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Akron Zips men's basketball l 5 things to know about the reigning MAC champions
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- Akron Zips men's basketball l 5 things to know about the reigning MAC champions
The University of Akron men's basketball team is transitioning from the Enrique Freeman era .
Akron coach John Groce said the Zips will "climb a different mountain" this season after the graduation of Freeman , Greg Tribble Jr. , Ali Ali , Mikal Dawson , Sammy Hunter and Kaleb Thornton .
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Freeman , Tribble , Ali and Dawson were part of three Mid-American Conference championship teams (2020, 2022 and 2024). Freeman was named MAC Player of the Year and an All-American last season.
"Just because you win last year doesn't mean we get to start halfway up the mountain or at the top of the mountain," Groce said Oct. 30 at the Tipoff Reception at Rhodes Arena. "We have to climb from the bottom no differently than any other team that we have had. We can't skip steps."
Akron (1-1) visits Saint Mary's for a 10 p.m. tipoff Tuesday in Moraga, California. The Zips opened the season with a 80-75 loss in overtime at Arkansas State on Nov. 4 and an 88-57 win at home over Ohio Wesleyan on Nov. 8 .
"We are the 124th men's basketball team at the University of Akron and we want to get better everyday," Groce said. "We have a long way to go. We appreciate and respect the process. Do these guys have big goals? Absolutely. That comes with the territory, man. You want to put on the Akron jersey? Pressure is a privilege is what we say here."
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Here are five things to know about the Zips:
Akron Zips guard Nate Johnson shoots over Kent State guard Giovanni Santiago during the second half of the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game, Saturday, March 16, 2024, in Cleveland.
Who are the returnees for Akron men's basketball?
Akron returns seven players from last season: 6-3 redshirt junior Nate Johnson , 6-2 senior Shammah Scott , 5-11 junior Tavari Johnson , 6-7 junior Amani Lyles , 6-4 sophomore Zach Halligan , 6-2 senior Evan Wilson and 6-6 redshirt freshman Marvin Musiime-Kamali .
"Obviously, from year to year, I have a high expectation for the returners," Groce said. "They should know a little bit more than a guy who just showed up in June. Those guys know that. I expect that and nothing less. At the same time, in terms of who leads and all that, I think that always evolves."
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Nate Johnson is averaging 11.0 points and 4.5 assists through two games this season.
University of Akron's Shammah Scott puts up a shot inside between Southern Miss' Donovan Ivory, left, and Victor Iwuakor on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.
"Everybody knows Enrique Freeman, Greg Tribble, Xavier Castaneda — guys that have come before and led," Nate Johnson said. "They show you how to lead. ... It starts with more off-the-court stuff. Once you jell off the court, it makes on the court easier. Coming in with all these new faces, you want to make sure that everybody feels comfortable."
The Johnsons, who are not related, and Scott were regulars on the court last season.
"The goals for the team is to repeat what we did last year, win another MAC championship and do the best that we can throughout the season," Scott said. "We have got a great team. We play a very different style of play this year, more fast paced. I feel like we have got the personnel to excel with that. I feel like we are going to have a great season again.
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"... You take what you learn from the guys from last season and try to apply it to the new team that we have. We have a great coaching staff as well. We follow after their lead."
Josiah Harris (22), defending in a game for West Virginia last season, is among Akron's newcomers this season.
Who are the newcomers for Akron men's basketball?
Akron's roster features nine new players this season — freshmen Rich Brisco, Sharron Young, Eric Mahaffey and John Groce's son, Conner Groce (Revere), and transfers Isaiah Gray , Josiah Harris, Seth Wilson, James Okonkwo and Bowen Hardman .
The 6-0 Young, who is from Morgantown, W. Va., is averaging 14.0 points in two games.
Okonkwo, a 6-8 senior from England, comes to Akron after previously playing at North Carolina and West Virginia. Okonkwo is averaging 7.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in two games.
