VCU vs. Akron Bracketbuster preview

2010 ESPN Bracketbusters:

Akron at VCU

4 p.m. Verizon Wireless Center

All time record:

VCU is 4-0.

Home: 2-0 (Siegel Center: 1-0)

Away: 2-0

Last time out:

VCU defeated Akron at the Siegel Center in December 2008 behind Eric Maynor’s third 30-point game of the season. VCU lead by as much as 17 points in the second half, but the Zips rallied and ended up only falling short thanks to a combination of missed shots in the final minute coupled with near perfect foul shooting from the Rams.

Akron:

Record of 19-7 overall, 5-3 away.

Tied for first in Mid-American Conference’s “East Division” with a record of 9-3.

Head coach: Keith Dambrot, sixth season at Akron with a record of 115-51.

CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Ranking: 12

Probable starting lineups:

Steve McNees (G)

Anthony Hitchens (G)

Nikola Cvetinovic (F)

Jimmy Conyers (F)

Zeke Marshall (C)

VCU:

Record of18-7 overall, 7-1 at home.

Fifth in the CAA with a record of 10-6.

Head Coach: Shaka Smart, first season at VCU with a record of 18.7

CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Ranking: 19 (VCU dropped eight spots from last week’s pecking order after they went 0-2 on the week.

Probable starting lineups:

Joey Rodriguez (g)

Bradford Burgess (g)

Ed Nixon (g)

Larry Sanders (f)

Jamie Skeen (f)

Notes:

Akron’s game at VCU concludes a 5-game span where they only had one match at home. So far, they have won all of those games.

VCU coach Shaka Smart was hired by and served as an assistant to Akron coach Keith Dambrot. Smart was an assistant for the Zips between 2003 and 2006 and Smart regards Dambrot as his closest compatriot in the coaching realms.

Streaking: Akron had won four straight heading into Wednesday’s game against Miami (Ohio) and seven of their last nine.

Saturday’s matchup marks the third time the teams have played each other in the last three years. Before the first of those matchup’s in 2008, the Rams hadn’t played Akron in 38 years.