Men’s basketball

Within a week of Easter Sunday, Jim Christian accepted an offer to coach at Texas Christian Univerisity. It was a divine turn of events for Zips fans.

Christian, the former Kent State coach, had entertained offers from schools at bigger conferences for years. Someone who knows more than me about college basketball told me that a coach who accepts a lot of junior college players typically is looking to move up, and soon.

Candidates to replace Christian include former Toledo coach Stan Joplin, KSU assistant Geno Ford and Oklahoma assistant Oronde Taliaferro.

Despite my earlier sentiment in this post, don’t expect Kent State to fall out of contention. After Gary Waters left, Stan Heath (a former neighbor of mine) took the team to the Elite Eight. After Heath left, KSU athletic director Laing Kennedy found a jewel in Christian.

It is always possible, however, that your coaching selection will be a clunker.

Notes…

My counterpart (a KSU blogger on Ohio.com) discussed the matter.

Zipper10 holds a small lead over oriole5 in the Ohio.com Bracket Challenge. You don’t have to believe me, but I nailed my entire Elite Eight (including Davidson). Of course, I have no excuse for neglecting to complete a bracket in the contest I started.

Football

The Zips held a scrimmage today.

I wasn’t there, but it sounds like the offense had a big day, particularly the passing game.

Chris Jacquemain and Matt Rodgers went 40-for-50. The defensive front also succeeded in bothering the quarterbacks.

That’s good for those positions, but it might be a symptom of lacking a healthy offensive line and depth at defensive back.

Football

Tom Gaffney wrote an interesting story about Zips lineman Ryan Bain.

Looking at Bain’s physical attributes, it’s hard to question that he has All-MAC potential. That story indicates he might be a leader, too.

Recruiting notes…

According to a news story out of East Liverpool, Ohio, Akron notched its first verbal commitment in lineman Derek Johnson. He’s bulky and powerful. Neither recruiting site lists him. Props to ZipsNation for finding the link.

Zips target Corey Linsley is now the No. 4 offensive guard in the nation, according to Scout.com. The Youngstown product has offers from Akron, Ohio State, Pitt, Stanford and some MAC schools.

Men’s basketball

The PD’s Elton Alexander wrote a season recap.

He believes Akron will remain as a MAC contender.

Football

I dropped by practice today for a half hour. Here are some notes…

J.D. Brookhart is using the spring to move players around in hopes to find another Jabari Arthur. Some notable “experiments” include: Bryan Williams (RB) playing strong safety, Andre Jones (S) at receiver, Gary Pride (WR) at running back and Jalil Carter (CB) at safety.

The experiment most likely to succeed, in my opinion, is Williams at safety. The team lacks depth in the secondary. When Williams was coming out of high school in 2004, he signed with Pitt as a cornerback. Then you also have to consider the gobs of depth the Zips have at running back.

As far as the other running backs go, they looked fantastic today. Dennis Kennedy broke two touchdown runs. Alex Allen had one of his own. Those two lead the pack so far, Brookhart said. He mentioned that he is looking for “a complete back.” That tells me that Andrew Johnson, while an outstanding runner, is not blocking like the coach would like.

The real inquiry is at quarterback, where Chris Jacquemain and Matt Rodgers will duel for the next six months. Jacquemain played a little today, then got sick with the flu. Rodgers took most of the snaps while I was there. He looked terrific. The balls rifled from his hand in tight spirals. He showed strong pocket presence, even with the offensive line blocking like a turnstile. With his field vision, arm strength and accuracy, I don’t see a scenario where a healthy Matt Rodgers does not start at Camp Randall Stadium on Aug. 30.

Despite my bold prediction, Brookhart said Jacquemain leads the race and suggested it’s not super close. The coaches have been impressed with both signal callers during the eight practices so far this spring. The problem has been providing time to throw. Injuries have kept linemen Zack Anderson (surgery), Mike Ward (pinched nerve) and Corey Woods (knee) off the field.

Other injuries: Sean Fobbs and Da’Von Moore had surgery before the spring. Starting in the fall, the team will implement a new policy for injuries. Like in the NFL, the Zips will provide an injury report on Thursday. Brookhart will not comment on injuries unless they are season-ending. This comes as many college coaches are beginning to fear lawsuits from athletes whose pro prospects might be diminished by revealing injury details.

