UofAZIPS.com Blog

Romeo Travis - B+

Why: How does the MAC Player of the Year not get an A?  Maybe I’m alone, but I don’t think Travis ever reached his potential as a player and aside from a few games this season, never really took over and carried the team on his back on a consistent basis.  If only we could’ve seen more of the Travis we saw against Bowling Green - his finest game as a Zip.  Still, Romeo is one of the better players we’ve had in recent history at Akron and did come through for the Zips quite a bit down the stretch.
Dru Joyce - B+
Why: All Dru did the past four years was prove people wrong, myself included.  He became the team leader and floor general - as Keith Dambrot would often say, giving Akron a second coach on the floor.  He seemed to disappear a bit at times in Cleveland and missed a clutch free throw against Toledo, a game the Zips lost that would’ve guaranteed them a postseason birth.  It’s sad that both him and Romeo had to end their career on a controversy and banked three pointer.  They deserved better.
Jeremiah Wood - B
Why: While he struggled at times towards the middle of the season, would the Zips have even been in the position to win the MAC Title had it not been for Wood’s inspired play in Cleveland?  I think not, and I also think that a now-100% healthy Jeremiah Wood is going to do some serious damage to opponents in 2007-2008.
Nick Dials - B-
Why: Dials struggled early on in the year and really didn’t seem to feel comfortable in the offense.  He also struggled at first from beyond the arc, usually his specialty.  However, he really stepped his game up towards the end of the season and was one of the heroes against Kent State in the regular season finale.  I can’t overlook his disappearing act in the MAC Final though - Akron needed more than two points from their starting two guard.   Watch out for Dials next season, as, like Wood, he should finally be at 100%.
Nate Linhart - C

Why: He hustles, he rebounds, he plays great defense…he’s gritty and tough.  He is the ideal role player on a championship team.  Even so, Nate is limited in what he can do and often forces floaters that rarely seem to go.  With as hard as he plays, he’ll always have a place on this team and should be a solid contributor next season and beyond.
Cedrick Middleton - B
Why: You have to feel bad for Cedrick Middleton.  Aside from seniors Joyce and Travis, I doubt anyone wanted it more last Saturday than Cedrick.  Let’s hope the big free throw miss doesn’t hurt his confidence going into next year.  He definitely needs to improve his work at the line, and needs to be far more aggressive in driving to the lane.  How many MAC opponents can defend him when he penetrates?  Not many.  His defense is excellent, his energy on the floor is wonderful.  I’ve always felt that by his senior year, Middleton could be the Zips’ best player.  If he improves in the offseason, he very well could be in for a breakout 2007-2008 season.
Quade Milum - C-
Why: There was a time around mid-season where Quade started over Romeo Travis.  And it was justified.  However, he disappeared down the stretch when Akron really could’ve used depth down low.  is high-flying alley-oops are great and can really get the crowd into the game, but he needs to develop more all-around.  He doesn’t rebound enough for someone of his height and leaping ability, partly because he misses opportunities by leaving his man and attempting to block shots.  Quade will have an opportunity to possibly start next year, but will have to improve his game a great deal to hold onto the job, especially with Steve Swiech and Mike Bardo on the way.
Chris McKnight - D+
Why: I hate to give McKnight such a low grade, because I really like him as a player.  I also don’t think he got enough consistent playing time to really contribute like he has the potential to.  I think he will be very solid and get on the floor much more next year with Travis’ graduation.
John Rybak - D-
Why: Rybak played some solid defense in the MAC Tournament but has been quite a disappointment so far.  He just doesn’t look comfortable out there and is often times a liability on offense.  I’ve heard he’s a much better player in practice.  I’m still waiting to see him show up when it matters.
Jimmy Conyers - D
Why: Played solid defense at times, especially at Kent.  Still, he has been a major disappointment so far.  He isn’t aggressive on offense, seems afraid to shoot at times, and generally seems uncomfortable on the floor.  He has loads of potential - let’s hope it starts showing next season.
Nick Goddard - Incomplete
Why: He does what he is supposed to do when he’s put into the game - nail three pointers.  I’m not among the crowd that wants him to play extended minutes, but I do wonder why he doesn’t see the floor more often.  After all, he was good enough to play in crunch time against Nevada, but not against MAC teams?  I don’t think 5-8 minutes a game would hurt.
Tim Carroll, Zach Sowers, Jeremy Sallee - Incomplete
Why: Not much to base a grade on.
Keith Dambrot - B+
Why: 26 wins, a MAC East Title, 6.6 seconds away from a trip to the NCAA Tournament…but they didn’t win many of the games - Nevada, @ Toledo, @ Miami, the MAC Final - that would’ve gotten them over the hump.  I’d like to see more players get minutes, instead of just seven main guys, to create more depth if injuries take place.  And his team has to shoot better at the line.  But even so, Dambrot has taken this program to new heights in just three years, and should have them in the NCAA’s in no time.
AK-Rowdies - B

