Purple Eagles take one on the beak

[fan37]

The Zips laid one on the Purple Eagles tonight despite (perhaps because of) a dirty undercut of Preston, That woke up the Zips (missed the ft though). Has I been the official I would have tossed his butt out of the game Now if we can pluck a Redhawk we'll

be in good shape.

[Z-Pouch]

Nice game by the Zips tonight -- It looked like we lacked a little intensity to start but got on track and got it done.

Interestng note -- After tonights game the Zips have broken the Top 50 on RealtimeRPI.com !!!!!!! #49. Up next -- Miami #23.

Can we get a sellout on Wednesday ?

[zipsbandman]

I think we will sell out on Wednesday. The reason I think so is because over 4k showed up to see us play a little known team in noncoference action. Playing first placed Miami for a grip on the east will definitely bring the fans back, along with the ones from the Can't game. I think everybody is sick of Miami spoiling our fun and would love to see a zips win on Wednesday.

[Z-Pouch]

I think we will sell out on Wednesday.  The reason I think so is because over 4k showed up to see us play a little known team in noncoference action.  Playing first placed Miami for a grip on the east will definitely bring the fans back, along with the ones from the Can't game.  I think everybody is sick of Miami spoiling our fun and would love to see a zips win on Wednesday.

Impossible to complain about the past three games at the JAR from any basketball fans perspective - Can't, Toledo and Niagra were all entertaining and exciting - Why wouldn't you come back if you like basketball ? I still think we need some old fans to come out of the woodwork and does UA still have students ? Really poor showing by those supposedly going to school -- Student turnout is embarrassing. Atleast the community seems to be catching on to the Zips.

Tonights crowd at 4100 was loud, I forgot how good the JAR can be. It can be a tough place to play when people show up.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Quick notes then off to bed:

Great win. Especially after the slow start

McFadden is GOD. Three straight awesome performances.

Futch has been horrible recently..save the OT 5 minutes. Quade's big chance to step up!

Joyce is solid. Not spectacular...but man does he do a good job running the offense.

Nice to see Middleton again. I remember that guy.

Nice game by Peterson.

Brooks and Cruz are awesome. Niagra is as good as advertised.

Why are we getting out FT'd in our own building by 20?

The 20 or so Niagra fans that showed up were...at times...louder than the Zips fans. Yo students...get off your butts and get to the JAR!

Nice game by Preston. Seems to be flourishing in the post Hipsher era (as do a lot of players).

Good game for Collins. 8 assists.

In the "Every Action Has an Equal and Opposite Reaction" Catagory: #43 for Niagara has Futch's shot selection and accuracy. Thank God he kept hoisting those 3's.

Dambrot gives great post-game interviews. I don't miss Hipsher's "Well exactly Steve..." at all. Nor do I miss Joe Dunn trying to make Bryan Hipsher's minutes seem justified.

[Zip Watcher]

Some additional thoughts:

- This was a GOOD win. Beating a team like Niagara when the game doesn't really matter for anything other than NIT possibilities says a lot about the even keel this team has been on. NU is a solid club, with at least 2 or 3 MAC level guys. No surprise to me that they're winning the MAAAAAC. MAAAAC teams have been known to cause problems in the first round of NCAA's (see Manhattan in recent years). NU ought to be no different.

- The foul shot differential was something I've never seen happen to a home team. The first thought would be to put it all at the feet of the MAAC refs (the visiting team's conference reffed all the Bracket Buster Games today). They're certainly more familiiar with Mendez and what his game usually generates, and don't know that Romeo is "supposed to get all the calls." I think there's something to this theory .. but maybe only a little something. My obervation during the game was that UA wasn't as agressive going inside as NU was, and some of the fouls drawn were inside. The fact that Travis, Futch and Milum had the bulk of the fouls bears this out.

- No matter what, the Zips got it done in the face of some foul adversity & with their leading dressed player ineffective much of the night. That's a sign of a good team. While Mendez and Brooks were very good .. the Zips were simply a better, bigger, quicker team tonight. Good win.

- McFadden continues his run to finish up strong. I'm pumped he's playing this well. Aside from the fact that my kid had JUST fallen asleep when RM hit the shot late to put a fork in NU .. great shot, great effort .. nicely done Rick!

