Joel Backlund, from Reno, emailed me this week to point out an
error in my last 5-on-5 feature. I noted that Davidson was one
of only three teams to go unbeaten on the road in conference
play. Joel correctly informed that I overlooked the Wolf Pack
of Nevada. Now would be a good time to point out that I do
have editors for my work so I am going to attempt to defer
this error to another.
Thanks for the email Joel. It’s good to know that someone
actually reads my contributions.
The Mid-American Conference regular season is winding down and
the Road to Cleveland will begin next week. You can easily
make a case for six or seven teams winning the MAC tournament,
including Akron.
In his first season, Keith Dambrot has done an
outstanding job of bringing along the Zips. A lot of people
may not realize it, but Dambrot lost one of his top players
back in January, with the loss of Jeremiah Woods. Without
Woods, Dambrot’s team has used balance, at both ends of the
floor, to make a strong push down the stretch. Recently Akron
cracked the Mid-Major Top 25 for the first time this season.
I caught up with Keith to talk about his team.
DAVE MAGARITY: As coaches, we always want to be playing
our best basketball in mid to late March. Your team has really
picked it up of late. What are the biggest differences between
now and early January?
KEITH DAMBROT: The big difference between now and
January is that our players are more comfortable with our
system. We are also used to playing without Jeremiah Wood
(torn ACL in Ohio game/Jan. 2). Being our leading rebounder,
we needed some players to step up to fill the void left by his
loss. Romeo Travis has really filled in nicely. He's learned
what it means to be our go-to-guy instead of a sitting more in
the shadows. Our biggest difference is probably how much more
we are getting from him now compared to in early January.
MAGARITY: Offensively, Akron is one of the top scoring
teams in the Mid-American Conference, but often overlooked is
how well your teams plays defensively. Talk about your
defensive approach and the team’s very balanced scoring. It
seems as though it’s a different guy, every night.
DAMBROT: Defense has been our major point of emphasis.
In the time I've been with the program (spent previous three
seasons as an assistant) we had never been what I considered a
solid defensive team. So we have taken great measures to step
up our game in that area, and I think that's a major reason
for our success this season. When you don't have a star
player, you have to have a balanced scoring attack. In many
ways that makes us difficult to match up with. Opponents need
to worried about four or five different guys, any of which
could get hot on any given night.
MAGARITY: Familiarity is so important to the chemistry
of a team. Since you spent the previous three years as Dan
Hipsher’s top assistant, I imagine that it was a pretty
seamless transition for everyone?
DAMBROT: Yes, the transition was easier than most when
a program brings in a new coach. The biggest change was our
style of play. I've been associated with many of the players
on this team since they were in middle school, so the belief
structure that a new coach has to gain from his team was
pretty much in place when I took over. They believed in me and
I in them from the second I took over.
MAGARITY: As a high school coach at Vincent St. Mary
high school, you coached LeBron James, but your relationship
with LeBron goes back farther. Talk about working with the
young LeBron and watching his development into one of the best
players on the planet.
DAMBROT: The way I feel about LeBron is the way I think
the majority of people in Akron feel about him. We feel a
great since of pride in him being from our community. Every
time I watch him play I'm amazed at his ability. Probably the
thing that amazes me most about him is his selflessness and
how much he wants to win by being a team guy. That shows a
great deal of maturity, but that was the way he was in high
school as well.
MAGARITY: You have made the full circle, returning to
your alma mater as head coach. Tell people, who aren’t
familiar with the school, about the Akron experience.
DAMBROT: If I could chose anywhere to be a head coach
it would be at The University of Akron. I feel very fortunate
to have the unique opportunity to coach at my alma mater. This
is also the community where I grew up and this is where my
family and friends live, so it's a great feeling to be doing
what I want to do in the place I want to live. Also, my late
mother was a professor at Akron so I have many fond memories
of her when I walk around campus. I remember coming on campus
as a kid to watch basketball games in our old gym Memorial
Hall, being in charge of the program now is a good feeling.
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