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5 things to know about the Akron Zips ahead of the 2025 MAC Men's Basketball Tournament
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- 5 things to know about the Akron Zips ahead of the 2025 MAC Men's Basketball Tournament
The University of Akron men's basketball team is three victories away from winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament for the second year in a row and punching another ticket to the NCAA Division I Tournament .
Akron has played in March Madness in 1986, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2022 and 2024. The 1986 team won the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title under former coach Bob Huggins . The five most recent teams won the MAC Tournament championship, with former coach Keith Dambrot winning three and current coach John Groce winning two.
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Here are five things to know about No. 1 seed Akron (25-6, 17-1) before its 11 a.m. tipoff Thursday against No. 8 seed Bowling Green State University (14-17, 8-10) in a MAC Tournament quarterfinal at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
Who leads this year's Akron Zips men's basketball team?
Akron, the reigning MAC Tournament champion , regularly starts four guards — redshirt junior Nate Johnson, junior Tavari Johnson, senior Isaiah Gray and senior Seth Wilson — along with forward James Okonkwo .
Groce usually runs a 10-man rotation with reserves guard Shammah Scott, freshman guard Sharron Young, junior forward Amani Lyles, junior guard Bowen Hardman and redshirt freshman Marvin Musiime-Kamali logging minutes.
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Okonkwo and Scott have been listed as seniors all season, but were recently granted another year of eligibility based on NCAA rules and regulations changes.
Nate Johnson is Akron's leading scorer at 13.5 points per game. He also averages 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.9 steals. Tavari Johnson is at 12.8 points and 4.0 assists.
Seven of Akron's core players — Gray (9.5), Scott (9.1), Lyles (7.8), Young (7.7), Okonkwo (7.2), Hardman (6.5) and Wilson (6.3) — score between six and nine points. Okonkwo is Akron's leading rebounder at 7.4 a game.
The Zips are winning without Josiah Harris , who is out with an injury after starting six games and averaging 8.7 points.
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How did the Akron Zips men's basketball team win 25 games, including 17 in the Mid-American Conference?
Akron went 8-5 in nonleague games and 17-1 in MAC play to set a program record with 25 regular-season wins. The 2006-07 and 2019-20 Akron teams won 24 regular-season games.
Akron compiled a 14-game win streak with 13 MAC wins and a nonleague win over South Alabama.
The Zips tied Kent State's 2001-02 team for the best single-season MAC record during the modern era. That Kent State team won the MAC Tournament and made a run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Akron also went 16-0 this season at Rhodes Arena, its first undefeated season at home since 2015-16, when the Zips went 15-0. UA has two other unbeaten seasons at Rhodes Arena — 18-0 in 1986-87 and 13-0 in 2005-06.
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Akron scores 84.0 points per game and loves to shoot 3-pointers . Young is the top shooter beyond the arc at 41 of 101 (40.6%). The other top shooters from deep are Hardman (58 of 149, 38.9%), Tavari Johnson (50 of 130, 38.5%), Scott (43 of 113, 38.1%), Gray (28 of 78, 35.9%) and Wilson (48 of 139, 34.5%).
Akron guard Nate Johnson looks to make a move against Northern Kentucky guard Trey Robinson, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.
Who else is playing in the Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Tournament this year?
Akron and BGSU are the first teams on the court. The final three game times will be determined Thursday.
No. 4 Toledo (17-14, 10-8) meets No. 5 Ohio (16-15, 10-8) in Game 2. No. 2 Miami (23-8, 14-4) meets No. 7 Eastern Michigan (16-15, 9-9) in Game 3. And No. 3 Kent State (21-10, 11-7) meets No. 6 Western Michigan (12-19, 9-9) in Game 4.
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Akron beat Kent State and Toledo twice apiece, split with Ohio and played BGSU, EMU, Miami and WMU once each and won all four games. The Zips also swept Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, Ball State and Buffalo.
Akron Zips guard Tavari Johnson (5) drives to the basket ahead of Kent State Golden Flashes guard Jalen Sullinger (13) during the first half Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in Kent, Ohio.
What is Akron's men's basketball history in the Mid-American Conference?
As mentioned earlier, Akron has won five MAC Tournament championships. The Zips also won MAC East Division titles in 1998 and 2007 and MAC regular-season crowns in 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2025.
Akron lost its first four games in the MAC Tournament between 1998 and 2001 before getting a win in 2002. The Zips made the MAC Tournament final seven years in a row from 2007-2013, and added final appearances in 2016, 2017, 2022 and 2024.
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Akron enters Thursday with a 38-21 record in MAC Tournament games and has won at least one MAC Tournament game every year the event has been contested since 2005. The Zips were the No. 1 seed in the 2020 MAC Tournament that was canceled because of the COIVD-19 pandemic.
Akron forward Amani Lyles dunks between Kent State center Cli'Ron Hornbeak (42) and guard Jamal Sumlin (4) during the first half, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in Kent.
What is Akron's history in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament?
Akron is 0-6 in NCAA Division I Tournament games, with losses to Michigan, Gonzaga, Notre Dame, VCU, UCLA and Creighton.
Akron played in the NAIA Tournament in 1943 and in the NCAA College Division Tournament in 1958, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1975. The Zips were the national runner-up in 1964 to Evansville and in 1972 to Roanoke, and a Final Four participant in 1966.
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Akron won Ohio Athletic Conference regular season championships in 1919, 1920, 1934, 1945, 1946, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1965 and 1966 and OAC Tournament titles in 1949, 1964, 1965 and 1966.
Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com .
Akron Zips guard Shammah Scott (1) is fouled by Kent State Golden Flashes guard Jamal Sumlin (4) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at James A. Rhodes Arena on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Akron, Ohio.
Akron guard Isaiah Gray secures a rebound against Northern Kentucky guard Trey Robinson, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.
Akron Zips guard Sharron Young celebrates after a first-half 3-pointer at Kent State, Jan. 31, 2025.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: What to know about Akron Zips men's basketball ahead of MAC Tournament
