“There weren’t too many success stories coming out of the fall portion of the sports schedule this season and many programs are missing some key components. With the holiday season in its early stages and celebrations right around the corner, everyone has their holiday wish lists and the University of Akron’s athletic department is no exception.”
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There weren’t too many success stories coming out of the fall portion of the sports schedule this season and many programs are missing some key components.

With the holiday season in its early stages and celebrations right around the corner, everyone has their holiday wish lists and the University of Akron’s athletic department is no exception.

Men’s basketball

The Zips’ cagers probably have the shortest wish list of the bunch. They’ve hopped out of the gate with a 5-1 record after handily defeating Wyoming on Saturday, which was expected to be one of their toughest non-conference challenges.

Coach Keith Dambrot’s team has most of the main characteristics of a winner: balanced scoring, experienced players in all of the key roles, unselfishness and the one thing that was sure to be on his list­ – finding a way to solidify the point guard position – has been solved six games into the season.

Nick Dials has taken over as the point man for the Zips and is shining. He leads the club in assists, is second on the team in scoring and has the third best assist-to-turnover ratio in the conference.

The one thing that does make it on head basketball coach Keith Dambrot’s list, though, has to be a reliable small forward. Jimmy Conyers has gotten the bulk of the starts at the position and has shown glimpses that he can have a productive season but has been inconsistent. Nate Linhart, last year’s incumbent starter, is struggling this year; shooting 20 percent from the field and has accumulated more fouls (18) than points (15).

If they receive about 12 to 15 points from Conyers and Linhart combined, along with the solid defense they both provide, the Zips could legitimately challenge Miami (Ohio) for a trip to the NCAA tournament.

Football

Anyone who has come across anything about UA’s football team knows what coach J.D. Brookhart has on his wish list: solidification and stability at the quarterback position.

But almost as badly, they need targets for the shaky quarterbacks. With future pro Jabari Arthur exhausting his eligibility, the Zips No. 1, 2 and 3 options won’t be on the field next year. No other wide receivers produced 160 total for the season. In fact, if you take the Zips’ five other receivers combined they barely accumulated one-fourth of Arthur’s production, although that can somewhat be attributed to the quarterback play, or lack thereof.

Not far behind on the list is help at the cornerback position. The Zips top two cover cornerbacks, Reggie Corner and Davanzo Tate, were the best duo in the league and statistically speaking are the two best corner’s in the MAC.

Corner was a First Team All-MAC selection after recording seven interceptions and one he turned into a touchdown. He also had an interception against Ohio State, who is playing for a national championship in January.

Tate tied Corner for the MAC leader in passes defended with 17 pass breakups in two interceptions. They are by far the best duo in the conference and the Zips won’t have either next spring.

Men’s Soccer

This may come as a surprise, but Caleb Porter’s crew doesn’t need anything for the holidays. Yes, they were upset in the second round, and their first game, in the NCAA tournament and are graduating a handful of key contributors, but the loss may turn out to be exactly what they needed.

The Zips return a number of key players who now know the feeling of the big game and the sting of the big upset. They are extremely talented and have a lot coming back next year on both sides of the pitch. The loss to South Florida will, in time, be a positive thing for Porter’s program.

Women’s soccer

They may not need as much as some other programs, but what they need is tough to find.

Coach Catherine Byrne, the only coach in the women’s soccer program’s history, resigned Monday. Byrne did not have the most impressive record at UA, but you have to keep in mind that she literally built the program from scratch.

Every single player on the roster and every single Zips player to ever wear a women’s soccer jersey came to Akron because of her. It’s a tough loss for the program and one that may be hard to replace.

But all of these are dwarfed by the athletic departments’ wish list, which consists of only one item: getting the new football stadium built in time for the 2009 season.

There have been talks of delay because some of the remaining businesses that remain in the footprint of the stadium have refused to sell and, therefore, must go to court.

One of the court dates is set for next May, which could cause a delay.

One item on all Zips fans’ wish lists, holiday or otherwise, is not to spend any more time in the crumbling, yet still charming Rubber Bowl.

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