The University of Akron Athletics
Johnson, Dambrot Earn NABC All-District Honors
March 22 | Men's Basketball
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the second straight season, Akron Zips senior center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio) and 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot were selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I All-District teams and coaches for District 14, the NABC announced on Wednesday.
Johnson earned First Team NABC All-District 14 honors while Dambrot was selected as District 14 Coach of the Year.
"I'm proud of Isaiah, he is very deserving of this recognition for what he has done for our team," Dambrot said. "He played at a high level and made players around him better. He is big and strong and we were able to play through him during difficult stretches throughout the year."
Johnson garnered several awards after leading the Zips' offensive efforts, including the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year award. Johnson was First Team All-MAC selection and named to the All-MAC tournament team. He was a three-time MAC East Player of the Week recipient, and received the Savannah Invitational Most Valuable Player award while being named to the Don Haskins Sun Bowl all-tournament squad.
In 36 games, Johnson averaged a team-high 16.6 points per game supported by a 62.5 percent shooting percentage, which ranks first in the MAC and ninth in the NCAA. Johnson ranked third in the MAC and 41st in the NCAA with 223 total field goals made, scoring 598 points this season which stands at sixth in the MAC and 81st in the NCAA. In addition, Johnson led Akron with 103 assists, dishing out 2.9 per game while owning a 1.2 assist/turnover ratio.
Johnson recorded seven double-double performances with points and rebounds and scored in double-digits in 32-of-36 games. He had a stretch of 12 consecutive games with 11 or more points. Johnson scored 20-plus points nine times, including a career-high 33 points on the night he surpassed the 1,000 career point threshold in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. Against Central Michigan (Jan. 10).
Johnson was also the Zips second leading rebounder, pulling down 7.1 rebounds per game. He secured a team-high 103 offensive rebounds, ranking fourth in the MAC and 69th in the NCAA with 2.86 per night. Johnson added 154 defensive grabs for a 257 total rebound effort.
Johnson helped the 2016-17 Zips to a record-high 27 wins and ended his career with 95 total wins, which is tied for third best class in program history. During his four-year career, Johnson amassed 1,374 points, 748 rebounds, 203 assists, 143 blocked shots, and 55 steals.
"Big Dog worked hard to get to this point of his career, and has done whatever it takes to make the team better during his four years at Akron," Dambrot said.
Dambrot guided Akron to a 27-9 overall record and 14-4 league mark en route to capturing a second-consecutive MAC regular season title and MAC Coach of the Year award, Akron's fourth regular-season MAC Championship and Dambrot's third MAC coaching honor.
During the season, the Zips achieved several program records and career milestones, including the all-time single season wins record (27 wins). In addition, Akron posted a 12-game winning streak that ranked fifth-longest streak in the NCAA en route to setting the program's longest winning streak at James A. Rhodes Arena (30 games), ranking second in the NCAA.
During the 12-game run, Akron defeated Miami 74-70 in Oxford, Ohio to give Dambrot his 400th collegiate win, and a month later, Dambrot became Akron's all-time wins leader with 287 wins after a 71-65 victory over Toledo at Rhodes Arena. Dambrot currently has 413 collegiate wins and 305 wins at Akron, while leading the Zips to a 175-26 record at home with an 87.0 winning percentage.
After securing the MAC regular season title, the Zips earned the No. 1 seed for the MAC Tournament and made their 12th straight MAC Tournament semifinals appearance, a MAC record. Akron defeated Ball State 74-70 to advance to the MAC Tournament championship game for the ninth time in 11 seasons, another MAC record.
Dambrot and Johnson swept the league's top honors, earning the coach and player of the year awards, while three Zips earned All-MAC honors this season, including Johnson (First-Team), Kwan Cheatham, Jr. (Second-Team), and Antino Jackson (Honorable Mention). Johnson and Jackson both became members of Akron's 1,000 point club as Johnson entered as the 42nd member and Jackson was the 43rd Zip to score 1,000 points. In Dambrot's tenure, 13 players have eclipsed the 1,000 point plateau.
In addition, Dambrot led Akron to its 12th consecutive 21-plus win season. Akron is one of only four programs with at least 21 wins in each of the last 12 seasons – Akron, Duke, Gonzaga, and Kansas.
Akron opened the season with two tournament wins, claiming the inaugural Savannah Invitational championship and the 55th annual Don Haskins Sun Bowl title.
"There are a lot of great coaches in our district," Dambrot said. "This is a team award, so it is a tribute to our team and the coaching staff's dedication and continued success."
In 13 years at the helm, Dambrot owns a 305-138 overall record and earned his third MAC Coach of the Year award. He is one of two Akron coaches to receive the MAC honor and is the only Zips' leader to earn the MAC award three times (2013, 2016, and 2017) – Former Zips' head coach Dan Hipsher garnered the award in 1998.
The All-District teams and coaches are selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC, these student-athletes and coaches represent the finest basketball players and coaches across America – Full NABC Release.
District 14
First Team
Isaiah Johnson, Akron
Marcus Keene, Central Michigan
Jimmy Hall, Kent State
Jaaron Simmons, Ohio
Blake Hamilton, Buffalo
Second Team
Steve Taylor, Jr., Toledo
Jonathan Williams, Toledo
Thomas Wilder, Western Michigan
Braylon Rayson, Central Michigan
James Thompson IV, Eastern Michigan
2017 NABC UPS DIVISION I ALL-DISTRICT COACHES
District 1: King Rice, Monmouth
District 2: Josh Pastner, Georgia Tech
District 3: Nick McDevitt, UNC Asheville and Joe Dooley, Florida Gulf Coast
District 4: Archie Miller, Dayton
District 5: Ed Cooley, Providence
District 6: Brian Jones, North Dakota
District 7: Richard Pitino, Minnesota
District 8: Bill Self, Kansas
District 9: Mark Few, Gonzaga
District 10: Earl Grant Charleston
District 11: Kermit Davis, Middle Tennessee State
District 12: Craig Smith, South Dakota
District 13: Mitch Henderson, Princeton
District 14: Keith Dambrot, Akron
District 15: LeVelle Moton, North Carolina Central
District 16: Dan Muller, Illinois State
District 17: Larry Eustachy, Colorado State
District 18: Jamion Christian, Mount St. Mary's
District 19: Rick Byrd, Belmont
District 20: Sean Miller, Arizona
District 21: Mike White, Florida
District 22: Steve Forbes, East Tennessee State
District 23: Montez Robinson, Alcorn State and Mark Slessinger, New Orleans
District 24: Scott Cross, UT-Arlington
District 25: Tim Jankovich, SMU
