Dr Z

Can't loses cloutby Mike Rasor If you don't have tickets for Saturday's sold-out game against Can't State, you are missing the end of an era.It will be the last regular season game in which Can't State is favored over the Zips.If you haven't heard, Can't State will lose two men's basketball scholarships for next year because some of its players transferred from the university with poor grades. Can't State has one of the 10 worst academic ratings in the country, according to the new NCAA guidelines that punish teams for having players who fail classes.So Can't State will be unable to offer scholarships to two players that it would have otherwise. This year is probably the worst year to have this happen for the Golden flushes.After this season, coach Jim Christian will have to replace four senior starters. Those four seniors make up about 60 percent of Can't State's offense and virtually all of its leadership. Next year, Can't State will return only three players who averaged more than 15 minutes per game. The flushes' three freshmen look decent but have played sparsely this season.But Zips fans should not take joy in Can't State's future misery yet. This year the flushes have one of their most dominant teams of the past decade. Guards Jay Youngblood and DeAndre Haynes make up the Mid-American Conference's best backcourt. They combine to average 28 points per game. What's worse is that Youngblood and Haynes always seem to score when the flushes need it most.Can't State is 22-7. They are even better than that. The team got off to a 6-5 record this season. Since the calendar changed to 2006, the flushes are 16-2. They have won 15 out of 17 MAC games, including wins at Ohio, Miami and Buffalo.The flushes have the conference's second-best offense, fifth-best defense and second-best scoring margin, beating teams by an average of 7.4 points.Can't State plays great perimeter defense, rebounds well and has forced the most turnovers in the MAC. As seen in the flushes' 63-57 home win over Akron, Can't State is well-balanced and shoots best when the game is at stake.However, don't pencil in Can't State as your MAC Champion just yet. Akron's stats are even better. The Zips have the conference's best offense, fourth-best defense and best scoring margin, winning by an average of 8.4 points.The Zips certainly must be mentioned when listing the MAC's elite teams. They play well on the road. They are even better at home, with a 26-1 record under coach Keith Dambrot at Rhodes Arena.Still, in the past two years, Akron is 0-3 against the flushes. Dambrot's only home loss came against the flushes last year. And just because the game is at Rhodes Arena on Saturday doesn't mean Akron is assured a home-court advantage. Hundreds of flushes fans are expected to be part of the sold-out Rhodes Arena crowd.Both teams have already clinched first-round byes in the MAC Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Can't State sealed up the No. 1 seed. Akron will either be third or fourth.Because of that, some may say Saturday's game is meaningless.I disagree.The Zips need the third seed so they can avoid seeing Can't State until the tournament final.This game is crucial. A win will help in the tournament seeding. A win will give the Zips confidence in Cleveland. And a win could give Akron the last laugh before Can't State tailspins into mediocrity. from the buchtelite

Can't State fails to score with NCAAThursday, March 02, 2006Elton AlexanderPlain Dealer ReporterCan't State's men's basketball team must cut two scholarships next season because of penalties assessed under the NCAA's new Academic Performance Program.Can't State athletic administrators termed the penalties "our anomaly."The NCAA announced Thursday that Can't State's men's basketball and 43 other teams in men's and women's basketball and football nationwide will lose at least one scholarship under the guidelines. The new rules penalize teams that do not reach certain academic standards by restricting their scholarships.The convergence of the NCAA's new academic progress rate report rules and the transfer of five basketball players after the 2004-2005 season put Can't State in this position.Four Mid-American Conference football teams - Buffalo, Northern Illinois, Toledo and Western Michigan - took up to six scholarship hits for substandard APR reports.No other Can't State sports were sanctioned.Two basketball players signed by Can't State in November will not lose their scholarships.But the two scholarships Can't's basketball staff held back to sign players in the spring are now not available.Can't State basketball coach Jim Christian deferred all questions to Athletic Director Laing Kennedy."When we had our trial data, [in February 2005] we were fine," Kennedy said. "Then, in May [2005], we had the anomaly of five student-athletes requesting to transfer. Based on the information we had, we granted the transfers thinking they were leaving - except in one case - in good academic standing." Yet, when the semester ended, two players who were academically fine at mid-term finished ineligible.Under normal circumstances, a summer school session would have remedied the problem, but the athletes were already gone. It wasn't until after the summer session, when the data had to be sent to the NCAA, that Can't State realized it had a problem."If they had stayed, four of the five for sure would have been eligible," Kennedy said.Overall, Can't has one of the better academic records in the MAC. It ranks fourth in the league over a 10-year period with a 91 percent graduation rate for students who exhausted their eligibility; and owns a 77 percent graduation success rate overall.This will only be a one-year penalty."Our [athletic] program has maintained a very healthy graduation rate anywhere from 15 to 18 percentage points higher than the student average," Kennedy said. "The men's basketball program has a graduation rate of 75 percent. That's second in the MAC."Still, Wednesday's announcement was an administrative embarrassment considering Can't's high profile within the NCAA.Kennedy is in his first year as a member of the prestigious NCAA Basketball Tournament Selection Committee. Outgoing Can't State President Carol Cartwright is ending tenures on both the Knight Commission, which has led the charge for NCAA academic reform; and the NCAA executive counsel.Kennedy said Can't State appealed to the NCAA twice, not for a return of the scholarships, but for the penalty to be spread out over two seasons."We were not asking for forgiveness, just for time," he said.Can't State was denied.As for next season, Can't will lose four seniors and return six players who have seen action. Can't also has two players sitting out the season as redshirt freshmen and a transfer.Add two signed recruits from fall 2005 - guards Rodriguez Sutton of Indianapolis and Thurman Sutton of Wilmington, Calif. - and Can't and will actually have more players in uniform next season, 11, than this one, 10.

