Story by
John Groce, Tavari Johnson win, rise up Akron men's basketball charts
- Story by
- John Groce, Tavari Johnson win, rise up Akron men's basketball charts
Coach John Groce and senior guard Tavari Johnson continued to rise up University of Akron men's basketball charts on Jan. 6.
Johnson also joined another list of elite Zips players as Akron defeated Central Michigan 82-69 at Rhodes Arena.
Advertisement
Johnson finished with 22 points, 10 assists and five rebounds to increase his UA career totals to 1,044 points, 305 assists and 189 rebounds. The 305 assists is the 10th most in Zips history.
Johnson also became the eighth Akron player to reach both 1,000 points and 300 assists in a career, joining Joe Jakubick, Eric McLaughlin, Loren Cristian Jackson, Jimmal Ball, Andy Hipsher, Nick Dials and Dru Joyce III.
"It is pretty cool individually, obviously, to be on an all-time list and to be a part of history, but it is also a testament to my teammates," Johnson said. "I play with a lot of good teammates that have helped me reach that assist goal. Obviously, I can't do it without my team. This is a testament of the good teams that I have been on and the great players that I have played with to be able to reach that goal."
When Groce was told of Johnson's feat, he said: "Wow. Obviously, that is an incredible accomplishment. ... There has been a lot of great coaches and a lot of great players that have played here over the years. For Tavari to be in that grouping is pretty special."
Akron Zips guard Tavari Johnson drives past Purdue guard Braden Smith in the first half, Nov. 16, 2025.
Johnson became the 50th Akron men's basketball player to reach 1,000 career points last month.
Advertisement
The victory over CMU gave Groce a record of 179-92 in his ninth year as Akron's coach, and moved him to third on the wins list ahead of Tony Laterza (178-59 in nine seasons from 1959-1968).
Akron's leaders in coaching wins are Keith Dambrot (305-139 in 13 seasons from 2004-2017) and Russell Beichly (288-144 record in 19 seasons from 1940-1959).
Tavari Johnson, Shammah Scott lead Akron past Central Michigan
Johnson made 9 of 12 shots from the field, including 4 of 7 from beyond the 3-point arc, in just over 35 minutes.
"This is my third year with him, and he has matured more as a vocal leader and then also he has definitely picked it up on the defensive end," Akron guard Shammah Scott said of Johnson.
Advertisement
Akron forward Evan Mahaffey praised Johnson for "really controlling a game by not just scoring, but also passing and getting everybody involved."
Akron Zips guard Tavari Johnson (5) celebrates winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game March 15, 2025, in Cleveland.
"It is really cool to be out there and play with him," Mahaffey added.
Scott scored 19 points in almost 24 minutes in a reserve role against CMU.
"Being out there with him is so great," Mahaffey said of Scott. "Just seeing how he comes out and plays hard every single night. His capability to hit tough shots is really inspiring to me. ... Obviously, in practice he gets a really good defender to guard him a lot, so in the game it is a lot easier to hit those tough shots."
Advertisement
Mahaffey and Scott both smiled and laughed, and Scott added: "He guards me every practice."
Akron Zips guard Shammah Scott (1) celebrates his 3-pointer against Miami during the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game March 15, 2025, in Cleveland.
Scott made 7 of 9 shots from the field, including 4 of 4 3-pointers, and made his only free-throw attempt.
"His defense inspired me just standing over there coaching him," Groce said of Scott. "His ball pressure, his closeouts, his talk, his vibe, his look and his stance. I see all the shot-making. He is an elite shot maker. I see it everyday in practice. He has made big shots in his career. That doesn't surprise me. I thought tonight, defensively, he was really locked in."
Advertisement
Johnson said Scott "hoops everyday" and "has the maturity to come out and be ready to play everyday whether he is in the starting lineup or not."
Akron Zips forward Amani Lyles shoots a 3-pointer over James Madison forward Gabe Newhof on Nov. 3, 2025.
Akron's Amani Lyles contributed 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Mahaffey finished with 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Sharron Young chipped in seven points and three assists.
Tamario Adley paced Central Michigan with 20 points and six rebounds. Durral "Phat Phat" Brooks scores 17 points and Nathan Claerbaut finished with 11 points and three blocks.
"I thought defensively it is about the fourth game in a row that we have played where we have had some impact on that end," Groce said. "This is the best stretch we have played defensively all season, meaning Eastern [Michigan], Concord, Miami and now Central [Michigan]. We need to continue to keep building on that."
Akron Zips wing Evan Mahaffey (12) celebrates during a game Nov. 3, 2025, in Akron.
Groce was also pleased to see 22 assists on 33 made field goals.
Advertisement
"Offensively, I thought we did everything well except the most important thing on offense, which is to take care of the ball," Groce said. "We had 19 turnovers. The team we play on Friday night at Bowling Green, they are the No. 1 defensive team in the league. They really turn you over. If we turn it 19 times like we did here tonight, they are going to run us out of Stroh Center. We have gotta be better taking care of the basketball."
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Tavari Johnson, John Groce rise up Akron Zips men's basketball charts
