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**irishmike** · 03-04-2011, 01:18 PM

Good luck!
Go Titans:beerbang:

**garryarm1** · 03-04-2011, 01:42 PM

Go man go! Followed you in on 3 of your picks, had already bet on Valparaiso :(
Good Luck!

**Nicky Santoro** · 03-04-2011, 04:44 PM

I've stopped my bleeding by not making plays until the tourney. Just some quick thoughts on the big game tonight Joe. The line seems absolutely spot on IMO. Akron playing very well, same can be said about Kent. This match-up if it were to take place in the MAC tourney I believe would be a pick. Even though the Zips were just trounced by the Bobcats I believe (unfortunately) they could win this game SU. The Flashes are planning a "gold" out and a packed gym. I could be swayed either way on this game and wouldn't have a play. Kent State has won 29 of the last 32 meetings at home. What do think Joe??

**joepa66** · 03-04-2011, 05:45 PM

Nicky, I totally agree on the line placement for this game! Kent should have won at Arkon earlier in the year when they led by as many as 8 down the stretch but then went cold and the Zippers shoved the ball inside to their 7-footer Zeke Marshall.

Marshall is very soft and has not panned out to be the player UA had hoped. He's being outplayed by Nick Cvtenovic. Akron had a seven game winning streak snapped on Wednesday with an 80-55 loss at Ohio. Led by Nikola Cvetinovic with 12.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game the Zips enter the contest tied for third in the MAC East Division. Even though Kent's Justin Greene has been dominate in alot of MAC games this season, he has not been a match for Marshall who is a much better jumper. Greene gets great position but against more athletic players he tends to throw up bad shots and get a lot of them rejected as well. Justin Greene has had a double-double in two straight games (10 on the year) and is averaging 11.2 rpg in the last five games and needs just 2 points to reach 1000 pts, only four other players in school history reached the milestone in their junior year. Akron was paced by Marshall who had 20 points and 11 rebounds in the first game and he just plain made Greene look bad. And KSU's Justin Manns, well, he is simply put, a project. He looked so bad on defense at BG. Even though he's 6'11" and about 100 pounds dripping wet, he does not have the physicality needed to compete down low, so, BG pulled their big men out to the wings and they drove right past him to the hoop.

This game will be decided by the small forward position and the better shooting guards in my opinion. Kent's Rod Sherman, Randal Holt, Carlton Guyton, must not only shoot well but be ready to defend out high on Bret McClanahan, Steve McNees, Darryl Roberts & Alex Abreu who all like to shoot from well beyond the arc. The UA guards are not great slashers with the exception of Abreu, but I only saw him drive to the hoop against non-MAC lesser teams like Arkansas Pine Bluff, Bethune Cookman and Millikin. Kent State is the only team in the MAC with five players averaging more than nine points per game (Greene, Sherman, Guyton, Holt, Porrini), four of those guys are guards! Porrini has had nine assists in each of the last two games.

The big test for Kent will also be stopping Brett McKnight who is quite the physical specimen. McKnight can step out and shoot the 3-ball, and is very strong on the dribble and around the hoop. KSU's Mike Porrini may draw the assignment to guard McKnight since the former has earned respect as a lockdown defender often guarding players 6" or so taller than himself. McKnight who came off the bench after a lengthy suspension to score 19 points in 22 minutes in the first meeting between the two teams earlier in the MAC season. Hmmm, wonder why he suddenly became available when Kent came to town.....

In the first contest, the Golden Flashes held the Zips to just 35.6 percent shooting which included a 10 minute span to start the second half in which Akron made just one field goal. During the defensive stand, Kent State turned a three-point half time deficit into a 45-36 lead at the 12:30 mark.

Porrini highlighted an 18-6 run by the Golden Flashes scoring seven straight points for Kent State during one stretch. Akron finally broke its drought at the 9:45 mark as Brett McKnight made his second three of the game. With the momentum quickly shifting, Kent State managed a couple of buckets inside in the next two minutes, but it was not enough to slow a suddenly hot Zips team. Akron strung together a 25-10 run that was capped off by six straight points from Zeke Marshall who turned a 55-55 tie into a 61-55 lead with just 1:04 remaining. Kent had a couple of chances to win or tie it, including a last chance 3pter by Porrini that rimmed out at the buzzer. It was one of the rare games this season when Kent was outscored in the paint by an opponent.

The good news is that the game is in Kent and here are some quick facts about the matchup:

• The first team to score 60 points in the series has now won 23 of the last 24 games. Akron hit the 60-point mark first in last meeting on a dunk by Zeke Marshall at the 1:04 mark of the second half
• Kent State has won 29 of the last 32 meetings at home.
• Kent State has won six of the last eight meetings.
• The 68 wins are the most for Kent State against any opponent.
• This is the 11th time in the last 12 meetings that either Kent State and/or Akron has been in first place in the MAC East
• With its 20th win on Tuesday, Kent State joined a group of only 10 teams in the country that have had at least 12, 20-win seasons in the past 13 years.

**joepa66** · 03-04-2011, 06:02 PM

Homer-breaking-favorite-team-betting-rule at the top along with Oven Mitt's pick! :thumbs:

**NoOfense** · 03-04-2011, 06:05 PM

We shoulda stayed on that sparty train huh Joe...ugh Davidson played like dog poo

**TheBeholdah** · 03-04-2011, 07:59 PM

joey my boy, another sick season.. and of course MAC domination. next year i need to follow thru with the MAC tailing . like detroit :thumbs:

**joepa66** · 03-05-2011, 12:04 AM

JOEPA'S UPDATED YTD: 442 - 367 - 24
UNITS: +22.00
MAC: 84 - 50 - 7
Halfs: 27 - 19 - 1
3/4: 3 - 4
SCRF: 50 - 52 - 2

OVEN MITT YTD: 41 - 41
3/4: 1 - 0

GL to ya!

**joepa66** · 03-05-2011, 12:08 AM

JOEPA'S UPDATED YTD: 442 - 367 - 24
UNITS: +22.00
MAC: 84 - 50 - 7
Halfs: 27 - 19 - 1
3/4: 3 - 4
SCRF: 50 - 52 - 2

OVEN MITT YTD: 41 - 41
3/4: 1 - 0

GL to ya!

**Nicky Santoro** · 03-05-2011, 07:22 AM

They scared the hell outta me Joe in the first half. I was yelling at the TV. They needed to to post up or get something going in the lane to get the Zips in foul trouble. They must have listened in the second half. Looks like Geno Ford changed it up a bit working it in and gettin the Zips to foul. Marshall getting the quick third really helped.
Nice insight on McKnight for the Zips, heel of a player. Very impressed with the Flashes and can't wait for the MAC Tourney. If they get to the dance I think their lack of size may hurt. ALL in all, great win!!

**joepa66** · 03-05-2011, 09:03 AM

Greene played a much better game this time around and the Kent guards ruled! Kent's backcourt outscored Akron's 57-36 and Greene scored 18pts and had 11 rebounds compared to the combination of Cvetinovic and Marshall who had 16 point and 7 rebounds.

THE STAT LIVES ON......

• The first team to score 60 points in the series has now won 24 of the last 25 games
(Kent in bold)
6:11 Quincy Diggs made Layup. 57-59
6:11 57-59 Foul on Michael Porrini
6:11 Quincy Diggs made Free Throw. 58-59
5:55 58-61 Rodriquez Sherman made Layup.

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JoePa's College Hoops - 3/4

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