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Sharron Young displays 'some Enrique Freeman tendencies' for Akron men's basketball
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- Sharron Young displays 'some Enrique Freeman tendencies' for Akron men's basketball
Freshman guard Sharron Young continues to provide a spark as a reserve for the University of Akron men's basketball team .
With Ball State giving Akron fits Tuesday night, Young stepped into a larger scoring role to lead the Zips to a 81-73 win before a crowd of 1,883 at Rhodes Arena.
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Young scored a career-high 18 points and also had five assists, four rebounds, two steals and no turnovers in 24 minutes as the Zips (17-5, 10-0) remained alone atop the Mid-American Conference standings .
Akron Zips guard Sharron Young shoots over Ball State's Joey Hart in the second half, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
"You gotta give glory to God to be in that position," Young said. "I thank my teammates and coaches for allowing me to be able to do that and contribute to the team.
"... You gotta play tough every single game. You gotta come in with the right mindset and trust that your teammates are going to have your back and go out there and have fun and enjoy the moment."
Young, who is 6-foot and 160 pounds, scored 10 points last Friday in Akron's 85-71 win at Kent State .
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"He has got courage," Akron coach John Groce said of Young. "Nothing fazes him. The bigger the moment, he embraces it. That is part of what I mean by he is a winner. Obviously, I get the opportunity and the luxury to get to know these guys on and off the court.
"I think that anyone that comes in contact with him ... the kid has some Enrique Freeman tendencies, just in terms of how he treats people, the way he talks to people, the respect he has for other people, his teammates, the process and how hard he works. His character is exceptional. and then you add his talent to it and his toughness and you see him continuing to get better."
Akron Zips guard Sharron Young (right) dives for a loose ball against Ball State's Joey Hart in the second half, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Young made 7 of 9 shots from the field Tuesday, including 3 of 5 from beyond the 3-point arc.
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"Sharron has been basically bringing energy off the bench the whole season," Akron 6-3 redshirt junior Nate Johnson said.
Young scored 15 points in a 80-75 season-opening loss in overtime to host Arkansas State on Nov. 4. He started MAC play with 17 points in a 71-68 win at Bowling Green on Jan. 3, 12 points in a 87-71 home win over Central Michigan on Jan. 7 and 11 points in a 105-81 win at Eastern Michigan on Jan. 11.
"Sharron is a winner," Groce said Jan. 7. "He won three state titles [at Morgantown High School in West Virginia]. He has made a game-winner to win a state championship. His courage is ridiculously exceptional. The bigger the game, he loves it. He loves the competition. He embraces it. He is so coachable, which is why he keeps getting better.
"... One day [at practice], he is out there by me at halfcourt and I said, 'Dude, I am going to be a prick today about rebounding. He was like, 'You kinda need to be, don't you?' He understands it. Not only does he accept coaching, he embraces it, and because of that he is going to continue to keep getting better. He cares about the right things. He cares about other people other than himself. He is a great teammate. He cares about winning. He cares about being really good and works at it. He has a lot of Enrique Freeman characteristics on and off the court."
Akron Zips guard Shammah Scott takes the ball up the court in the second half, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Akron Zips guard Nate Johnson shoots a first-half layup against Ball State, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Akron reserves Shammah Scott, Amani Lyles and Marvin Musiime-Kamali make an impact
Nate Johnson scored 16 points against the Cardinals (10-12, 4-6) and junior Tavari Johnson had six points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals.
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"Marvin [Musiime-Kamali], Amani [Lyles], Shammah [Scott] and Sharron carried the day," Groce said. "Not only with production, but with their energy and the mojo that they provided tonight was tremendous."
Scott, a 6-2 senior, totaled 13 points, six assists, four rebounds and two blocks in over 28 minutes.
"We come in every single day with energy," Scott said of the reserves. "We love to compete against each other, and it feels like everybody is making each other a lot better. Going against the starting five, we come in with that mindset that we gotta set the tone and pick up where they left off."
Lyles, a 6-7 junior, had 12 points and two assists. Musiime-Kamali, a 6-6 redshirt freshman, scored six points.
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"The main thing was bringing a different energy off the bench," Musiime-Kamali said. "I come in and try to mess things up. [Young] picks things up full-court and I attack the glass."
Musiime-Kamali had two slam dunks in the first half as Akron rallied to lead 38-36 at halftime.
"[Young and Scott] found me," Musiime-Kamali said. "We ran a play, got the two dunks with great passes from both of them."
Akron closed the second half with a 13-7 run with scoring from Young, Scott, Lyles and the Johnsons.
"We punched first, which we needed to do," Ball State coach Michael Lewis said. "People haven't been able to do that against them. They really haven't been in a grinder of a game since Bowling Green. We were able to get them into that type of situation.
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"I thought in the second half they did an excellent job attacking us, our bigs, on ball screens. They were moving us around. It got up and down and we can't get into an up and down game with these guys. They are too good."
Lewis said he is impressed with Akron's athleticism and scoring abilities.
"You have gotta give his staff a great deal of credit for getting guys that fit roster-wise," Lewis said. "John has done a great job of getting them to play together and how well they move the basketball. ... They are playing by a different set of rules than I am playing by and they are playing well. They have got a great program, and hopefully they represent the MAC well."
Ball State's leaders were 6-5 junior Jermahri Hill (19 points, seven rebounds, four assists), 6-10 senior Payton Sparks (15 points) and 6-8 redshirt senior Mickey Pearson Jr. (12 points).
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" Payton is a good player," Musiime-Kamali said. "He is a physical presence. It is tough playing against him."
Said Groce: "Give Ball State a lot of credit. I thought they were very difficult to defend. I thought Sparks and Hill were absolutely terrific. Michael does a great job. They execute. They got the ball where they wanted to."
Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Sharron Young guides Akron to a men's basketball win over Ball State
