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Zips guard Tavari Johnson goes from 'quiet as a church mouse' to making noise with Akron
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- Zips guard Tavari Johnson goes from 'quiet as a church mouse' to making noise with Akron
With Tavari Johnson increasingly coming out of his shell at the University of Akron, the Zips men's basketball team has become hotter than any salsa the junior guard and coach John Groce could have possibly consumed while dining at a Mexican restaurant together last year in La Grange Park, Illinois.
Johnson scored a team-high 20 points Saturday afternoon as Akron extended its winning streak to 11 games with an 80-67 victory over South Alabama at Rhodes Arena.
Akron guard Tavari Johnson drives past Northern Kentucky guard Trey Robinson on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Akron.
Akron (18-5, 10 in the Mid-American Conference) made a season-high 19 3-pointers to distance itself from South Alabama (16-9, 8-4 in the Sun Belt Conference), and the Zips never trailed in the second half of the MAC-SBC Challenge game.
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Johnson proved to be the epitome of Akron's aggressive approach beyond the arc. He went 7-of-12 shooting from the field and made a career-high six 3-pointers on 11 attempts. As a team, the Zips took 61 shots from the floor, 45 of which were 3-pointers. For the sake of comparison, South Alabama finished with 53 field-goal attempts, including 23 3s.
Groce and his players agreed 50 tries from deep would have been acceptable for Akron, given the style of offense it's using this season.
Akron vs. South Alabama recap: How the Zips secured their 11th win in a row
After South Alabama cut its deficit to 41-37 with 17:30 left in the second half, Johnson made three consecutive 3-pointers, producing a 9-0 run and giving Akron a 13-point cushion with 15:59 remaining. The Zips maintained control the rest of the way.
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"It was a great moment," said Johnson, who also tallied four assists, three steals and two rebounds. "The team kept finding me. I had a lot of confidence shooting it, and I was able to knock them down.
"I love making shots, being able to help my team. Seeing my teammates hyped for me, it was a great all-around feeling."
Akron's Tavari Johnson shoots a 3-pointer over Central Michigan's Cayden Vasko on Jan. 7, 2025, in Akron.
When Groce traveled to Chicago in May to watch Zips great and Indiana Pacers rookie Enrique Freeman compete during the NBA combine, he met Johnson for dinner in his Illinois stomping grounds. Johnson has played for Groce the past two seasons, so the Zips coach has been able to witness an evolution.
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"He was as quiet as a church mouse two to three years ago when he first got here," Groce said. "Now he's a lot more vocal. Part of it is he knows what he's doing. He's more confident. I think he believes in himself at the level that we believe in him now. Being more vocal has been a big part of that. But for the most part, T's pretty laid back. It's just who he is, which you have to challenge."
Although the Zips have nine new players on their roster this season, two holdovers — Johnson (12.7 points) and redshirt junior guard Nate Johnson (13.5 points) — are their leading scorers.
Akron Zips guard Tavari Johnson drives to the basket past Ball State guard Ethan Brittain-Watts in the first half, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Last season, the Johnsons (no relation) were role players on a senior-laden team led by Freeman. Tavari averaged 4.1 points and Nate 7.3.
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Groce projecting them to capitalize on more playing time has paid off.
"Both of them are really talented. Both of them are good dudes," Groce said. "I think they both want to be good. They both want to win. We've pushed them pretty hard. They respond to that well, and they've just gotten better each year that they've been here.
"They've seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Experience has helped them. Skill development has helped them. I think they've matured a lot. And then I also think our style, our new style, has allowed them to thrive."
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.
Listed as 5 feet, 11 inches and 160 pounds, Tavari Johnson said offseason work, knowledge of UA's system and familiarity with what is required to win prepared him to "be ready for this moment."
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In addition to leading the Zips in assists (4.3 average), Johnson has scored at least 20 points in six games this season. He posted a season-high 27 points on Dec. 3, when Akron beat visiting Northern Kentucky 86-73. UA is 12-0 at home this season and has extended its winning streak against nonconference opponents at Rhodes Arena to 37.
More Akron Zips: UA's basketball culture is set by John Groce, and the coach has the program in a good spot again
Akron guard Tavari Johnson looks to pass against Northern Kentucky on Dec. 3, 2024, in Akron.
When Johnson heats up like he did against South Alabama, the Zips know how formidable they can be.
"It can get real dangerous," said Nate Johnson, who compiled a career-high 10 assists Saturday to go along with seven points, six rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot. "As a team, we know Tavari is a real scoring threat, but in our offense he tends to play in a real point guard role where he moves the ball and just sets the offense.
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"We know that, hey, once he gets started and once he gets going, it's going to be hard to stop him. He gets to the floater. He can shoot the off-dribble 3. He can shoot the catch-and-dribble 3. He's a scorer."
In other words, the player who used to be "as quiet as a church mouse" is helping the habanero-hot Zips make noise.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Tavari Johnson a key to Akron Zips basketball's 11-game winning streak
