The game is nationally televised on CBSSN with Dave Ryan and Tim Doyle. Akron has won 5 in a row vs Miami to take a 32-30 lead in the series. For the first time since 1967 we are playing a MAC opponent in back to back games as our postponed game will be made up in Millett on Sunday at 4. If you still have your original ticket, it is good on Sunday.
Akron is 13-6 ( 6-3). They lost their last game by 8 at first place Toledo. Akron has 4 regular starters, all averaging in double figures. 6-8 soph Ali Ali averages 13.5ppg, 6-7 soph Enrique Freeman leads the MAC in rebounding and averages 12.5/10.8rpg. 6-1 Jr Xavier Casaneda averages 13.3ppg/ and has hit 41 threes. 6-2 Jr Brian Trimble averages 11.5ppg and has 49 threes.
With 3 straight double digit losses, Miami is now 9-11 ( 3-6). It sounds like Dalonte Brown is not close to coming back yet. Mekhi Lairy ( back) has played in all 3 losses, but far below his usual standards. Kamari Williams took advantage of a starting opportunity and played very well again. It is my hope that he never comes out of the lineup again over the next 2 and a half seasons. Marr Avance played as well or better than White, Lairy, and ICL, I hope he gets more minutes. Curtis Harrison has started the last two games, he was OK against EMU, but pretty bad vs Kent. Eli McNamara was not good, but played the best of the guys who tried to take Dalonte’s minutes. The team played it’s best with 4 guards on the floor and switching defenses and pressuring Kent. Akron is a tough, physical team, this weekend will be a challenge.
The top 8 teams make the MAC tournament, we are still in position to get one of the last 2 spots, but the performance over the last 3 games has not been good enough, we need to be better.
I know Kamari Williams is more of a guard/wing, but he has decent size. He could probably hang at the 4 in a small ball lineup and it might be necessary given that we have 4 frontcourt players who are either out or hobbled. I don’t know if something like Lairy-Avance-Grant-Williams-Ayah would cause us to get completely overwhelmed in terms of size though.
If we play with 4 guards, we should probably be pressing, giving the guards a chance to fly around. We used a 1-3-1 with a little trapping Tuesday, that also got our defenders moving and aggressive. I don’t think we can play straight up with a 4 guard lineup, but with some sort of pressure, we could do it for awhile.
Unless Akron’s top 3 guys all go down with COVID, there is no way we lose by less than 14. Unless we do that crap where we’re down 28 early in the 2nd, and the Zips take their foot off the gas.
Ohio is as usual way behind the times. It is not like Indiana is a progressive state. Still, in the gaming industry, they have been years ahead of Ohio in every phase, costing Ohio hundreds of millions, and costing Ohioans in the “pursuit of happiness”.