Why: There were a lot of problems early on - the t-shirts, sign-up issues, communication issues - all problems eventually resolved.  And we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, with this being year one.  The best thing they had going for them was at midseason really opening up to comments, suggestions, etc.  It is important for any successful group to be able to take constructive criticism, and they showed they were willing to do that.  A few suggestions for next year - lose the t-shirt requirement, unless you have extra ones at every game.  Work on new ways to communicate to students and get them involved.  And although I know I’ll get ripped alive by some Rowdies for saying this, please…lose the “You Can’t Do That” chant.  With as much creativity as the members of this group have, I’d expect much more from a “go-to” chant.  The energy and enthusiasm were always there though, which is something you can’t teach.  The group should be a great one in no time.

The University of Akron released the schedule today.

• Sept. 1 - vs. Army (Cleveland Browns Stadium)
• Sept. 8 - @ Ohio State
• Sept. 15 - @ Indiana
• Sept. 22 - vs. Kent State
• Sept. 29 - @ Connecticut
• Oct. 6 - @ Western Michigan
• Oct. 13 - vs. Temple
• Oct. 20 - Bye
• Oct. 27 - @ Buffalo
• Nov. 2 - @ Bowling Green
• Nov. 7 - vs. Ohio
• Nov. 14 - @ Miami (Ohio)
• Nov. 23 - vs. Central Michigan
• Dec. 1 - MAC Title Game

Mike Rasor’s early prediction is a seven win season.  The folks over at Zipsnation are already discussing the upcoming season.

My thoughts:

- I actually like the opening game being at CBS.   It’s a winnable game, especially if Akron fans make the trip.  And it’s a unique venue, which may attract more Zips fans.  You might also get the average fan coming out as well.

- I like the Kent State game being earlier in the schedule.  The November match-ups were OK, but drove away a lot of the attendance that would’ve come with nicer weather (especially two years ago).

- As Rasor pointed out, the midseason bye week is wonderful.  Especially considering it falls right before the stretch run of MAC play.

- The year-end match-up against Central Michigan could be HUGE, especially considering it’s a home game this year.  The road loss in Michigan last year was what killed the Zips last year.

- Glad to see the first game won’t be against Ohio State.  With a new QB starting the year, that would’ve been a rough game for whoever wins the job to get their feet wet.  I still don’t see the Zips upsetting the Buckeyes, but I think it would’ve been much, much worse had they started the year with them.

- My early prediction: Seven wins - with the losses coming against Ohio State, Indiana, Miami, Western Michigan, and Ohio.

The MAC has a perception problem.

On Saturday, March 10^th the Miami Redhawks banked a prayer 3-point shot to upset the Akron Zips and steal away the MAC Championship. As if that wasn’t bad enough, there was a timing controversy that added to speculation as to whether the Miami win was legitimate. Whether you believe it or not, the official word after analyzing the game tape was that the shot indeed did count regardless of the timing issue. This was a tough pill for Akron fans to swallow. There were only 6.6 seconds on the clock with the Zips missed a free-throw that gave Miami the chance to win.

So was it only the Akron Zips exciting basketball season that was gone in 6.6 seconds the night of the MAC Championship game? Was it their 26-7 record? Was it only the team that had the MAC Player of the Year that was finished? Was it the team with an RPI of 67 and the only team in the top 10 of the Mid-Major Top 25 to not get a post-season bid? Or was it the MAC East champions that were gone?

Many rival fans to the University of Akron took full advantage to kick the Zips while they were down. What they don’t realize is the implications of what that 6.6 seconds means to their team, their program, their conference. What happened to Akron happened to Kent, and Miami, and Toledo, and Ohio. It happened to Bowling Green, Buffalo, Ball State and Northern Illinois. It happen to all three teams from Michigan. The NCAA tournament has more skeletons in its closet then many of us were aware before Saturday, but that is not where MAC fans should be concerned.

What happened to Akron will continue to happen to teams in the Mid-American Conference because the leadership of the conference isn’t getting the job done. Or at least that is the perception they have provided.

