Akron clinched it berth in the NCAA Tournament by knocking off Ohio in the Mid-American Conference championship on Saturday night. The Zips will be making their third NCAA appearance since 2009. Here are five things you probably didn’t know about Akron:
1. They’re named after zippers. No, really. The zipper was invented in Akron, and so that’s why the university nicknamed its teams the “Zips.” Their mascot is–naturally–a kangaroo, and is purportedly one of the few female mascots in the U.S. Do what you will with that information.
2. They suspended their starting point guard before the MAC Tournament. Junior Alex Abreu was suspended indefinitely after being arrested on marijuana trafficking charges. Abreu was averaging 10 points and 6 assists per game. Abreu’s suspension “hit us all hard,” said coach Keith Dambrot.
3. They spent time in the Top 25. The Zips were ranked for two weeks in late February and early March before losing two of three to Buffalo and Kent State. Still, Akron is 26-6 and could be a tough out come tournament time.
4. They’re led by senior center Zeke Marshall, who averages 13 points per game. Marshall is a load and could be trouble for the Zips’ first-round opponent. 6-7 forward Demetrius Treadwell has an awesome name and can also disrupt things down low (11.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg).
5. Their men’s soccer team is a national power. Akron won the national title in 2010, and has spent time atop the national rankings in 2005 and ’09. Who knew, soccer in Akron?
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The zipper wasnt invented in Akron. The zips were named after an overshoe.
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zippy_(mascot)