Zips sports news, features and notes
- Seven KSU baseball players earn All-MAC honors
- Marla Ridenour: From walk-on to champion: UA’s Alex McCune finds his niche
- KSU’s Jennifer Ha struggles to 79 in first round of NCAA Women’s Golf Championships
- Zips notebook: Quincy Diggs back in school; football player arrested
- College baseball/Kent State 4, Akron 1: Flashes top Zips, get help from Bowling Green to win MAC title, earn top seed in tournament
- On the Record — May 18
- College baseball/Kent State 4, Akron 3: Flashes muster enough energy to top Zips, stay alive for top seed in MAC Tournament
- Kent State golf in fifth after two rounds of NCAA Regional
- Kent State-Akron in-game updates: Kent State wins 4-3
- Kent State 5, Akron 4 in 17 innings: Diamond Classic turns into real gem
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Midseason report on MAC statistics
Men's basketball
Now that every MAC team has played every other MAC team once (and only once), the statistics will never be a more accurate reflection of where each team and player stands in the league.
These stats are only for games during conference play.
Individual surprise -- Xavier Silas, 19.4 ppg. He clinched MAC Newcomer of the Year. We had been hearing about this transfer from Colorado coming to the Huskies for quite some time. Silas has not disappointed. If the Huskies start playing defense more physically on the perimeter, the team has potential to make the MAC semifinals.
Individual underachiever -- Brandon Bowdry, 12.8 ppg, 8.7 rpg. Is he good? Yes. But his numbers dropped off significantly after he started MAC play. Eastern Michigan should be leading the MAC West; rather the Eagles are toiling at the bottom.
Team surprise -- Kent State. Here is the stat to end all stat: The Flashes have an average scoring margin of +13 points per game. Think about what that means. Their average game is a 13-point win. Wow. KSU takes care of the ball, rebounds well and hits 3s. I suppose that's the formula for dominating the conference.
Team underachiever -- Buffalo. At 6-5, the Bulls have to be considered a huge disappointment. They returned all of their main cogs, including two strong senior guards. The problem might be that Reggie Witherspoon's defense has lost its scrappiness. The Bulls give up 75.5 points per game -- second highest in the MAC. Their field goal defense is a league-worst 48.6 percent.
Interesting Akron stats...
-- The Zips' free-throw percentage has climbed to 72.2 percent -- second-highest in the conference. Give Keith Dambrot credit, after all the crap he got for this early in the season. Brett McKnight has made 28 of 30 attempts. -- Akron is second in the league in offensive rebounds, aka the Jimmy Conyers statistic, where the senior forward is second in the MAC individually. -- Home attendance at Rhodes Arena is third in the league, behind only Ohio and Kent State. -- Unlike in past years, no Zip is among the top 15 in 3-point percentage.