If the MAC doesn’t make some drastic changes very quickly, this will kill the small chance any MAC team has of getting to the NCAA tournament in the future, to recruit strong classes, and even have a chance to fill their arenas and stadiums with loyal fans.

The Mid-American Conference has historically done a very poor job promoting and representing its high mid-major teams to a national audience. They’re involvement is quiet and behind the scenes. At a time when a strong leadership example is needed from MAC Commissioner Rick Chryst, the office is silent. In fact, with such a controversial end to the conference championship, and an absolute insulting snub to a deserving team, you would think that an official press release would be available immediately the day after explaining what transpired and how decisions were made. Instead, Akron fans were treated to an irate, insulting email from Associate Commissioner Rick Boyages.

In a response to a very emotional and equally heated email message to Boyages from an Akron fan, the Associate Commissioner’s email was laced with personal insults that range from calling the fan ignorant to correcting a spelling error in his message. Now, most level-headed observers would probably agree that the fan’s email was a bit out of line and quite emotional, but isn’t that to be expected? What also should be expected is that any response from a conference associate commissioner would be in more of a professional manner and only address the concerns expressed by the fan. In fact, you could also argue that the MAC could have avoided many of these messages had they provided a simple, official explanation in the form of a press release on their web site. In Boyage’s defense, he did apologize soon after sending the email for the personal attacks. If all of that energy were funneled into an official explanation, rather than a few medio sound bites, it might have helped to quell the anger of Zips fans.

But this is bigger than a lucky three-point shot and a controversial 6.6 seconds. This is about the viability of a Mid-Major conference to gain respect. It’s about an “old boy’s club” that selects teams based on smoke-filled room tactics. It’s about retired men so far from the game they’ve lost touch with its pureness, corrupted by corporate sponsorships and television deals. It’s about a process that created a ratings system to help even the playing field and then threw it out the window when it mattered most.

So what can the MAC do? The answer is simple: go public. Get out the word that you are displeased with lack of respect absent of explanation. Hold a press conferences, offer face time to TV and radio networks. Make this more of the news story it is and less of the sports story they want it to be. News sells. Controversy sells. Networks would carry the coverage and open their microphones and cameras to a league commissioner who is willing to say, “This stinks and we’re tired of it”.

Bring attention to yourself and your frustration. If you bellow it, they will come! The media will cover it, people will watch it like they rubber-neck a fender bender. Other mid-major conferences would fall in line making the MAC their leader. Momentum would build and respect would slowly begin to return. Negotiating power would forge itself from the nothing it is currently.

Mid-Majors could begin to negotiate more equitable schedules with larger conferences if they pooled their resources. Think of how it could be if their were not enough small teams available to pad the schedule of a Big 10, SEC or ACC. Recruits would consider going to a conference that is willing to fight for what it believes rather than hide behind a desk and leave its members wondering.

Gone in 6.6 seconds was the innocence of a sport that many flocked to in escape of the corporate, media and personal greed of its big brother, the NBA. Gone are the days when we thought a MAC team had a chance. Gone are the days when people believed in and cheered for the David’s versus the Goliaths.

If you are a true MAC fan, you became an honorary Zips fan Sunday. If not, you better hope your team can pull a lucky banked three-pointer out of their back pocket next year.

–Jason Roberts

I echo Steve’s comments, and I would like to add mine.  If you have a seriously reasonable suggestion or even questions, definitely email them to the MAC, but consider sending them to the media outlets as well.  I know we at UofAZIPS.com are considering articles and interviews with key personnel we would like to get honest answers from.  There is no guarantee that we will get access, but if we do, we will get the questions YOU want answered. So if you send an email to the University or to the MAC, please consider copying us as well. Send your emails to contact@uofazips.com.

–Jason Roberts

- Mike Rasor talked about a discussion he had with Keith Dambrot today. I’m not saying KD will leave Akron, but he never talked quite like this before.

- Terry Pluto made a strong case for Akron to be in the NIT. If anyone argues to you that they shouldn’t be in, simply forward them this article.

- MAC Associate Commissioner Rick Boyages really embarrassed himself with an e-mail response sent to an angry Zips fan. While I definitely feel like the Zips fan’s email could’ve been far more professional, I also expect more out of the Division 1 Associate Commissioner. You would think a man in his position would have more professionalism than to get into a war of words with a fan from a conference school.

