Dambrot interviewed by CollegeHoopsNet

[ZachTheZip]

as a part of Jon Teitel's "Coaching Greats" Series.

[Roo]

as a part of Jon Teitel's "Coaching Greats" Series.

Good read. Hit on some good points about his coaching career.

[Dave in Green]

The more I learn about KD, the more I like him as both a coach and a person. It's extremely fortunate for both KD and UA that they "found each other."

[Z.I.P.]

as a part of Jon Teitel's "Coaching Greats" Series.

That's gotta be the best prepared interviewer in history! Some history I wasn't aware of -- for example Bob Rupert being KD's high school coach (did he play bb in HS?) at Firestone. I vaguely remember Rupert coaching in the area before getting the Baldwin Wallace job prior to being the worst coaching decision I can recall UA making. It's fascinating that without that coincidence, he may have never entered coaching.Can anyone remember Keith's baseball history? I thought he was a catcher, but the story says he played 3rd. I may have seen 3 or 4 games during our undergrad years together, but have no memory of him. I do remember that I went to the games to see the best pitcher in the OVC, Mike Birkbeck.

[johnnyzip84]

as a part of Jon Teitel's "Coaching Greats" Series.

That's gotta be the best prepared interviewer in history! Some history I wasn't aware of -- for example Bob Rupert being KD's high school coach (did he play bb in HS?) at Firestone. I vaguely remember Rupert coaching in the area before getting the Baldwin Wallace job prior to being the worst coaching decision I can recall UA making. It's fascinating that without that coincidence, he may have never entered coaching.Can anyone remember Keith's baseball history? I thought he was a catcher, but the story says he played 3rd. I may have seen 3 or 4 games during our undergrad years together, but have no memory of him. I do remember that I went to the games to see the best pitcher in the OVC, Mike Birkbeck.

I tried to do a little research for you, Island Man . But THIS is the 1st thing I managed to find! It's from well before my time at ZipsNation. Looks like this conversation has been had before? There's some pretty funny stuff in that old thread.I knew Rupert was at Canton McKinley prior to UA. But I couldn't remember if he came directly from there ????

[GoZips]

as a part of Jon Teitel's "Coaching Greats" Series.

That's gotta be the best prepared interviewer in history! Some history I wasn't aware of -- for example Bob Rupert being KD's high school coach (did he play bb in HS?) at Firestone. I vaguely remember Rupert coaching in the area before getting the Baldwin Wallace job prior to being the worst coaching decision I can recall UA making. It's fascinating that without that coincidence, he may have never entered coaching.Can anyone remember Keith's baseball history? I thought he was a catcher, but the story says he played 3rd. I may have seen 3 or 4 games during our undergrad years together, but have no memory of him. I do remember that I went to the games to see the best pitcher in the OVC, Mike Birkbeck.

I tried to do a little research for you, Island Man . But THIS is the 1st thing I managed to find! It's from well before my time at ZipsNation. Looks like this conversation has been had before? There's some pretty funny stuff in that old thread.I knew Rupert was at Canton McKinley prior to UA. But I couldn't remember if he came directly from there ????

Personally I do not remember much about coach Rupert other than he managed to get a mediocre team put on probation for a grades scandal. Just kick Rupert to curb and move along.I see one huge, glaring hole in coach Dambrot's pre-evaluation of how he would run his teamAnd that is, where in the hell is the ninety-four foot defense he spoke of? In recent seasons KD has gradually extended the defense to almost, but not quite, foul line extended.Kevin Mackay ran a ninety-four defense that drove Cleveland State opponents nuts. CSU frequentlybeat and some times even destroyed teams they had no business whipping. The old "run 'n stun"worked well because coach Mackay recruited athletes over basketball players. I am hopeful that KD finally has the athletes to run down the opposition. And the depth to have adeep rotation. 2011-12 is going to be a fun season.p.s. That GoZips was me. I interviewed coach Dambrot right after the luncheon. I barely knewKD at the time. Like some one mentioned, KD is a natural born interview giver.

