Several coaches and preseason publications think very highly of the roster University of Akron men's basketball coach John Groce and his staff have assembled for the 2023-2024 season.
With fifth-year seniors Enrique Freeman , Greg Tribble and Sammy Hunter back as returning starters, there are plenty of reasons to put Akron atop the Mid-American Conference preseason rankings.
Add in the return of junior Mikal Dawson from an injury, the potential return of fifth-year senior Ali Ali — an Akron player from 2019-2022 who transferred to Butler for a season and came back to the Zips — and talented newcomers and this could be a team that wins games in the NCAA Tournament.
Mid-American Conference coaches tabbed Akron as the top team in its preseason poll Wednesday.
ESPN, Basketball Almanac, Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, The Athletic, Athlon Sports and CBS Sports also have Akron as the preseason top team in the MAC.
Sports Illustrated selected Kent State as its top team in the MAC and put Akron second.
"We have the potential to be really good, but we need to play better," Groce said after a practice at Rhodes Arena on Oct. 24. "We have this older team, but we are a work in progress. ... We have guys that are great teammates. That makes it a lot of fun to be around them everyday, coach them everyday and challenge them everyday."
Akron opens its season at 9:15 p.m. Monday at South Dakota State.
"This is a different team with different challenges and this is a different year," said Freeman, who is 6-foot-8 and 217 pounds after being 6-4, 180 as a freshman. "I think our team is definitely growing and getting better everyday. We are going to be ready for Nov. 6.
"... We come into every practice feeling very confident. All of us have to lead this team as well. As much as our coaches are leaders, all of us are leaders because we have been here for five years. They are counting on us to be leaders. I love these guys."
Freeman and Ali are All-MAC preseason first-team selections by the league's coaches, but it is important to note Ali's eligibility has not been finalized as of Friday morning.
"We don't know," Groce said. "We have got to find out from the NCAA. ... We are hoping it falls our way."
Freeman , who is on the the Karl Malone Award Watchlist, was named to the All-MAC first team last season after he started all 33 games for the Zips (22-11), scored 20 or more points on 12 occasions and grabbed 10 or more rebounds 22 times.
The 6-8 Ali was named to the All-MAC second team for the 2021-2022 season after he led the Zips (24-10) in minutes (34.2 per game), scoring (13.9 average), 3-point shooting (40.7 percent) and assists (2.6). He played at Butler last season and made 18 appearances with 12 starts, averaging 27.4 minutes and 6.5 points after missing the first 11 games because of injuries.
"I feel like we are in a good spot," said Tribble, a 6-2 guard. "We know the target is going to be on our back because we have all of these players that are ranked preseason All-MAC in different publications. We are ranked No. 1, but we don't let that get into our heads. I feel like we come into practice and have a level of competitiveness because we know that the other team is going to bring their best every game and we have to bring even more.
"Coach talks with us and the older guys talk in the locker room about, 'Don't drink the Kool-Aid.' We are flattered that everybody thinks we are going to be good this year, but that doesn't give us the right to be good. We still have to put in the work and take everything one day at a time.
"... Coach lets us know that everybody is going to be coming at our necks. We got the target on our back. Everybody wants to beat Akron. We have got one of the highest winning percentages in the MAC and we are going to get everybody's best shot."
Freeman , Tribble, Dawson and Ali joined the Zips as freshmen before the 2019-2020 season that ended with a win at home over Kent State to clinch a MAC regular-season championship . Akron was the No. 1 seed heading into the MAC Tournament , but the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down .
The 2020 Akron team went 24-7 and was led by Loren Cristian Jackson, Channel Banks, Tyler Cheese, Xeyrius Williams, Deng Riak and Camron Reece. Tribble and Ali logged minutes as reserves in what was the season-ending win over KSU.
Two years later, Akron made a run to the MAC Tournament Championship and beat Kent State to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament, where it lost to UCLA . The Zips starters were Ali, Dawson, Freeman, Tribble and the now graduated Xavier Castaneda against KSU and UCLA.
This year's Akron team looks to bounce back from a loss to KSU last season in a MAC Tournament semifinal .
"We have great guys who are coachable and care about winning," Groce said Monday at Rhodes Arena during the Akron Tipoff Reception that included coaches, players and fans. "They care about each other and they care about how they do academically. We have got great dudes. Rique and Greg, and Greg in particular here lately when we haven't been as consistent, has been a loud voice. We have guys who lead. We have a good foundation."
Some of those "great dudes" are returnees, such as 6-3 redshirt sophomore guard Nate Johnson, 6-7 sophomore forward Amani Lyles, 5-11 sophomore guard Tavari Johnson, 6-5 redshirt freshman guard Ryan Prather Jr. and 6-2 junior guard Evan Wilson.
The program also welcomed five newcomers: 6-2 junior guard Shammah Scott (Wichita State transfer), 6-0 senior guard Kaleb Thornton (Northern Illinois transfer), 6-8 freshman forward Darrion Baker, 6-6 freshman wing Marvin Musiime-Kamali and 6-4 freshman guard Zach Halligan (Walsh Jesuit graduate).
"We all want to win," said Hunter, a 6-8 forward. "... All of the seniors have to hold everybody accountable. I think Greg and Riq, they do a good job with that, having a voice in practice.
"This is a fun group to be around and play with. We have unselfish players."
One of those unselfish guys is Dawson, who missed last season while he recovered from a torn Achilles.
"I am happy to be back," said Dawson, a 6-5 wing. "I was out all of last season. I feel like I am kind of an energy guy on the team. I feel like that is a little bit of what we were missing last season. Really, I am happy to be back out here on the court with the team and getting a feel on how everybody plays together.
"We are going to have a good group. Once we get everything figured out and get everything situated, we are going to have a great group. The new guys are coming in and doing a good job. They are hustling and they are catching onto everything. They are learning the plays on offense and learning the defense. Everybody is clicking."
Groce mentioned Akron has "the 21st highest winning percentage over the last four years" of the 363 Division I basketball teams.
Even with that, he wants more from his players as they prepare for the Jackrabbits.
"I love my guys," Groce said on Oct. 24. "Love them all. I just don't think we are very good right now. We have got a long way to go. I think our guard play has to continue to improve. I think our rotation is in flux a little bit right now. I don't think our defense is good enough right now. Offensively, we move the ball pretty good and play unselfish, but I don't think we are playing at the pace I want to play at. We are too slow. We have a long way to go.
"We have shown flashes of playing with force. ... I think we have pretty good leadership and we have guys who care. I think we will figure out and I hope we figure it out a lot sooner because the schedule we are playing, I think we got everybody on there but the Lakers . We better figure it out really fast."
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: University of Akron men's basketball enters season as favorites in MAC
