No one could blame University of Akron men’s basketball coach Keith Dambrot if he claims to be the reincarnation of soothsayer Nostradamus with respect to his Zips team.
More than likely, it’s the knowledge accrued over more than three decades in the coaching profession.
Dambrot said before the start of the season that things could play out well for the Zips if they accomplished certain things — big-man play, outside scoring and old-fashioned UA defense.
There have been a couple of bumps along the way, but right now, given the team’s seven-game winning streak, it looks as if it’s starting to come together.
With two nearly 7-foot players — senior Pat Forsythe and Isaiah “Big Dog” Johnson — the Zips have been able to create problems for opponents. Combined, they average 21.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. Forsythe is still working to regain his rhythm after dealing with an ankle injury, but after Johnson suffered a similar injury against Bowling Green on Tuesday night, Forsythe showed he’s getting there.
As for Johnson, someone close to the program said that the Zips expected this to be the Cincinnati junior’s season. They were correct. Johnson’s ascension remains consistent. His footwork around the basket coupled with rising confidence have turned him into one of the best big men in the Mid-American Conference.
Johnson and Forsythe will be needed to ensure that Dambrot’s inside-out philosophy works. Right now, the comfort level is rising.
The Zips make an average of 11.5 3-pointers per game. It’s good enough to rank near the top in the country.
The dilemma for opponents is that there are at least five guys on this UA team who can make 3-pointers with consistency. Everyone knows of seniors Jake Kretzer and Reggie McAdams, but underclassmen are stepping up to drop shots from the outside. Guards Noah Robotham and Antino Jackson, especially, don’t lack for confidence in that department and have been scoring 3-pointers in bunches. In the past two games, Jackson has connected on 10-of-14 from beyond the arc.
The pleasant surprise in recent games, however, has been freshman guard Josh Williams, a St. Vincent-Mary grad, who posted back-to-back 20-plus point games and made 10-of-12 from beyond the arc. The development isn’t surprising, but the speed of it might be.
Yes, the Zips have an Achilles’ heel. It’s been the defense. That’s a significant trouble spot. But while the Zips struggled earlier in the conference schedule, allowing easy drives to the rim, even that’s changed with increased effort.
Effort isn’t the kind of thing that shows in the box score all the time, but there’s little doubt there’s a difference in UA’s defense then and now.
What should this all mean? That the Zips (20-4, 9-2) are ascending at the right time. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be a bumpless trip. Although they have a two-game lead in the MAC’s East Division, they still have two games to play against Kent State (16-8, 7-4) and one each with Ohio (15-8, 6-5) and Buffalo (14-10, 7-4). Though not easy, they are all winnable.
The key to the Zips’ postseason fortunes mostly lies with the players. Can they stay healthy? The effects of Johnson’s sprained ankle remain a mystery and may not be known until tip-off against Northern Illinois on Saturday afternoon. Williams didn’t travel with the team for Tuesday’s Bowling Green game and key reserve Aaron Jackson is recovering from a shoulder injury.
If they can regain their health and keep it, Dambrot and his players might actually get to work the magic that some expected before a first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament in 2013.
George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at www.ohio.com/zips. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ.