)
Overall Record: 392-201 (19th season)
Record at Akron: 284-131 (13th season)
All-Time Series
Creighton Leads: 2-1 Dambrot vs Creighton: 1-2
Last Meeting: Creighton 77, Akron 61 December 9, 2012 at CenturyLink Center Omaha
Akron basketball Notes:
• Akron has won at least 21 games in 11-straight seasons under 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot, joining the likes of Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Ohio State. Over the last 12 seasons, the Zips have won 278 games, most by any team in the MAC.
• The Zips finished the 2015-16 campaign as MAC Regular-Season Champions with a 26-9 overall record, including a 13-5 league mark and an undefeated 15-0 showing at James A. Rhodes Arena. Dambrot led Akron to its eighth MAC Tournament title game appearance in the last ten seasons and an unprecedented 11th-straight semifinal. The Zips' runs of consecutive title game and semifinal appearances are the longest streaks in MAC history.
•Akron has three wins against Power Five Conference opponents over the last two seasons, and has five-straight seasons with at least one win over a Power Five Conference opponent (at Mississippi State in 2011-12; vs. Penn State in 2012-13; vs. Oregon State in 2013-14; Southern California and South Carolina in 2014-15; vs. Arkansas in 2015-16)
• The Zips own a 166-23 (.878) at James A. Rhodes Arena and have been winners of 21-straight games at Rhodes Arena, dating back to the 2014-15 season.
•UA ranks in the NCAA's Top 100 in 12-of-32 statistical categories (347 teams), ranking No. 9 in the NCAA for 3-point FG's made per game (10.7), No. 15 total 3-point FG's made (75), and No. 20 in 3-point FG's attempted (198). The Zips also rank No. 24 in scoring Margin (+17.4) and win-loss percentage (.857).
What's Ahead
Akron travels to Omaha, Neb., to battle Big East Conference member and the No. 10 ranked Creighton Bluejays on Saturday, Dec. 3, at CenturyLink Center Omaha at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be televised by FOX Sports 2 (FS2) or at FOXsportsGO.com with Steve Physioc calling the action and Nick Bahe providing analysis. Fans can also follow the action on GoZips.com via Live Stats or by Zips' radio.
The Zips' radio broadcast will air on the Akron-IMG Sports Network SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron (flagship) with Steve French calling the action and Joe Dunn providing analysis. The pregame show starts 30 minutes prior to the contest. The free audio stream is available at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/Akron Zips.
The Akron-Creighton Series
Saturday's game marks the fourth meeting in series history between Akron and Creighton, all under 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot. Creighton holds a 2-1 series edge as both teams protected their home floors. The series began in the second round of the 2006 NIT, when Akron traveled to Omaha after defeating Temple (80-73) in the opening round. The Bluejays moved on in the tournament with a 71-60 win over Akron. Next, the two teams met at James A. Rhodes Arena as part of the ESPNU BracketBusters on Feb. 19, 2011. The Zips evened the series with a 76-67 victory. Two years later (2012-13), the Bluejays were ranked No. 16 in the AP Top 25 and 13th in the USA Today Poll while hosting Akron. Creighton won the game 77-61 at the CenturyLink Center.
Scouting the Bluejays
Creighton enters Saturday's meeting with an unblemished 7-0 record while being ranked No. 10 on the AP Top 25 poll and No. 12 in the USA Today Coaches poll. The Bluejays opened the season with a pair of wins at home over UMKC and Wisconsin before sweeping three games (Washington State, NC State, and Ole Miss) at the Paradise Jam at St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. Creighton returned to Omaha to play Loyola-Maryland and Mid-American Conference foe Buffalo. The Bluejays defeated Buffalo 93-72.
Creighton averages 92.0 points per outing on 54.1 shooting percentage from the floor on 239-of-442 and 46.3 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 10.6 triples a game on 74-of-160 shooting. The Bluejays have four players scoring in double figures, led by Marcus Foster with 18.3 points per game on 50.5 percent shooting from the floor (47-of-93), including a 46.7 effort from deep (21-of-45). Khyri Thomas follows with 14.4 points per game on 62.3 percent shooting (38-of-61) and a team-best 59.1 percent from beyond the 3-point arc (13-of-22). Justin Patton ranks first on the team in shooting percentage, making 80.0 percent of his shots (40-of-50) for a 13-point per game average while pulling down a team-high 6.4 rebounds per night. The final double-digit scorer is Maurice Watson, Jr., who tallies 11.7 points on 43.1 percent shooting (31-of-72) and 50.0 percent from long distance (6-of-12) while leading the squad with 59 assists and 13 steals. In addition, Cole Huff adds to Creighton's long distance attack, shooting 46.2 percent from deep (12-of-26).