Defensively, the strength appears to be up front. The line is getting great pressure and Ryan Bain is the reason. He “is a huge improvement for us,” Brookhart said. Another newcomer, Aaron Williams, has impressed the coaches at linebacker.

Still, there is a need for playmakers, particularly at wide receiver. Deryn Bowser is on the way from junior college, but he won’t practice until fall. Jeremy Bruce, the transfer from West Virginia, is playing, but he has a ways to go. What about David Harvey? “I know nothing about it,” Brookhart said.

Men’s basketball

Whether you liked how the season concluded or not, Akron fans must admit this team overachieved.

From being picked fourth in the division to winning a postseason game, it was a tumultuous season. There were injuries upon injuries. Many players, such as Nate Linhart, Cedrick Middleton and Steve McNees, experienced drastic ups and downs.

Heading into next year, the Zips will lose the league’s most dominant post scorer, the league’s most fiery leader and the league’s hardest worker, as well as a situational shooter and athletic role player.

Next year’s team will be very young. The roster will feature one senior and two juniors (assuming Jimmy Conyers and Darryl Roberts get their fourth year of eligibility).

Here is a rundown on the eight newcomers…

Ronnie Steward, PG — He had a rough year as a true freshman. He suffered a hip pointer early in the season. Then he had chest pains. Steward wasn’t even ready to play by the MAC Championship (theoretically, the team would never waste a redshirt on a few games). He is a true point guard, unlike Roberts and McNees. He will allow both of them to share their natural position of shooting guard. The coaches are very high on his ability to run an offense.

Steve Swiech, C — Swiech came to campus highly touted. When he got here, he wasn’t a finished product, particularly on defense. He worked with assistant coach Jeff Boals, Mike Bardo and Jeremiah Wood during his true freshman year. In my opinion, Akron must get a good deal of scoring from Swiech in order to match last year’s success.

Rydell Brooks, SG — He transferred from Niagara, where he started 30 games for the eventual MAAC Champions. Brooks’ stats weren’t great, but Keith Dambrot must have been impressed by a true freshman who starts for an NCAA Tournament team. The Buchtel grad will have to earn minutes in a crowded, youthful backcourt. To get on the floor, he must improve his defense.

Nikola Cvetinovic, SF — The Serbian played high school ball in Virginia. He has quickness and defensive prowess. Scoring isn’t his forte, but he has a nice touch around the rim. At 6-foot-7, he plays a lot like Linhart. With the real Linhart, Conyers and Brett McKnight coming back at small forward, look for Cvetinovic to sit out this season.

Humpty Hitchens, PG — If there is one sure-fire star in the incoming class, it is “Humpty,” who had a boatload of scholarship offers from the best Midwest mid-major schools around, including Butler and Kent State. He is lightning quick, suffocates the ball handler on defense and is a great leader. Hitchens made a great pass on the winning basket for Chillicothe High School’s state championship. You can pencil in Hitchens as being Akron’s all-time steals leader within three years.

Brett McClanahan, SG — This is the first pure shooter Dambrot has recruited in a while. A guy who can shoot from long range will become more valuable next season when the NCAA moves the 3-point line back. With all the depth at guard, McClanahan is probably heading for a redshirt season, however.

Andrew Parrish, PF — Parrish is a do-all big man. At 6-8, he can post up, stretch the defense with his shooting and alter shots on defense. Although Parrish would profit from a redshirt year, Akron needs a fifth big man. Parrish might play.

Alex Sullivan, PG/SG — Sullivan is similar to Hitchens in his defensive ability. He can slash and get to the hoop, too. Sullivan should get a chance to play his first year, but he’ll have to beat out Hitchens, which is not likely.

Eric Coblentz, SG — Lake High School’s all-time leading scorer is not likely to play much. The walk-on picked the wrong team to get playing time in the backcourt. Perhaps he will find a niche, like Nick Goddard did.

