Mid-American Conference

Cleveland, Ohio -- Today the Mid-American Conference announced that Ohio’s Antonio Campbell and Akron’s Keith Dambrot have earned top honors for the 2015-16 men’s basketball season. Campbell was named Player of the Year, while Dambrot was tabbed Coach of the Year. The Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards were voted on by a 38-member panel made up of News Media Association members and the league’s 12 head coaches.

Dambrot, who owns a 276-128 record at Akron, received his second MAC Coach of the Year award. He is one of two Akron coaches to receive the MAC honor and is the only Zips’ leader to earn the MAC award twice (2013, 2016) – Former Zips’ head coach Dan Hipsher garnered the award in 1998.
 
“I’m honored to win this award,” Dambrot said. “There are a lot of great coaches in this league. This is a tribute to our team and coaching staff’s dedication and continued success.”
 
Dambrot guided the Zips to a 24-7 record and the program’s third MAC Regular Season championship with a 13-5 league mark. Akron opened the season with three-straight wins and posted a 10-game winning streak for a 13-2 record in its first 15 games. The 3-0 and 13-2 start to the season stands as the best start for a Dambrot coached UA squad and best in Akron’s Division I era.

Campbell dominated in conference play, averaging a league-high 10.5 boards per game and ranking third with 19.1 points and 1.4 blocks per game. He ranked third in the conference with a 57.4 percent (136-of-237) field goal percentage and shot 44.6 percent (29-of-65) from beyond the arc -- good for sixth in the league.
 
Through 30 starts in 2015-16, Campbell leads Ohio in scoring with 17.5 points per game (fourth in MAC), a 58.1 percent field goal percentage (205-of-353; second in MAC, 32nd in NCAA), 6.8 field goals made per game, 11.8 field goals attempted per game, 10.0 rebounds per game (second in MAC, 23rd in NCAA) and 1.7 blocks per game (second in MAC, 84th in NCAA). He also ranks second on the team with 2.5 free throws made per game and 3.5 free throw attempts per game and third with 1.3 three-point field goals made per game and 3.1 three-point field goal attempts per game.
 
“Tony’s growth as a player over the course of the season was really fun to be a part of,” said Ohio head coach Saul Phillips. “He’s as versatile as any player I’ve ever coached.”
 

Men's Quarterfinal action takes place tomorrow as No. 8 Eastern Michigan takes on No. 1 Akron, No. 12 Bowling Green faces off against No. 4 Central Michigan, No. 7 Northern Illinois battles No. 2 Ohio & No. 11 Miami goes up against No. 3 Buffalo
For more information on the 2016 MAC Men's Basketball Tournament presented by VisitMyrtleBeach.com – CLICK HERE

MAC Player of the Year
Antonio Campbell, Ohio (18)
Nathan Boothe, Toledo (16)
Chris Fowler, Central Michigan (2)
Thomas Wilder, Western Michigan (2)
 
MAC Coach of the Year
Keith Dambrot, Akron (14) *Wins Coach of the Year on Total Points
James Whitford, Ball State (14)
Saul Phillips, Ohio (4)
Nate Oats, Buffalo (3)
Rob Senderoff, Kent State (1)