Defensively, the Bluejays allow its opponents to score 74.4 points per game on 43.6 percent shooting from the floor and 34.2percent from 3-point range. Creighton has caused 106 turnovers (15.1 t/g) with 44 steals (6.3 stl/g). The Bluejays own a slim +0.7 rebounding margin, pulling down 35.4 rebounds compared to 34.7 rebounds per game.
Last Time Out Against Creighton
The University of Akron men's basketball team dropped a 77-61 decision to No. 16/13 Creighton at the CenturyLink Center Omaha. Nick Harney led Akron (4-3) with 14 points, five boards, one assist and one blocked shot. Zeke Marshall finished with 12 points, two rebounds and two blocked shots. The Zips shot 42.1 percent from the floor (24-of-57) and 23.5 percent from long range (4-of-17) while the Bluejays connected on 48.4 percent (30-of-62) and 45.5 percent (10-of-22) respectively. Doug McDermott led Creighton (9-1) with a game-high 30 points.
Zips Win 21-Straight at Rhodes Arena
The Akron men's basketball team improved its home winning streak to 21 games as the Zips defeated Adrian College 95-41 at James A. Rhodes Arena on Wednesday evening. With the win, Akron improved to 6-1 on the season and 166-23 (.878) at Rhodes Arena under 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot. In addition, Dambrot collected his 284 win as a Zip, just five away from becoming the all-time winning-est coach in Akron basketball history. In addition, the longest winning streak in Rhodes Arena history is 26 consecutive games.
Chasing History
Zips' head coach Keith Dambrot is knocking at the door to become the winning-est coach in Akron Basketball history. In his 13-year career at UA, Dambrot has collected 284 career wins in 412 games, which is four wins shy of tying the all-time win mark held by Russell Beichly. Beichly coached the Zips from 1941 to 1959. In those 19 seasons he reached 288 wins in 432 games. In addition, Dambrot is just eight wins away from 400 career victories as a collegiate coach and 16 wins shy of his 300th all-time at Akron.
Zips Win Savannah Invitational
The Akron Zips won the inaugural 2016 Savannah Invitational Championship, defeating Mercer 65-63 on Saturday, Nov. 26, at the Savannah Civic Center. Senior center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio) earned the tournament's Most Valuable Player award, while junior guard Antino Jackson (Houston, Texas) was named to the all-tournament team. Akron led by as many as 12 points throughout the Savannah Invitational finale, but the Mercer Bears found their way to claw back into the game to be decided in the final minutes.
In the first half the Zips climbed to a 12 point lead after three consecutive 3-pointers from senior forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr. (Cincinnati, Ohio). For most of the half, Akron shot 60-percent or better from the floor, including 66.7 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc with less than eight minutes to play. Akron led by 12 points until the final 45 seconds when mercer cut the lead to eight points on back-to-back shots in the painted area, 35-27.
Akron finished the game shooting 20-of-43 from the floor for a 46.5 percentage, including a 50-percent effort from downtown on 10-of-20 triples. In addition, the Zips made 19 trips to the charity stripe, knocking down 15 shots for a 78.9 percentage. Mercer won the battle of the boards, 36-24, and the Zips held a slight 10-11 advantage in the turnover battle.
For the second-straight night, Johnson led the Zips' scoring efforts with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor, including a 5-of-7 effort from the free throw line. For his efforts, Johnson was selected as the Savannah Invitational MVP. Also scoring in double figures in back-to-back games was Jackson. He poured in 15 points on Friday against Air Force and returned with a 14 point showing in the finale on 5-of8 shooting from the field, including a 2-of-5 showing from deep. Jackson added two rebounds, two assists, and a block. Cheatham finished with nine points, draining 3-of-4 3-pointers.
2016 Savannah Invitational All-Tournament Team: Isaiah Johnson, Akron, (MVP), Antino Jackson, Akron, Desmond Williams, FAMU, Derick Newton, Stetson, Ike Smith, Georgia Southern, Ed Polite Jr., Radford, Frank Toohey, Air Force, B.J. Tyson, East Carolina, Ria'n Holland, Mercer
BIG DOG Named MAC East Player of the Week
After securing the 2016 Savannah Invitational Most Valuable Player Award, senior center Isaiah Johnson was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week. In addition, Johnson was selected as the Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week by collegesportsmadness.com and Student-Athlete of the Week by the University of Akron.
