There sometimes can be a critical truth and message in casual comments so obviously made in jest.

Coach Keith Dambrot smiled and laughed when he said he will have to devote practice time to the most rudimentary of fundamentals when preparing his University of Akron team for a showdown with Kent State on Wednesday night at the M.A.C. Center.

‘‘We have to work on our hand signals because you can't hear anything in there,’’ Dambrot said, referring to what is expected to be a loud and capacity crowd.

Indeed, the M.A.C. Center will be rocking for a neighborhood rivalry matching the Zips (14-3, 4-0), who are in first place in the East Division of the Mid-American Conference, and the Golden Flashes (14-4, 3-1), who are in second place.

A victory by the Zips would give them a two-game lead in the East as they head to a six-game stretch with West Division teams. A victory by the Flashes would mean a first-place tie.

With so much on the line, the crowd is sure to make it a memorable time, just as it did in the regular-season finale last season.

With the two teams tied for first place in the MAC East, 6,567 fans made their presence felt as the Zips escaped with a two-point victory.

‘‘It's fun to go over there. It's more fun when you win,’’ Dambrot said. ‘‘That experience last year was one of the best college-basketball experiences I have ever been involved in. Their fan base was unbelievable, as was ours. We are looking forward to the game.’’

Five days later, the Zips overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat the Flashes in the MAC Tournament in Cleveland. It gave UA three wins in a season over Kent State for the first time and four in a row, dating to the finale in 2005-06.

Senior Jeremiah Wood, the Zips' leading scorer and rebounder, hopes the recent success will give him and his teammates an emotional edge Wednesday.

‘‘When somebody beats you four times, you ask, ‘Can you beat them?’]’’ Wood said. ‘‘It's not an advantage on our end. But they have a lot of doubt. ‘Can they beat Akron?’ They have to overcome their mental problems.’’

However, Dambrot cautions that his team's 4-0 record against the Flashes was preceded by an 0-3 mark in his first 1ƒ seasons as head coach.

‘‘Remember, two years ago, the shoe was on the other foot. We had lost three close games to them. People were saying, ‘Is that Lloyd Carr coaching Akron?’]’’ said Dambrot, in reference to the former Michigan football coach's record against Ohio State.

The game Wednesday matches the past two MAC East champions ` Kent State in 2005-06 and UA in 2006-’07. It also features the 2005-’06 MAC champions (the Flashes) and the 2006-’07 MAC runners-up (the Zips).

It also involves the two teams with the best overall records in the 12-school MAC.

The game is sure to be intense because Dambrot and Kent State coach Jim Christian have an avowed will to win and their defensive-minded teams follow their lead.

‘‘They (the Flashes) are just like Jim. They are so competitive. They are almost like playing ourselves in a lot of respects,’’ Dambrot said. ‘‘We are different in that we are not quite as athletic as them. We have some different qualities that they don't have.

‘‘But as far as the foundation of the program, it’s like playing ourselves.’’

The rematch, to be played at Rhodes Arena, will be March 9.