- I still think Middleton can play. He needs to go to the rack and not settle for the outside shots & he'll be fine. HIs defense hasn't suffered during the recent offensive troubles.

- Futch can get you angry and then make you glad he's there .. all within 10 seconds. I think Matt is making strides to be more agressive and go at the basket. He certainly seems to be interested in going to the glass on defense, and that helped tonight.

- Ditto what CK said about KD's post game interviews. Also, my compliment to Joe Dunn for stepping up his postgame efforts in the past few games .. last night he asked a couple of questions and got out of the way for KD to talk. I think it's good they didn't get into 5 minutes of talk about the refs .. it didn't matter. The refs just kept this game from being a 25 point blowout.

- I continue to feel pretty good about this team and its future. Not sure what the next 4 games will hold, but I have to think that 2-2 or 3-1 are within reach. 3-1 gets you a bye .. or maybe the division. Big game on Wednesday. MU looked pretty good on TV this afternoon. Win this and look for some help from BG later in the week and then the division title is in play.

- I've got my name on the priority seating list for the Gund, do YOU? I should be bringing about 16 or 20 Zips fans to the tourney this year. Really looking forward to it.

Go Zips!!

[Z-Pouch]

From todays Beacon Journal - another nice article

Putting together a banner season

Dambrot has Zips thinking, playing like winners

By Terry Pluto

Before a recent practice, Keith Dambrot brought his team together and pointed to the banners hanging in Rhodes Arena.

``We want to hang one there,'' he said.

The Akron coach means a postseason banner. A MAC championship. An NCAA appearance. A National Invitation Tournament berth.

Something to make the fans smile.

``You have to aim high,'' Dambrot said.

And dream big.

But after Saturday's impressive 74-68 victory over Niagara in the ESPN Bracket Buster, Dambrot is talking about the Zips making their first appearance in a postseason tournament since Bob Huggins led the Zips to the 1989 NIT.

``It's been in the back of my mind all year,'' Dambrot said. ``And these guys, they keep surprising me all the time. If we can finish strong, why not something like the NIT?''

Why not should be obvious...

The Zips are without leading rebounder Jeremiah Wood (knee surgery). They have no one averaging more than Darryl Peterson's 14 points, and the junior is playing with a nose broken in two places and a LeBron James-like protective mask.

Akron has not had a winning record in five years and was picked for second-to-last in the MAC East at the start of the season.

So how have these guys won 9-of-11, raising their record to 16-7?

Doing it with defense

Akron fans love how Dambrot has pumped up the offense with mass substitutions and a determination to bolt to the basket like a bunch of third-graders let outside for recess.

But that's not why the Zips are the hottest team in the Mid-American Conference. Nor is it why the postseason is a possibility.

`'It's their defense,'' Niagara coach Joe Mihalich said. ``Their defense was tougher than our offense.''

Niagara brought a 17-7 record and an offense averaging 86 points into Rhodes Arena for ESPN's Bracket Buster. The Purple Eagles lead the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and they have won more games than any MAAC team in the past six years.

``They would be a very good team in our conference,'' said Dambrot, and he wasn't just being nice.

He's right as Niagara starts three seniors. They a gritty, veteran team used to scoring big and winning often.

Didn't happen Saturday, as Akron held Niagara 20 points below its season average.

``Our defense is our main thing,'' Peterson said. ``We just play harder, work at it more. It's like the offense is secondary.''

In his first season as coach, Dambrot wanted to bring a dedication to toughness. Hit the boards, dive on the court, make it hard for the other team to score.

``We've been too much of a finesse team in the past,'' he said.

The result is Akron holding opposing teams to 41 percent shooting from the field, best in the MAC.

It also is why Akron won this game despite scoring only three points from the foul line, compared to 21 for Niagara.

How about this?

Niagara outscored the Zips 17-2 on second-chance points, and Akron didn't score a single fast-break point.

On the offensive

So how did they win?

Niagara had few open shots and was a dismal 37 percent from the field.

The Zips played shrewd offense. Point guards Dru Joyce III and Mario Collins combined for 13 assists and only three turnovers. The Zips swished open 3-pointers, 13-of-24.

