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Akron Zips have shown mental toughness. UA needs it to win MAC basketball tourney | Ulrich
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- Akron Zips have shown mental toughness. UA needs it to win MAC basketball tourney | Ulrich
The Akron Zips have not been forced to sit in "it" often during the 2024-25 men's college basketball season .
You may be wondering what "it" means in this context, which is borrowed from UA coach John Groce's lexicon.
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Think of "it" as a metaphor for the disgusting stench of a loss.
"Paraphrasing," Groce deadpanned Friday night after UA crushed Buffalo 88-70 in the regular-season finale at Rhodes Arena .
The Zips suffered consecutive defeats just once throughout their historic regular season, a testament to the team's collective resilience.
UA's ability to consistently bounce back is a reflection of its mental toughness, a trait on which the Zips will need to capitalize during the Mid-American Conference Tournament . The games on the bracket will unfold Thursday through Saturday at Rocket Arena in downtown Cleveland.
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Top-seeded Akron (25-6, 17-1) will open the MAC tourney against No. 8 Bowling Green (14-17, 8-10) at 11 a.m. Thursday.
Akron won the MAC regular-season championship outright and will enter the conference tournament as the favorite. However, a No. 1 seed hasn't won the MAC tourney since 2019, when Buffalo did it.
Akron forward Amani Lyles, right, celebrates with teammates after the Zips beat Kent State to win the MAC regular season championship Feb. 28, 2025, in Akron, Ohio.
For the eight teams competing in the MAC tourney, the event is an all-or-nothing scenario. The winner will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and be thrust under the national spotlight while the rest of the MAC teams watch from home.
Akron has the requisite talent, depth, intangibles and coaching to thrive in the pressure-packed environment of the MAC Tournament.
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One knock against Akron, though, is it completely flopped Feb. 22 in an 84-67 loss at Ohio, one of UA's two regular-season games televised nationally by ESPN2, its only MAC defeat this season and its lone setback this calendar year.
Akron Zips guard Sharron Young (3) and coach John Groce watch Kent State take free throws Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Akron, Ohio.
Yet, the Zips responded with a four-game winning streak to end the regular season. One of those victories, a 77-72 home triumph over Wagon Wheel rival Kent State, occurred Feb. 28 in another bright-lights ESPN2 game. By finishing strong, UA set a program record with 25 regular-season wins.
The right mindset is required to capture the three victories necessary for a MAC Tournament crown.
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"If we do what we do, we have a good chance of beating anyone, not just in the MAC, but in the country," Zips senior guard Isaiah Gray said. "We're not perfect, and I think that Ohio game we didn't play as well as we know we're capable of playing.
"But I think it kind of just motivated us even more knowing that we're not perfect and we can't expect winning. We're not entitled to winning, so we've still got to be hungry and get it every day in practice. It's the little things. So as much as we'd like to have that game back, I think it was a good motivator for us."
Unlike in 2024, Akron Zips basketball is on a roll entering the MAC Tournament in Cleveland
A similar lesson can be traced to late last season.
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Led by Indiana Pacers rookie forward Enrique Freeman and other standout seniors, the Zips were positioned to seize the MAC regular-season title until they inexplicably dropped their final two games on the 2023-24 schedule to sub-.500 opponents Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan. UA countered by winning the MAC tourney as the No. 2 seed after a backbreaking Kent State mental error in the championship game put Akron at the free-throw line for the tying and winning shots with 4.8 seconds left.
The point is entering the MAC tourney with momentum is preferable to what Akron did last season, even though the Zips ultimately advanced to the NCAA Tournament anyway.
"We didn't want to have any of those letdown losses," Akron senior guard Evan Wilson said as he reflected on last March. "We felt like those were letdowns where we kind of let our guard down.
"It was emphasized over and over [this season]. Even if we won a big game, we would still watch the things we didn't do well."
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It's Akron men's basketball vs. Bowling Green in the first round of the 2025 Mid-American Conference Tournament
That brings us to the first round of this year's MAC Tournament. Akron has no excuse to overlook Bowling Green because the Zips already received a warning from the Falcons .
On Jan. 3, UA opened MAC play by winning 71-68 at Bowling Green, but the Zips didn't have a lead until 1:10 left in the second half. It was a foil to Akron's previous matchup on Dec. 30. UA fell 76-75 at Princeton despite the Zips leading for the vast majority of the game. Getting back on track at Bowling Green triggered Akron's 14-game winning streak, which ended roughly two weeks ago at Ohio.
How Akron made history this season: Zips set a program record and tied a notable MAC record
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Tournament success is usually dictated by which teams deliver in crunch time, defend better and win the rebounding and turnover battles.
In the MAC opener, Akron shot 38.8% from the field compared with Bowling Green at 34.8%. Bowling Green outrebounded Akron 50-38. Akron had 12 turnovers compared with Bowling Green's 15. UA outscored BG 22-9 in points off turnovers. Although Bowling Green had 12 more rebounds, its advantage in second-chance points was only 10-5.
"Everybody thinks about the highlight plays and the big plays, and that's certainly a part of winning [tournament games]," Groce said. "But a lot of it, too, is your ability to be able to focus in those moments, have razor, laser focus and confidence in your habits that you've created over months. So your habits take over in those situations, and if your habits are good enough fundamentally, then you should be able to execute what you need to do the majority of the time and limit some of your mistakes."
Self-inflicted errors must be kept in check because the Zips face real threats.
Kent State Golden Flashes center Cli'Ron Hornbeak (42) brings down a rebound over Akron Zips forward Amani Lyles (0) and guard Tavari Johnson (5) on Feb. 28, 2025, in Akron, Ohio.
MAC Tournament men's basketball pairings, bracket set
The winner of Akron and Bowling Green will advance to play the winner of No. 4 Toledo (17-14, 10-8) and No. 5 Ohio (16-15, 10-8) in a semifinal at 5 p.m. Friday. Akron is 2-0 versus Toledo and 1-1 against Ohio this season.
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On the other side of the bracket, the winner of No. 3 Kent State (21-10, 11-7) versus No. 6 Western Michigan (12-19, 9-9) will advance to face the winner of No. 2 Miami (23-8, 14-4) and No. 7 Eastern Michigan (16-15, 9-9).
Akron Zips column: College sports landscape underscores UA's Enrique Freeman appreciation
If Akron were to meet Kent State in the championship, buckle up. UA swept the regular-season series 2-0, but KSU made the most recent rendezvous tight after being dominated in the first one.
And if Akron were to face Miami in the title game, a unique degree of familiarity would be a factor. UA routed Miami 102-75 in their only clash this season, but a rematch in the MAC tourney would pit Groce against his brother, coach Travis Steele, with a trip to March Madness at stake.
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Yes, fortitude is at a premium this time of year.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Zips basketball needs fortitude as MAC Tournament threats loom
