Men's Basketball Looks for Win No. 20 Wednesday Against BGSU
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green (14-13, 7-5 MAC) | 36 | 32 | 68 |
| Akron (20-8, 12-1 MAC) | 43 | 36 | 79 |
| Akron, Ohio (Rhodes Arena) | |||
| Bowling Green | Akron |
|---|---|
| Pts: CALHOUN, A'uston - 18 | Pts: Zeke Marshall - 16 |
| Reb: CALHOUN, A'uston - 7 | Reb: Zeke Marshall - 7 |
| Ast: THOMAS, Scott - 7 | Ast: Alex Abreu - 5 |
| Team Statistics | Bowling Green | Akron |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 43.9% (29-66 ) | 57.1% (28-49 ) |
| Rebounds | 25 | 35 |
| Assists | 16 | 19 |
| Turnovers | 8 | 13 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 13 | 16 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 10 | 13 |
| Pts in the Paint | 28 | 42 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 2 | 2 |
| Bench Pts | 13 | 23 |
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Bowling Green (14-12, 7-5 MAC) at Akron (19-8, 11-1 MAC)
Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012 • 7:00 p.m. ET
Akron, Ohio
Rhodes Arena (5,500)
Television: None.
Webcast/Live Statistics:
Available at GoZips.com – webcast and live statistics free of charge.
Radio: SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron (flagship) and for free at SportsRadio1350.com. Steve French (play-by-play) and Joe Dunn (analyst) (6:30 p.m. ET airtime).
Akron Coach Keith Dambrot
(Akron, 1982):
Is in his eighth season at Akron, posting a 181-83 (.686) mark. Dambrot is 289-153 (.654) in 14 seasons as a collegiate head coach. He is 15-4 all-time against the Falcons, including a 14-1 record with the Zips.
The Series: Akron owns a 25-24 thanks to a six-game winning streak by the Zips in the series. Akron has won 14 of the last 15 meetings between the two programs. UA is 13-10 all-time at Rhodes Arena in the series and has won five of the last six contests against BGSU at home. Akron won the first meeting between the two squads this season, a 56-55 victory at the Stroh Center on Jan. 11.
Schedule Note: Akron's game at Kent State will air on ESPN2 on Friday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET.
News, Notes and Storylines
• Akron returns to Mid-American Conference play at Rhodes Arena against Bowling Green.
• With a win over Bowling Green, the Zips will become just the 12th team in Division I basketball to record 20-plus wins in each of the past seven seasons (out of 345 teams).
• Akron can wrap up at least a bye to the MAC Tournament quarterfinals with a win over BGSU.
• UA has posted an 16-3 record over the past 19 games, including winning in eight of its last nine contests.
• UA is 44-16 (.733) in the month of February, including a 19-4 (.826) mark the last two-plus seasons, under Dambrot. The Zips have won 12 of their last 13 contests in the month of February.
• The Zips have won 15 of their last 16 games against MAC opponents.
• UA has posted a 25-11 record (.694) when facing the MAC East Division the second time around under Dambrot, including a 15-3 mark at home (.833).
• Akron's 11-1 start to conference play is the best MAC start for the Zips in program history. A win by the Zips over BGSU will give them the first 12-1 start in the league since the 2003-04 season (Kent State).
• Akron has eight players averaging 6.4 or more points per game, including Zeke Marshall (10.3), Nikola Cvetinovic (10.0), Nick Harney (9.2), Quincy Diggs (9.1), Alex Abreu (8.8), Brian Walsh (7.9), Demetrius Treadwell (7.5) and Chauncey Gilliam (6.4).
• The Zips have won by 10 points or more in seven of their last nine games (8-1).
• UA is the only program in the MAC with six players connecting on 10-plus 3-point buckets.
• Akron has posted fewer turnovers than its opponents in five-straight games after posting more turnovers in the previous six games.
• UA has been held under 40.0 shooting from the field just three times this season (35.7 percent at West Virginia; 28.6 percent at Middle Tennessee; 36.9 percent at Western Michigan.
• The Zips are ranked in the top-15 nationally in 3-point percentage defense (28.6, 11th) in games through Feb. 19.