Here is my best guess of how the playing time will go…

PG — Steward, Hitchens
SG — Roberts, McNees
SF — Linhart, Brett McKnight, Conyers
PF — Chris McKnight, Brett McKnight
C — Bardo, Swiech, Parrish (maybe)
Redshirt — Cvetinovic, McClanahan, Sullivan, Parrish (maybe)
Reserves — Brooks, Coblentz, Carroll,

Football

Bill Parcels might not be amused, but the judges adored Jason Taylor, who earned a standing ovation on “Dancing with the Stars.”

He was the “mambo king” who was “always in control.” Another judge said Taylor is a real contender with a great shot of winning the competition. Taylor scored three “9″s out of 10 points.

“Everyone is having fun,” Taylor said after his performance. “I’m just glad I didn’t pass out.”

The university is promoting Taylor by urging Akron fans to vote for the former Zip. You can vote here.

Also this…

GoZips.com reports that the Zips are ready to restart spring practice after a week off for spring break. J.D. Brookhart is excited by the play from Ryan Bain, some of the young defensive players and the quarterbacks. I plan to report from practice on Thursday evening.

Men’s basketball

Refresh your browser for updates…

Around noon, log into the chat room at ZipsNation.org to discuss the game with fellow fans in real-time.

The Minutement are 5.5-point favorites.

The Boston Herald says Akron has a great inside-outside punch. The story features forward Tony Gaffney.

Speaking of Gaffneys, the ABJ’s Tom Gaffney talked to Keith Dambrot, who said Akron is looking forward to playing on ESPN. The real goal, however, is to make it the Madison Square Garden. In this game, the Zips will focus on limiting A-10 Player of the Year Gary Forbes.

During a commercial break, check out this story, in which Domenik Hixon talks about his experience as a Super Bowl champion.

I’ve been awful at predicting Akron games lately. I have a theory why. Anyhow, I think UMass has the tools to shut down Jeremiah Wood. Akron will have to shoot a high percentage from 3 to win. Prediction - Akron 68, UMass 75.

ESPN analyst Hubert Davis gave both teams some credit during SportsCenter this morning, saying they’re NCAA Tournament caliber teams.

Where are the fans? It sounds like a girls’ high school basketball game. Or worse, a Zips women’s basketball game.

Although I don’t think Akron will win, I won’t count the Zips out. Everytime I do, they win. There can be no doubt that this team plays its best when there is nothing to lose. Take the games at Miami, FSU, Dayton and Ohio, for example. They were expected to lose, so the team played freely.

Anyhow, Akron games are difficult to predict because of their offensive style. Without a true point guard, they don’t get as many easy hoops. It makes games determined on how the 3-pointers fall, or don’t. How a team will shoot from night to night is as unpredictable as it gets.

Steve McNees just threw the ball over Brett McKnight’s head and out of bounds. He hasn’t played with the same confidence since Jordan Mincy and Kent State spooked him at the M.A.C. Center.

The Zips have six turnovers and we’re not through 10 minutes of the game. If this continues, we’re looking at a blowout.

The announcers are much better today. Hubert Davis knew Akron lacks a true point guard because Dru Joyce left. The play-by-play guy’s only fault has been mispronouncing Linhart as “Lin-ert.”

McNees is also having problems with Chris Lowe’s dribble penetration. Dambrot needs to keep either Cedrick Middleton or Darryl Roberts on him, instead.

Akron finished the half on a 15-7 run. Halftime score: Akron 31, UMass 34. Linhart has done a good job on Forbes, who has only four points. His only field goal was a deep 3 with a hand in his face.

Akron took its first lead since the score was 2-1 with a 6-0 run to start the half.

The Zips have controlled the tempo. UMass wants to run, but I think they’ve only gotten a couple transition hoops.

Linhart picked up his third foul. That’s not good.

Wood drained a 3. He’s having an outstanding game. A baby hook just capped a 7-0 run. As hot as Wood is, there is no excuse for a possession that doesn’t run through him.

Akron has cut down on turnovers. The Zips have nine, compared to UMass’ 13. The Minutemen just got called for over-and-back.

The Zips opened a nine-point lead after a Brett McKnight 3-pointer.

ESPN just showed a picture of Dambrot in his Akron uniform bunting. It was quite amusing.

The refs just whistled Milligan for his fourth foul. He is their best post player but will probably spend about six minutes on the bench.