In closing, I’ll say this. I’ve heard of many protests, walkouts, etc. being talked about. While people can do what they want, I wonder aloud - will it really do anything? Yes, we may have gotten screwed with the clock. And yes, there’s no explanation for us not being in the NIT. It’s out and out ridiculous. But personally, I think it will just make us look like sore losers. What, are they going to change the brackets? Protests will do nothing folks, sad to say. As I’ve always believed, you can’t dwell on and worry about what you cannot change.

Instead, I suggest spending your time writing e-mails or messages on Facebook/MySpace to our players and coaches, especially Romeo Travis, who I’ve been told has a grandmother in critical condition. Your kind words and support can help these players get through what will be a tough offseason, and more importantly can help Romeo in his time in need. Which will mean much more to these guys in the end than burning a few brackets will.

The NIT pairings have been released and Akron is nowhere to be found. Wow…just wow.  We’ll do a season wrap-up soon.

Not that anyone should have expected anything different, but all speculation on whether or not the Zips would get an at-large bid is officially over.  Miami (OH) has been slotted as a #14 seed and must take on #3 Oregon.  Unless Wally Szczerbiak somehow sneaks his way onto the court for Miami, they’ll be lucky to stay within 15 points of the Ducks.  What a shame.

More later when the NIT Brackets are announced.

In the past hour, I’ve run tonight’s events through my head about 1,000 times. What if Cedrick had just made one shot? What if one of those three pointers dropped? What if Akron would’ve fouled at the end of the game? What if the clock had started at the right time?

It hurts. Akron had the game locked up but let Miami come back…Akron still could’ve locked it up, but missed the biggest free throw of the year…and then again could’ve locked it up with a defensive stop.

But what happened happened and we can’t change that. The Zips had the game, blew the game, and were unlucky enough to see a shot that - 9 times out of ten, bricks - somehow bank in. And we can’t blame the referees…while I wish the situation would’ve been handled much differently and do believe there was a big time problem with the clock, the bottom line is this: Akron had the game and lost the game. Period.

I’ve always held the belief that you can’t worry about what you can’t control. Akron lost the game, will most likely miss the NCAA Tournament, and this loss will linger for a long, long time. But I’ll ask the following of Zips fans.

1) Don’t take anything away from Miami. They played a tough game and yes, got a lucky shot at the end…but hey, they won the game. Win with class, lose with class.

2) Don’t lash out at the players or Keith Dambrot. They played hard and came up short. Think about how you feel right now and multiply it times one hundred…that’s how they feel. We claim to be the best fans in the Mid-American Conference. If true, we’ll support this team at their lowest points just like we do their highest points. Otherwise, we’re no better than bandwagon fans from other schools.

3) Be proud to be an Akron Zip. It sucks right now…I didn’t say a word until about twenty minutes after the game ended, that’s how bad it hurt. But I’ll always remember that this was a 26 win team, that they beat Kent State three times, that they grew up a lot this year, and that - even though the ending was horrific - they had a helluva year. Be proud of that…because students and fans of Bowling Green, Ball State, Eastern Michigan, etc. would die to just have their teams make it to the finals.

I’ll leave you with this thought. “Quo Vadimus” - as this entry is titled, is Latin for “Where are we going?”

So where are we going?

We have a great program that is still on the rise with an excellent coach in charge of things in Keith Dambrot. We have what looks to be a top recruiting class coming in with most of our main rotation coming back. And next year, when we take that next step and finally do make it to the NCAA Tournament, we’ll look back and remember this and see it as the stepping stone it’ll turn out to be.

Quo Vadimus?

Still on the way to the top…

Go Zips…forever and always.

It all comes down to this…the Zips vs. the Redhawks for a guaranteed ticket to The Dance.  They met twice this season already, with Akron winning 54-52 at the JAR and Miami protecting their home court with a 64-62 overtime win just weeks ago.  Let’s look at the teams’ combined numbers in the two games:

Shooting Percentage: AKR 39% (42 of 113), MIA 48% (43 of 89)

Free Throw Percentage: AKR 71% (24 of 34), MIA 62% (21 of 34)

Three Point Percentage: AKR 22% (8 of 36), MIA 43% (9 of 21)

Rebounds: AKR 59, 54 

Turnovers: AKR 17, MIA 25

As you can tell, the Zips have struggled shooting the basketball against Miami.   Cedrick Middleton, Dru Joyce, and Nick Dials have especially struggled in the past two matchups with Miami, shooting a combined 17 of 60 (28%).  On the flip side, both Romeo Travis and Jeremiah Wood have played well in both contests.

