To be fair the Zips were down essentially three guys because of various reasons.  Brian Walsh and Pat Forsythe, roomates at the team hotel, dealt with the flu prior to the game. Deji Ibitayo had back issues.  Walsh's points could have helped were he healthy.  But the primary thing they provided was fresh bodies to help deal with team fatigue aused by VCU's press.  By five minutes into the second half, the Zips were noticeably sucking wind.  A few more bodies couldn't have hurt.  Overall, however, it's tough to see how they win even with those three.  Here are three reasons why?

Player of the game:  Troy Daniels, guard for the Rambs, 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting, 6-of-11 from the floor and five rebounds.

The VCU Rams used a 17-3 run in the first half to take a 21-9 lead on the Akron Zips and from there never looked back as they beat UA 88-42 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Final: VCU 88, Akron 42

This one wasn't much of a game near the end of the first half, and the Rams never allowed the Zips to make any kind of a run in the second half. 

A source close to the Akron Zips basketball team said that starting shooting guard Brian Walsh spent part of last night into the morning at a local hospital with an unknown illness.

Minutes ago, CBS Sports reported that Walsh and backup center Pat Forsythe suffered from severe cases of the flu.

Make sure to follow the Akron/VCU game tonight on Ohio.com. Zips beat writer George Thomas and columnist Marla Ridenour are at the game and we'll share any of their observations from Twitter right here. Sports reporter Ryan Lewis will have updates throughout the game, so follow the action on Ohio.com.

At this point after five days of hearing what the keys to the Akron Zips-VCU Rams game are, they’ve become cliché.

Coach Keith Dambrot laid them out the other day when he said that his team has to take care of the ball and rebound.

Here's what VCU coach Shaka Smart and Rams players Troy Daniels, Juvonte Reddic and Darius Theus said Wednesday before their game against UA Thursday at The Palace of Auburn Hills. (Courtesy ASAP Sports)

Q. How does it feel being different, being a five seed as compared to last year?

Here's what UA coach Keith Dambrot and players Zeke Marshall, Demetrius Treadwell and Brian Walsh said at the podium Wednesday at The Palace of Auburn Hills before their NCAA Tournament today against VCU. (Courtesy ASAP Sports)

COACH DAMBROT: We go way back. I think first and foremost, we come from the same DNA, the same genetics, the same mother, really, as VCU.

Jim Tressel spoke with the University of Akron men’s basketball team following practice Tuesday at Rhodes Arena.

Tressel, the former football coach at Ohio State and Youngstown State, walked in and watched the final few minutes of practice as UA prepares for its NCAA Tournament matchup with Virginia Commonwealth on Thursday night in Auburn Hills, Mich.

From a UA news release:

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron women's basketball team will travel to Pittsburgh, Pa. Thursday, March 21, to take on Duquesne in the first round of the 2013 Women's National Invitation Tournament.

Not much to say about this one other than the meme that coach Keith Dambrot continues to do the coaching job of his life. Most people would have expected the Akron Zips to fold. Much of the work he did in the past nine days was psychological.

As Akron’s AD Tom Wistricill said as he was preparing to go on the court:  “He knows when to pull and he knows when to push.  He’s the best coach in America.”

A first:  accused of a bromance for actually acknowledging something that’s true – that coach Keith Dambrot should be considered a wizard for the coaching job he pulled off against Kent State.  Nothing like playing a few guys out of position to bolster the point guard slot, mustering offense to win a huge game with a seventh consecutive appearance in the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game on the line.

To not appreciate what Dambrot did to get his team ready in a week after the legal troubles of suspended point guard Alex Abreu would be completely disingenuous.  His status would be elevated were he and his team were able to continue it against Ohio tonight in the championship game.   The Zips swept the regular season games with Abreu, but have yet to face the Bobcats without him.  Here’s what they must do

Being one of two teams that has beat the Akron Zips in conference play, UA hoopsters have every reason to be leary of the Kent State Golden Flashes this evening.  

That's not the only reason, however.  Right now, in this moment in time, Kent State is the hottest team in the MAC, finally finding a rhythm at exactly the right time of the season - near the end.  They are dangerous.

From a UA news release:

CLEVELAND – Postseason honors continued to roll in for the Akron Zips as ninth-year head men's basketball coach Keith Dambrot was named Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year, the league office announced on Wednesday.

It's an abundance of riches for Zips basketball as forward Rachel Tecca is selected player of the year:

CLEVELAND, Ohio – University of Akron redshirt junior forward Rachel Tecca has been named the 2012-13 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year, the conference office announced Tuesday morning.

Is Player of the Year next for Zeke Marshall?  This from the UA Athletic Department.

CLEVELAND – For the first time in 11 years, the Mid-American Conference has a repeat king of defense as Zeke Marshall as named the 2012-13 Defensive Player of the Year, the league office announced on Tuesday.

From a University of Akron athletic department news release:

CLEVELAND – Senior center Zeke Marshall and junior forward Demetrius "Tree" Treadwell headlined four Akron Zips on this year's Mid-American Conference all-conference teams, the league office announced on Monday.

The damage has been done and quite frankly the Akron Zips can do nothing about the circumstances that point guard Alex Abreu finds himself.

You worry about the things you can control, not the things that you can’t.

The Akron Zips continued preparations for tonight’s game against cross-county rival Kent State without starting point guard Alex Abreu who was arrested Thursday after noon and charged with possession and trafficking marijuana.

As is their policy on game days team members and coach Keith Dambrot didn’t talk to the media.  However if Abreu’s absence was felt it didn’t show in a team that practiced loose yet still appeared to be all business.

Eleven players from last year’s edition of the Akron Zips football team and guests from Mt. Union and Lake Erie College will work out in front of NFL scouts Thursday on the University of Akron campus.

Though most of them will be considered a longshot to make an NFL roster after this summer’s training camps, the league’s history is rife with low-round draft choices and undrafted free agents who have enjoyed success.  Here’s a list of players:

The Akron Zips didn’t wake up until the second half of their 72-58 win over the Miami RedHawks.  They had plenty of opportunities to take a substantial lead in the first half only to allow Miami back into the game with some sloppy overall play.  At halftime the Zips were down in every statistical category of import including rebounds, points in the paint (how the hell that happened I’ll never know considering the Zips’ frontline) and fast break points.  Ultimately they claimed victory because of three reasons:

Turning point:  The 13-2 run the Zips used to take control of the game at the beginning of the second half.

Just a quick link to collegeinsider's selection for its regular season awards that has the Zips sweeping.

Being slapped by reality is never a bad thing.  That’s what happened to the Akron Zips last Saturday against the Buffalo Bulls. No one will ever admit it, but the fall-behind-flip-the-switch-to-win mentality that held the team in its sway was destined to bite them in the butt.

That it happened is no longer the story.  How they respond tonight and against Kent State is. Coach Keith Dambrot is expected the team to turn things around.

With both their streaks – the 19 consecutive games nationally and the 13 consecutive to open the MAC season – gone courtesy of the Buffalo Bulls, the Akron Zips began looking in the only direction they can – forward.

Facing Miami tomorrow night, the Zips are looking to get back to winning – quickly.

From the University of Akron athletic department details related to the Zips football schedule for the fall:

Six home games (five on Saturdays), including matchups with MAC rivals Kent State on Nov. 2 in the annual PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge and Advocare V100 Independence Bowl champion Ohio for Homecoming on Oct. 5.

From the MAC.  The Akron Zips 2013 football schedule.

Aug.