Akron will Win the NCAA Tournament - Reasons Why By Mike Hurley

Coach John Groce led his Akron Zips over the Miami of Ohio Redhawks (which is coached by his half-brother Travis Steele) in the Mid-American Conference tournament to gain a ticket to the Big Dance. Here is why they will win it all.

1.They look good on paper:  The Zips won 21 of their last 22 games; they dominated the MAC going 17-1; and their 28 wins is the most in school history. They are a top-25 rebounding team and score more points per game than all but seven other teams. How can they possibly lose?

2.They’ve got their “go to” guy:  Junior Guard Nate Johnson is the heart and soul of the team. He led the Zips team with 13.5 points and 1.9 steals per game, and rounded that out with 5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. But can he play on the other side of the court? Well, yes he can. The proof is in Johnson being named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year. He was the first person to be given that distinction AND to be named the MAC Player of the Year in the same season since Bonzi Wells in 1998. Nate the great, indeed!

3.Their mascot has mad hops:  You might be wondering how Akron got their nickname:  the Zips. Back in 1925, the university held a contest to select an official name for the school’s athletic teams. Unfortunately, they didn’t vote for other top contenders such as the Fighting Hillbillies or the Rubbernecks. Instead, they chose the Zippers which was inspired by a B.F. Goodrich brand of women’s rubber galoshes that used an innovative fastening device–you guessed it–the zipper! In 1950, the name was shortened to the Zips, but they didn’t have a mascot. After convening a search committee, they came up with…a kangaroo. The chairman of the search committee was supposedly inspired by a comic strip featuring a kangaroo in boxing gloves. I think people in the 1950s were either just really weird or they were on LSD or something. Anyhoo, Mr. Zip the kangaroo was soon born, the name was later changed to Zippy, and here we are (sans boxing gloves)! For any of you who remember the Looney Tunes character Sylvester the Cat battling a kangaroo that he thought was a giant mouse, you’ll understand that kangaroos can kick some serious ass. Opposing team best be wary of Zippy!

Mike Hurley