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.

Miscellaneous

It's hard to characterize 2007.

Looking back on the year, you might call it an utter disappointment. The basketball team failed to reach the postseason. The football team won four games. The soccer team got upset in the first round.

On the other hand, you could call it a success with Keith Dambrot winning 26 games and having the best men's basketball team ever to play at Akron. The athletic department revealed its gem of a stadium. The soccer team returned to national rankings and got great play from two freshmen.

Here is the list of most notable moments from the year. Please add your memories for each one.

1) Penno's Prayer — You won't see many heartbreaks like this in sports. Cedrick Middleton's free throw went off the front rim. Then 6.6 seconds seemed like an eternity as the ball found Doug Penno, who found backboard and twine. If you want to torture yourself, watch the Youtube video. I don't think I have ever written with such anger.
What I wrote

2) Miracle at Kalamazoo — You won't see many finishes like this game, either. Andre Jones took a pitch and cut out Western Michigan's heart. "Everything but a band on the field," ESPN's commentator said about its top play of the week. If you want a reason to drop the noose from Penno's Prayer, watch this video. Unfortunately, the rest of the season was a huge downer. In the MAC, however, you never can say next season won't be better.
What I wrote

3) Zips flush Flashes four times — Is there anything sweeter than beating the Golden Flashes THREE times in one basketball season, including eliminating them in the MAC Tournament? Naa. Top it off with a victory in the teams' final meeting in the Rubber Bowl. That should silence the Kent State fans for at least 12 months. Winning at the MAC Center will prove to be essential to the team's confidence during this conference season. Here's a video of the KSU band solemnly playing at The Q. I assume it was after the fate of its team was known.
What I wrote

4) Stadium revealed — Since 2004, we have heard promises of a new stadium. A concrete announcement came in July. It seemed like a great day for everyone involved. Well, except for the property owners who are losing their homes and businesses. This stadium will be the MAC's finest. If it does open in 2009, the Zips will have no excuse for not competing at the highest level of any mid-major team. I had to threaten legal action in order to receive the rendering before the announcement, and that was fun.
What I wrote

5) Soccer success — The Zips returned to the level of success under Ken Lolla. Akron should sustain it too, because two of the key players Anthony Ampaipitakwong and Steve Zakuani were freshmen. The team lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but Caleb Porter will have the Zips contending for the foreseeable future.

Honorable mentions

Zippy made an improbable run for the Capital One Mascot Challenge championship. We will learn tomorrow if the marsupial beat Goldy Gopher. I say "improbable" because I assumed Akron would have no chance to beat several BCS schools in a fan voting contest. I know for a fact a handful of dedicated Zips fans were carrying the load.

The women's track team won another MAC Championship. The men finished second, which is their highest place ever.

Golf coach Tom Porten smacked his tee-ball out of bounds by bolting to Kent State to be an assistant.

Akron suffered through severe incompetance at quarterback. Chris Jacquemain turned into Rex Grossman after the first quarter of most games. Carlton Jackson ran well, but was a turnover machine. Both guys were suspended.

The university did not renew volleyball coach Mike Sweitzer's contract. He had held the job for 17 seasons.

The university added women's golf. Jenny King comes from Kentucky to lead the Zips, who will begin play in 2008-09.

Football

This game is a microcosm of the season.

There were highlights, but one of the nation's worst quarterback situations sucked away hope of winning.

Akron's defense did not allow Miami to score in the Zips' 7-0 loss. John Mackey picked off two passes. Davanzo Tate broke up four passes. The defensive front dominated.

Shift your focus to the wimpy offense. Chris Jacquemain went 12-of-33 and threw two interceptions against the MAC's best scoring defense. Carlton Jackson came to the rescue and promptly fumbled for a RedHawks touchdown. Alex Allen's career game wasn't nearly enough to overcome such incompetence.