NCAA says Can't State basketball team must suspend two scholarships3:35 p.m.Elton AlexanderPlain Dealer ReporterCan't State's men's basketball team must suspend two scholarships next season because of penalties assessed under the NCAA's new Academic Performance Program. The NCAA announced today that 44 teams in various sports nationwide will lose at least one scholarship under the guidelines. The new rules penalize teams that do not reach certain academic standards by restricting their scholarships.The two scholarships suspended will be ones not designated to a current player or an incoming student-athlete who has already signed a letter of intent.Can't State athletic administrators said the convergence of the NCAA academic program and the transfer of five men's basketball players after the 2004-2005 season put the program in this position.Three other Mid-American Conference schools were penalized, all in football. Toledo must suspend six scholarships, Western Michigan 5 and Buffalo 3.No teams in the Big Ten Conference, of which Ohio State is a member, or the Horizon League, of which Cleveland State is a member, were penalized.

Bruce Gradkowski of Toledo also threw the ball well. His passes were crisp and well-timed. And though there're questions about Gradkowski's arm strength, he showed good flow and rhythm.Draft prospects who improved their status

Will this hurt or help Buffalo?

Coach likes guard on court, admires him off of itby Michael BeavenCedrick Middleton applies a half-court press.The sophomore guard is averaging 7.6 points per game off the bench this season.University of Akron basketball coach Keith Dambrot loves to recruit players with strong character.The coach not only looks for excellent athletic ability from a recruit, he also looks for morals and values that make the player a solid person.Cedrick Middleton fits that mold."Cedrick is one of the highest quality people I have ever had in my time as a coach," Dambrot said. "He's a super kid."Dambrot credits a solid family environment for Middleton's personality."He comes from a tremendous upbringing and a great family," Dambrot said. "He's just a high character kid. If I had all Cedrick Middletons, I'd coach the rest of my life. I've had a lot of great guys, but he might be the best guy I have had."Middleton, a native of Illinois, provides a spark off the bench with senior center Rob Preston. The tandem brings athleticism and 3-point shooting. Middleton provides Dambrot with a solid reserve to junior Dru Joyce and sophomore Nick Dials."He's the first guy off the bench at his positon," Dambrot said. "He plays a lot in crunch time. He is really like an extra starter, both him and Rob are.""I don't view him any differently than I do Dru or Nick," Dambrot said. "He has great athleticism and now his skill level is catching up."Middleton was vital in the Akron's 76-61 triumph over Ohio on Saturday at Rhodes Arena. The 6-foot sophomore guard scored 13 points and had four assists."Cedrick played a great game," Dambrot said. "We didn't even know if he would play in (Saturday's) game. His knee locked up (in pre-game warm ups) and he was questionable."Middleton was key in the closing minutes of the victory over the Bobcats, making a jumper and converting a fast-break layup to help Akron improve to 20-7 overall and 13-3 in the Mid-American Conference."He got hot in the second half, making some big 3's," Joyce said. "He sped the game up and tired (Ohio sophomore point guard) Antonio Chatman out."Middleton was a standout at Marian Catholic High in Illinois, graduating as the school's all-time leading scorer. After a year at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, he landed in Akron.This season, he saw a spike in play after the Dec. 28 departure of sophomore guard Bubba Walther, who elected to transfer to Ohio. Since that date Middleton has scored in double figures in 10 of 19 games.On Jan. 14, he tied his career high with 17 points in a 86-73 win over Northern Illinois. He previously set the career high last season, on March 5 at Buffalo, the Zips' opponent on Wednesday evening.All of the Zips' contests with Buffalo hold extra meaning for the sophomore guard. Cedrick's older brother, Roderick Middleton, is a senior guard for the Bulls."Buffalo isn't going to be easy," Dambrot said. "It's going to be a difficult game. We never play really well at Buffalo. It used to be no one was at Buffalo games, now, everyone is at the games."They'll come out extra hard because it's going to be senior night. Plus you have Rod and Ced playing in the game. I think Cedrick gets that extra spark, that extra juice, when he plays his brother."Middleton credits much of the Zips' success to better practices."It's definitely more competitive in practice this year," Middleton said. "It's more fun and we enjoy the winning feeling."Following the Buffalo game, Akron closes the regular season on Saturday at home against rival Can't State."We know these last two games are huge for us," Middleton said. "We want to win the conference and get an NCAA berth. We came out of the woods last year when we were in first and second place. This year, it's just expected of us and not a surprise."