[Zip Watcher]

My guess is that we won't see the 94' defense. I think the approach has been moderated a bit.Full court trapping press .. etc, generates some easy buckets. But it also gives up a LOT of easy buckets. I would argue anecdotally that the teams that are really good in the 94' full trap .. etc, aren't very good in the half court.In the system the Zips currently have, especially as they get leaner and quicker, they can be exceptional in the half court, and pretty good in the full court. I think what we'll see is the ability to press 3/4 to full in spots, when needed .. but that KD won't do it exclusively.Now, having a top notch shot blocker and some athletic 4 men means that we can pressure the ball at the perimeter more, and maybe take more chances, so I do expect to see that.What I think we'll see in the Zips will be an effort to run the ball with any and every opening given .. and some aggressive D in the half court, with 3/4 to Full press in spots. I don't think we'll go Mackey, Huggins @ UC or early Jim Calhoun. If the Zips can become top 30 in overall defense with good to great half court decisions .. they don't need to be giving up layups in a full court trap.As it was last season, the Zips averaged 2 more attempts per game than the opponent. And it wasn't KD's best defensive team. If they can leverage the increased athleticism to pry 3 or 4 more TO's away per game, that gap can be doubled, or even more. I'd say use the depth, energy and athleticism to become an elite half court defense, and get good at outlet passes and running the ball down teams throats on the fast break.It's going to be good .. and up tempo, especially with the ball. I'm really looking forward to it.My $0.02Go Zips B) B)

[Hilltopper]

I knew Rupert was at Canton McKinley prior to UA. But I couldn't remember if he came directly from there ????

The Saudi National team.

[GP1]

Full court trapping press .. etc, generates some easy buckets. But it also gives up a LOT of easy buckets. What I think we'll see in the Zips will be an effort to run the ball with any and every opening given .. and some aggressive D in the half court, with 3/4 to Full press in spots.

Good point. I've noticed watching college basketball that the full court pressing has given way to good man to man defense with well placed spacing of defenders not on the ball. I can't even remember the last time I saw a team play a full court press even when they are behind late in a game. This generates a lot of turnovers. If the Zips can develop a good open court thief, a lot of points can be scored. Q needs to be that guy as that guy is normally tall with abnormally long arms and very athletic.

[Dr Z]

It's going to be good .. and up tempo, especially with the ball.

I would really appreciate that. My personal attendance numbers will double this year if true.

[Zip Watcher]

... Q needs to be that guy as that guy is normally tall with abnormally long arms and very athletic.

Ibitayo may well surprise people with his 6'9" wingspan on his 6'3" frame.

[Quickzips]

... Q needs to be that guy as that guy is normally tall with abnormally long arms and very athletic.

Ibitayo may well surprise people with his 6'9" wingspan on his 6'3" frame.

Although he doesn't fit the mold of taller, longer and more athletic, don't forget about Alex Abreu. He has shown the ability to be a pest of an on ball defender at times who can force opposing PG's into some bad decisions.I'm very curious to see what happens with Deji and Blake. This team is going to be stacked this year, and I really don't know where KD is going to find minutes for two true freshmen, but it will be very interesting to see what happens if one or both of them come in to camp and just light it up. Right now, I would expect to see those two redshirt, but who knows.

[Zip Watcher]

... Q needs to be that guy as that guy is normally tall with abnormally long arms and very athletic.

Ibitayo may well surprise people with his 6'9" wingspan on his 6'3" frame.

Although he doesn't fit the mold of taller, longer and more athletic, don't forget about Alex Abreu. He has shown the ability to be a pest of an on ball defender at times who can force opposing PG's into some bad decisions.I'm very curious to see what happens with Deji and Blake. This team is going to be stacked this year, and I really don't know where KD is going to find minutes for two true freshmen, but it will be very interesting to see what happens if one or both of them come in to camp and just light it up. Right now, I would expect to see those two redshirt, but who knows.

My sources tell me that it will be extremely difficult to sit Deji.

[Captain Kangaroo]

My sources tell me that it will be extremely difficult to sit Deji.

KD is a defensive guy, so I guess if the guy can D-up, he'll get some minutes. If he does get minutes, I hope it's more than what Egner received last season. That was, for the most part, a waste. Not KD's fault...it was a direct result of B McKnight's uncertain eligibility status...but, to paraphrase Iron Maiden, a wasted year none-the-less.

