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Zips get run over in second half
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Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
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NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
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Man allegedly paid teens to spit in his face
Angel Food Ministries helps stretch grocery dollars
Poor machine maintenance blamed for fire at Akron business
Retired firefighter who broke color barrier among those being honored
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Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
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For your Saturday entertainment …
Akron Zips:
Two blowouts, one night
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Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
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Holmgren expresses interest in Browns position
Kent State Sports:
Kent State blown out in second half, loses to Temple 13-47
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Gameblog: Cavs at Indiana Pacers – Here’s to LBJ and Free Throws
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OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
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Bowling season starts today
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Headed For Disaster
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Will Health Care Reform Pass?
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Federal Judge Declares DOMA Unconstitutional
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Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
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George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
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Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
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Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
Sitting on the bench adds to the frustration
By Tom Gaffney
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Tuesday, Jan 13, 2009
Jimmy Conyers finally has undertaken a long-awaited transformation by turning potential into productivity.
Conyers, a 6-foot-5 forward at the University of Akron, has not yet become a resident of the Zips' penthouse, but at least he is no longer a member of the doghouse.
In his first two years, Conyers did little to distinguish himself as an occasional starter and frequent down-the-rotation reserve. UA fans shook their heads and wondered what all the fuss was about.
However, the 2008-09 season has seen Conyers emerge as a starter and consistent performer for the inconsistent Zips (8-6, 0-1), who play the University at Buffalo (8-5, 0-1) tonight at Rhodes Arena.
''I give him a lot of credit. He has worked hard and battled,'' said UA coach Keith Dambrot, whose team is coming off a 64-51 overtime loss Saturday at Miami in its Mid-American Conference opener. ''Now, he is one of our best guys. He is a real good rebounder, works on defense and is starting to shoot the ball better.''
In those first two seasons, Conyers played in 58 of the Zips' 68 games, averaging just 9.1 minutes and 2.6 points.
In 25 of those games, his point total was zero. In 10 others, he had either one point or two.
His deepest entrance into the doghouse came at the end of last season, when he did not play
in the three Mid-American Conference Tournament games or in the two National Invitational Tournament games.
The consensus was that Conyers lost his confidence in those two seasons, but he said it was more than that.
''It was very frustrating, being on the bench and watching everybody play. As a player, I had never sat on the bench,'' Conyers said. ''It was frustrating and made me not want to be motivated. I just wasn't motivated . . . that's what set me back.''
Conyers came out of Baltimore in 2005 as the most highly regarded of the three Zips recruits of that season. The others were Nate Linhart and John Rybak (who has since transferred to Texas State). Conyers averaged 24 points and six rebounds as a senior at National Christian Academy in Baltimore and 17 points and six rebounds at Southern Maryland Christian Academy as a junior.
''When we brought him up here, the coaches couldn't watch. But our guys played with him and thought he was the best player we ever brought here,'' Dambrot said.
But transcript issues forced him to sit out his freshman year, and, when he became eligible in 2006-07, Linhart had earned the starting role at small forward, leaving Conyers with an unspecified role.
''Missing the year really hurt him. Nate got solidified and there was no place to play him at the bigger spots,'' Dambrot said. ''When we did play him, we had a quick leash on him because the last thing you want from a substitute is mistakes.''
Conyers subscribed to the same ''quick leash'' theory and said that its absence this season has helped him relax.
''A lot of it had to do with my margin of error. When I first came in, if I made a mistake, I was out. Now if I make a mistake, I have time to make it up,'' he said.
''Coach has confidence in me, and that has helped me have confidence in myself.''
In 2008-09, he is just seventh on the team in scoring (4.8 points), but as a power forward he is second in rebounding (4.4) and steals (1.1), fourth in shooting on a team with shooting woes (45.8 percent) and fifth in free-throw shooting (70.6 percent). In addition, he and Linhart are the defensive leaders on a defensive-oriented team.
''I tell our guys this all the time, 'You can get in my doghouse very easily. The one thing I do is come back to guys.' '' Dambrot said. ''It may not be this year or that year, or this game or that game, but I come back to guys.
''The starting role is a little bit better for Jim. He will make some mistakes, but the longer he is out there, the better he is going to play. Now he has a spot and has taken advantage of it. He will be hard to beat out, especially if he continues to play like he has.''
Conyers said he concentrated on conditioning, ball-handling and mid-range shooting in the offseason in order to push for more playing time. He knew time was there to be had because the Zips have one of the youngest teams in the MAC.
''I was self-motivated to get back where I used to be. I got in better condition and got my confidence back,'' he said. ''I want to win and we had to have the veteran players step up because we have so many young guys.''
Conyers, who is listed as a senior but is expected to gain another year of eligibility because of NCAA rules on academics, said he is not a natural leader but realizes that he has to lead because the Zips have nine freshmen or sophomores on the roster.
''I try to put in my two cents,'' Conyers said. ''With so many young guys, they haven't tasted the MAC. The MAC is way harder than some of our nonconference games. It's up to us older guys to let them know how it is done.''
TV schedule announced
Zips officials announced time changes and television schedules for five games for the men's team. Two women's games also are involved.
It starts this Saturday at Bowling Green with a move from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. so it can be on ESPNU.
Other changes:
Jan 24 against Kent State: Noon, FSN. The Akron women play Ball State at 2:30 p.m., also on FSN.
Jan. 31 against Central Michigan: Noon, FSN. The Akron women play Toledo at 2:30 p.m., also on FSN.
March 1 against Bowling Green: Noon, FSN.
March 8 at Kent State: Noon, FSN.
Zip shorts
Guard Ronnie Steward, who had surgery on his right leg for compartment syndrome, is still out, and no timetable has been set for his return. . . . Buffalo won the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii Dec. 28-30. The Bulls defeated Pepperdine (72-71), Colorado (62-60) and Colorado State (67-53) in the tournament. UB, which lost at Bowling Green 86-82 Saturday, is led in scoring by junior guard Rodney Pierce (16.0) and junior swingman Calvin Betts (11.8).
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.
Jimmy Conyers finally has undertaken a long-awaited transformation by turning potential into productivity.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 11:36 AM, 01/13/2009
Good article! Jimmy seems like a sincerely nice guy and I can't help but pull even harder for him now. He's probably the most athletic player on the team. I think Jimmy's capable of playing the 2-guard spot, and I know he is capable of guarding the 2-guard spot, so the fact that he is such a good rebounder really illustrates his athleticism and hustle.
