The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Bowling Green
Akron Opens Mid-American Conference Play at James A. Rhodes Arena
January 02 | Men's Basketball
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BOX SCORE PDFÂ |Â PHOTO GALLERYÂ |Â VIDEO HIGHLIGHTSÂ |GAME NOTES (PDF)Â
Akron Zips (10-3, 0-0 MAC)Â vs Bowling Green (6-7, 0-0 MAC)
Mid-American Conference Season Opener
Tuesday, January 3 • James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio • 7:00 p.m. ET
TV/Video: ESPN3/WatchESPN - Michael Reghi (PxP) and Jacki Windon (Analyst)
Live Stats:Â GoZips.com/Schedule - Live StatsÂ
Radio: Akron-IMG Sports Network - Steve French (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst) WARF 1350 AM (flagship), iHeart Radio, TuneIn.com/Akron Zips
Head Coaches
BGSU - Michael Huger (Bowling Green '94)
Overall Record:22-25 (2nd season)
Record at Bowling Green: 22-25 (2nd season)
MAC Record: 5-13 (2nd Season)
UA - Keith Dambrot (Akron '82)
Overall Record:Â 396-203 (19th season)
Record at Akron:Â 288-133 (13th season)
MAC Record: 151-85 (15th Season)
All-Time Series
Akron Leads: 35-24 Dambrot vs BGSU: 25-4 (24-1 at Akron)
Last Meeting: Akron 80, BGSU 66Â |Â March 11, 2016 MAC Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena
Akron basketball Notes:
• Akron has won at least 21 games in 11-straight seasons under 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot, joining the likes of Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Ohio State. Over the last 12 seasons, the Zips have won 288 games, most by any team in the MAC.
• Akron is 17-7 in MAC openers, 9-1 at home since joining the league in 1992. Under 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot, the Zips are 10-2 in MAC openers and 6-0 at home. Akron has won the last seven straight MAC openers.Â
• The Zips finished the 2015-16 campaign as MAC Regular-Season Champions with a 26-9 overall record, including a 13-5 league mark and an undefeated 15-0 showing at James A. Rhodes Arena. Dambrot led Akron to its eighth MAC Tournament title game appearance in the last ten seasons and an unprecedented 11th-straight semifinal. The Zips' runs of consecutive title game and semifinal appearances are the longest streaks in MAC history.Â
• The Zips own a 168-23 (.880) at James A. Rhodes Arena and have been winners of 23-straight games at Rhodes Arena, dating back to the 2014-15 season.
• As of Dec. 30, UA ranks in the NCAA's Top 100 in 13-of-32 statistical categories (347 teams), ranking No. 4 in the NCAA for 3-point FG's made per game (11.1), No. 11 total 3-point FG's made (144), No. 23 in 3-point FG's attempted (366), and No. 43 3-Point FG Percentage. The Zips also rank No. 38 Field Goal Percentage (48.3), No. 57 in scoring Margin (+11.6), and No. 59 in rebound margin (5.6).
