As unlikely as it may seem, the University of Akron and Oral Roberts basketball teams are not strangers.
The two teams met at Rhodes Arena last season, an 88-84 victory for the Zips, who lead the series 4-0.
But don’t expect the Zips (19-7) to go into the Mabree Center in Tulsa, Okla., at 2 p.m. today with a sense of entitlement or overconfident.
“They’re hard-nosed and tough,” said UA coach Keith Dambrot. “They’re very similar to us. They’re going to play a basic game — man-to-man. They have one of the best mid-major players in the country in Dominique Morrison. They have a good post man in Damen Bell-Holster.”
The teams are similar in a lot of ways.
The Eagles (24-5) average 73.9 points per game, the Zips 73.4. Oral Roberts allows 66.1 points per game, Akron 64.5.
Where the Zips will have a definite advantage is depth. The Zips have eight players averaging better than six points per game, the Eagles have only four.
But Dambrot knows this won’t be an easy game, primarily because Oral Roberts scored 84 points against the Zips last year without Morrison.
The game takes on increased significance, because it is part of the BracketBusters games that the ESPN family of networks airs at this time every season. The games are supposed to help boost a team’s chances of making the NCAA Tournament with a high-profile game against another prominent mid-major program.
“I think it’s probably a bit mislabeled although it did help [Virginia Commonwealth] get in the tournament last year,” Dambrot said.
“There’s no doubt about that.”
Dambrot has made it very clear that his team is playing out the season in hope of being able to secure an at-large bid into March Madness. A win today would be the first step.
The Zips’ path to the tournament would be direct if they win the MAC Tournament next month. Riding an eight-game winning streak and with 16 wins in their past 18 games, the Zips have to be considered favorites.
With the Zips in the midst of trying to lock down one of the top two seeds for the MAC Tournament, isn’t a BracketBuster game a distraction in the course of the conference season?
“Yeah, but it’s kind of a good distraction in some ways, as long as you don’t have to travel too far to get there,” Dambrot said. “It’s kind of fun in a way.
“I like it because it allows you to play some people you probably normally wouldn’t play and it gets you a good opponent out of your region.”
There are other advantages.
Dambrot doesn’t hesitate when talking about the trajectory he wants his program to take. He wants to be mentioned with George Mason, Gonzaga and Butler when people talk about mid-majors.
That’s something they will have to continue to fight for, and a victory over the Eagles would help, considering the Zips are underdogs.
“It doesn’t matter. Underdog. Overdog. It’s going to be a good game,” Dambrot said. “If both teams play well, it’s going to be a good game. It’s a great opportunity when you think about it.”
Quick shots
The Zips are 3-5 in BracketBuster games, going 0-3 on the road. They are 1-3 in televised games, and today’s game is on ESPN2. … Should the Zips beat the Golden Eagles, they will become one of only 12 teams nationally to reach 20 victories in each of the past seven seasons.
George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at http://zips.ohio.com.
