High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The 2011–12 Akron Zips men`s basketball team represented the University of Akron during the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men`s basketball season. The Zips, led by eighth year head coach Keith Dambrot, played their home games at James A. Rhodes Arena and are members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. The Zips were MAC East Division champions and overall regular season champions but failed to win the MAC Basketball Tournament after falling in the championship game to Ohio. As regular season champions, they received an automatic bid into the 2012 National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to Northwestern.