Ricky Harris has been UMass’ only scoring option this half. He has 16 points, mostly on 3’s.

Middleton picked up his fourth foul. That’s bad news for Akron’s prospects of stopping Lowe.

UMass has missed a load of open 3’s. The Minutemen could easily be winning by five.

UMass cut the lead to one. Dambrot had to expect that such a good team would make a run on their home court. The question is, can the Zips stay composed and work their offense?

Dials made an awful pass while trying to feed Wood in the post. The turnover led to Lowe taking the lead with two free throws.

On a scrum for the ball, Dials tripped a UMass player. The ref called an intentional foul, which is totally bogus.

The Minutemen are on a 17-2 run.

Going for a rebound, Wood fell backward onto Gaffney’s knee. Gaffney looked like he was in serious agony.

Brett McKnight canned a 3. It was Akron’s first field goal in more than six minutes.

Akron has to foul. The Zips need to clamp Milligan (53%) or Bonner (52%). UMass got the ball to Forbes, who is a 72 percent free throw shooter. He split the pair.

Akron should toss the ball down low to Wood, even though the Zips need three to tie. They might get an and-one. Or Wood can kick it out for a 3. Even if he makes a layup, they can foul and try it again.

Instead, all Akron could muster was a fade-away 3 from Wood, which came up short. The Zips played a fine game, but it would nice to get a better shot than that.

That concludes the careers of Middleton, Wood, Dials, Milum and Goddard. They won a lot of games and were central to Dambrot’s transformation of the program. Only two teams in the nation win their final game of the season. There’s nothing to be ashamed of today.

Final score — Akron 63, UMass 68

Men’s basketball

Akron’s next challenge on the road to Madison Square Garden is Massachusetts. The teams will play on ESPN Saturday at noon.

The Minutement score a lot of points (81.9), but also allow a lot (75.8). The statistics indicate a porous defense, but that isn’t quite true. UMass plays a fast-paced game, so that skews the stats.

The Minutemen’s weakness comes at the foul line (66.7 percent) and, despite their size, on the glass. They have a rebounding deficit this season. However, the team averages more than seven blocks per game.

On offense, swingmen Gary Forbes and Ricky Harris are Nos. 1 and 7 in scoring in the Atlantic-10, respectively. Forbes and forward Etienne Brower are Nos. 5 and 9, respectively, in the league’s rebounding leaders. Point guard Chris Lowe averages 6.1 assists per game, which is 16th in the nation.

On defense, Lowe and Harris are among the league leaders in steals. Big men Dante Milligan and Tony Gaffney are among the A-10’s top four shot blockers.

Akron will face a strong challenge from UMass’ size. Forbes is 6-foot-7. Milligan, Gaffney and Brower are each around 6-8 or 6-9. Two things work in Akron’s favor. First, the Zips have one of the nation’s best wing defenders to stop Forbes. Nate Linhart never has had a chance to guard someone his own size. If he can defend that well with mismatches, he should be able to lock down Forbes. Second, UMass doesn’t use its big men as offensive weapons. They are mostly defenders and rebounders.

Those big guys will give Jeremiah Wood problems, however. They also will plug any dribble penetration from the Zips. That means Akron must have its 3-pointers falling to win. UMass defends the perimeter well, so that will be a challenge.

The Minutement average about 5,000 fans per game, but only 2,112 showed up at the William D. Mullins Center to watch the first-round game against Stephen F. Austin. The home court isn’t likely to provide much of an advantage Saturday, either.

The winner will travel to Syracuse for a game on Tuesday. The Orange beat Maryland Thursday night.

Notes…

Akron and UMass have never played each other, GoZips.com points out.

If you haven’t gotten your March Madness fill, check out the schedule for NIT games. There are some great matchups.

I am such an idiot. I forgot to complete my NCAA Tournament bracket on Yahoo. Yeah, I know. I’m the same guy who was a broken record to get everyone to sign up. Anyhow, Zipgrad1990 leads the field of 26 Zips fans by correctly predicting 18 of 20 winners.

Don’t think it would slip by me that Kent State tied a record that was set before KSU’s president was born by scoring only 10 points in the first half against UNLV. Great way to represent the MAC, Flashes. Although they were the best team in the conference, I knew they could be in trouble in the NCAA Tournament without a go-to player on offense.