Senior Rick McFadden played like ``the quiet leader'' that Dambrot calls him, scoring a team-high 18 points and snaring six rebounds.

Romeo Travis (4 points) had a long night on offense but was the game's leading rebounder with 10. He combined with Matt Futch to hold Niagara's leading scorer Juan Mendez to 3-of-12 shooting, the ugly 16 points well below his 24-point average.

This is a fun team to watch and one easy to love with three local kids starting in Joyce, Travis and Futch. Fans are getting excited, as 4,053 rocked Rhodes Arena where Akron is now 11-1.

``Right now, the sky is the limit,'' said sophomore Joyce, who has known Dambrot since the eighth grade.

So maybe the Zips will be a factor in the MAC Tournament. A decent finish could bring them close to 20 wins for the first time since 1989 and an NIT bid.

``That would mean so much to these guys,'' Dambrot said. ``They have really worked so hard. It would mean a lot to the program, to the city. That's why I put it out there as a goal -- let's really try to do something special this year.''

In many ways, they already have.

[Z-Pouch]

Game article

Zips continue winning ways

Niagara falls to resilient Akron in Bracket Buster

By Darnell Mayberry

Beacon Journal staff writer

Dru Joyce III ran back to the University of Akron bench with his right arm raised high.

Bubba Walther launched the ball towards the rafters.

Darryl Peterson and Rick McFadden gave each other congratulatory pats on the rear end, and the crowd of 4,053 gave the Zips a standing ovation after their 74-68 win over Niagara on Saturday night at Rhodes Arena.

Perhaps the youthful Zips (16-7, 9-5) have started their maturation. The game, which was a part of ESPN's Bracket Buster Saturday, was just the latest installment in the past two weeks that have shown the Zips' resiliency down the stretch and ability to respond to late-game surges by opponents.

The wins was the Zips' fourth in the past five games and ninth in its past 11 tries. The impressive part is four of the past five have been decided by a combined 13 points, meaning the Zips have learned how to win close games.

``We're playing the best we've ever played right now,`` said Peterson, who finished with 12 points off the bench.

``I think we've jelled together as one now, and that's playing a big part in our wins. People are starting to believe now, and that's the biggest thing.``

Even bigger is that no one player has been the catalyst throughout the season. Rick McFadden took his turn scorching the net, finishing with a team-high 18 points and five rebounds. The senior forward scored eight of Akron's final 10 points. None was bigger than his 3-pointer with 12.7 seconds left for the game's final margin.

``I think we're just maturing more from earlier in the season,`` said Joyce, who finished with 11 points and five assists. ``In basketball, you have to get better after every game, and that's what we're doing. We recognized we were bad at the end of games, and we went back and worked on game-like situations.``

The Zips improved to 11-1 at Rhodes Arena despite attempting just eight free throws, making three. Niagara (17-8), which competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, entered the game averaging 85.7 points. The Purple Eagles hit 21-of-30 free throws, outrebounded the Zips 40-34 and outscored Akron 17-2 in the paint.

The Zips masked those inefficiencies with a team-effort, outscoring Niagara 33-5 in bench points and having 24 assists on their 29 baskets. Senior guard Mario Collins led that effort with a career-high eight assists.

``I think we've done a pretty good job overall,`` Akron coach Keith Dambrot said. ``Part of that is playing together and making sure every possession defensively is important.``

Akron led by as many as 12 points at 46-34 with 16:58 to play after a McFadden 3-pointer. Alvin Cruz gave the Purple Eagles their first lead of the half after a layup with 6:20 to play. The Zips held Niagara without a field goal for the next 5:05 to pull away.

[Z-P]

Most everything's been said above me..............

However, I want to apologize for an earlier post this season when I commented that the reason this team isn't getting more support is the lack of a "superstar".......a "point man" that everyone can hang on like Tarver..............

Man oh man was I a dufuss. Dambrot is a genius. He's not going to let any one guy become that type of focus...........he's more like Bill Bellichick with "Team" as the focus..............guys, I apologize...........now I get it.I've followed BB for probably 43 years, and I have never seen a coach get so much out of so many different guys..............KD is really sumthin.