Johnson had a big week, leading the Akron Zips to the 2016 Savannah Invitational Championship. Akron defeated Georgia Southern, Air Force and Mercer to claim the inaugural title. Johnson led the Zips' scoring efforts in all three games. For the week, Johnson scored 58 points in three games to average 19.33 points. He shot 22-of-30 from the floor for a 73.3 shooting percentage and 14-of-23 from the free throw line for a 61-percent effort. Johnson finished with 15 rebounds (5.0 rebs/g), 10 assists (3.33 ast/g), and three blocked shots (1.0 blk/g)
Thriving in A New ROLE
With the loss of two starters and a third key player from the Akron's 2015-16 MAC Championship run, the Zips have inserted Isaiah Johnson and Josh Williams into the starting lineup, freeing up more minutes for junior Jimond Ivey. So far, Ivey has taken full advantage of the new role, scoring in double digits 3-of-7 games, including a career-high 15 points and a personal best 11 rebounds. In addition, he posted his first career double-double against American that included 12 points and a career-best 11 boards.
In seven games, Ivey averages 21.3 minutes, 7.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game on 55.9 percent shooting from the field. He drained 19-of-34 shots and is third on the squad with 37 rebounds, 28 defensive and nine offensive.
Zips Continue to Feed the Dog
Last season, Isaiah Johnson was a force in the paint for the Zips, and this year, he is on pace to be even better. Big Dog has led the Zips' scoring efforts in 5-of-7 games, while averaging a team-high 15.7 points per game while scoring in double-digits in 6-of-7 contests, including a season-high 20-point performance against Georgia Southern. He posted one double-double of 14 points and 10 boards and also scored 19 (twice), 17, and 15 this season. Big Dog is shooting 67.7 percent from the floor (42-of-62), and pulled down a second-best 42 rebounds with 25 defensive boards and 17 on the offensive end. He owns a team-high 19 assists and six blocks with three steals. Big Dog earned the Savannah Invitational MVP awards, MAC East Player of the Week (11/28), and College Sports Madness Player of the Week.
Three Zips Averaging Double Figures
Three Zips are averaging double figures in scoring led by Johnson's 15.7 points per game while junior Antino Jackson scores 12.0 points a night and junior Noah Robotham adds 10.1 points. Senior forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr. chips-in 8.3 points per game with a team-best 6.3 rebounds (44).
Streaking Zips
Not only has Akron established a six-game winning streak, the Zips currently own a 21-game streak at James A. Rhodes Arena. The Zips have rattled-off four consecutive wins at Rhodes Arena over American, Radford, Georgia Southern, and Adrian. Akron's current home court winning streak dates back to the 2014-15 season. Akron won the final two home games that season, and posted an unblemished 15-0 record in 2015-16 at Rhodes Arena. The Zips are 166-23 (.678) at the JAR.
Starting the Season Off Right
The Zips are 70-46 (.603) all-time in season openers with a 56-12 (.824) home record and 14-34 (.292) on the road. UA is 8-5 (.615) when opening the season under Dambrot, standing 5-1 (.833) at home and 3-4 (.429) on the road. In addition, the Zips own a 95-21 (.819) home opening record at Rhodes Arena and have been winners in the last 14-of-15 home opening games.
The 2015-16 Akron Zips started the season with a 3-0 winning streak and completed a 10 game winning streak. The three consecutive wins to open the season marks the best start in the Division I era of Akron men's basketball history and the 10-game streak stands as the second-best under Dambrot behind a 19-game run in 2012-13. In addition, the 13-2 start was the best opening to a season in Akron basketball's Division I era, while the Zips win over the Arkansas Razorbacks marks the fifth consecutive season the Zips posted a win over a Power Five Conference opponent.
Rebounding after a Loss
Since the start of the 2004-05 season, the Zips have been one of best teams in the nation when it comes to rebounding after a loss. Excluding season-ending losses, Akron is 87-32 (.731) following a loss. In head coach Keith Dambrot's 13-year tenure, Akron has only posted 24 losing streaks. In fact, of those 24 losing streaks, 15 have been just two games and 18 have consisted of two or more games on the road (road/neutral site). UA has never lost more than four-straight games under Dambrot. Akron has not lost five-in-a-row since Jan. 5-19, 2002, under former head coach Dan Hipsher.
