Men's basketball

Reporters listed three themes throughout their game stories this morning: Akron made a nice comeback, missed foul shots down the stretch and could not score in overtime.

Here are some nuggets…

• The ABJ's Tom Gaffney points out the Zips almost shot their season average at the line, but missed the shots when they mattered most.
• The taller perimeter players pestered Akron's short guards, the PD's Elton Alexander adds.
• Miami still is the only Division I team to hold each opponent to fewer than 70 points, the Cincinnati Enquirer says.
• I wrote a column that talks about Romeo Travis and Dru Joyce's contributions at UA. Their final home game (barring a first-round NIT game) will be Saturday against Bowling Green…

Romeo and Dru. Dru and Romeo.

You don't need last names.

It's like Yogi and Boo Boo without the pic-a-nic baskets. Stockton and Malone with fewer pick-and-rolls. Siegfried and Roy minus the femininity.

These guys don't just play for Akron. The past four years, they have become Akron.

Romeo and Dru have called Rhodes Arena home since their time at St. Vincent/St. Mary's High School, when the two witnessed the most heralded prep star in basketball history. LeBron James and Co. won state championships, AAU honors and even the fabled national title.

Of course, as James prepared for the NBA draft, Romeo and Dru sifted through a modest list of college teams interested in them. Dru had no other Division I scholarship offers. Romeo had a few, but none from schools a novice fan would recognize.

Enter Keith Dambrot, who coached St. V's for part of James' career but left for an assistant coaching job at the University of Akron. He saw the talent other teams overlooked and recruited Romeo and Dru.

Slowly, Dru and Romeo separated from the tag of LeBron James and Co. They began to make a name for themselves at the University of Akron under Dan Hipsher and later Dambrot, when Akron hired him after Romeo and Dru's freshman season.

But you could see the frustration in the duo's eyes.

Visiting reporters asked about their relationship with James, not Dru's stellar assist-to-turnover ratio or Romeo's great rebounding. (Not that Dru and Romeo care much about individual accolades anyhow. They have always preferred to prop up their teammates.)

Still, the bulk of national coverage circles around the question: "What if James played at the University of Akron rather than turning pro?"

With more than 75 wins on their resumes, we can now safely say that Romeo and Dru will leave Northeast Ohio as more than just James' cronies. They have made a name as the best duo in the Mid-American Conference and possibly in school history.

Under their guidance as seasoned juniors last year, Akron made its first postseason appearance since 1989. The Zips' win over Temple in the first round of last year's NIT was the school's first postseason victory since 1975. Dru is six assists away from breaking the school record. Romeo already squashed the all-time mark for blocked shots.

To be brief, Akron actually matters in basketball. No team in the nation would consider a trip to Rhodes Arena as a waltz to victory, not even No. 1 Ohio State. That has never been true in the program's Division I era - until this year.

Dambrot also deserves a lot of credit. He leads the team on the court, but he also is the reason Romeo and Dru wear gold and blue.

That era will end on Saturday. The two cornerstones of Akron basketball will play their final game at Rhodes Arena (barring a first-round home game in the NIT).

They deserve a standing ovation from a sold-out crowd when the public address announcer introduces them for a final time.

As a student, faculty member, custodian, landscaper or alumnist, you owe Romeo and Dru your attendance.

Baseball

The Buchtelite's Josh Volchko previewed the new season, which will begin Friday in Tennessee.

Akron returns two solid offensive players in Kurt Davidson and Vince Chiera. Coach Pat Bangtson said fans will see some new faces as well, such as Phil Bednar, a shortstop transfer from Ball State.

Track

I previewed the MAC Championships this weekend at the Field House.

Coach Dennis Mitchell is absolutely thrilled to be hosting the event. He wants to see a lot of students in attendance to boost the home-track advantage.

He says the presentation of the event is top-notch. I plan to make it out for a couple hours of the competition. You should, too.

Men's basketball

Akron came back from a 13-point deficit to lose to Miami in overtime, 64-62.

The Zips missed crucial free throws down the stretch and failed to execute in overtime.

Romeo Travis, Jeremiah Wood and Dru Joyce scored 15 apiece, but they were three of only six Zips who scored. Tim Pollitz paced Miami with 17.

I'll have more on the game tomorrow. I think the Zips certainly need to win a big road game sometime before the MAC Tournament. They will have a few more chances.

Men's basketball

Akron is a two-point favorite to win at Miami, a place the Zips have lost six straight games.

The RedHawks have scored more since they visited Rhodes Arena. On the other hand, Akron is playing better defense.

This is a good MAC team, and Akron has yet to show they can beat one on the road. I have to take the RedHawks until I am proven wrong.

Prediction: Miami 65, Akron 61

Men's basketball

For the first time all season, Keith Dambrot discussed the Selection Committee and Akron's legitimate shot at an at-large bid.

With a recent boost in polls, I think he's starting to understand his team could get gain enough respect to make it to the NCAA Tournament without winning the conference.