I've got a question maybe someone else can answer for me..........Rick transfered after his 1st year at OSU right? He was there on an FB scholarship, right? He sat a year and now he's played 3 on the BB Team for us.............is he a 5th year senior? What classes does he take? I heard him interviewed last night after the game, and he sounded like a real together young man...........is he already in Grad School?

Ups to the cameraman who got clocked by Bubba's launch.............poor guy had his specks blasted...............but he sucked it up and hung in there.

Is is just me or does anyone else see Matt F try and use one arm to rebound...........C'mon Matt! You're so big and strong, go up with two! You can pick up your game if you'll just do that!

[fan37]

CAN WE ALL AGREE THAT THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO THE bb PROGRAM IS TO GET HIPSHER'S SORRY BUTT

OUT OF THE COACHING POSITION?

[Guest getback]

The way you guys talk about him makes me wonder. I'm sure he's glad to be gone. In years to come you'll all be saying the same about Keith too. Like the person said stop complaining about how Dan Hipsher was a bad coach and deal with this year. What is done is done. GET OVER IT!

[Guest Joe Mamma]

The way you guys talk about him makes me wonder. I'm sure he's glad to be gone. In years to come you'll all be saying the same about Keith too. Like the person said stop complaining about how Dan Hipsher was a bad coach and deal with this year. What is done is done. GET OVER IT! 

Sorry Coach Hipsher!!!

[zipper]

The way you guys talk about him makes me wonder. I'm sure he's glad to be gone. In years to come you'll all be saying the same about Keith too. Like the person said stop complaining about how Dan Hipsher was a bad coach and deal with this year. What is done is done. GET OVER IT!

What fact makes you think we'll say that about KD? If he left it would be for a better job, and you can bet your hindside we'd be sad to see him go. This isn't an *Akron* thing. Many times fans are happy when coaches change hands, and truly appreciate the success of the new coach.

Sorry, but the Hipsher years were the most frustrating time. Painfully frustrating. Maybe you had to personally live through those years to feel it, but I think the Hipsher comments you see here are mostly about the feeling of pure relief of today's Zips basketball program and comparing it to the very recent past season.

Anyway, if DH has any sense of self-preservation at all he doesn't read this board. This is the first year post-Hip. I'm sure next year he'll be completely out of our minds (at least I hope so. It's a bad memory, anyway).

[Z-Pouch]

Hipsher who ?

Here's some ideas for Larry Pantages, sports director/editor/whatever at the Beacon, and his Monday morning staff meeting..........

- "Hey, Darnell, why dont you drive down to the University of Akron and interview Coach Dambrot and maybe a player or two - there is a huge game, I think, coming up for the Zips on Wednesday. We may have to do alittle better then the typical game preview capsule that takes 5 minutes to write. People might want to know something about this team, plus, we're looking like idiots with this coverage. Pretty embarrassing this past Saturday when we past on doing any Zips preview/gameday article. That littel capsul we write is a joke. I hate to see them pack the place and before we have a chance to get back on the wagon. You know, we can probably still claim credit if we get on it this week. Pluto's been saving our butts maybe it's time I made a little more space for them"

- "On Tuesday, lets do a story on a player -- Do they have anyone hot over there ? Maybe a senior with an interesting story that people might want to know more about. What about that McFadden kid - I heard he was pretty impressive the other night both on the court and in the post game interview. Tried QB and football at OSU then came to Akron for BB and is coming around this year -- Sounds like an interesting story."

- "On Wednesday lets do a article on the matchup with Miami, you know there are some who say they might get into the NCAA tourney on their own, with or without winning the MAC. I was looking at the RPI's - they are #23, believe that ? You say the Zips are #49 - Are you kidding me ? Wow, both teams are rated higher then Ohio State - We should pay attention more. Boy, what a game and we can drive there ? I wonder what happens if the Zips beat Miami........"

- "Darnel, one last thing, don't let anyone tell you that you might be able to walk there from our offices. It's just a rumor, definately drive"

Dare to dream......................

[fan37]

The third post prior to this must be related to the loser-- the 2 posting followin are right to the point. Keith is the best at game management and I've been around since Laterza's day. Thaaaaaank you Mike Thomas.