Zips: Of FTs and random notes

For those who believe that the Zips are without warts, rethink the position.  Now is the time, with seven regular season games remaining, for them to begin rising and taking care of each of those weaknesses.  

The obvious one:  slow starts and playing to the level of their competition, the latest example coming against the Miami RedHawks on national television Saturday.  But the most pressing example may be something very basic:  free throw shooting.

With the regular season winding down, the Zips average just 65.9 percent from the free throw line, a significant statistic but one that doesn’t overly concern coach Keith Dambrot, primarily because of who’s getting the lion’s share of them.

Center Zeke Marshall connectson 64.9 percent on the season and has shot more than twice as many (130) as his nearest teammate, junior forward Demetrius Treadwell (59), who is shooting just 53 percent on the year.

“Zeke’s been off,” he said.  “Tree’s been mediocre.  All we can do is shoot them.”

For the most part, he's right.  It's a problem that UA is going to have to work through.

RPI watch:   In games through Feb. 10 Akron ranks 54 in the Ken Pom RPI rankings; 49^th in ESPN’s BPI rankings; 53 on Real Time’s RPI ranking, 53^rd with the NCAA and 54 with ESPN’s RPI.

Poll watch: With the release of Monday’s college hoops poll the Zips received 12 points in the AP Poll and nine in the USA Today Coaches Poll.