A Look at the Falcons
Bowling Green enters tonight's game with a 14-12 record and a 7-5 mark in the MAC. The Falcons have won five of their last six contests entering the night and have a 4-9 record away from the Stroh Center (3-3 MAC).
The squad has four players scoring in double figures, including A'uston Calhoun (13.1 ppg), Scott Thomas (12.7 ppg), Jordan Crawford (10.7 ppg) and Dee Brown (10.5 ppg). Thomas is the team's leading rebounder (6.5 rpg).
What You May Not Know About the Series
• Both teams have a winning streak of at least eight games in the series (Akron, 8, 2004-08; BGSU, 9, 1992-97).
• Akron closed Anderson Arena with the visiting team 3-pointers made record (16) in their last trip to the venue.
Last Time Out Against the Falcons
Nick Harney's floater in the lane with 0.5 second left in the game gave Akron a 56-55 road win against Bowling Green on Jan. 11.
The win for the Zips was the sixth-straight in the series and the 14th win in the last 15 meetings between the two schools. The win also moved Akron into sole possession of first place in the MAC East.
Akron closed the game shooting 43.8 percent from the floor (12-of-48), including a 50.0 percent performance in the second half (12-of-24).
Harney led all scorers with 12 points while Nikola Cvetinovic added 11 points.
Akron-Oral Roberts Recap
The Zips dropped a 67-61 decision to Oral Roberts in the 2012 Sears BracketBusters event on Feb. 18.
The loss snapped UA's eight-game winning streak.
Alex Abreu led the Zips with 16 points, four assists and one steal. Nikola Cvetinovic was the only other Zip in double figures with 11 points, four rebounds and two assists.
Akron closed the game shooting 41.4 percent (24-of-58) and connected on just 5-of-22 shots from 3-point range (22.7 percent).
The Golden Eagles held a 41-26 rebounding advantage as the Zips forced 15 turnovers to just 11 committed.
Just How Young Are They?
Akron entered the season as one of the youngest teams in the nation. With 15 players having a total of 19 seasons of collegiate experience, the Zips are the 16th-youngest team in Division I basketball. In fact, nine of 15 players have one year or less in the experience column.
Looking Ahead to the MAC Tournament
With four games left in the Mid-American Conference season, seeding for the league tournament is beginning to take shape.
In MAC games through Feb. 19, Akron, Buffalo, Kent State and Ohio would receive byes in the MAC Tournament, with UA and UB advancing to the semifinals as the top-two seeds.
Currently, Akron can finish no-worse than tied for fourth place (11-5), guaranteeing the Zips at least the No. 5 seed. A win over BGSU will guarantee the Zips a bye into the quarterfinals.
Home Cooking
Akron is 103-16 (.866) at Rhodes Arena under eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot (12-1 overall, 6-0 MAC this season). The Zips have recorded 10-straight winning seasons at home, including this season, and have won at least 13 home contests in six-of-seven years. UA's last losing record at home came in 1995-96 (2-11).
Ball Protection
In the last four games, the Zips have turned the ball over just 10.5 times/game (42) and have posted a 1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. In the previous eight games, UA averaged 15.8 giveaways (126) and a 0.9 assist-to-turnover ratio per game.
Best MAC Starts
The Zips 11-1 start to MAC play is the best in program history and is the first 11-1 start for any program in the league since 2003-04 (Kent State, 11-1).
Charity Change
Over the last four games, the Zips have connected on 76.1 percent at the charity stripe (67-of-88). UA connected on just 64.4 percent (177-of-275) over the previous 12 games.
The Drive for 500
This season, the Zips will have the opportunity to notch win No. 500 as a Division I program. Currently sitting at 498 wins, Akron needs two victories to reach the 500 plateau.
Finding the Right Mix
Last season, the Zips used just three starting lineups in 36 games, with eight players making at least one start. So far this season, Akron has had five different starting lineups with eight players making at least one start.
How Hard is it to Win 20 Games?
• The Akron Zips are the only team in the Mid-American Conference to have won 20-plus games in each of the last six seasons. At the end of the 2010-11 season, only 20 teams, including Akron, were able to reach 20 or more wins (5.8 percent) in the last six years. In games through Feb. 19, only 11 teams have won 20-plus games in seven-straight seasons.
