Let's shake things up a bit...

[mrelegazna]

...just on Wednesday. Then back to Joyce for Can't and the MAC tournament. My reasons:1). Middleton has been a hell of a spark plug at times and I think rewarding him with a start, he just might go nuts and give us a 10-2 lead to start by himself.2). He'd particularly appreciate starting against Buffalo where his brother plays. PR and all of that.3). Send a little message to Joyce. I'm tired of him hoisting 25 footers with plenty of time on the shot clock and trying to take on the opposition by himself. Am I way off base?

[UAZips]

I like the idea, for all the same reasons you listed. The way he's been playing I'd rather have him in there.

[zipfan 81]

I like it to, but no way coach would go for that. Dru is "his man". Actually how about putting him in place of Dials?

[Dr Z]

...just on Wednesday.  Then back to Joyce for Can't and the MAC tournament.  My reasons:1).  Middleton has been a hell of a spark plug at times and I think rewarding him with a start, he just might go nuts and give us a 10-2 lead to start by himself.2). He'd particularly appreciate starting against Buffalo where his brother plays.  PR and all of that.3). Send a little message to Joyce.  I'm tired of him hoisting 25 footers with plenty of time on the shot clock and trying to take on the opposition by himself.  Am I way off base?

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

[Beanie 4 Heisman]

i like the replacing dials idea alot. i also like the dru idea. Middleton had a great game on saturday against ohio. why not reward with a start.

[ziptrumpet87]

Ced always seems to step it up a bit when he plays his brother. I'd give him the chance.

[Chrisj0384]

I agree that Joyce does try to shoot way too many 3 pointers.

[Valpo Zip]

I second that idea because Ced. is being amasing and because of his brother thing. But if you guys want to use that against Dru than hell no !You might like Dru or hate him but you can not deny that he is the Maestro of this orchestra... Just look at how the opponents always guard him on a man to man basis to realize that he is the center piece of the team. I agree that some times his 3 pointers fall and some times they don't but he is the one you can trust to keep a minimum number of TO and make sure that the ball goes to the right person in the right time.

[Hilltopper]

Leave Dru alone! He leads the team in 3pt % at 42%. I say he has the green light, if he is open or not. He is a big part of why this team has won 20 games and is contending for the MAC title.

[Z-Pouch]

I wouldn't change a thing as the old saying goes "If ain't broke, don't fix it". People are comfortable in their roles and rotations. Ced hopefully gets more time on Wednesday because he is having a good game but I keep him coming off the bench. All we have to do is play our game as we have all year and we should be playing Can't for the conference title on Saturday.Buffalo first then

[Akron1]

Easy...Easy...The Zips have won 20 games so far...Let's just say your right about these statements, that Ced is better than Dru...Dru who according to the PD today is a candidate for "Player of the Year" in the MAC...Any good/great team has a spark or two that comes off the bench and right now Ced and Preston are those guys...I hope none of you were booing LeBron on Friday, too...My point is enjoy what we have and support this team and its players.

[FearTheRoo]

I would love to see him start vs. Buffalo, but don't mess with it late in game.

[mrelegazna]

Easy...Easy...The Zips have won 20 games so far...Let's just say your right about these statements, that Ced is better than Dru...Dru who according to the PD today is a candidate for "Player of the Year" in the MAC...Any good/great team has a spark or two  that comes off the bench and right now Ced and Preston are those guys...I hope none of you were booing LeBron on Friday, too...

Who's hating on Dru? Who's even saying Ced is better? I think he has been playing better than Dru of late, and it seems like it would be a nice reward to have Ced start against his brother. Doesn't have to wreck team chemistry. So what if Dru comes in with 16:00 left in the first half instead of starting?

My point is ... support this team and its players.

Wow. If this very mild, hardly critical, purely hypothetical thread about strategy is too critical and "unsupportive," then I don't think you'll find any threads here to your liking except maybe ones that just say "GO ZIPS!"

[zipboy]

I like the rotation as is. People know their roles and when they will get minutes. Looking at minutes over the last 3 weeks, Ced is almost the same as Dials and Dru. A bigger question is do we start all the seniors against Can't or stick with the normal rotation? Or does it really matter who starts?

[ZipAnalyst]

This is tinkering. Even if the plan was adopted and even if it worked, so what?IF the Zips win the MAC tournament it will be with "who brung them to the dance." So KD needs to work with what he has to make them good enough to win the tournament. Do our cameo in the big dance - and - then begin preparing in earnest for 2006/07.Early in the season next year is the time to experiment with some new players (which, hopefully, will include a JUCO big man) and carry-over players who have gotten better in the off season.

[GoZips]

I like the idea of giving CED a well earned start. His knee might still be bothering him.Still, he could start as a third guard. The wing position has had any number of peopleas the starter over the course of the season. Nate Linhart is not going to take offense.Starting CED as a third guard in no way slights either Joyce or Dials.I agree with several others comments that CED seems to play extra well against hisolder brother.

[Dr Z]

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."

[gozips19]

great call ced's getting the start over linehart!lets get this win!

[mrelegazna]

Still, he could start as a third guard.  The wing position has had any number of peopleas the starter over the course of the season.  Nate Linhart is not going to take offense.Starting CED as a third guard in no way slights either Joyce or Dials.

GoZips nails it! Nice work!So GoZips, since you obviously have Dambrot's ear, tell him to beat Can't.

[dialsfan11]

I like it to, but no way coach would go for that. Dru is "his man". Actually how about putting him in place of Dials?

I know this sounds crazy coming from me, the biggest Nick Dials fan you'll ever meet, but you're right. With his knee he can't play the minutes a starter needs to. Anyone who has seen a game in the last month can see him fall off at the end of games. His shot isn't as crisp and he turns the ball over a lot. Secondly you can't take out Joyce. As someone else put it he is in charge of the offense. Neither Dials nor Ced can run the point as well as Joyce. Thirdly, no way can we run a three guard set. I seem to remember a "tired guards" thread a while back when we talked about how even in a two guard set our guards were getting worn out. Start Ced over Dials but give them about equal minutes and I think we're a better team.