Story by
'An Akron guy': Zips basketball players 'give everything, every day' ahead of NCAA Tournament
- Story by
- 'An Akron guy': Zips basketball players 'give everything, every day' ahead of NCAA Tournament
University of Akron men's basketball coach John Groce loves to talk about his current team and reminisce about past Zips teams.
He values his time and memories as the lead voice of teams at Ohio University and at the University of Illinois, but naturally he talks about his Akron teams more nowadays.
Advertisement
A phrase that has popped up several times this season with Groce is "an Akron guy" when he is reflecting on a player.
Redshirt junior guard Nate Johnson is "an Akron guy."
Junior guard Tavari Johnson is "an Akron guy."
Senior guards Isaiah Gray, Seth Wilson and Shammah Scott each has been called "an Akron guy."
Senior forward James Okonkwo and junior forward Amani Lyles , you guessed it, each is "an Akron guy," too.
Akron Zips guard Nate Johnson (34) drives to the basket for a layup against Miami during the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game March 15, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
It would be fair to say that every player on the roster has been described as "an Akron guy" by Groce this season.
The Akron Beacon Journal asked Groce what is an Akron guy in his opinion Saturday after Akron defeated Miami 76-74 in the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship at Rocket Arena in Cleveland to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Advertisement
Groce started his response by saying: "Somebody who gives everything every day, regardless of what they're doing. Class, weight room, just everything every day. I always tell 'em, if you give everything every day, you're never going to have any problems with me. As soon as I sense you are not, we're going to hold you accountable to the standard we have here."
Groce then paused, and added: "So, it's a deal where these guys, you know it, you can feel it when we're out there, obviously when you saw us hugging each other and celebrating and the words that are all exchanged with each other. We all love each other, but I love them so much that we're not going to let 'em settle for any type of mediocrity, classroom, person, court, not doing.
"So, we're trying to drive them constantly, our staff is into being the very best they can be and giving everything they have every day, and if they do that and they make mistakes, I will live with that. But if we think the effort or whatever's not Akron standard, then they're going to hear about it pretty quickly and usually get it corrected pretty quickly because now they take a lot of pride in upholding the standard of [Loren Cristian] Jackson and [Enrique] Freeman and [Xavier] Castaneda. And so it's kind of a trickle down effect."
Akron Zips coach John Groce, facing, hugs his brother, Miami RedHawks coach Travis Steele, before the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game March 15, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Groce has a 168-87 record in his eighth season at Akron as the No. 13 seed Zips (28-6) are set to meet No. 4 seed Arizona (22-12) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in an East Region game at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle .
Advertisement
Akron's run of success under Groce includes MAC regular-season championships in 2020 and 2025 and MAC tournament championships in 2022 , 2024 and 2025 . Groce is 350-219 overall with two other MAC tournament titles at Ohio (2010 and 2012).
"So, you really got to thank and go all the way back to six years ago — right? — with Cristian Jackson and [Tyler] Cheese and [Channel] Banks and Xeyrius [Williams] and Deng [Riak]," Groce said. "Ali [Ali] and Greg [Tribble Jr.] were dripping wet 17-, 18-year-old freshmen trying to figure it out. Those guys led them, right? And Freeman as well was in that group with [Mikal] Dawson.
"And then those guys ended up becoming the upperclassmen and they learned from those guys how we do things, our culture, kind of our code, if you will. And then those guys left and then they kind of handed the baton to these guys. And early on [this season], these guys — you heard Shammah — we struggled a little bit as a team and they struggled in that because I'm asking them to play completely different roles, have a completely different set of responsibilities that I expected from them. And I was harder on them, probably just like I was on those other guys, but they really stepped up as the year went on and really progressed and grew.
"I'm as proud of who they became as human beings, over these three years in Tavari's case, two years in Shammah's [case], four years in Nate's [case], three years in Amani's [case] — who they are as human beings, students, teammates, leaders as I am their talent because those things will translate to life."
Akron Zips guard Nate Johnson (34) and guard Isaiah Gray (13) celebrate after beating Miami to win the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship at Rocket Arena on Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Nate Johnson said he learned how to be "an Akron guy" from a current rookie on the Indiana Pacers.
Advertisement
"The epitome of an Akron guy, and you can ask anybody who was here with him, is Enrique Freeman," Nate Johnson said. "That was the ultimate Akron guy. The same person everyday. He would smile no matter what. It could be rainy or snow outside and he would come in and smile and light the room up. He would light the court up and do what he had to do."
The Johnsons, Scott and Lyles played on last year's Akron team that beat Kent State in the MAC tournament final and lost to Creighton in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Akron Zips guard Tavari Johnson goes to the basket ahead of Toledo guard Sonny Wilson in the first half of a Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinal, Friday, March 14, 2025, in Cleveland.
Tavari Johnson said it is important "to play the Akron way."
Advertisement
"To do what we've been doing all year," he continued, "prepare the same way, have the same mentality, have the same togetherness, and we just got to be Akron to go in there and win the game."
Gray, Okonkwo, Wilson, junior guard Bowen Hardman and freshman guard Sharron Young are in their first year as 'an Akron guy.'
Gray and Hardman will make their NCAA tournament debuts after previously playing at Cornell and Ohio State, respectively.
Akron Zips guard Isaiah Gray (13) drives to the basket against Miami Redhawks center Reece Potter (35) during the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game March 15, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
"Coach always says an Akron guy is a guy who gives everything everyday, but beyond those kind of words it is about being consistent and being dedicated to the work and to the process," Gray said.
Advertisement
Okonkwo and Wilson played in one NCAA tournament game while with West Virginia in 2023, and Okonkwo appeared in two NCAA tournament games with North Carolina in 2024.
Akron Zips forward James Okonkwo (32) slams the ball down for two points during the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game March 15, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Okonkwo said "someone who goes above and beyond for their teammates" fits the bill of an Akron guy.
"Someone who makes effort plays, diving on the ground, being their for your teammates, uplifting them on the bench, just the little things that don't show up on the stat sheet," Okonkwo added. "I think bringing that everyday and being consistent with that is my definition of what an Akron guy is."
Akron Zips guard Shammah Scott (1) drives to the basket around Miami Redhawks guard Evan Ipsaro (2) during the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game March 15, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Akron senior walk-on guard Evan Wilson is a prime example of Okonkwo's description, as Wilson has appeared in nine of 34 games this season with a start on Senior Night. His biggest contributions come in practice.
Advertisement
"My dad walked on at Alabama, played basketball and loved it," said Evan Wilson. "I kind of took his advice. Seeing the bright lights and the big stage of March Madness and the championships were his favorite part, so I took a chance and could never imagine leaving here. I have loved it. I am glad I made the decision to come to Akron."
Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Being called 'an Akron guy' is a badge of honor with Zips basketball