Football

Akron held its Pro Day this week.

GoZips.com’s story indicates that Davanzo Tate had a good workout.

To this point, however, it looks like Jabari Arthur and Nate Robinson have the best shot at hearing their names called on April 26 or 27.

Also this…

Some people were speculating why Ohio State pulled its scholarship offer to Devoe Torrence.

Allegedly having sex with 12-year-olds usually does the trick.

Volleyball

Former coach Mike Sweitzer filed a lawsuit against the university for age discrimination.

The best evidence Sweitzer has is a quote from an unnamed university official to one of the assistant coaches, that Sweitzer is a “57-year-old man who may not be able to motivate or relate to the new type of student-athlete, that he could be stuck in his old ways and they may not work anymore.”

Sweitzer is also saying that he had a great record during his time at Akron. That might be true, but so do dozens of coaches who get canned each year. The team has stunk for the past three years, and that’s what really matters.

I doubt we will see this suit get to court. My guess is the university will settle or the judge will dismiss it.

Men’s basketball

Here’s what the newspapers had to say…

Tampa Tribune — FSU wasn’t allowed to do its normal player introductions because it was an NIT game. Somehow, that contributed to throwing the ‘Noles off their game.

Orlando Sentinal – The players didn’t care much about the NIT after being there the previous two years. (Gee, that’s not what I remember the players saying before their loss.)

Tallahassee Democrat – FSU coach Leonard Hamilton gave Akron some credit for its defensive scheme.

Akron Beacon Journal — Keith Dambrot says the Zips keep surprising him.

Jacksonville Times-Union — FSU was perfect from the free-throw line.

Palm Beach Post — Nick Dials’ hot hand won it for Akron. He scored 21.

ZipsNation.org — The chat room was a great way to keep up with the game with fellow fans. About 10 to 15 of us were in there. Click the link to read the transcript.

GoZips.com — Box score

More thoughts on the game…

A lot of those news stories whine about the turnovers, implying that FSU never would have lost to Akron without 23 of them. On the other hand, you could say this game wouldn’t have been so close if Akron shot better than 10-for-19 at the free throw line. I’ll admit, some of FSU’s turnovers were unforced, but the great many were products of Akron combing the passing lanes, which I have not seen them do so much this season. The bigger reason FSU lost, in my opinion, was the inability of its talented guards to take over and get a bucket when the team needed one. The three guards went 9-for-30 from the field.

Dambrot altered his rotation last night to match up with FSU’s size down low. Basically, that meant all of Brett McKnight’s playing time went to Jeremiah Wood, who was on the floor for, gulp, 41 minutes. UMass has a lot of size, too. Akron must get more quality minutes from Quade Milum and Mike Bardo.

I can’t understate how awful the ESPN Classic announcers were last night. Mike Jarvis referred to Dambrot as “the Akron coach” and his best player as “Woods.” The play-by-play guy was no better, talking about “the Akron coach” and his best defender “Nate LYNE-HART.” Their mispronunciations and inability to recall Dambrot’s name prove their lack of preparation. Also, I’m glad I wasn’t playing the cliche drinking game with Jarvis’ commentary. I’d be dead.

I will break down UMass on Friday.

Men’s basketball

Refresh your browser for updated commentary…

No, I’m not in Tallahassee. I’m in my living room. A lot of this blog entry will be reflecting on the season, especially if it looks like Akron is going to lose.

UMass beat Stephen F. Austin 80-60, so the Zips would travel to Amherst, Mass., if they win tonight. The Minutemen got a big game from role player Dante Milligan, who had 24 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks.

I will be in the chat room on ZipsNation.org. There should be a lot of activity in there tonight because it’s an away game.

All those media clips said how the team cares about the NIT. Apparently its fans don’t. The Donald L. Tucker Center looks about half-full.

The Zips are playing the passing lanes, getting defensive rebounds and scooping loose balls. It also helps that FSU is shooting poorly (1-for-11).

I wish it wasn’t fashionable to tout Davidson. I have thought that team would go far all year. They’re going to the Elite Eight in my bracket.