What's Ahead
The Akron Zips open their 25th season of Mid-American Conference play at James A. Rhodes Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 3, against Bowling Green. After an 11-day holiday break, the Zips are coming off the season's second tournament championship, defeating Maryland Eastern Shore, 76-60, at the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational. Akron is currently riding a three-game winning streak, but have been winners of 23-straight games at James A. Rhodes Arena, including a 6-0 mark this season. Akron will launch its first high-definition ESPN3 broadcast of the basketball season, beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 3, with its men's basketball game against Bowling Green. Under the guidance of producer Mike Bacon and Classic Television Productions, the Zips' broadcasts will feature television veteran Michael Reghi on play-by-play and Jacki Windon on color commentary.Â
Fans can also follow the action on GoZips.com via Live Stats or by Zips' radio. The Zips' radio broadcast will air on the Akron-IMG Sports Network SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron(flagship) with Steve French calling the action and Joe Dunn providing analysis. The pregame show starts 30 minutes prior to the contest. The free audio stream is available at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/Akron Zips.Â
The Akron-Bowling Green Series
Tuesday's game marks the 60th meeting in series history between Akron and Bowling Green, and 26th meeting for a Dambrot coached UA squad (30th overall for Dambrot). Akron holds an all-time 35-24 series advantage while Dambrot is 24-1 at UA and 25-4 overall. The Zips have won 16-straight games against the Falcons, including 24 of the last 25 games. Â
Akron swept the 2016 season series with an 83-68 win (Feb.9) at the Stroh Center, marking the 12th straight win at the Stroh Center, and an 89-54 (Feb. 26) win at Rhodes Arena, marking the seventh straight win at the JAR. The Zips and the Falcons also met in the semifinal round of the MAC Tournament last season, with Akron posting an 80-66 win to advance to its eighth MAC title appearance in 10 years. The Zips have met the Falcons four times in the MAC tournament with the series being tied at two games apiece. UA has not lost to BGSU since March 1, 2009, a 50-46 loss at Rhodes Arena. In addition, the 2017 MAC opener marks the third time in series history that Akron and Bowling Green have met to opened the MAC schedule. Akron holds a 2-0 advantage in conference openers, posting a 53-51 win in 1992-93 and 71-45 victory during the 2009-10 season, both at Rhodes Arena. Â
Scouting the Falcons
Bowling Green enters MAC play with a 6-7 overall record and have been winners of two-straight MAC openers. The Falcons posted back-to-back wins to end its non-conference schedule, defeating Norfolk State 86-77 (Dec. 30) and Alabama A&M 74-61 (Dec. 22). BGSU averages 73.7 points per game on 42.0 percent shooting from the floor and a 37.5 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 7.5 triples a game. In addition, the Falcons shoot 66.7 percent from the free throw line with 15.1 bonus buckets a night.Â
BGSU has two players scoring in double figures, led by Wes Alcegaire. He averages 13.4 points per game on 49.2 percent shooting from the field and 38.6 percent rate from beyond the 3-point arc with a team-high 22 made 3-pointers. Zack Denny follows with 12.0 points per game on 39.7 percent shooting from the field and 31.4 percent from deep with 16 triples. He owns a team-best 26 steals and ranks second in rebounds with 69 totals boards (5.3 rebs/g). In addition, Demajeo Wiggins adds 9.4 points per outing to the Falcons' scoring total with a team-high 52 made free throws on 70 trips to the charity stripe (.743). Â
Defensively, the Falcons allow their opponents to score 71.5 points per game and limit them to shooting just 43.2 percent from the floor and 32.9 percent from 3-point range, allowing 5.9 long distance buckets a night. BGSU has caused 191 turnovers (14.7 to/g) with 87 steals (6.7 stl/g) and 34 blocked shots (2.6 blk/g). The Falcons have also outrebounded the opponent 491-490, holding a slight edge on the glass.
Last Time Out Against Bowling Green
A 12-2 second-half run broke open a one-point contest propelling the University of Akron men's basketball team to its eighth Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game on the strength of a 80-66 victory past 12th-seeded Bowling Green (16-18) in the tournament semifinals on Friday, March 11, at Quicken Loans Arena.Â
Isaiah Johnson led all scorers with a game-high 23 points, while four others reached double figures for the Zips, including Antino Jackson and Noah Robotham with 12 and 11, respectively. Antwon Lillard directed Bowling Green's offensive attack with a team-high 12 points, while turning in 11 points apiece was Spencer Parker and David Joseph. Rasheed Worrell led the defensive attack registering a game-high 11 rebounds.Â
Thanks in large part to Johnson's domination in the middle the Zips outscored the Falcons in the paint, 38-22. Akron also forced 12 Bowling Green turnovers and converted the miscues into an 18-7 advantage in points off turnovers.
The Zips finished the affair shooting a season-best 54.7 percent from the field, including a sizzling 57.7 percent in the second half. After connecting on 44 percent of their shots in the initial stanza, the Falcons were limited to a 30.3-percent shooting over the final 20 minutes en route to recording a 36.2 percent shooting mark for the game. Bowling Green kept the contest in doubt into the second half outrebounding Akron, 38-26, including outpacing the Zips on the offensive glass, 14-4.
