CLEVELAND - It has been 23 years since Bob Huggins led the University of Akron to the NCAA Tournament. After defeating the University at Buffalo in the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game 65-53 and earning a bid for this year's tournament, coach Keith Dambrot was quick to pick up on the significance of that number.
"It's ironic that it's been 23 years since we've been to the NCAA tournament," Dambrot said. "You know who number 23 is. So that's the reason why I'm the coach at the University of Akron, because of number 23."
Dambrot was NBA All-Star LeBron James' (No. 23) coach for three years at Saint Vincent-Saint Mary's High School in Akron before taking a job as an assistant coach at Akron. The Zips dance team all wears 23 jerseys, probably not in honor of sophomore forward Brett McKnight, but James, who never played for the school. The team also wears James' signature shoe.
The Zips almost reached the NCAA Tournament two years ago with a team that featured two of James' teammates from SVSM, forward Romeo Travis and point guard Dru Joyce. That team was beaten by Miami University on a last-second shot.
NIT boundBy winning the regular season MAC title, Bowling Green State University received an automatic bid to the NIT. It will be the Falcons' first trip to the postseason since 2002 when they lost to Butler University 81-69 in the first round.
Senior forward Nate Miller said the team will be able to refocus after losing to the University of Akron in the MAC Tournament semifinals.
"All year our motto has been 'bounce back,'" Miller said. "The best thing about [the loss] is that we have another one. We have to go out there and give everything we've got."
Coach Louis Orr said his team is excited to get a chance to keep playing.
"We're just looking forward to playing another game," Orr said. "We've still got a lot to play for."
Third time's the charmAkron's championship game appearance was its third straight. The Zips were favored in 2007 to beat Miami, but were upset by Doug Penno's game-winning 3-pointer. Last year they were defeated by top-seeded Kent State University.
Senior forward Nate Linhart has played in all three games for the Zips.
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