¥ In the ABJ's preview, Tom Gaffney points out Akron has a magic number of two to earn a bye in the first-round of the MAC Tournament.
¥ I'll preview tonight's game sometime this afternoon as soon as I can get a spare minute.

Men's basketball

Being the preseason favorite for MAC Player of the Year, Romeo Travis probably should have better stats than he does.

Travis averages 14 points per game, but is doing it this year taking 10 shots per game, which is down from last season, the Buchtelite's Adam Ferrise writes.

Women's basketball

Is Akron-Kent State still a rivarly, considering the Flashes have won 16 in a row over the Zips?

Akron players and coaches say yes, the Buchtelite's Vincent Dorsey reports.

Rifle

The team's chances at earning one of eight berths in the NCAA Championship are slim.

However, Akron still can win two conference championships, the Buchtelite's Josh Volchko writes.

Miscellaneous

Prepare yourself for my most controversial column of the year. I'm still not 100 percent sure why I wrote it…

There's a lot of cool stuff going on with University of Akron sports.

The men's basketball team just won its 20th game. The indoor track team is about to bring home another conference championship. J.D. Brookhart's staff recently reeled in a great football recruiting class.

I'm here to talk about something incredibly worthless, but paradoxically outstanding.

Curl up in a cozy chair, folks. I will devote the next 400 words to old-school pro rassling.

I use the term "rassling" because it's never actually been wrestling. (I did that in high school, and it's a slightly different concept.)

Anyhow, if you are a male age 19 to 24, you undoubtedly watched rassling every Monday night of your adolescence.

Sadly (or maybe not), rasslers became pseudo-role models.

But who needs real role models when we had "Ravishing" Rick Rude to teach the finer points of picking up ladies (even if they're married)?

Why read books on the philosophy of friendship when the Stinger showed you must always come to the aid of a fellow good guy with an aluminum baseball bat?

Studying public speaking is overblown. Scott Steiner, Roddy Piper and Steve Austin could deliver a speech before Congress with the clarity and fury of Daniel Webster.

The self-defense benefits speak for themselves.

All right. I hear you loud and clear. You are tugging at your bangs and tapping your feet, thinking, "Please, Mike, tell me there's a point to this column."

Oh, there is.

For you recovered rassling addicts, I have some solid advice that could brighten your day. Talk about old-school rassling with your friends. Striking up a conversation about Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, "The Model" Rick Martel or "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff is like a taking a shot of nostalgic whiskey.

Gulp it down and you'll be laughing out loud in seconds. Promise.

Here's a great ice breaker: Remember when Jake "The Snake" Roberts forced his cobra to take a chunk out of "Macho Man" Randy Savage's biceps?

About five Buchtelite guys discovered our former mutual addiction a couple years ago. Within months, we had littered the office with homemade posters of characters such as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Lex Luger and "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton. Somehow, an nWo T-shirt is still hanging above the art director's desk.

But let's not get confused. Rassling nowadays is not comparable to the '90s. Don't bother flipping to Monday Night Raw. It's boring, derivative and includes almost no good rassling.

Good rassling disappeared from kids' obsession faster than pogs. Maybe it happened when the WWE bought out Ted Turner's WCW in 2001, which ended competition among rassling promotions and gave the industry a sense of complacency. (Where were the antitrust police on that one?)

More than likely, though, we all just matured and grew out of the fad.

Hopefully, you revisit the cult that was '90s rassling. It goes down smooth every time.

Men's basketball

The Zips broke into the Coaches Poll, and I'm not just talking a few votes.

Akron received 15 tallies this week, making the team No. 36 in the nation.

That's not all…

• Akron now has 19 votes in the AP Poll, good for 40th.
• The Zips moved up three spots to No. 7 in the Mid-Major Top 25.

Football

As I sit through another so-so NBA All-Star Game, I thought I'd list the players to whom Akron has offered a scholarship so far.

After all, it's never too early to discuss recruiting…

• WR, Cordale Scott, 6-foot-3 from Cleveland Glendale. Scott is one of Rivals.com's players to watch from Cleveland. With a solid senior year, he should play his way into several Big Ten offers. He already has them from Illinois, Wisconsin, Bowling Green and Marshall.
• TE, Mike Cruz, 6-4 from Johnstown, Pa. Yes, he's the brother of Jose Cruz, a current Zips tight end. Mike's high school coach says the younger brother might end up as the most recruited player ever at Bishop McCort HS. Cruz has great hands and athleticism. He might even outgrow the tight end position and become a defensive end in college. Cruz already has offers from Virginia, Temple, Pittsburgh and Clemson.
• OT, Marc Stevens, 6-6, 295 pounds from Lexington, Ohio. Rivals says he will wind up being one of Ohio's top o-line recruits next year. He has great feet and a nasty attitude. A lot of big-name schools are talking to him, including Notre Dame, Michigan and Florida State. As soon as Ohio State offers a scholarship, however, Stevens probably will commit there.
• DE, Taylor Hill, 6-2 from Youngstown. Akron is his only offer.
• LB, Devoe Torrence, 6-2 from Canton. I don't know why I'm bother to list Torrence. He's choosing between offers from Michigan and Ohio State. Ole Miss and Akron also offered.
• CB, Johnny Adams, 6-0 from Akron Buchtel. He is sure to get a lot of big offers. Akron is the only one for now. Adams left Notre Dame's campus two weeks ago with a good impression but not an offer from the Fighting Irish. He plans to visit Ohio State, Michigan, Pittsburgh and Florida State as well. Scout.com says Adams is also a dangerous kick returner.
• S, Will Fleming, 6-3 from Hoban. The son of Zips defensive coordinator Jim Fleming, Will likes Akron, the only school to offer a scholarship so far. Boston College, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Ohio State are the other schools of interest. It could get really interesting if the Buckeyes offer a scholarship to the athletic defender.