Chasing History
Head coach Keith Dambrot tied Akron's all-time wins record with his 288th career win at UA on Dec. 22, 2016. The Zips defeated Maryland Eastern Shore 76-60 to claim the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Championship, and Dambrot's next win solidify him as the winning-est coach in Akron Basketball history. Â
In his 13-year career at UA, Dambrot has collected 288 career wins in 421 games, which ties the all-time win mark held by Russell Beichly. Beichly coached the Zips from 1941 to 1959. In those 19 seasons he reached 288 wins in 432 games. In addition, Dambrot is just four wins away from 400 career victories as a collegiate coach and 12 wins shy of his 300th all-time at Akron.Â
The Zips in the MAC
Akron is 89-42 in the regular season against the West Division (.679), including winners of 33 of the last 41 regular-season contests, since divisional play began during the 1997-98 season, and 62-21 under head coach Keith Dambrot (.747). The Zips have posted a 39-17 mark (.696) in the last 56 games against the MAC East dating back to the start of the 2012 league schedule. Akron is 5-1 against the MAC East at the conference tournament during that stretch.
Akron is 42-7 at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule (.857). UA has seen aton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season, and is 141-61 overall (.698), including an 87-14 mark in MAC play at home (.860). The Zips' 141 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 61 of their last 86 MAC games (.709).
Akron is 25-9 in the MAC Tournament under head coach Keith Dambrot, going 19-5 in its last 24 tournament games. Under head coach Keith Dambrot, the Zips have won at least one game in the MAC Tournament every year and have made eight MAC Tournament title game appearances in the last ten seasons with an unprecedented 11-straight semifinal appearances. The Zips' runs of consecutive title game and semifinal appearances are the longest streaks in MAC history. The Zips own a 22-9 record at Quicken Loans Arena. Â
Zips Don Haskins Sun Bowl Champions
The Akron Zips secured its second tournament championship this season, defeating Maryland Eastern Shore, 76-60, to be crowned the 55th Annual WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Champions at the Don Haskins Center. Junior guard Antino Jackson earned the Barry Kobren Most Valuable Player Award for leading the Zips to their second tournament title, while senior center Isaiah Johnson was named to the Sun Bowl All-Tournament Team. In addition, 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot recorded his 288th victory at Akron, tying former head coach Russell Beichly (1941-59) as the winning-est coach in program history.
Jackson used two stellar performances to lead the Zips at the Sun Bowl Invitational, scoring a career-high 23 points against UC Irvine and followed with 13 points, six assists and four rebounds in the finale. Against UMES, he shot 5-of-12 from the field with three long distance buckets in 32 minutes of work. Meanwhile, Johnson followed a 12-point, six-rebound tournament-opening performance with his second double-double of the season. Johnson scored a team-high 15 points and grabbed a team-best 13 rebounds. He shot 6-of-8 from the field and 3-of-5 from the charity stripe while dishing out four assists and blocking two shots.
All five starters scored in double figures for the first time since March 10, 2009 as junior Jimond Ivey, senior Kwan Cheatham, Jr., and freshman Tavian Dunn-Martin joined Jackson and Johnson with double-digit scoring performances. Ivey poured in 13 points with a second-best eight rebounds, while Cheatham and Dunn-Martin tallied 10 points each. It was Dunn-Martin's first career start.
2016 Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational All-Tournament Team: Antino Jackson (MVP), Isaiah Johnson (Akron), Bakari Copeland (Maryland Eastern Shore), Jaron Martin (UC Irvine), Dominic Artis (UTEP), Dante Caldwell (Maryland Eastern Shore - Don Haskins Award)
Jackson Named MAC East Player of the Week
Junior guard Antino Jackson was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week, announced by the league office on Dec. 27. In addition, Jackson is the third player from Akron to be recognized as MAC East Division Player of the Week this season, joining Isaiah Johnson (Nov. 28) and Noah Robotham (Dec. 19).