[Zip Watcher]

The other thing at work here is that there's not a log-jam in the back court. The Zips graduated 2 big minutes guys in McNees and Roberts. While we might expect to see Nitro more at the 2 than the 3 this year, and we expect that Walsh will step in and contribute .. there still needs to be another guy if Nitro slides to the 3. In that case Walsh can't fill both Robert's and McNees' shoes.I for one was surprised at the build on Deji .. given the old YouTube videos, I sort of figured we be seeing a guy who was 6-3 and 165 soaking wet or something, especially with his hops. Not so. B) Go Zips!

[yazan07]

Seems like there aren't enough minutes to go around for the freshmen. We have last year's five big contributors (Zeke, Nik, Nitro, Q, AA) returning plus two transfers who had to sit out a year (Walsh, Gilliam) plus two non-qualifiers who couldn't play with the program but are already a year into school (Tree, Harney) plus Egner, oh and Michael Green will probably want to play too (I don't know if I really see him fitting in with this team, but I don't know enough about him to be certain). So that is already 10-11 guys, and I can't even see all of them getting significant minutes. We have either seen or heard that the aforementioned players really good, coupled with the fact that some of them were brought into this program and have been waiting a year to actually play a game, I'm just not sure where the freshmen would fit.

[Zip Watcher]

Green is a pick & pop big. Good shooter, more quickness than Euton .. probably more strength.For about the 5th consecutive season, the Zips will enter the fall with the deepest roster *on paper* that they've ever had. The challenges of mixing the lineups up and finding the right mixes will be there for the staff again. There's no data to suggest they're not up for the challenge.I think perhaps ALL 13 of these guys are going to have to get their minutes the old fashioned way:and EARN them!Too much talent isn't a problem .. it's the makings of a team with a high ceiling. B) Go Zips!

[GP1]

Although he doesn't fit the mold of taller, longer and more athletic, don't forget about Alex Abreu. He has shown the ability to be a pest of an on ball defender at times who can force opposing PG's into some bad decisions.

Good thought process here.The taller, longer and more athletic guy can't get his steals without a guy like AA. "A Bad Decision" is Chapter 2 in the turnover story. "Applying Pressure" is Chapter 1. When there is no pressure, decisions are easy. Apply some pressure and they are much more difficult....I don't care what sport it is.

[Dave in Green]

It would be disappointing if both Walsh and Gilliam don't have an immediate impact. They may be new to the Zips, but they're both older guys with college experience who should be ready to play from game 1.Based on experience alone, Rico and Walsh are the obvious candidates to split time at the 1.Nitro, Q and Gilliam are the most experienced at the 2/3 positions.I'd expect at least one other player to get significant time at the 2/3, and that player would most likely come from the group including Green, Harney and Ibitayo. At least 1 and possibly 2 of those 3 players would not likely get much PT.It's also possible that some of the 2/3 guys might be up to playing a little at the point, as Q showed he could last season, and Walsh could probably swing from the 1 to the 2.At the 4/5 positions, Zeke and the Serb are the obvious veterans. Egner and Tree would be the most obvious backups, although it's possible that Harney might be up to playing the 4.Looking at it this way, it appears that the biggest potential logjam is at the 2/3 positions, with 6 players in the mix, or 7 if you count Walsh.I'm thinking that Ibitayo would have to be awfully good to break through that group as a true freshman. I think Justice is an almost certain redshirt, and Ibitayo a likely redshirt. But I sure won't be disappointed if Ibitayo is so good that KD can't afford to redshirt him.As always, we won't know who can really deliver under game conditions until the season gets underway.I can't wait!

[Captain Kangaroo]

Although he doesn't fit the mold of taller, longer and more athletic, don't forget about Alex Abreu. He has shown the ability to be a pest of an on ball defender at times who can force opposing PG's into some bad decisions.

Good thought process here.The taller, longer and more athletic guy can't get his steals without a guy like AA. "A Bad Decision" is Chapter 2 in the turnover story. "Applying Pressure" is Chapter 1. When there is no pressure, decisions are easy. Apply some pressure and they are much more difficult....I don't care what sport it is.

I'd take bring the ball up the court against a pesky little guy over a long-armed, athletic guy any day of the week. As a guard, passing the ball against a guy with a 6' 9" wingspan sucks.