Akron started clanking 3’s and let FSU back in the game. The Zips need to work the ball into Jeremiah Wood to get more consistent results and avoid the deep slumps.

Sure, Akron’s 15-point lead disappeared, but the Zips gained confidence by weathering FSU’s inevitable run.

Scratch what I said about Wood. He is having trouble against FSU’s mixture of quickness and bulk. I recall ESPN’s Kyle Whelliston telling me he thought Wood could play for anyone in the country, however.

Mike Jarvis is on the announcing team. The way he calls Keith Dambrot “Akron’s coach” makes me think he doesn’t know Dambrot’s name. For those of you who don’t remember, Jarvis was formerly coach at St. John’s and is currently an Uncle Phil look-alike.

Steve McNees is playing intense defense! (This game isn’t in high-def, so maybe I was actually watching Nate Linhart slouched over.)

Darryl Roberts has been key to keeping this game tight. He swirled home a double-clutch 3-pointer while trying to draw a foul. Nick Dials, meanwhile, is flat broke. His stat line will make him vomit. In fairness, jump shooters suffer more than other players when they’re tired.

Jarvis is being a borderline jerk. He’s talking about the NBA jobs that he turned down, that were later offered to FSU coach Leonard Hamilton.

Dials hit Wood with a baseball throw outlet pass for an easy layup. Now if we can get him to stop shooting. Further proof that Dials is gassed: He just missed two free throws off the front rim. For goodness sake, rest him for a few minutes.

Dials must be reading this blog and the ZipsNation chat room. He just plugged one from NBA range. Nothing but net.

The Zips are playing defense like starving hobos with a sandwich on the line. It’s making me squirm just watching them rotate across the floor and move their hands and feet.

Just a reminder: FSU is a terrific foul shooting team.

The ref just hit Toney Douglas with a frog splash. You’ll probably see the highlight on SportsCenter.

Coming off a timeout, FSU threw the ball away. Linhart drove the floor and was fouled on a dunk attempt. He made one, but the rebound went to Akron.

Jarvis said he doesn’t think a team has ever come here and gotten the calls like Akron has. This guy is saying the refs are wrong on an out-of-bounds call when he’s 40 feet away and the ref is right on top of the play.

Wood clanked the front end of a one-and-one with a chance to extend the lead to five, and maybe six. Nothing has really changed since the KSU game for him or Dials. Like I said, though, they must be entirely exhausted.

The Zips had a chance to make it a two-possession game, but Linhart traveled in the weave.

Ralph Mims took a 3 with 18 seconds left and bricked it. Linhart got the rebound. He short-armed the front end. Douglas drove the length of the floor and scored easily.

Akron has the ball under FSU’s hoop with eight seconds left to take the lead. The Zips need to be careful not to turn the ball over under the Seminoles’ hoop and lose in regulation.

Dials drove the length of the floor, spun and missed a bank shot. Douglas played tight defense.

If Akron loses, pin it squarely on the free throws. You can’t repeatedly miss the front end of one-and-ones and hope to close out a game.

FSU is 1-3 in overtime. Akron’s only overtime game came at Dayton.

Wood slammed another front end foul shot off the back of the rim. Unbelievable.

Dials threw another outstanding, unconventional outlet pass. McKnight caught it and was fouled. Brick. Brick. What’s new?

Dials drilled consecutive 3’s.

The shooting from 6-foot-9 Uche Echefu is keeping FSU in the game.

Dials canned another 3! This time, he was fading away with a hand in his face. That is your textbook heat check. Dials has 17 points. FSU fouled Linhart after a missed Seminoles shot. He split the pair, which actually improves Akron’s frree throw percentage.

FSU senior Jason Rich turned it over. Akron has the ball with a five-point lead and a minute left. If they make half their free throws, they should hold on.

I think Dambrot was making a statement by putting the ball in Cedrick Middleton’s hands on that possession, when a foul was imminent. He wants to restore Middleton’s confidence, even if his career only lasts one more game. Making key foul shots in this game could help him forget about Penno’s Prayer.

Roberts traveled. Akron needed points there. FSU got a quick bucket. The lead is down to three. You need only foul shooters and ball handlers on the floor.

FSU fouled Dials, who made both.