Jackson earned the Barry Kobren Most Valuable Player Award for leading the Zips to their second tournament title defeating Maryland Eastern Shore, 76-60, to be crowned the 55th Annual WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Champions.
Jackson used two stellar performances to lead the Zips at the Sun Bowl Invitational, scoring a career-high 23 points on Wednesday (Dec. 21) against UC Irvine and followed with 13 points, six assists and four rebounds in Thursday's (Dec.22) finale. Against UMES, he shot 5-of-12 from the field with three long distance buckets in 32 minutes of work.Â
For the tournament, Jackson logged 59 minutes, averaging 18 points per game on 56.5 percent shooting from the field (13-of-23) that included a 50.0 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc (6-of-12). He was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line and averaged 4.5 assists (9) and 4.0 rebounds (8) per game.
Three Zips Averaging Double Figures
Three Zips are averaging double figures in scoring led by Johnson's 14.7 points per game while junior guards Antino Jackson and Noah Robotham add 12.0 and 11.2 points a night, respectively. Junior guard Jimond Ivey and sophomore guard Josh Williams follow closely with 9.3 and 9.0 points per game while senior forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr. chips-in 8.9 points per outing. Five players have scored in double figures five times this season, including the UMES game where all five starters contributed double-digits for the first time since March 10, 2009.
Trifecta!
The 2016-17 Akron Zips are ranked among the nation's best from behind the 3-point arc. The Zips rank No. 4 out of 347 teams in 3-point FG made per game with 11.1 triples. In addition, Akron is No. 11 overall in total 3-pointers made with 144, and ranked 23rd for 3-point attempts at 366. As a result, the Zips 39.3 long distance percentage ranks 43rd best. Josh Williams leads the squad with 33 made 3-pointers made at a 40.7 percent rate, while Antino Jackson is second in made 3-pointers (27) and in percentage (.422). Kwan Cheatham, Jr. has buried 24 trifectas with a 41.4 percentage, and Noah Robotham leads the squad with a 43.1 pecentage with 22 long distance shots. Tavian Dunn-Martin adds 16 made 3-pointers on 40.0 percent shooting.Â
Streaking Zips
Akron established a six-game winning streak early in the season, and the Zips currently own a 23-game winning streak at Rhodes Arena. The Zips have rattled-off six consecutive wins at Rhodes Arena over American, Radford, Georgia Southern, Adrian, Coppin State, and Marshall. Akron's current home court winning streak dates back to the 2014-15 season. Akron won the final two home games that season over Ohio and Northern Illinois, and posted an unblemished 15-0 record in 2015-16 at Rhodes Arena. The Zips are 168-23 with an 88.0 winning percentage at the JAR and have not lost at home since Feb. 21, 2015 against Miami (57-52).
Zips Continue to Feed the Dog
Last season, Isaiah Johnson was a force in the paint for the Zips, and this year, he is on pace to be even better. Big Dog has led the Zips' scoring efforts in 7-of-13 games, while averaging a team-high 14.7 points per game. He scored in double-digits 12-of-13 contests, including a season-high 20-point performance against Georgia Southern. He posted two double-doubles of 14 points and 10 boards and 15 points and 13 boards while scoring 19 (twice), 17, 16, 15 (twice), 14 (twice), 13, 12 and 11 this season. Big Dog ranks No. 7 in the NCAA for FG percentage, shooting 65.8 percent from the floor (73-of-111), and pulled down a team-high 88 rebounds with 52 defensive boards and 36 on the offensive end. He owns a team-high 43 assists and 11 blocks with four steals. Big Dog earned the Savannah Invitational MVP award, MAC East Player of the Week (11/28), College Sports Madness Player of the Week, and Sun Bowl All-Tournament team honors.Â
Thriving in A New ROLE
With the loss of two starters and a third key player from the Akron's 2015-16 MAC Championship run, more minutes have been available for junior guard Jimond Ivey, and he has made the most of his time on the court. Ivey has played himself into the starting lineup after three starts due to an injury to point guard Noah Robotham. So far, Ivey has taken full advantage of the new role, making six starts in 13 games. He has scored in double digits seven times, including a career-high 20 points and a personal best 11 rebounds. In addition, he posted his first career double-double against American that included 12 points and a career-best 11 boards.Â
In 13 games, Ivey averages 26.5 minutes with 9.3 points on 53.2 percent shooting from the field. He drained 41-of-77 shots and is third on the squad with 5.8 rebounds per game, 76 total rebounds with 59 defensive and 17 offensive.Â
Fire and Ice
We are not talking hot and cold, rather high intensity and fast play mixed with a methodical calculated approach to describe Akron's backcourt. The combination of junior guards, Antino Jackson and Noah Robotham, provide the Zips' with that type of leadership. Both, Jackson (Fire) and Robotham (Ice) are a threat with or without the ball in their hands.