[GP1]

Although he doesn't fit the mold of taller, longer and more athletic, don't forget about Alex Abreu. He has shown the ability to be a pest of an on ball defender at times who can force opposing PG's into some bad decisions.

Good thought process here.The taller, longer and more athletic guy can't get his steals without a guy like AA. "A Bad Decision" is Chapter 2 in the turnover story. "Applying Pressure" is Chapter 1. When there is no pressure, decisions are easy. Apply some pressure and they are much more difficult....I don't care what sport it is.

I'd take bring the ball up the court against a pesky little guy over a long-armed, athletic guy any day of the week. As a guard, passing the ball against a guy with a 6' 9" wingspan sucks.

I see your point, but it is the MAC and guards are dying to make a bad decision each time they touch the ball. MAC games are more often than not lost and not won. Good pressure, maybe not great pressure, can be enough to throw them off. If the Zips are going to turn up the heat and score more points, there is nothing more fun to watch than a tall guy getting a steal and an exciting dunk at the other end. Michael Jordan was great at this and Bulls fans had a ton of fun watching him play.Either way is fine with me. I like the idea of KD turning up the heat and the possibility of making the games more exciting. This style of play will bring more people to the games if the Zips continue to win. Everyday fans want to see scoring and dunks. Too many MAC games involve a guard dribbling down...picking up his dribble...fake right...fake left...throw the ball out of bounds or a deflection out of bounds . I said last year the Zips have become "interesting" in thread I started asking for a one word description of the season. This style of basketball will make them even more interesting.

[zipinnc]

It would be disappointing if both Walsh and Gilliam don't have an immediate impact. They may be new to the Zips, but they're both older guys with college experience who should be ready to play from game 1.Based on experience alone, Rico and Walsh are the obvious candidates to split time at the 1.Nitro, Q and Gilliam are the most experienced at the 2/3 positions.I'd expect at least one other player to get significant time at the 2/3, and that player would most likely come from the group including Green, Harney and Ibitayo. At least 1 and possibly 2 of those 3 players would not likely get much PT.It's also possible that some of the 2/3 guys might be up to playing a little at the point, as Q showed he could last season, and Walsh could probably swing from the 1 to the 2.At the 4/5 positions, Zeke and the Serb are the obvious veterans. Egner and Tree would be the most obvious backups, although it's possible that Harney might be up to playing the 4.Looking at it this way, it appears that the biggest potential logjam is at the 2/3 positions, with 6 players in the mix, or 7 if you count Walsh.I'm thinking that Ibitayo would have to be awfully good to break through that group as a true freshman. I think Justice is an almost certain redshirt, and Ibitayo a likely redshirt. But I sure won't be disappointed if Ibitayo is so good that KD can't afford to redshirt him.As always, we won't know who can really deliver under game conditions until the season gets underway.I can't wait!

Really nice breakdown. I love the flexibility of this lineup and see the endless possibilities against any team. We have to be a favorite in the MAC and the lineup is the kind that gives us a realistic chance beyond that. This is a team that COULD have given ND FITS!!!!

[ZachTheZip]

Flexibility is great. The roster has something of everything, and we can mix and match our lineup to fit the opponent. Not everyone will play every game, but their unique skill sets should mean that they get in when the situation warrants. The best players give us an advantage no matter who we are up against, but having a diversified bunch of solid role players complimenting your stars is a recipe for success.When Zeke was out of the game, our double-PF set frustrated and blew through the competition down low. Will we find a player who can take over Brett McKnight's role as a compliment to Nik in that set?

[ZachTheZip]

Blake Justice is injured. It's minor (ankle), but it might be cause enough to redshirt him if his development falls behind even a little on such a deep roster.I was looking forward to seeimg him play, though. He's a scorer, more than anyone else on the team he knows how to put the ball through the hoop. We haven't seen a scorer like him in a long time. Maybe dating back to Jacubick.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Blake Justice is injured. It's minor (ankle), but it might be cause enough to redshirt him if his development falls behind even a little on such a deep roster.

Oh...no....a Zach Injury Report...Thankfully, no player mentioned in a ZIR has ever actually been injured. 18 year old's with minor rolled ankles in July have a good track record of being good-to-go by mid-October.