NCDS: Keith Dambrot, Head Coach - Akron

By: Keith Dambrot, Head Coach - Akron

It has been a little while since I last sat down to put my thoughts on paper. My last entry was back before the holidays and it seems that in the blink of an eye winter has almost past and March Madness is basically upon us. We have just four games left in the regular season (and only three league games). This is a fun time of year and it's easy for our fans to look ahead and get excited about what could be.

My main point of emphasis with our players is that we need to put extra time in, play great defense and really focus on not resting on any possessions. We've done a good job, but we can play better, and most importantly we need to have fun. I think that's the key, because there's always a serious responsibility on a team that's in first place or right around there, but the biggest thing is you don't want to forget the ride.

You want to have fun with these games during this time of the season and do the very best you can and if the process is right you're going to win most of them. We're a pretty loose bunch, and I think it's been easier playing on the road and harder at home, for whatever reason, but when you have high expectations like we do, our fans do and everyone does around the program, the worst thing you can do is worry about it. The best thing you can do is compete every day and have fun.

Like most seasons, the MAC race is shaping up just like it always does, with a few teams fighting for the top spot and the lingering feeling that just about anything can happen on any night, and a lot of the games are coming down to the final two minutes. Having been in this league for so many years as an assistant and head coach, it hardly even fazes me now. That's the typical MAC grind.

We now step out of the conference schedule for a few days for BracketBusters. We play at VCU on Saturday, which will put us against one of my former assistants here at Akron, Shaka Smart. Shaka and I are very close and talk several times a week on the phone. It's always a challenge going against a friend. Obviously, we will both have our teams ready to compete, but it's hard because someone has to win. But it will be fun and at the end of the day is just a silly basketball game, and I'm sure our friendship will persevere.

Thanks for following our team this season. I will catch up with everyone again before the MAC Tournament.

Go Zips!