Jackson, and his high-energy approach, is always in attack mode. He has the ability to beat an opponent off the bounce and uses a devastating step back to generate several different types of open looks. He is tsecond in team scoring (12.0 ppg), and has buried 27 long distance field goals. He shoots 46.4 percent from the field and 42.2 from deep and has a second-best 10 steals, while adding 2.7 assists and rebounds per game.Â
On the other hand, Robotham has a methodical approach to navigating the offense and picking apart defenses. His change of pace during play keeps defenders on their heels as he contributes a 11.2 points per outing following a career-high 27-point performance against Marshall. He has 21 assists and seven steals. He shoots 44.6 percent from the floor and a team-best 43.1 from behind the 3-point arc, burying 22 triples this season.Â
Fresh Start
The Akron Zips continue to improve its bench play this season with the help of five newcomers, two freshmen and three redshirt freshmen, whom are beginning to see more and more action. Playing in all 13 games are freshmen Tavian Dunn-Martin and Michael Hughes, while second-year freshmen, Emmanuel Olojakpoke, Daniel Utomi, and Craig Eubanks are starting to see their roles increase.
Dunn-Martin has made an immediate impact from the outside, draining 16-of-40 long distance shots for a 40.0 3-point FG shooting percentage. In 176 minutes, Dunn-Martin owns a 42.6 FG shooting percentage (26-of-61) en route to adding 6.2 points per game. As a backup point guard, Dunn-Martin has dished out 16 assists and made 16 trips to the charity stripe, draining 12 bonus buckets for an 75.0 free throw percentage.
Hughes has logged 127 minutes in the center position, second most of the newcomers. He has scored 31 points and pulled down 21 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game. Hughes has 10 blocked shots and four steals.
Olojakpoke is a rim protector who managed to block four shots against Coppin State. In 51 minutes played, he is shooting 62.5 percent on 10-of-16 shots from the field and has pulled down 16 rebounds with five blocks.
Meanwhile, Utomi has a knack for scoring the ball. He is 9-of-18 from the floor for a 50.0 shooting percentage, including a 36.4 percent effort from downtown. In 49 minutes of action, Utomi has connected with 4-of-11 shots from deep while adding seven rebounds, two steals, two assists, and a blocked shot.
Rounding out the newcomer play is Eubanks. He has provided a spark in 26 minutes of work, knocking down 3-of-5 shots, including 2-of-4 from long distance for eight points with one rebound and one blocked shot.Â
Mr. Chairman
After serving three seasons on the NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee, Akron men's basketball head coach Keith Dambrot was named the new chairman of the committee, starting with the 2015-16 season. Dambrot is currently in his second season as chairman, replacing former chairman and Belmont head coach Rick Byrd, who completed his term on the rules committee in August 2015. The NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee is comprised of 13 coaches and administrators, who assess both current and proposed rules to promote consistency and fair play in the game. The committee meets once a year and votes on changes every other May unless there's a pressing issue about player safety.
