2008–09 Akron Zips men's basketball team

The 2008–09 Akron Zips men's basketball team represented the University of Akron in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Zips, led by head coach Keith Dambrot, played their home games at Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio, as members of the Mid-American Conference. The Zips won the 2009 MAC tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the 13th seed in the South region. Akron lost its first-round game in the tournament to Gonzaga, 77–64.[1]

2008–09 Akron Zips men's basketball
MAC Tournament champion
NCAA tournament, First Round
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionEast Division
Record23–13 (10–6 MAC)
Head coach
Associate head coachJeff Boals (3rd season)
Assistant coaches
Home arenaRhodes Arena
Seasons
← 2007–08
2008–09 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
East
Bowling Green 11 5   .688 19 14   .576
Buffalo 11 5   .688 21 12   .636
Miami 10 6   .625 17 13   .567
Akron 10 6   .625 23 13   .639
Kent State 10 6   .625 19 15   .559
Ohio 7 9   .438 15 17   .469
West
Ball State 7 9   .438 14 17   .452
Central Michigan 7 9   .438 12 19   .387
Western Michigan 7 9   .438 10 21   .323
Eastern Michigan 6 10   .375 8 24   .250
Northern Illinois 5 11   .313 10 20   .333
Toledo 5 11   .313 7 25   .219
Conference tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

Roster

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2008–09 Akron Zips men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown
G 1 Ronnie Steward 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) RS Fr Columbus, Ohio
G 2 Kyle Petersen 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Fr Naples, Florida
G 3 Alex Sullivan 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Fr Painesville, Ohio
G 4 Steve McNees 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 170 lb (77 kg) So New Castle, Pennsylvania
G 5 Brett McClanahan 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Fr Nitro, West Virginia
G 12 Darryl Roberts 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Jr Toledo, Ohio
F 13 Nikola Cvetinović 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Fr Loznica, Serbia
G 14 Eric Coblentz 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) RS Fr Uniontown, Ohio
F 15 Tim Carroll 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Jr Akron, Ohio
F 23 Brett McKnight 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 245 lb (111 kg) So Lancaster, Ohio
G 24 Anthony Hitchens 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 168 lb (76 kg) Fr Chillicothe, Ohio
F 30 Chris McKnight 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Jr Lancaster, Ohio
F 32 Jimmy Conyers 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Sr Baltimore, Maryland
F 33 Nate Linhart 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Sr Gahanna, Ohio
C 40 Steve Swiech 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 250 lb (113 kg) RS Fr Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
F 42 Andrew Parrish 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Fr Dayton, Ohio
C 54 Mike Bardo 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) So Cincinnati, Ohio
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: October 17, 2022

Source[2][3]

