At home last year
Akron went 14-1. Away from the
friendly confines of Rhodes Arena the Zips were just 5-9. A
little consistency on the road will come with age and Keith
Dambrot’s squad is still pretty young, but they have plenty of
experience. Six players return who started at least ten games
during the 2004-2005 campaign.
Who’s Out:
Rick McFadden is the major loss for the Zips. The big man had a
nice stroke from behind the arc and averaged 8.4 points and 3.4
rebounds per contest. Center Nick Meyers started five games but
never saw too many minutes in Akron. Guard Mario Collins saw
some back up duty at the point, averaging 3.6 points and 2.2
assists.
Who’s In:
Nick Dials would have been the key newcomer, but the Ohio State
transfer is likely out for the season with a torn ACL. Shooting
guards Jimmy Conyers and John Rybak and small forward Nate
Linhart won’t be forced into action as freshmen, but have the
talent to contribute off the bench. Conyers averaged 24.0
points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists at the National Christian
Academy in Baltimore, Maryland as senior. Rybak is another big
guard at 6-5, who can score and rebound. Linhart, a product of
Gahanna, Ohio averaged 17 points and nine rebounds as a senior
at Gahanna Lincoln High School.
Who to Watch:
There is a ton of talent at the forward spot
with Darryl Peterson, Jeremiah Wood and Romeo Travis, who are
6-5, 6-6 and 6-7 in height, respectively. Peterson is the go to
scorer averaging a team high 12.9 points per game. Travis wasn’t
far behind with 11.9 points and tacked on 7.4 rebounds and 2.1
assists. Wood added 10.7 points and a team high 8.1 rebounds in
ten games before going down for the rest of the year with an
injury. The trio will give Keith Dambrot plenty of options on
the floor. If they want to go big, Peterson can move to the two
and Matt Futch or Rob Preston can play center. If they want to
go small, Travis can handle the center spot and Adam “Bubba”
Walther plays at the two guard.
Projected Conference Rank:
The team is talented, the bench is deep and
the biggest issue might be who to put on the floor in crunch
time. Dru Joyce III is a solid point guard, Cedrick Middleton
and Adam Walther had solid freshmen seasons and Rob Preston and
Matt Futch are senior leaders under the basket. The MAC, as
usual, is wide open, but missing out on the postseason again
will be very disappointing for Akron, even if Nick Dials isn’t
available all year. With a 2nd place finish overall
in the conference, the Zips will be easily into the NIT and even
thinking about an at large bid for a trip to the NCAAs, earning
their first postseason berth since 1989.
Projected Post-season Tournament:
NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Dru Joyce III, Junior, Guard, 7.3 points per game
Adam Walther, Sophomore, Guard, 8.8 points per game
Darryl Peterson, Senior, Forward, 12.9 points per game
Jeremiah Wood, Junior, Forward, 10.7 points per game
Romeo Travis, Junior, Forward, 11.9 points per game