On to the grades…

Quarterback – I'd be surprised if it gets any worse than this. After next Friday, neither of these guys will throw another ball for the blue and gold. Hopefully. Grade: F

Running back — Allen was outstanding. He really looked like an elite back last night. He and Bryan Williams are the best tandem in the league at this point. Add Andrew Johnson to that mix next season. (Chills just went through my body.) Grade: B

Wide receiver — It's hard to blame the receivers when no one gets them the ball. Jabari Arthur had a solid game, and could have tied it if not for a terrible throw on fourth down at the end. Grade: C+

Tight end — Zero catches. Zero passers. Moot point. Grade: Incomplete

Offensive line – The announcers were whining about bad protection, but the RedHawks stellar front seven only tallied two sacks. They started to open holes in the middle, too, which has been my only minor complaint this season. Grade: B+

Kicker – No scoring. No place kicks. Moot point. Grade: Incomplete

Punter – John Stec had an average of 38.6 yards per punt. His rush for a first down was huge. I could see that play developing since training camp with the rugby kick. Grade: B+

Defensive line — They really plugged holes up front and allowed the linebackers to make plays. I was impressed. It's too bad Nate Robinson has only one game left at Akron. He is an unsung hero because, like all nose tackles, you won't see his effectiveness in a stat line. Grade: B+

Linebackers – I haven't seen Kevin Grant play with such a purpose. He hurried the quarterback once and made two tackles for loss. Maybe next year he will be the guy we expected after 2005. Grade: A

Secondary – John Mackey, I hope you TiVo'ed this game. I hope you show it to every employer to whom you ever apply. It shows your guts, talent and work ethic. Two interceptions and leading the team in tackles with nine??? Wow. Tate played a stellar game, too. Grade: A+

Coaching – Let this be a lesson to all of you fans who complain about Akron recruiting too many quarterbacks. It's very easy to get stuck without one. Take a look at Kent State — a team with a ton of talent, but no passers. As many of you have pointed out, Jackson needs to move to receiver. Jacquemain needs to move his *** to the bench to make way for Matt Rodgers in 2008. As for J.D. Brookhart and his staff, they made some smart calls. And the team appeared to be giving a great effort. However, there is no excuse for never entering scoring position when you're running game is performing OK. I don't want to blame Joe Moorhead completely, because his offense requires an above average passer. Unfortunately, the Zips don't have any semblance of one. Grade: C+

Media clips…

Plain Dealer

GoZips.com

Akron Beacon Journal — All five interceptions occurred in the north endzone, into the teeth of the wind.

Cincinnati Enquirer

Dayton Daily News

p.s. Sorry I was so late in getting this up. I've been pretty busy.

Volleyball

Mack Rhoades decided not to renew coach Mike Swietzer's contract.

He is out as coach, effective immediately. Swietzer has a career record of 281-252, but the team went 10-20 this year.

Men's basketball

Here's a reminder that Akron will tip off against South Carolina Upstate tomorrow at 10 p.m.

I commend the radio guys Steve French and Joe Dunn for braving the nine-hour flight to cover it for us.

I will break down the USCU Spartans sometime tomorrow.

The following stories are in the Buchtelite's basketball preview…

My column about why the early season games are very important.

Adam Ferrise wrote his column about Cedrick Middleton and how he coped with Penno's Prayer.

Vincent Dorsey previewed the season. It's a good read.

Men's soccer

Corben Bone and Cody Arnoux scored goals to give Wake Forest a 3-1 lead with 15 minutes remaining in the game.

Women's soccer

Akron improved to 2-0-1 with an overtime win over St. Bonaventure tonight.

Freshman Jordan Baranowski netted the deciding goal with 52 seconds left in the first overtime period.

Volleyball

The Zips rallied to beat Dartmouth tonight.

Akron's 7-1 record is its best start since 2001. It also matched its win total from last season.

Football

Here are my grades for the team's performance last night. I will grade on the same God-forsaken curve that I will suffer in law school.

Quarterbacks - Chris Jacquemain threw some balls that would be incomplete if not heading toward Jabari Arthur. Also, the offense stalled quite frequently in the red zone. However, zero turnovers is all you can ask at this point. Grade: B+

Offensive line - The run blocking allowed the talent of Dennis Kennedy and Bryan Williams to shine. It also protected Jacquemain well. Army's incompetence is the only reason this grade isn't an "A." Grade: B+

Running backs - The 1-2-3 punch of Kennedy, Williams and Alex Allen worked well. With a wealth of backs, each one seemed to have an extra burst of steam. The stats were only above-average, but they played better than that. Grade: B+

