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Predicted for fourth, they finish second in division
By Tom Gaffney
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Wednesday, Mar 26, 2008
One question begs to be asked about the third consecutive 20-win season for the University of Akron basketball team.
That is: Will there be a fourth in 2008-09?
Success brings the pressure and satisfaction of having more success, so UA fans will spend eight months wondering about the future. At least there will be a number of fond memories about the past four months.
The Zips (24-11) completed a season in which the team overcame injuries and inexperience to finish second in the Mid-American Conference Tournament and to reach the second round of the National Invitation Tournament.
Nagging injuries to center Jeremiah Wood and guard Cedrick Middleton and a season-ending injury to freshman Ronnie Steward, who would have logged significant minutes at point guard, slowed the Zips' progress.
Still, a team that was predicted to finish fourth in the MAC East Division in the preseason media poll hustled and willed its way to a season to remember.
''This team was more resilient and showed more toughness than any team we have had,'' said coach Keith Dambrot, who has a 92-38 record in four seasons with the Zips. ''We were knocked to the canvas so many times, but we kept getting back up. We rallied back and rallied back.''
The Zips were led all season by seniors Wood, Middleton and guard Nick Dials, who all finished their careers with more than 1,000 points scored.
They propelled UA to an 11-3 preconference record and then to an 11-5 MAC record. Three losses to Kent State kept them from sharing the overall MAC title and going to the NCAA Tournament.
The consolation prize was a bid to the NIT that resulted in a 65-60 overtime victory at Florida State on March 18 — only the Zips' second Division I postseason win ever — and a 68-63 loss at the University of Massachusetts on Saturday.
''I could not be prouder of our guys,'' Dambrot said. ''We were picked fourth in the East and to do what they did was a testimony to them. They overcame a lot of adversity.''
A prediction of fourth place next year might look good to the UA fans because the Zips might have the youngest team in the MAC.
The loss of seniors Wood, Middleton, Dials, Quade Milum and Nick Goddard takes away 58 percent of the team's scoring. The leading returning scorer will be defensive stalwart Nate Linhart, who averaged 8.5 points.
The Zips could have seven freshmen on the roster in 2008-09: redshirts Steward and Steve Swiech and five incoming recruits. Another newcomer to the roster will be Niagara transfer Rydell Brooks (Buchtel).
The other holdovers will be Steve McNees, Darryl Roberts, Mike Bardo, Jimmy Conyers and brothers Brett and Chris McKnight. The combined scoring average of those six players this season was 23.8 points.
''It will be interesting next year. We will be picked last, I think,'' Dambrot said. ''You are looking at a very young team, but I think we have a chance to be pretty good. It will all come down to some of our players taking a big jump (getting better).''
The loss of five 1,000-point scorers over the past two seasons (Romeo Travis and Dru Joyce III were seniors in 2006-07) is an issue Dambrot hopes the system will remedy.
''We have lost good players in the past. You always do,'' Dambrot said. ''We have built this program on being team-oriented. We have won because we play as a team.
''I will be surprised if we aren't good next year.''
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.
One question begs to be asked about the third consecutive 20-win season for the University of Akron basketball team.
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