Akron Zips Sign Three

University of Akron head men's basketball coach Keith Dambrot announced on Thursday that Brett McKnight, Steve Sweich and Ronnie Steward have signed national letters of intent to play at the school starting in the 2007-08 season. All three are currently in their senior season of high school.

McKnight, a 6-foot-6, 245-pound forward from Lancaster, Ohio, attends Lancaster High. McKnight averaged 12 points and six rebounds in leading Lancaster HS to a 25-2 record last season. He has been named as the fourth-best wing/forward in the state by PrepSpotlight.

Steward, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound guard from Columbus, Ohio, attends Eastmoor Academy. He averaged 18 points and six assists last season, and is on pace to be the first player at Eastmoor to score 1,000 career points. Last season he earned honorable mention all-state recognition and is a two-time first-team all-city pick and was twice named to the second-team all-district squad. Steward is the No. 2-ranked point guard in the state according to PrepSpotlight.

Sweich, a 6-foot-9, 255-pound center, is from Pittsburgh where he attends Elizabeth Forward High. He scored 27 points-per-game, grabbed 13 boards-per-game and managed four blocks-a-game as a junior a season ago. Sweich earned a spot on the Associated Press All-State Class AAA Third Team, was named the WPIAL Player of the Year and selected to the WPIAL Class AAA First Team. He also earned the McKeesport Daily News and Pittsburgh Post Gazette Player of the Year awards, and was listed in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 10.