Tight ends - The new offense was supposed to take advantage of Akron's depth at tight end. So what did we see? Two throws to tight ends, and Kris Kasparek dropped them both. This would be an "F" if the passes were more accurate. Grade: D-

Wide receivers - Arthur was great. No one else impressed me. Grade: B

Kicker - I don't care if Igor Iveljic made a 60-yarder. Missing an extra point is unforgivable. Grade: C-

Punter - The roll-out punt has got to go. Aside from that, John Stec wasn't bad. Grade: C+

Defensive line - You didn't hear much from the linemen, but that doesn't mean they weren't doing their jobs. The starters combined for only six tackles and half a tackle for loss. The real result of their effort showed in the amount of freedom the linebackers enjoyed in blitzing. In case you were wondering, Shane Shead was another true freshman to receive playing time. Grade: B

Linebackers - The surprise of the night was Parris McNeal, who came off the bench for five tackles. His swarming speed always put him in good positions. The play of Brion Stokes and Doug Williams stood out, too. Grade: A-

Defensive backs - John Mackey, Reggie Corner and Davanzo Tate played with great heart and effort. You can't complain with the results of limiting Army to 184 passing yards on 43 attempts. Grade: A

Special teams - Bryan Williams and Andre Jones gave Akron great field position on returns. Whenever the kickoffs were adequate, Akron's coverage team was effective. Having a punt blocked for a touchdown has the effect of week-late term paper. The grade drops two letters. Grade: C

Coaching - Joe Moorhead's offense wasn't very exciting, but it exploited the cushion Army's defensive backs gave. When Army adjusted, so did Moorhead in calling for deep throws to Arthur. The only calls I question are the three roll-out punts. Grade: B

Here are some media clips from today:

ABJ game story
Plain Dealer game story
Terry Pluto's column (from the PD)
ESPN video highlights
The Kansas City Chiefs cut Kiki Gonzalez. The San Francisco 49ers dropped Luke Getsy. Both could land a spot on the practice squad.

Volleyball

Akron (6-1) took second place in the Sheraton Hilton Invitational after a loss to eventual champion Ole Miss and win over Syracuse.

Brionna Patterson and Kara Smith earned all-tournament team honors.

The Zips will participate in a tournament at NC State next weekend.

Football

Question: Which quarterback will lead the team?

Discussion: As you probably know by now, Chris Jacquemain will take the Zips first snap Saturday against Army.

The Mentor native entered camp as the implied No. 2. The depth chart showed a tie with Carlton Jackson and Sean Hakes, but Jackson was Luke Getsy's backup last season.

Typically, this would mean Jacquemain must outright beat his competitor and former roommate. Did it happen? I don't think so.

Both passers put up nearly identical stats. Their throwing ability, although somewhat different, appeared comparable. The passers each made critical errors, yet also showed they can move the offense when at their best. So where did Jacquemain overtake Jackson? The coaches pinpointed their main issue in the decision as finding a quarterback who "would not lose the game" for them. That factor did not separate the candidates.

With Jacquemain's victory in the battle, one must assume there was an intangible that propelled him. Perhaps he showed a firmer grasp on Joe Moorhead's new offense in team meetings. Maybe Jacquemain possessed stronger leadership capability.

Regardless, this decision appeared to be one that would reverberate throughout the next three season. With true freshman Matt Rodgers' incredible progression, a second battle could ensue next August.

Answer: Jacquemain will get the first chance. However, the mere mention that Jackson will play in the second quarter shows that the coaches are willing to allow the quarterback battle to continue at least through the early part of the season. My guess is Jackson will eventually overtake Jacquemain.

While quarterbacks wear green jerseys, coaches were in the dark as to which player could elude tacklers in the open field. It is only my opinion, but that is why I think Jackson will be the starter by the Kent State game. And if neither player proves capable, watch for Rodgers to get a chance.

Men's soccer

Akron beat Cleveland State 3-0 Sunday afternoon in the final preseason game.

Volleyball

The Zips knocked off Lehigh and Temple Sunday to win the Temple Invitational and retain an undefeated record.

Jennifer Stewart led the team with 25 digs. (Is that a lot?)

Football

Recruiting is an exciting business, but what always has fascinated me is which teams a player turns down in favor of their ultimate suitor.

