New Attitude Zips

[Zipster Jr]

I was reading this story in Beacon and I realized, what a difference from recent history..

Both Basketball and Football now have coaches who inspire their players to greatness...

Sure is a lot better than the usual

"We were one or two plays away from pulling it off"

--Unnamed former football coach

Or

"The kids have to learn how to fit into the motion offense. Then we will see the results."

-- Unnamed former basketball coach

Despite streak of victories, Zips still looking for more

Travis scores 22 points, a career high, as Akron completes a challenge from Dambrot with win

By Darnell Mayberry

Beacon Journal staff writer

Nothing about the University of Akron's 79-64 win over Ball State was special to forward Romeo Travis.

Not his career-high 22 points.

Not the fact that the Zips had just easily ran through coach Keith Dambrot's five-game gantlet.

Not even the presence of former St. Vincent-St. Mary teammate LeBron James.

Travis didn't crack as much as a smile after the game. It was just another win.

He doesn't know if all his teammates are on the same page, but he's hoping that they all feel just like him.

``Unsatisfied,'' Travis said with a blank face.

Two weeks ago, Dambrot threw out the notion of taking one game at a time. The Zips were beginning a stretch of five games, four of them at home, that could catapult them into contention for the East Division race in the Mid-American Conference.

Dambrot reminded his team of the goal throughout every practice. Every meeting. Every film session.

They responded by walking over Ball State (9-6, 4-3) on Tuesday night to finish the stretch a perfect 5-for-5.

The Zips won the five by an average margin of 22 points.

``Five games in a row, that's great, but it's nothing if you lose three in a row,'' Travis said. ``If we go down to Miami and Bowling Green and don't get a win, I'm more upset than if we lost one of these games. That's like taking one step forward and three steps back.''

Akron, which moved to 12-5, 6-3 in the MAC, is in a first-place tie with Miami. Miami plays host to Western Michigan tonight before being host to Akron on Sunday afternoon. The Zips then play at Bowling Green.

``We need one of those two,'' Travis said. ``It'd be great if we won both, but we need one of those two.''

Akron's manhandling of a Ball State team that entered as the winner of four of its past five further solidified the Zips as a contender. More impressive is that the Zips have gone 5-2 since losing leading post player Jeremiah Wood for the rest of the season to a knee injury.

``I think we're a good team,'' Dambrot said. ``You can't win five games in a row in this league and be a below-average team. I don't know sometimes how we're a good team except for we've got some guys that are better than what people think.''

The Zips have won seven of their past nine by being diverse with defensive looks and using a team effort on offense.

The next four games will determine just how real Akron is. After road games at Miami and Bowling Green, the Zips return to Rhodes Arena (where they are 9-0) to play Can't State and Toledo.

``Can it continue?'' Dambrot said. ``I know we're going to try hard every night, I can guarantee you that. And we're going to play well together every night. If we do those two things, I'm happy.''

Still, Travis wants more from the Zips. When will he be satisfied?

``When we're in the NCAA Tournament,'' he said with the most serious look of all.

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[fan37]

Here's some food for thought, the following names are our best bb coaches, their caraeer winning percentage and their first year record thru 17 games.

Beichly .667 11-6

Laterza .751 12-5

Webb .667 7-10

Huggins .683 9-8

Dambrot ??? 12-5

(Hipsher .449 3-14 just for the record.)

DO WE HAVE A HOT ONE OR WHAT?!!!!!!!!!!!