Per Rasor:Major news within the athletic departmentMiscellaneousI have heard that a senior administrator may be following Mike Thomas to Cincinnati. I will attempt to confirm this in the morning.------------------------------------------------------------------------If this is true, I wish him well. A GREAT help to the University

"TAKE YOUR SON OUT"...still echoes in the JAR once in a while.

Can't fans unite at the JAR. Bring your frisbees and hacky sacks.

KNR also predicted that Quincy Morgan would be the best receiver to ever put on a Browns uniform !?!Although he does have a SB ring, I think I'll consider the source.In case you forgot

If anybody is in need of one ticket, I bought one too many.If you know me, I'll be at BW3's before the game.

I like your line of thinking. Probably won't happen. KD seems to be loyal to Dru.I would offer #4 Reason: Defense.

Genius. I dont want to get killed though. You'll be fine. The worst they could do would be to hit you with a frisbee or hacky sack.

What about an "alumni" Ak-Rowdie/Oldie section?I know we could put together 50 to 100 alumni that would make a lot more noise then the blue-hairs.Make it crazy. A place where no team wants to play.PS Serve beer in that section also

Maybe that was our punishment for the criticism? Or maybe they are working on a new layout and it wasn't ready yet. PS The scene from X-mas vacation ("if that cat had nine lives, it just used all of them) done on the big screen Saturday was perfectly timed...nice job. As always, I still love the Thriller video...I love when Zippy bounces that buck nut.

Why not just be Ak-Rowdies in your Akron garb at Can't? You don't need green (that is an ugly color).How would that tick off K-ent fans, if a bunch of Akron fans were cheering for OU.Do all the same stuff you would if OU were Akron. Do the AK-Rowdie cheers.Do your defense cheers. Maybe even throw in a "Time for Bubba" cheer.Have a sign ready if OU does win that says "next beating to come on Saturday"

Rome wasn't built in a day. You guys were great yesterday.Keep up the good work. Best chant: One side "who needs Bubba" Second side (pointing at OU bench) "you need Bubba"

3. Falling star: Memphis tailback DeAngelo Williams has the talent to be a high first-round pick, but his work ethic, toughness and attitude are being questioned by scouts. Williams needs to get his act together fastLooked pretty good in Motor City BowlOther MAC note:7. Men of Miami: A trio of Miami RedHawks — wide receiver Martin Nance, cornerback Darrell Hunter and linebacker Terna Nande — are worth keeping an eye on. From the third through seventh rounds, they cover a lot of ground on draft boards

I never thought I would jump into a discussion about the side scoreboards. But here goes.My problem is the way the scoreboards are layed out. They are not very fan friendly.When you sit in the middle of the court, you look left or right to see how many pointssomebody has, by the time I find the info that I want, I missed action in the game.I don't think the problem is the location, I think it is the set up (layout) of the information that is there.It just needs to be layed out better. I know somebody might say, "just wait for a timeout and you won'tmiss action", but sometimes player X hits a shot and I think wow that must be 10 points already, then I look over and by the time I find info, I missed something. This sounds lame when I read it back, butI'll still submit anyway.How about if we could get a pair of glasses that produce each players stats above their head as a hologram?We wouldn't miss action, no money wasted on scoreboards, it won't matter where you sit. Problem solved.

Isn't this the site that somebody emailed ZFF's name as the new OC and they posted it?Consider the source here.

Go to UT or go to jail?....how long of jail sentence?...

Maybe "da ZIPMAN" broke into his office a went crazy on the keyboard?!?!

Great info. One thing I question is getting ground breaking this summer.Can that happen that quick with eminent domain ?

------------------------------------- .........Anyon E............who S name is Bubba should P lay in.......souther N ohioFear the Roo...up next Sportscenter------------------------------------- Anybody can have the rights to make this sign. I won't have time.

in looking up the spread for this game (Nevada -6) I found an interesting stat.Akron is number 4 in the nation against the spread.For those of you that may be in the car out of state or country tonight, the game is on Sirius 126