Akron (23-12)

COACH: Keith Dambrodt, seven years at Akron, second trip to NCAA tournament.

HOW THEY GOT IN: Automatic bid (Mid-American Conference tournament champion).

GO-TO GUYS: Three seniors make up the heart of the Akron lineup. None carry hefty star power individually, but each demonstrates a capability to carry this team. The Zips won seven straight games down the stretch behind G Steve McNees, G Darryl Roberts and F Brett McKnight -- all fourth-year players in the program. McNees runs the show out front and has 61 triples to his credit, while Roberts is the guy you want with the ball in crunch time. He entered the conference title game having made 40 of his last 41 free throws. McKnight is not normally a starter, but is a proven force down low. He gets called on more in crucial situations. Junior F Nikola Cvetinovic is the team's leading scorer (12.1 points per game) and rebounder (6.9 rebounds per game).

X FACTOR: MAC teams usually match up poorly with the opposition in the NCAA Tournament -- often due to a lack of size -- but Akron has a legit seven-footer in sophomore C Zeke Marshall. The Zips need Marshall to dominate the paint in order to have a chance to advance. His scoring (8.6 points per game) and rebounding (4.6 rebounds per game) numbers are modest, but the promise has always been there for something more. Marshall's 79 blocked shots this season and his nine blocks in the MAC title game demonstrate he can defend the middle, but the Zips need an offensive burst from him to make this trip productive.

STRENGTHS: The Zips have a wealth of experience in the backcourt, where senior G Darryl Roberts and senior G Steve McNees have played in a ton of tight games and difficult environments over the past four seasons. Junior G Brett McClanahan has 80 three-pointers on the season and shoots 88 percent from the line. Roberts is the best in the conference at the stripe, hitting 94.5 percent. If the game is going to be decided at the foul line, Akron shot better than 70 percent as a team to get to this point. Akron also has success on its side, putting together six straight seasons of 20-plus wins.

WEAKNESSES: The Zips lack productive size, with only 6-8 junior F Nikola Cvetinovic considered much of a scorer among the Zips' big people. Akron prefers to play a three-guard setup, which leaves a lot of the rebounding and defending work down low to rail thin seven-footer sophomore C Zeke Marshall. He is a very capable shot blocker, but he will struggle against physical post players. The Zips rely a lot on the three-pointer, making about eight per game, but they shoot just 36 percent from outside the arc, leaving a lot of rebounds in play. Akron will need to hit a higher percentage to stay in the game, and keep the opposition from getting out on the break.