James Okonkwo, dunking for North Carolina last season, is among Akron's nine newcomers.
Gray (6-3 senior) comes to Akron from Cornell, Wilson (6-2 senior) and Harris (6-7 junior) from West Virginia and Hardman (6-3 junior) from Ohio State.
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Harris had 13 points and seven rebounds in the opener, but did not play in the second game. Hardman is averaging 9.0 points in two games. Gray is averaging 8.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in two games.
West Virginia guard Seth Wilson (45) shoots over Texas forward Timmy Allen (0) on Feb. 26, 2022, in Morgantown, West Virginia.
John Groce said "recruiting the right people" is paramount.
"We have a long way to go," he said. "It is still early. We have got nine newcomers. ... Every day that I come to work, I enjoy working with these guys. I love going to practice. I love being around them. Give our staff credit, our support staff and all of the people involved in recruiting. Yes, we have talented players, but we also have really good people. That makes it a lot of fun and very enjoyable."
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Nate Johnson said the newcomers "bring a different energy."
"Isaiah is our tough guy," Johnson said. "You think of a Ninja Turtle, he is our Raphael, except he is not as mean. Each new guy has something different about them that makes them unique and helps our team."
Cornell guard Isaiah Gray shoots the ball at Syracuse during the second half, Dec. 17, 2022.
How many college degrees do Isaiah Gray and Josiah Harris already have?
Gray graduated from Cornell with degrees in business and sociology. He played the past three seasons at Cornell after his freshman season (2020-21) was canceled by the Ivy League because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I am a fifth-year student, but this is my fourth year of college basketball," Gray said. "... What I knew about Akron before coming here was the Akron-Kent State rivalry. I remember seeing those clips on Twitter and catching some of those games on TV. I didn't have much connection to Akron or even the state of Ohio as a whole. Being in the portal and navigating it, I ended up finding a good spot here at Akron."
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Harris earned two degrees from West Virginia — a master's degree in executive sport management as a sophomore in May 2024, and a bachelor's degree in communication studies as a freshman in December 2023.
Harris played his final three high school basketball seasons at Richmond Heights after playing at GlenOak as a freshman.
"It helps that we have the collective," Groce said. "It helps that we have got a great program to sell, tradition-wise. One of the things that has really helped us obviously is the winning. It also helps us that we have graduated every player except one guy who is one class short that I inherited [for the 2017-18 season]. And then on top of that, every player that has been a scholarship player that has finished with us has been a professional basketball player for one or more years."
Indiana Pacers forward Enrique Freeman (8) poses for a photo Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, during Pacers media day at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Where are last season's Akron men's basketball stars playing now?
Freeman is in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers after being a second-round draft pick (No. 50 overall) . Dawson is playing his final season at Marshall, and the other four are playing professionally overseas — Ali in England, Tribble in Macedonia, Hunter in Kosovo and Thornton in Georgia.
Akron's Mikal Dawson (22) celebrates after a second-half corner 3 with Greg Tribble (2) and Ali Ali (24) against Kent State, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024.
What will John Groce miss most about last season's Akron men's basketball team?
Groce said what he will miss most about last season's team is the Diamond Deli lunches on Fridays .
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"Eighty to 90 percent of what we talked about had nothing to do with basketball," Groce said. "A special group when I reflect back on that senior class, and then obviously there are some guys here tonight that have been a part of the run as well. It's more than statistics. ... Just a special group of dudes. All of them graduated. Multiple guys have bachelor's degrees and master's degrees. I thought they represented the university, the city, themselves, their families and our program at the absolute highest level."
Freeman and Tribble were mainstays at Akron the past five seasons. Ali and Dawson played in four seasons at Akron , Hunter two and Thornton one.
"The senior class finished as the all-time winningest class by percentage in the history of the school," Groce said. "It is pretty mind-boggling with the great players and great coaches that have been here."
Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron basketball, 5 things to know about defending MAC champion Zips
