GAME 1

Akron (0-0)
vs. USC Upstate (0-1)
BP Top of the World Classic

Friday, Nov. 16
10 p.m. EST (6 p.m. AKT)
Carlson Center (4,901)
Fairbanks, Alaska

Television: None for the entire tournament.

Multimedia: Live Stats | Live Video (pay-per-view)

Radio: Akron-ISP Sports Network - SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron, WERE (1490 AM) in Cleveland and through the ZipsZone on GoZips.com. Steve French (play-by-play) and Joe Dunn (color). (9:30 p.m. EST airtime)

Akron Coach Keith Dambrot (Akron ‘82):
Is in his fourth season with the Zips, owning a 68-27 (.716) mark in that time. He is 176-97 (.645) in his tenth season as a collegiate head coach. This is the first time he has faced USC Upstate.

USC Upstate Coach Eddie Payne (Wake Forest ‘73):
Is in his sixth season on the sideline for the Spartans, owing a 93-55 (.628) mark in that time. He is 353-288 (.551) in 23 years as a collegiate head coach. This is his first meeting with Akron.

The Series: Friday marks the first meeting between the two schools on the hardwood.

Up Next: Akron will face either IUPUI (1-1) or Portland State (0-1) on Saturday. A Zips’ win on Friday means they play at midnight EST on Saturday, while a loss would put them in the 6:30 p.m. EST time slot.

Akron Opens 2007-08 Campaign in Alaska...
The University of Akron men’s basketball team (0-0) begins its 2007-08 season by traveling to Fairbanks, Alaska, to compete in the BP Top of the World Classic, hosted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The Zips face USC Upstate (0-1) at 10 p.m. EST (6 p.m. AKT) on Friday at Carlson Center in the event’s opening round.

UA will face either IUPUI or Portland State on Saturday at either midnight EST (8 p.m. AKT) or 6:30 p.m. EST (2:30 p.m. AKT), and will conclude its participation in the event on Sunday against a TBA opponent from the other side of the tournament bracket.

Akron, which received five votes in this week’s Associated Press poll and is listed No. 13 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, defeated NAIA Walsh University, 79-55, in exhibition play on Nov. 8.

USC Upstate, which is in its first season as a member of Division I, enters the tournament following an 86-52 loss at Utah on Nov. 9 in its regular-season opener.

Streaks, Storylines, Sidebars...
• Akron is the last school in the 12-team Mid-American Conference to get its season underway, but by Nov. 26 the squad will have logged five games. The team plays on three-consecutive days in Fairbanks, then plays host to Binghamton (Nov. 24) and Temple (Nov. 26) at Rhodes Arena.

• With the season yet to officially begin, the Zips are already dealing with their fair share of injuries. Freshman guard Ronnie Steward (hip) has been sidelined since the second day of practice, while senior guard Cedrick Middleton (knee) did not play in the exhibition versus Walsh (Nov. 8). Additionally, senior guard Jeremy Sallee suffered a broken nose two weeks ago during practice. Middleton and Sallee are expected to be in the lineup in Alaska.

• Five Akron players scored in double figures in last Thursday’s exhibition with Walsh, led by sophomore forward Chris McKnight's 14 (5-of-9 FGs). Other highlights included redshirt-freshman point guard Steve McNees scoring 12 points (4-of-8 FGs/4-of-5 3FGs), and having four assists to go with zero turnovers in 27 minutes as a starter. The Zips shot 50 percent (30-of-60) from the floor, and tallied 19 assists and nine turnovers.

• For the second-straight season, Akron starts the count on a neutral court. In 2006, the Zips lost to Arkansas Little Rock in the CBE Classic in Lubbock, Texas. Fourth-year UA coach Keith Dambrot is 1-2 in season openers.

• The Zips were picked to finish fourth in the MAC’s East Division in a preseason media poll released last month.

• UA posted a school-record 26-7 record and claimed the program’s second MAC East Division title last season (1998). The Zips advanced to the championship round of the league tournament, only to fall 53-52 to Miami (Ohio) on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

• The blue and gold return three starters and 10 letterwinners from last season, highlighting that group is senior forward Jeremiah Wood. Wood, a member of the Preseason All-MAC Team and a candidate for league player of the year, led the Zips in rebounding (7.8 rpg) and ranked second in scoring (10.3 ppg) last season.