• On the coaching side of 20-win seasons, head coach Keith Dambrot is currently tied for 17th place among active coaches with current 20-plus game winning streaks (6) and the 13th-longest at the same program (games through Feb. 20). Only two coaches [Mark Few, Gonzaga (13); Stew Morrill, Utah State (12)] have posted longer streaks of 20-win seasons solely at mid-major programs.
Inside the Scoring Numbers
The Zips have been one of the top defensive squads in the league over the last eight seasons. In 264 games, the Zips have held 193 opponents to 70 points or less, going 156-37 (.808). Akron has held 150 of those foes to 65 points or less, going 131-19 (.873). On the flip side, Akron is 25-46 when allowing 70-plus points (.352).
Let the Block Party Continue
While on the court, Zeke Marshall is blocking 9.67 percent of the shots taken by Akron opponents. That is the top mark in the MAC and 11th-best in the nation (games through Feb. 19).
1,000-Point Club
Thanks to a 17-point performance at Buffalo (Jan. 18), senior forward Nikola Cvetinovic became the 39th player to break the 1,000-mark. He continues to move up the all-time scoring list.
32. 1,090 - Nikola Cvetinovic (2009-Present)
31. 1,108 - Marcel Boyce (1985-87)
30. 1,120 - Cedrick Middleton (2005-08)
29. 1,136 - Andy Hipsher (2000-04)
28. 1,143 - Brett McKnight (2007-11)
A Return to Form
Demetrius Treadwell, after a couple of quiet games on the boards, has returned to form over the last five contests, averaging 7.4 rpg. For the season, he has five games with nine boards and 15 games with five or more rebounds. He leads the team in offensive boards (59) and is tied for sixth in the MAC in offensive rebounds per game (2.4).
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 on any given night. So far this season, eight different players have led Akron in scoring, with only two players (Zeke Marshall and Nikola Cvetinovic) leading the way in the scoring column in back-to-back games.
Long Range Defense
The Akron defense has been stout this season, allowing opponents to connect on just 28.6 percent from behind the 3-point arc. In fact, the Zips have held 15 opponents under 30.0 percent from long range, including a shutout of Valparaiso (0-of-14) on Nov. 18. In games through Feb. 19, the Zips are 11th in the nation in 3-point defense.
Stealing the Show
Last season, the Zips had six games where they posted 10 or more steals and average 6.7 steals per game. So far this season, Akron has posted seven 10-plus steal performances and is averaging 7.5 steals per game. In fact, UA is recording 8.5 spg over the last five games (51 steals).
Pass the Rock
• Sophomore guard Alex Abreu has been on a tear of late, dishing out 56 dimes in the last 10 games (5.6 apg). He has posted five or more assists in seven of those 10 games to go along with 10.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, in addition to a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Against NIU, Abreu became the seventh player ever to record two 100-assist seasons as a Zip. He needs 17 assists to break Dru Joyce's sophomore assists record of 126 (2004-05).
Bench Power
The Akron bench has provided a ton of productivity this season. The Zips' bench players hold a +11.4 scoring advantage and are averaging 28.4 points/game. The Zips' reserves have outscored their opposition in 24-of-27 games this season.
Now Starting at Guard
Sophomores Brian Walsh continues to make improvements, especially since earning a starting spot. In his 20 starts, he is averaging 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. In seven games off the bench, he posted an average of 7.7 ppg and 2.3 rpg.
The Century Club
Junior center Zeke Marshall is closing in on the 100 games played mark. He currently sits at 98 games and needs to appear in two more contests to reach the century mark. He should play in his 100th game at Ohio on Feb. 26.
A Look at the Polls
• Three opponents appeared in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches and one in the AP Top 25 polls. VCU (1/2) received votes in both polls while Mississippi State (10) and Middle Tennessee (6) received votes in the ESPN poll. Akron is 1-2 against these teams.