Schedule and results

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Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site
city, state
Exhibition
November 6, 2008*
7:00 pm
Walsh W 83–81 
Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
Regular season
November 15, 2008*
7:00 pm
Canisius W 56–46  1–0
Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
November 18, 2008*
7:00 pm
Winthrop W 72–58  2–0
Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
November 21, 2008*
7:00 pm
at No. 6 Pittsburgh
Legends Classic
L 67–86  2–1
Petersen Events Center 
Pittsburgh, PA
November 25, 2008*
7:00 pm
Urbana
Legends Classic
W 77–68  3–1
Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
November 29, 2008*
7:00 pm
vs. Eastern Kentucky
Legends Classic
L 57–69  3–2
Rothman Center 
Hackensack, NJ
November 30, 2008*
7:00 pm
at Fairleigh Dickinson
Legends Classic
W 85–41  4–2
Rothman Center 
Hackensack, NJ
December 3, 2008*
7:00 pm
at Niagara W 63–59  5–2
Gallagher Center 
Lewiston, NY
December 6, 2008*
7:00 pm
Dayton L 50–54  5–3
Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
December 13, 2008*
7:00 pm
North Carolina A&T W 78–61  6–3
Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
December 17, 2008*
7:30 pm
at VCU L 69–73  6–4
Siegel Center 
Richmond, VA
December 28, 2008*
7:00 pm
St. Francis Brooklyn W 77–70  7–4
Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
December 31, 2008*
2:00 pm
at UNC Greensboro W 75–53  8–4
Fleming Gymnasium 
Greensboro, NC
January 3, 2009*
2:00 pm
at Rhode Island L 50–79  8–5
Ryan Center 
Kingston, RI
January 10, 2009
4:00 pm
at Miami (OH) L 51–64  8–6
(0–1)
Millett Hall 
Oxford, OH
January 13, 2009
7:00 pm
Buffalo L 61–63  8–7
(0–2)
Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
January 17, 2009
4:30 pm
at Bowling Green W 62–52  9–7
(1–2)
Anderson Arena 
Bowling Green, OH
January 20, 2009
7:00 pm
at Ohio L 65–70  9–8
(1–3)
Convocation Center 
Athens, OH
January 24, 2009
7:00 pm
Kent State W 68–54  10–8
(2–3)
Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
January 26, 2009*
7:00 pm
at Youngstown State W 67–53  11–8
Beeghly Center 
Youngstown, OH
January 28, 2009
7:00 pm
at Toledo W 70–61  12–8
(3–3)
Savage Arena 
Toledo, OH
January 31, 2009
7:00 pm
Central Michigan W 64–43  13–8
(4–3)
Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
February 3, 2009
7:00 pm
at Eastern Michigan W 78–41  14–8
(5–3)
Convocation Center 
Ypsilanti, MI
February 8, 2009
2:00 pm
Western Michigan W 87–63  15–8
(6–3)
Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
February 11, 2009
7:00 pm
Ball State W 63–55  16–8
(7–3)
Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
February 15, 2009
8:00 pm
at Northern Illinois L 79–83  16–9
(7–4)
Convocation Center 
DeKalb, IL
February 18, 2009
7:00 pm
Miami (OH) W 53–44  17–9
(8–4)
Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
February 21, 2009*
at Valparaiso
ESPN BracketBusters
L 66–74  17–10
Athletics–Recreation Center 
Valparaiso, IN
February 26, 2009
7:00 pm
at Buffalo W 62–57  18–10
(9–4)
Alumni Arena 
Buffalo, NY
March 1, 2009
2:00 pm
Bowling Green L 46–50  18–11
(9–5)
Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
March 5, 2009
7:00 pm
Ohio W 65–58  19–11
(10–5)
Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
March 8, 2009
2:00 pm
at Kent State L 63–67  19–12
(10–6)
MAC Center 
Kent, OH
MAC tournament
March 10, 2009
(5) vs. (12) Toledo
MAC First Round
W 93–92 OT 20–12
Quicken Loans Arena 
Cleveland, OH
March 12, 2009
9:30 pm
(5) vs. (4) Miami (OH)
MAC Quarterfinals
W 73–63  21–12
Quicken Loans Arena 
Cleveland, OH
March 13, 2009
9:30 pm
(5) vs. (1) Bowling Green
MAC Semifinals
W 63–55  22–12
Quicken Loans Arena 
Cleveland, OH
March 14, 2009
1:00 pm
(5) vs. (3) Buffalo
MAC Championship
W 65–53  23–12
Quicken Loans Arena 
Cleveland, OH
NCAA tournament
March 19, 2009
4:25 pm
(13 S) vs. (4 S) Gonzaga
NCAA First Round
L 64–77  23–13
Rose Garden 
Portland, OR
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

Source[4][3]

References

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  1. ^ "Akron challenges, but Zags establish dominance with rally in second". ESPN. March 19, 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2022.[dead link]
  2. ^ "2008-09 Men's Basketball Roster". University of Akron Athletics. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "2008-09 Akron Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). University of Akron Athletics. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  4. ^ "2008-09 Men's Basketball Schedule". University of Akron Athletics. Retrieved October 18, 2022.