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Tavari Johnson tests transfer portal waters before diving back in with Akron Zips hoops
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- Tavari Johnson tests transfer portal waters before diving back in with Akron Zips hoops
Tavari Johnson dipped a toe into the NCAA transfer portal before deciding to return to the University of Akron for his last dance in college basketball.
While the Akron men's hoops team prepares to begin its 2025-26 season at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 against visiting James Madison, the Zips are glad Johnson is back as their starting point guard.
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"It's easy for me to say this because it seems selfish, but I do think Tavari, with the help of key people around him, analyzed the situation really well and made a great decision to be a part of what we're doing moving forward," Akron coach John Groce told the Beacon Journal during UA's recent 2025 Tipoff Reception at Rhodes Arena. "I think it helps our team, but it also helps Tavari individually. I really believe that. I think it's a good fit."
Johnson explained he spent about a day in the portal in late April before electing to return to UA.
"I don't even know if it was a day, to be honest with you," Johnson added. "I don't even remember. It might have been shorter than that."
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Johnson said he didn't have a guaranteed landing spot at another school when he entered the portal, yet he wanted to explore his options. The flirtation didn't last long.
"I just let people get in my ear, and I wanted to see," Johnson said. "But at the end, it just turned out to be too much, and it was just too late in the situation where I had too much to lose here to try to find something last minute somewhere else."
Akron Zips guard Tavari Johnson (5) shoots over Miami Redhawks guard Peter Suder (5) during the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game March 15, 2025, in Cleveland.
Was a deal for name, image and likeness a factor in Akron retaining Johnson? After all, UA basketball takes great pride in benefitting from the Fear the Roo Collective.
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"Well, yeah, they were obviously trying to get me here, but it was really easy because they didn't have to say much because, obviously, I love Akron," Johnson said. "It's like a second home to me now. I've been here four years.
"I already knew what I would be losing here. So, it was just like the component of having a home and essentially losing that. That helped them a lot. So, they didn't really need to do much to convince me to stay at a place like this."
Akron guard Tavari Johnson looks to pass against Northern Kentucky on Dec. 3, 2024, in Akron.
Losing Johnson before his senior season would have been a significant blow to the Akron men's team, which won the Mid-American Conference Tournament title and advanced to March Madness in each of the past two seasons.
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Last season, Johnson started all 35 games and averaged 13 points on 45.9% shooting from the field (39% on 3-pointers), 3.8 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 24.7 minutes. He earned All-MAC first team and All-MAC Tournament team selections. Earlier this month, he was named to the preseason All-MAC first team.
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Akron Zips guard Tavari Johnson (5) celebrates winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game March 15, 2025, in Cleveland.
Two starters from the 2024-25 Zips, guard Nate Johnson and forward James Okonkwo, transferred to Kansas State and Utah, respectively, before Tavari Johnson went into the portal.
Nate Johnson was the MAC Player of the Year, MAC Defensive Player of the Year and MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player last season when Akron went 28-7, setting a program record for most wins.
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"I'm definitely going to miss Nate as a player and as a person, but I'm happy for him," Tavari Johnson said. "It was a situation that he wanted to do, and he was happy with moving forward and going on to that new team. I had no bad feelings towards it. I was happy for him and proud of him, and I hope he goes and kills it again this year."
Akron Zips guard Tavari Johnson drives to the basket past Ball State guard Ethan Brittain-Watts in the first half, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
In the meantime, Johnson said he's determined to become a better defender and improve as a vocal leader for the 2025-26 Zips.
"He's had a great summer, great fall," Groce said. "You could tell he's really dialed in on [the defensive] end of the floor. His care factor is as high as it's ever been. Effort level's good.
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"He's really transformed as a human being and leader and academically, same thing, and I'm really proud of how much he's matured and grown. I think at this stage in his career, obviously, all those guys want to have individual success. We're all wired that way, but I think he understands it's about the team. It's about winning."
Listed as 6 feet, 170 pounds, Johnson said the "perfect ending" to his college basketball career would be winning a third consecutive MAC tourney championship. It would be unprecedented for UA.
Of course, the ultimate dream for Akron would be to win an NCAA Tournament game. In March, 13th-seeded Akron fell 93-65 to fourth-seeded Arizona in a first-round East Region matchup in Seattle. The Zips are 0-7 in Division I March Madness games.
"It's definitely fuel because we've been to the tournament a bunch. We've never won a game there," Johnson said. "It's definitely fuel to try to break that wall of never winning a game in the tournament, and it'd be something special."
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Johnson has returned to give it a shot.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com . On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Tavari Johnson looks to lead Akron Zips basketball after trying portal