FSU scored after running about 13 seconds off the clock thanks to pesky perimeter defense from Wood.

FSU tried to trap Roberts without fouling him. Roberts found an outlet man, who passed it to Dials, who finished off the Seminoles with two MADE free throws.

Akron won its second postseason game ever. It was a real thriller. The Zips should be proud. Just think of what last year’s team would have done in this tournament. Next up is UMass on Saturday at noon.

Final score — Akron 65, FSU 60

Men’s basketball

Notes…

The game will start at 9 p.m. on ESPN Classic, which Time Warner just switched to position 304.

Akron Beacon Journal — Keith Dambrot says Florida State has three good guards. Its big men are mostly role players.

Odds – The Seminoles are 7.5-point favorites.

The Sports Network — FSU’s defense is mediocre at best, but its guards should give Akron problems.

Offshore Insiders — FSU is 7-14-1 against the spread in its last 22 games.

Orlando Sentinal – FSU coach Leonard Hamilton says that there are a lot of NIT teams who are better than at least half of the NCAA Tournament field.

Plain Dealer — Terry Pluto writes how much the NIT means to Akron and Cleveland State. It’s a good read.

Palm Beach Post — A win would give FSU a third-straight year with 20+ wins. That hasn’t happened since the days of Bobby Sura, Sam Cassell and Charlie Ward.

Tampa Tribune – FSU guard Toney Douglas says his team has something to prove after not making the Big Dance.

Plain Dealer — Dambrot says a trip to the NIT gives Akron credibility.

Florida Times-Union — Hamilton says his team is honored to play in the NIT against this year’s field.

GoZips.com — Akron and FSU never have played each other in men’s basketball.

I mentioned Zips recruiting target Zeke Marshall a couple days ago. His mother posted at ZipsNation.org, saying Akron has a good shot to land the 7-foot stud. Here’s my suggestion to Dambrot & Co.: Ask some AK-Rowdies to show up at his AAU games.

Prediction – Florida State lost at home when it played a team with similar talent in Cleveland State. So it’s doable. The Zips have been resilient in recent history, going 9-1 after their last 10 losses. However, FSU is hot. The Seminoles have won five out of seven. Those two losses came to North Carolina, the undisputed best team in the nation. It doesn’t help Akron that FSU is excited to play in the NIT. Some teams regret the “Not Invited Tournament.” FSU embraces it.

Still, the Zips match up well with the Seminoles. They play good ball defense on guards, which is the position FSU relies on for scoring. Also, FSU is liable to allow big offensive nights. Heck, Providence broke 100 points on them.

It will all come down to Akron’s shooting, which often is determined by stamina. It will be hard for the Zips to travel a few hours on short notice and play three days after playing on three consecutive nights. It has been four nights since FSU plays on two consecutive nights. Akron will put up a good fight, but it will be hard to keep up with FSU’s fresher legs.

Akron 71, FSU 75

Men’s basketball

Florida State is Akron’s first high-major opponent since 2005 (and we wonder why the RPI never suits the Zips).

Usually, teams from the Power Six conferences feature a lot of size, speed and athleticism. FSU is no different.

Florida State also is a good jumpshooting team. FSU leads the conference at 77 percent from the free throw line. The Seminoles shoot 35.4 percent on 3-pointers. The downside to that is the offense will rely on jump shots, withing getting much movement. The Seminoles are last in the ACC with only 11.1 assists per game.

Despite having a roster with five players taller than 6-foot-9, FSU does not dominate on the boards or block many shots. Uche Echefu, a 6-9 junior from Nigera, is among the league leaders in rebounds at 7.2 per game, however.

In FSU’s worst losses, such as versus NC State, South Florida and Cleveland State, the Seminoles have not taken care of the ball and/or allowed a high opponent 3-point percentage. In their best performances, such as versus North Carolina, Florida and Clemson, they have forced a lot of turnovers, dominated the boards and/or puckered up the defense on the perimeter.

Toney Douglas is the main offensive option, scoring an average of 15.6 points per game. The 6-1 junior is a steady scorer who attempts a lot of 3’s and forces turnovers. His backcourt mate Jason Rich has been the one carrying FSU the past couple weeks. Rich averages 14.7 points per game.