Mr. Chairman
After serving three seasons on the NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee, Akron men's basketball head coach Keith Dambrot was named the new chairman of the committee, starting with the 2015-16 season. Dambrot is currently in his second season as chairman, replacing former chairman and Belmont head coach Rick Byrd, who completed his term on the rules committee in August 2015. The NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee is comprised of 13 coaches and administrators, who assess both current and proposed rules to promote consistency and fair play in the game. The committee meets once a year and votes on changes every other May unless there's a pressing issue about player safety.
The Zips LeBron James Shoe Deal and New LOOK
Since June 2008, the Akron men's basketball program has been partnered with Nike under which the Zips' shoes, game uniforms, warm ups and accessories are licensed under the Nike and LeBron James Trademarks. The Zips are just one of two college programs in the country that are partnered with the LBJ line of Nike equipment, the other is Ohio State.
The Akron Zips men's basketball team will be sporting new uniforms in 2016-17. The new look represents a reinvigorated pride in our University, our City, and Zips Athletics. The new design for both home and away were inspired by the "Pride of the City" slogan that men's basketball will carry throughout the season. The goal is to strengthen the pride for the University of Akron within community.
The home uniforms are white with dark blue trim and accents, while the away are dark blue with white trim and accents. The "Pride of the UniverCity" uniforms display the name Akron in a prestigious old-style script font on the chest with the number(s) below. The script font and numbers are the same color as the jersey top (white/white or blue/blue) and outlined with the opposite color. The inspiration for the script writing and to use Akron on the chest stemmed from tradition and an overwhelming amount of pride for the city of Akron and its University.
The game shorts have three distinguishing marks. The right side of the shorts depicts the Zips' mascot Zippy, and her Fear the Roo head logo, while the left side dons the University's official seal. The final mark on the shorts is the notorious Z logo, which appears on the front waistband.
Akron Defeats Georgia Southern, 75-67, Keeps Home Winning Streak Alive
The University of Akron men's basketball team defeated Georgia Southern, 75-67, to extend its home winning streak to 20 consecutive games at James A. Rhodes Arena behind the strength of perimeter shooting and defensive toughness down the stretch. Despite some early offensive struggles, the Zips found their rhythm midway through the half, shooting 48.1 percent (13-of-27) from the floor and 38.9 percent (7-of-18) from long range. Georgia Southern shot 40.7 percent (11-of-27) from the floor and a mere 27.3 percent (3-for-11) from beyond the 3-point arc.
Akron's top three scoring leaders all set season highs in points as Johnson led with 20 points and Jackson followed with 19 points, while Ivey set a new career-high with 15 points. In addition, the Zips dished-out 20 assists led by a season-best six helpers from Jackson and three each from Johnson, Ivey, and Cheatham.
For the game, Akron held a slight advantage on the glass, outrebounding Georgia Southern 35-31 with Cheatham leading the way with seven rebounds. The Zips shot 46.4 percent (26-of-56) from the floor, including a 30.6 percent (11-of-36) effort from deep.
Zips Add Two Players in Early Signing Period
The Akron men's basketball program added a pair of student-athletes to the 2017-18 roster during the early signing period, announced by head coach Keith Dambrot. Signing national letters of intent to play for Akron were Eric Parrish (Cypress, Texas) and Jaden Sayles (Cincinnati, Ohio).
Parrish, a 6-6, 185-pound wing, played for Cypress Springs High School in 2015-16 and will spend the 2016-17 playing for Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kan. In 30 games during his senior season, Parrish nearly averaged a double-double from the wing position, scoring 18.4 points and pulling down 8.2 rebounds per game. In addition, he added three assists, two steals, and 1.6 blocks on average per night. During his four-year high school career, Parrish eclipsed the 1,000 point scoring threshold, recording 1,132 points while earning back-to-back team MVP awards. In addition, Parrish was a two-time all-district award winner as well as a two-time academic all-district recipient.
Sayles, a 6-9, 235-pound forward, plays Sycamore High School. As a junior, Sayles led the team in scoring with 13.6 points per game while shooting at a 53.6 percent clip from the field and 71.9 percent from the charity stripe. He pulled down a team-best 4.9 rebounds per game and averaged a team-high 1.5 blocks a night. Sayles finished the season ranked sixth in scoring, third in blocked shots and 14th in rebounds for Greater Miami Conference en route to a Second-Team ALL-GMC selection.
