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KD and Coaching


1981 grad

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After the Toledo game, I questioned how this team would perform after they got blown out by Toledo and KD questioned the heart of the team since he indicated on the post game show how they were taking poor shots and not playing with any toughness.

 

However, the last 4 games the team has turned it around.  We are playing better defense, forcing more turnovers, and stopping the uncontested dribble drives.  

 

More importantly, we have improved in the one area I thought was a weakness on this team this year and last year, getting to the foul line and making foul shots.  In the first 4 games, we were outshot at the foul line, 96 to 73,  In the last 4 games we outshot the opposition 95 to 57 and are shooting around 80% at the foul line.  In our last game we had 18 assist.  We are no longer seeing guys dribble left, dribble right and shoot a three or a pick and pop three.  The ball is going through our big men who draw fouls, our wings are attacking the basket and our three point shots are coming off assist.   

 

I think KD has done a  good job of getting these guys to play good team ball and stop taking the easy three ball.  Further, this is the only year that I can remember where there have not been any complaints from this board about the rotation.  KD is playing 7 guys full time and the frosh, Josh and Ivey, are getting about 25 minutes together. 

 

Although the post might be premature, I think KD has done a good job turning this team around.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I think the preseason cupcake buffet didn't do a great job of preparing this team for the MAC season. It took us a few games to remember what it takes to win in conference play.

 

Big Dog has been outstanding. Whether it's driving to the hole, or kicking the ball out, he's making good, quick decisions. He's as aggressive inside as any Zip I've seen since Jeremiah Wood. 

 

I agree that KD & staff deserve a lot of credit for getting the Zips back on track. His rotations have been good...no player can complain they're not getting a chance at extended PT. I think that's keeping everyone motivated. They're stomping teams like they should. And playing solid D...at least as solid as is possible in today's Arm Bar Era.

 

I hope Kwan's back on track. He was pretty much invisible for two months, but has looked like he's reborn over the past couple games.

 

I think it's obvious we will live and die by the three, but we have enough guys that can shoot it that we get a ton of open looks...so why not? Over the course of the game we hit our share of dry spells, but over a full 40 minutes it seems like other teams can't keep up. 

 

Big game tonight. OU has laid some major whuppin's on us at the Convo over the years. But we're rolling and our veterans are playing well. I say Zips by 8.

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Last season we were 2nd in the country in 3 point attempts but only ranked 127th in 3 point percentage.

Currently we are 7th in 3 point attempts and ranked 19th in the country in 3 point percentage.

 

Last year we ranked 296th in foul shot attempts.

This year we are ranked 183 in foul shot attempts.  Big Dog is leading the team with 138 attempts and is ranked 3rd among centers in foul shot attempts. (91st in the country in foul shot attempts. The leaders in foul shot attempts are all guards. 

 

Last year we were ranked 258th on foul shot percentage.

This year we are ranked 187th in foul shot percentage.

 

Last year I did not like Akron's dependence on the 3 point shot because we did not shoot it well and it limited us from drawing any fouls.  This year playing KD's inside out game has worked to our advantage.  Since our guards are young I am hopeful that in future years an Akron guard will be one of the leaders in foul shot attempts.  (Jimond?)

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  • 4 weeks later...
48 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Didn't want to start a new thread, but great read on Coach Dambrot and the program.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2016/3/7/11165984/akron-basketball-lebron-james-ncaa-tournament-keith-dambrot

Really good article. Its nice to see a national site put in the time to give an in-depth look at our program.

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4 hours ago, bUAkronG said:

 

excellent read. Thank you

Alright!  When I started reading this it appeared to be yet another effort by an ill-informed out-of-towner to continue the "Fable of LeBron".  Thankfully it quickly diverted to become the BEST article on LBJ, KD AND the history of Akron basketball that I have yet read!  Congratulations to the author -- a Northwestern U senior.  I wonder, how many of you know about the Firestone Non-Skids and Goodyear Wingfoots being original members of the NBA (or NBL as it first was)?  I've been studying Akron's place in basketball history for a few years now, with the assistance of an acquaintance I made, who happens to be one of the greatest minds in basketball history -- Akron native, former Kent State HC and Los Angeles Lakers 88 y.o. Director of Scouting Bill Bertka.  Bill played bb in his youth during the WWII era at the old Akron 'Y' with the game's early stars, who were members of these pre-NBA professional teams.   Here's a recent article from the NBA website about this legendary figure who may become the first lifetime assistant coach to make the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.

 

http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/160303_billBertka

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1) He has a contract until 2023

2) He just won 26 games, and has Akron ranked higher Nationally than we've ever been at the end of a season. 

 

For me, I don't see this as even a viable discussion this year. 

 

And just out of curiosity, I'd love to see if any coach has ever been fired.....ever....for having a 26 win season, just because he lost his conference tournament title game. 

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He stays... Is there anyone else out there who could ever care more about this program and the school it represents all while leading this once moribund program to the successes it has had for the last decade?

 

In another thread someone mentioned bringing in someone new from outside the program to the coaching staff and I could see that possibly just to avoid stagnancy, especially if their expertise is developing 'bigs' or creating the perfect mix of non-conference scheduling :) but that is on the staff not as the head coach.

 

If I had to guess right now I'd say KD will be here until he decides himself to step down and that at that point the university will make Rick McFadden or another insider the next head man. Of course this changes if the success level falls off dramatically.

Edited by GJGood
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then quit bitching about dribble penetration, living by the 3....., an offense where your big man is on the block and the remaining 4 are outside the 3 pt line., the possibility of getting an at large bid.   we reached the MAC tourney final and shoot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   lost by 3 to buffalo!!!!!!  oh well!!!!   BTW....we won 26 games before and there was more bitching about getting snubbed then ever before!!!!!!  have fun at OSU with 4500 fans in the seats for an NIT.....you hypocrites...cause remember....you did the same thing in the CIT game a couple of years ago!  our team and fanbase no had interest in being in the CIT!!!!   I'm sorry.....did we win that game???

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If our name was Memphis or VCU and we had the exact same resume with the exact same schedule we'd have a good chance of an at-large. That is not the fault of any coaches, that falls more on the media and the marketing of the team by both the university and the conference.

 

I respect viewpoints opposed to mine and understand that maybe my perception is different than some since the Zips won something like 35 games total  in my four years at the school but I still think that we are better off now than we would be with just about anyone else at the helm. I don't want some coach that views Akron as a stepping stone. I want one that sees it as a destination. Who is the better than KD that would fall into that category?

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Stay.

 

He is not going to run to a higher paying program the minute the team has success. 

 

He is probably the best recruiter in the MAC. The results haven't always shown that, as every year there seems to be the one key player get arrested or injured and the rest put up a valiant effort but can't close the deal.

 

A lot of people get on Dambrot for not winning NCAA tournament games, but when has a MAC team won? I don't remember seeing Ohio or Buffalo in the Sweet 16 recently. When you're a MAC school, you get treated like a MAC school with bogus "bracketology" seeding (and that reflects in the ability to recruit). It's not a level playing field and we all know it. Until the day a Zips team stays healthy (and out of jail) and goes deep a couple times, that's the stigma the MAC is stuck in. 

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