Men's basketball

Did you ever look over at a buddy heckling the fans and say, "Dude, it's useless."

Romeo Travis disagrees.

He told the ABJ's Tom Gaffney he believes the fans' incessant booing as the referees walked into the lockerroom at halftime may have altered their calls in the second half.

That brings me to the point of this blog entry: The AK-Rowdies, although small in number, are gaining some serious respect around the conference.

The commentators mentioned their treatment of Bubba Walther during last night's OU/New Mexico State game. The ESPNU analysts at Rhodes Arena said the JAR was a difficult place for visitors and a great college atmosphere. I already discussed Michael Reghi's high praise ("possibly the best student section in the MAC, maybe the nation").

The UA athletic department needs to take this home-court advantage to Cleveland by offering the same discounted bus ride to The Q it has the past couple years. If Akron earns a spot in the Big Dance, that offer should carry over, as well.

• Austin Peay's hometown paper, the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, attributed the loss to poor rebounding and shooting.
• The PD's Elton Alexander writes that through the boos, the Ohio Valley Conference referees must have known they were affecting the game's outcome.
• Akron's RPI leaped to 77th after wins over Ohio and Austin Peay this week. A win Wednesday at No. 115 Miami could provide another 10-spot boost.
• I'll be interested to see what this week did for Akron's status in the AP Poll and Mid-Major Top 25.

Men's basketball

Here is a rundown of high school juniors Akron is following, according to Scout.com and Rivals.com…

• PG Damon Butler, 5-foot-9 from Cincinnati. As high school teammates of O.J. Mayo and Bill Walker at North College Hill, Butler has some name recognition within recruiting circles. Remind you a bit of a couple of current Zips? He is interested in Florida, Florida State, Cincinnati, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Xavier and Akron. Not bad company.
• PG Anthony Hitchens, 5-9 from Chillicothe, Ohio. Akron has offered a scholarship to Hitchens, whom Rivals.com calls the best point guard prospect in Ohio. Other schools of interest include Cleveland State, Wright State and Oakland.
• SG Antoine Childs, 6-5 from Beaver Falls, Pa. I can't find much on him, except that he has interest in four schools: Akron, Colgate, Duquesne and Penn State.
• SG Brian Walsh, 6-4 from Coraopolis, Pa. Landing Walsh, a three-star player, would be a major coup for Akron, considering he holds more than a dozen offers from schools as elite as Memphis, Maryland and Pittsburgh. Walsh's high school coach calls him a great shooter and slasher who also is very unselfish.
• SF Drazen Zlovaric, 6-8 from Cleveland, Tenn. Gaining a commitment from the Serbian native might be another long shot. Zlovaric already has offers from Cincinnati and Central Michigan. He also has interest in several top-notch schools in the nation, such as USC, Florida and Indiana. This interest isn't just a one-way thing. Many of these schools have sent coaches to watch Zlovaric play. He is a high-potential player. He already shows great athleticism, ball handling and shooting. Zlovaric's high school coach suggested his 20-point, 11-rebound star might need to add weight to his 200-pound frame and become more physical.
• PF Hakim McCullar, 6-7 from Maine. McCullar was a Zips target last year, but apparently he's attending a prep school. He holds five scholarship offers, four from the MAC, including Akron.

Men's basketball

I have never heard referees get the business that Akron fans dealt tonight.

The officiating was poor, but Rhodes Arena nearly erupted with each ticky-tack whistle. I actually thought the refs were horrific against both teams.

Anyhow, Akron won another game it was supposed to. The Zips opened an early 14-point lead, let it wither to a tie, then pulled away. Final score: 74-57.

Romeo Travis provided a huge boost in the first half, scoring 13 of his 21 points. It was the other two post players who dominated the second half. Jeremiah Wood grabbed 11 rebounds and scored 14 points on the night. Quade Milum converted two highlight-reel alley-oops.

Like most games, however, the Zips actually won it on the other end. Austin Peay shot just 33 percent, including 19 percent from 3-point land. Akron also outrebounded the Governors, 46-30.

Keep an eye on the other BracketBusters games. The MAC is faring pretty well so far in the important matchups. Miami beat Indiana State. Kent State won at George Mason. Toledo leads Old Dominion at the half. Ohio will play at New Mexico State tonight at midnight on ESPN2. This weekend could go far in boosting the conference's RPI.