Zips Selected to Win MAC
For the fourth consecutive year, the Akron men's basketball team was selected to win the Mid-American Conference East Division while ranking as the favorite to claim the MAC Tournament title, according to the 2016-17 MAC Preseason Men's Basketball Poll. The Zips received 15 first-place votes for 194 points, edging out Ohio, who finished second in voting with 190 points and 16 first-place votes. Buffalo (144 points, five first place vote) was picked third overall in the East followed by Kent State (116 points), Bowling Green (63 points), and Miami (49 points).Eastern Michigan is the favorite in the West Division.
In addition, the Zips were selected as the favorite to claim the season finale in March. Akron received 15 votes to be crowned champions at the MAC Tournament, holding a four-vote margin over Ohio (11). Eastern Michigan earned three votes, while Buffalo and Northern Illinois each had two. Rounding out the tournament voting were Central Michigan, Kent State, and Miami with one vote apiece.
Johnson Named to Preseason All-MAC Squad
Senior center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio) was named to the East Division Preseason All-MAC team by the 24-member MAC News Media Panel and 12 league head coaches. In 2015-16, he played in all 35 games, making nine starts and averaging 13.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.6 apg, and 1.3 bpg. He led the Zips' offensive and rebounding efforts en route to an All-MAC First Team selection, NABC All-District First Team honor, and the MAC Sixth Man of the Year award. Furthermore, Johnson was a three-time MAC East Player of the Week recipient while being named to the MAC All-Tournament team, the South Point Classic Most Valuable Player, and collegesportsmadness.com Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week.
Zips Basketball Selected for Eight Television Appearances
As a result of the largest television package in Mid-American Conference history, the Akron men's basketball program enters the 2016-17 season with eight guaranteed television games on various regional and national sports networks. In addition, the Zips' current schedule allows for nine games to be selected as wildcard games for television. Six of the nine dates provide several TV opportunities that may involve a change in game dates and times and/or same date with time changes.
The MAC television package includes ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox Sports 1 (FS1), CBS Sports Network (CBSSN), American Sports Network (ASN), Buckeye Cable Sports Network (BCSN) and Time Warner Cable Sports Channel (TWCS). In addition, Akron can be seen on Fox Sports 2 (FS2) and ROOT Sports. ESPN3 broadcast are not considered when determining television appearances.
Last season, the Zips appeared in 17 televised games with an additional four games aired exclusively on ESPN3. Included in those contests were the MAC Championship (ESPN2) and National Invitation Tournament (ESPN). New to this season, CBS Sports Network agreed to air the MAC semifinal game in addition to the MAC season finale.
Up Next
Akron returns to James A. Rhodes Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 7, to battle Coppin State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. as the Zips attempt to extend its home winning streak to 22 games. In addition, Akron will honor World War II combat veteran, Captain Robert "Bob" Kus stormed the beaches in Normandy and fought in all 5 major European battle campaigns, earning a Bronze Star for his service.
2015-16 MAC Champions
The Zips finished the 2015-16 campaign with a 26-9 overall record, including a 13-5 league mark and an undefeated 15-0 showing at James A. Rhodes Arena. Dambrot led Akron to its eighth MAC Tournament title game appearance in the last ten seasons and an unprecedented 11th-straight semifinal. The Zips' runs of consecutive title game and semifinal appearances are the longest streaks in MAC history.
Akron earned the No. 6 seed in the 2016 National Invitation Tournament. It was Akron's sixth appearance in the NIT and fourth under Dambrot (1987, 1989, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2016). Akron tied the school record for wins in a season (26) and set program records in 3-point FG made (409) and attempted (1,069) in a season, as well as, made (20) and attempted (43) in a game.
Last year, the Zips secured the MAC Championship, No. 1 Seed in the MAC Tournament, and East Division Title on March 1, 2016 with a 91-76 win over Ohio. The Zips used a record-breaking performance from behind the 3-point arc to secure the title, knocking down 20 triples on 43 attempts, both new all-time standards. Akron captured the a regular season or tournament title in five of the last eight seasons. The Zips were regular season champs in 2012 (22-12, 13-3 MAC) and 2016 (26-9, 13-5 MAC), won the MAC Tournament in 2009 (23-13, 10-6 MAC) and 2011 (23-13, 9-7 MAC), and swept the regular-season and tournament titles in 2013 (26-7, 14-2 MAC). In addition, Akron claimed the East Division title in 2007 (26-7, 13-3 MAC). Akron tied the program's all-time record with 26 wins (1972, 2007, 2013, 2016) en route to its eighth MAC tournament title game in 10 seasons and 11th-straight semifinal appearance, both are MAC records.