That, in my opinion, is the best way to get a grasp on the player's talent. For example, we knew Almondo Sewell would be an immediate contributor based on Al Groh and Virginia's desire to lock him up. The level of competition should say much more than an arbitrary ranking from a Web site's "scouts."

That said, I will list whom each team has beaten so far this recruiting season.

Akron - 2 recruits. Beat out Cincinnati, Indiana, West Virginia and Minnesota (for cornerback Marvase Byrd). Quarterback Jordan Miller had no other offers.
Ball State - 0 recruits.
Bowling Green - 1 recruit. He is an "athlete" without any other offers.
Buffalo - 0 recruits.
Central Michigan - 2 recruits. Beat out Eastern Michigan, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan, Ball State and Bowling Green for a quarterback. The other player, a running back, had no other offers.
Eastern Michigan - 2 recruits. Neither player, a center and defensive end, have other offers.
Kent State - 1 recruit. The player, Charles Walls, is an offensive tackle from Virginia with no other offers.
Miami - 8 recruits. Beat out Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Kansas, Akron (on quarterback Zac Dysert and linebacker Luke Kelly), Ball State, Central Michigan, Wyoming, Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, Rice, Army, Kent State, Middle Tennessee State, Navy, Air Force and Alabama-Birmingham.
Northern Illinois - 1 recruit. Beat out Central Michigan for an offensive guard.
Ohio - 0 recruits.
Temple - 11 recruits. Beat out Army and UCF on an offensive guard.
Toledo - 1 recruit. The player, outside linebacker Kurtis Rassan, had no other offers.
Western Michigan - 4 recruits. Beat out Akron (for tight end Blake Hammond), Kansas State and Eastern Michigan.

How do you analyze those numbers? Well, it certainly shows Temple recruits are high on quantity, bare-bones on quality. Miami is putting together a terrific class. Also, it's pretty apparent there is little discrepancy between the worst BCS teams and best MAC teams. Results in recent games confirm that.

The Zips will play a mock game tomorrow. It's not open to the public, but I'll give you plenty of information. Also, I'll spend the next five days answering the questions I posed at the beginning of camp.

Volleyball

Akron swept its first day of competition, logging wins over La Salle and Rider.

Football

I lied. I was able to catch about 15 minutes of practice today.

I dropped by just in time for the goalline situation, which saw Carlton Jackson score on his feet and Chris Jacquemain score with his arm, finding Brian Flaherty in the endzone.

J.D. Brookhart was quite liberal throwing out taunting flags after each play. So the kickers both got a shot at an extra point from about 35 yards. Igor Iveljic's was blocked. Matt Domonkos' attempt was perfect.

A couple people have asked whether Zach Campbell is still in the running for kicker. Honestly, I don't think so — but only based on the circumstances that it's not convenient to do each kicking drill three times in front of the entire team. The way I put it doesn't quite make sense, but believe me. If Campbell performs well during practice, he will get a chance during his Zips career.

Tomorrow is the all-important scrimmage that will determine many depth chart question marks. If you're lucky, I'll con a few people into doing a podcast with me afterward.

Volleyball

Akron placed last in the MAC East coaches' poll.

The team made strides last year, but struggled in conference play. From what I hear, coach Mike Sweitzer is really thrilled with his incoming recruiting class. He brought in the kind of athleticism the program has never seen.

Junior Jennifer Stewart will return from a back injury. Before that, she was one of Akron's cornerstones.

The season begins Aug. 24.

Volleyball

The Zips used what they learned in nonconference play to beat up on a division rival.

Akron beat Kent 3-2, the ABJ's Michael Beaven reports.

For my column Tuesday, I might attend tonight's game against Ohio, ranked 20th in the country.

Football

The Zips will hold a walk-through today in their last preparations for North Texas.

The tailgating will begin in about 30 hours.

• The ABJ's David Lee Morgan writes it would be nice if Akron can score early.

Volleyball

Akron built comfortable leads in all three games Tuesday and kept them, sweeping Youngstown State in the Zips home opener, 3-0.

The Zips' record is now 4-3 and they will travel to New Mexico for games this weekend against Idaho State, Wyoming and New Mexico State.

Men's soccer

Sinisia Ubiparipovic earned a spot on a national team after either scoring or assisting on four of Akron's five goals last week.

Ashley Kozicki also was crucial to Akron's wins. He is the MAC Player of the Week.