• Akron dropped two spots to No. 22 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll (Feb. 20). Nine Zips' opponents also appeared in the poll, including No. 5 Middle Tennessee, No. 11 Oral Roberts, No. 14 VCU and No. 24 Valparaiso. Cleveland State (79), Ohio (65), Kent State (22), Buffalo (3) and Detroit (1) also received votes.
• For the first time since Nov. 12, 2007, the Zips are receiving votes in the AP poll. Akron received a vote in the Nov. 14 edition of the poll.
Climbing the Coaching Ladder
Eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot continues to climb the coaching ranks at The University of Akron. Currently sitting at 181 wins at the helm of the Blue and Gold, Dambrot passed Tony Laterza (178, 1960-68) for second place on the career wins list. Russell Beichly (1941-59) owns the school record with 286 career victories.
A Winning Standard
Since taking over the program before the 2004-05 season, eighth-year head coach Keith Dambrot has created a winning mentality in the program that has not been seen in 111 seasons of basketball. Of the five senior classes to win 90 or more games in their career, four of those have come under Dambrot. The current senior class of Nikola Cvetinovic, Brett McClanahan and Kyle Petersen currently sits at 89 wins and need two more wins to move into the top-five in program history.
• Class of 2010 (2007-10) – 97 wins
• Class of 2009 (2006-09) – 96 wins
• Class of 2011 (2007-11) – 94 wins
• Class of 2008 (2005-08) – 92 wins
• Class of 1966 (1963-66) – 91 wins
Career List Watch
• Senior forward Nikola Cvetinovic is on pace to break Steve McNees' (141, 2008-11) record for career games played. Currently sitting at 134 contests, Cvetinovic needs to appear in eight games to take over the top spot. Looking at the schedule, the Zips would have to play in four postseason contests for Cvetinovic to take over the top spot.
• Junior center Zeke Marshall, with 235 blocked shots in his career, broke the career blocked shots record at Akron against Detroit on Nov. 26 (76 games). He is nine swats away from breaking his own school season record (92) and is 22 blocked shots ahead his pace from last season through 27 games (62). Marshall also owns the single-game (9), single-season (92), freshman (59), sophomore (92) and junior season (73), and Rhodes Arena single-game (7) blocked shot records.
• After breaking the freshman season assists record (128), sophomore guard Alex Abreu is setting his sights on the career top-10. He currently has 238 assists and needs 34 dimes to pass Mike Dowdell (261, 1984-87) for tenth place. Abreu's 128 dimes last season were also the ninth-best of any season in program history.
Looking at the MAC Record Book
• Junior center Zeke Marshall passed Ben Poquette (CMU, 1974-77) against Oral Roberts to move into the top-five all-time (235) for career blocked shots in the MAC. He needs 23 blocked shots to pass EMU's Theron Wilson for fourth place (257). Against Ohio (Jan. 14), he became just the eighth player in MAC history with 200 blocked shots. At his current pace of 2.4 blocked shots per game for his career, he should break the MAC record of 301 (Lonnie Jones, BSU, 1998-02) in roughly 28 more games.
• Compared to other coaches all-time in the MAC, head coach Keith Dambrot is fifth in league history with a .632 win percentage while coaching in the MAC (201-117 overall; 181-83 Akron, 20-34 CMU), sixth in league games winning percentage (.623, 101-61), seventh in overall wins (201) and eighth in conference wins (101). He needs one MAC win to catch BGSU's Jim Larranagga (1987-97) for seventh in conference wins (102) and two overall wins to tie Toledo's Stan Joplin (1997-2008) for sixth place in wins as a MAC coach (203).
Winning Ways
• In his time at Akron, head coach Keith Dambrot has led the Zips to a 181-83 (.686) record, the most wins of any UA coach in their first eight seasons. He is second in UA history in wins (181) and fourth in winning percentage (.686).
• Through his first seven seasons, Dambrot led the Zips to a 162-75 record (.684). The program's 162 wins are tied for the top spot in the MAC and tied for 29th-best in the nation during that period.
Lights, Camera, Action
The Zips will appear on television 13 times this season, with the potential for four additional TV games to be added to the schedule. Akron is 8-3 so far this season on TV, falling 67-61 at Oral Roberts on Feb. 18. Last season Akron went 9-7 on TV.