For Miami, the player to watch is 6′6″ junior Tim Pollitz.  He averaged 16 PPG and 6 RPG this season and has been on fire in the MAC Tournament, averaging about 24 points and 9 rebounds a game.  Even more impressive has been his shooting percentage in these two contests, nailing 22 of his 26 shots taken (85%).  You now obviously know who the Zips defense needs to key on the most.  Nathan Peavy and Michael Bramos are Miami’s two other main contributors.

The “Big Three Keys” to tonight’s game:

1) Guard Play: In my mind, it’s a given that Jeremiah Wood and Romeo Travis will have at least solid games tonight.  That means the guards need to step for for a complete Zips performance.  You saw the previous stat with how poorly Joyce, Dials, and Middleton have played against Miami this season.  If they can find better shots and connect more often, Miami may not have an answer.

2) Free Throws: Ah free throws.  The part of the game no Zips fan wants to talk about.  Bottom line is this: both teams won by just a basket in each of their two meetings this season.  That means there’s a good chance we could have a close game tonight.  And that means that free throw shooting could - as always - make or break either team.

3) “The 6th Man”: The Akron fans - being only a short drive away - need to show up in full force tonight.  Do yourself a favor - if you haven’t already, get a ticket to tonight’s game and come watch your school have a chance to make history. Tickets aren’t that expensive, especially considering you can buy two five packs of Kraft MAC and Cheese, bring it to the game to donate to charity, and get a free ticket (probably cost $6-7). This team has fought hard all season long and really showed their true colors last night against Kent, coming back from 14 down at Halftime to get the win. I know a lot of you missed the MAC Title game in football two years ago, which was easily one of my favorite in-person sports moments of my life.  Gametime is at 7 PM…it doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to a game this year or if you have no idea what a three seconds call is…get out to Quicken Loans Arena, support your team, and get a real good chance to see history.

Time for my game prediction.  It’s worth noting that in my bracket posting above my desk I made predictions for the entire MAC Tournament and haven’t missed on a pick yet.  Maybe I’m like Miss Cleo…maybe it’s dumb luck…but I haven’t been wrong so far.  Let’s hope I’m not again.  Akron has come too far and has fought too hard to lose now.

Prediction: Akron 61, Miami 54 

Down 14 at Halftime, even the most positive Zip fan couldn’t help but think it.  It’s happening again.  The Zips had just played their worst half of the season.  They shot poorly, had no flow to the offensive, made silly mistakes, looked weak on the boards - you name any part of the game, and the Zips were probably doing badly in that area.  Kent fans all around were celebrating their advancement to the Finals.  Chokers! You can’t beat us when it matters!  They really started letting Zips fans hear it.  And we sat there silently, in shell-shock over what happened.  It started with disappointment…turned to frustration…ended in anger.  And then it happened.

Like something out of a movie, Zips fans started standing up one by one.  A few of the Rowdies leaders noticed it and took advantage, yelling and screaming and getting everyone fired up again.  Little did we know at the time, Romeo Travis - having booted the coaches from the locker room - was doing the same thing.  We had come too far to let this happen.  We were too good to let this happen.  Kent State was in for a fight.

Akron came out on fire, looking like a totally different team.  They allowed only 7 points in the first 10 minutes of the second half and rode Jeremiah Wood on the back in taking a lead and then keeping it.  In one of the most memorable comeback wins I’ve seen in my time in Akron, the Zips fought back, played smart, hit key shots, made big stops, and did what they needed to do to advance.  Many teams would’ve rolled over at Halftime.  Heck, many past Zips squads would have.  But not this team.  Not this year.

Some random thoughts from the game:

- Nate Linhart wasn’t able to perform last night after all.  This meant extended minutes for John Rybak, who at least played decent defense.  We didn’t see much from Conyers.  Hopefully one (or both) of them can step up Saturday night.

- How good is Cedrick Middleton?  Defensively, he may be the best on-the-ball defender I’ve seen this year in the MAC.  And when he gets space to penetrate it’s game over for whoever is guarding him.  What an exciting player.

- Jeremiah Wood has really turned it up this season…Quaintance had absolutely no answer for him.  I am never one to look forward to the next year before the current one is over (especially this one), but can imagine the combo of Wood and Swiech next year?   (By the way, what’s up with the language selection on Swiech’s website? Haha)

- Glad to hear the story about Romeo stepping up at Halftime.  He and Dru provide much more than just production on the court.

- Will Kent State ever come up with their own slogan?  I see their “Screw the Roo”, “Roo Who?”, and “Fear the Flushes” and wonder if they’re really that uncreative.

Great win for the Zips…game preview for Miami coming in a few hours.