Anthony "Humpty" Hitchens leaving Akron

• Don Provolone

  Chillicothe native Anthony "Humpty" Hitchens has reportedly told Akron Head Basketball Coach Keith Dambrot that he will be transferring. Hitchens, a sophomore joins teammates Ronnie Steward (sophomore), Columbus; Alex Sullivan (Red-shirt Freshman) Painesville; and Steve Sweich (sophomore) Pennsylvania; in recently departing the Zips basketball program.
• mallymal614

  Wow! What is going on with the Zips program?
• se-alum

  

  I wonder if it has anything to do with the recent passing of his father. Maybe he wants to be closer to home?
• CinciX12

  

  Does anyone remember that guy who kept starting threads about Dante Jackson and Hitchens haha? How Hitchens was better than Jon Diebler?
• Ironman92

  

  What's this have to do with Humpty transferring? Hitchens was one hell of a high school basketball player carrying his team to a state championship going full court in about 3.5 seconds for a layup to his teammate for the win.
  
  Hitchens isn't a pro "possible" like Diebler.....but at 5'9 what he can do is remarkable.
  
  
  
  ****I don't believe Diebler will be an NBA player.....but has a better chance than Hitchens IMO
• Writerbuckeye

  

  I know nothing about Akron, but being a MAC fan, I'd love to know what's going on with all the transfers. Same thing happened at Bowling Green under Dan Dakich and it eventually led to his firing as the continuity of the program suffered.
  
  Is that the path Akron is now on?
• ts1227

  

  Well Dakich was a dick, and Dambrot is a dick... that's the only real common thing I see between them.
  
  They have to be horrible to play for.
• Paladin

  I suspect there is trouble in Akron, but Hitchens was over rated as a D-I Guard. Nice H.S. player, but over-rated for D-I college. He struggled at times and had a number of poor games.
• Ironman92

  

  as did Diebler and Jackson
• ZeroCool

  diebler a pro?
• Don Provolone

  I don't think there is trouble in Akron - just an unfortunate outcome of recruiting too many point guards. Other than the 6'9" Sweich, all three were recruited as pt grds. Steward was injured for 2 years. Sullivan rarely got time and Hitchens started at the point only to be relagated to the 2 guard spot. Hitchens is a talented player as was/is Steward. Steward has two, possibly 3 years remaining and he wants to play. He chose Ashland where his skills, if he's totally healthy, will greatly enhance the AU team. Hitchens needs the ball in his hands to be truly effective. He was now not going to receive it in Coach Dambrots style of play. Couple this with the recent passing of his young father you then have a young man with troubling issues. Hitchens chose to pull the plug and seek his playing style and opportunities elsewhere. Good luck to all of them as Akron will just continue to recruit guards and sort out those who can handle Coach Dambrots intense and driving style of coaching.
  (The post of Diebler being a Pro was indeed comic relief for me today!)
• centralbucksfan

  Remember all the threads about why Hitchens wasn't more big time then Akron? Or why OSU wasn't recruiting him? Of course all of those posters are under a rock right now. I and others "lol" at them. He was a very good HS player. Can certainly compete at the MAC level. But he wasn't as good as many thought after watching him in HS. So many people put expectations on HS kids based on what they do in HS. Really too bad as it doesn't do anyone any good.
• thedynasty1998

  

  People made their opinions of him based off of a couple games, in the state championships. And honestly, there was only one poster who claimed Hitchens was better than the MAC and I don't know if anyone ever took him seriously.
  
  But in hindsight, he would have played at OSU next year so it would have been nice to have him, although he's not the caliber of player that Matta is recruiting.
  
  The same could be said about the Avery kid from Newark who played well in the state championship and everyone thought he was bigger than Western Carolina or wherever he went. Then he transfers to Findlay and people thought he would be an All American.
  
  Good to hear that Steward will be going to Ashland, as he will certainly help. I really liked his game in HS.
• CinciX12

  

  Disclaimer: I was just reminding people about that guy that started those threads. I wasn't actually SAYING that one was better than the other.
• BG Warthog

  Writerbuckeye wrote: Same thing happened at Bowling Green under Dan Dakich and it eventually led to his firing as the continuity of the program suffered.

  Just to clarify this, Dakich was never fired. His contract expired and he announced he would not be seeking an extension. (Reading between the lines, he wasn't getting an offer to stay as coach, but he could save some face by saying he wasn't seeking one before the University says it isn't offering one.)
• se-alum

  

  Word is, it's 90% to do with his fathers passing.