So, as I said, I wasn’t able to get to the beautiful city of Akron to watch the Flames take on the Zips tomorrow. With buying a new house and all the unpacking and what not that comes along with that, it seemed unlikely. With a massive winter sleetfest on its way north as I’m trying to return home, and a dog who recently developed a case of the runs (gross), it became impossible. Anyways, I ordered a streaming telecast of the game from the Akron athletic department, and will still be WATCHING the game, which is always the back up plan if I am unable to attend the game I want.
That said, how about a preview! First, let’s take a look at the team that was drawn for this adventure, the Illinois-Chicago Flames.
The Flames got off to a tough start, losing to 6 straight opponents after winning their season opener at home against Illinois-Springfield. Five of those 6 games were on the road, however, save for one game against Illinois State. The past two games have taken place in Chicago, however, and the Flames won both, including a win against Pac 10 foe Oregon State and a trouncing of Northern Illinois. The awesomely named Robo Krebs has been the star, scoring in double digits in 6 games, and getting shut down in some of the losses. No doubt, his three point shooting is key for UIC. Zavion Neeley is the other big scorer for UIC, while Jeremy Buttrell leads the team in rebounds and Spencer Stewart, the point guard, is skilled at dishing the rock. That said, the Flames are terribly undersized and probably rely too much on outside shooting. Fun fact: Indian American Dipanjot Singh plays guard as a junior for the team. Not many south Asians playing in the league. Dipanjot isn’t fighting all stereotypes. He is a pre-med.
The Zips have a 7-3 record, recent history in the NCAA Tournament and a female kangaroo as a mascot. The Zips have won the games they were supposed to and perhaps lost the games they weren’t, save for one, a tough home lost to Austin Peay who is not as good as they usually are. The other two losses came to North Carolina State on a neutral court and in College Station against 19th ranked Texas A&M. Of the teams involved in a Victoria Times Game of the Year, they are probably the second best, following Temple in 2007. They do a better job of playing a team game, with Anthony “Humpty” Hitchens (again, awesome), Brett McKnight, Darryll Roberts and Steve McNees leading the way. They also excel on the defensive side, something that may be less of an advantage with an outside shooting team staring them down. McNees may be a secret weapon, as he has scored his points mostly off the bench, though after recently being put in a starting role, he has averaged 13 a game. If you were wondering, the player photos for Akron make the team seem positively delightful. I have never seen a photo set where everyone seems to be smiling. Charming. Anyways, they are a bigger, more athletic, more experienced team, and I expect them to come away with the home victory against Illinois Chicago.
Perhaps Wednesday, I will come through with a game review. In the mean time, I’ll leave you with this. A friend has stated that he “guarantees” that one of the players from this game will one day play in the NBA. So there’s that. I will keep you posted!
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