Zips Win 23-Straight at Rhodes Arena
Junior guard Noah Robotham scored a career-high 27 points to lead the Akron Zips to their 23rd straight victory at James A. Rhodes Arena, defeating Marshall 99-88. Robotham was a perfect 5-of-5 from beyond the 3-point arc in the first half, and finished the game shooting 6-of-7 from long distance, 8-of-9 from the field, and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe. He also contributed four assists and three rebounds.Â
Four others notched double digits in scoring as senior center Isaiah Johnson followed with 16 points on a perfect 8-of-8 performance from the floor. He dished out team-best eight assists and pulled down eight rebounds. Senior forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr. was third in scoring with 15 points, with a 4-of-6 showing from deep. Junior guard Jimond Ivey and sophomore guard Josh Williams rounded out the double-digit scoring with 12 points apiece. Ivey pulled down a team-high nine rebounds wiith four assists, while Williams grabbed three boards.
The Zips (8-3) were on fire all night, shooting 58.6 percent from the field on 34-of-58 shots, including a 53.6 percent effort from 3-point land (15-of-28). At the charity stripe, Akron connected on 16-of-20 attempts for an 80-percent effort. Akron held a 36-23 advantage on the glass while causing 16 turnovers with seven steals. Akron opened the first half with the hot hand, shooting 65.5 percent from the floor (19-of-29) and a blistering 73.3 percent performance from behind the 3-point arc (11-of-15).Â
Starting the Season Off Right
The Zips are 70-46 (.603) all-time in season openers with a 56-12 (.824) home record and 14-34 (.292) on the road. UA is 8-5 (.615) when opening the season under Dambrot, standing 5-1 (.833) at home and 3-4 (.429) on the road. In addition, the Zips own a 95-21 (.819) home opening record at Rhodes Arena and have been winners in the last 14-of-15 home opening games.
The 2015-16 Akron Zips started the season with a 3-0 winning streak and completed a 10 game winning streak. The three consecutive wins to open the season marks the best start in the Division I era of Akron men's basketball history and the 10-game streak stands as the second-best under Dambrot behind a 19-game run in 2012-13. In addition, the 13-2 start was the best opening to a season in Akron basketball's Division I era, while the Zips win over the Arkansas Razorbacks marks the fifth consecutive season the Zips posted a win over a Power Five Conference opponent.
The Zips LeBron James Shoe Deal and New LOOK
Since June 2008, the Akron men's basketball program has been partnered with Nike under which the Zips' shoes, game uniforms, warm ups and accessories are licensed under the Nike and LeBron James Trademarks. The Zips are just one of two college programs in the country that are partnered with the LBJ line of Nike equipment, the other is Ohio State.Â
The Akron Zips men's basketball team will be sporting new uniforms in 2016-17. The new look represents a reinvigorated pride in our University, our City, and Zips Athletics. The new design for both home and away were inspired by the "Pride of the City" slogan that men's basketball will carry throughout the season. The goal is to strengthen the pride for the University of Akron within community.Â
The home uniforms are white with dark blue trim and accents, while the away are dark blue with white trim and accents. The "Pride of the UniverCity" uniforms display the name Akron in a prestigious old-style script font on the chest with the number(s) below. The script font and numbers are the same color as the jersey top (white/white or blue/blue) and outlined with the opposite color. The inspiration for the script writing and to use Akron on the chest stemmed from tradition and an overwhelming amount of pride for the city of Akron and its University.Â
The game shorts have three distinguishing marks. The right side of the shorts depicts the Zips' mascot Zippy, and her Fear the Roo head logo, while the left side dons the University's official seal. The final mark on the shorts is the notorious Z logo, which appears on the front waistband.
Robotham Named MAC East Player of the Week
Junior guard Noah Robotham (Las Vegas, Nev.) was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week on Dec. 19. In addition, Robotham was selected as the Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week by collegesportsmadness.com.
Robotham earned the honor after posting a career-high 27 points and leading the Zips to a 99-88 victory over Marshall on Saturday. The win marked Akron's 23rd consecutive victory at James A. Rhodes Arena. Robotham started the game on fire and never really slowed down. He only missed one shot in Akron's lone game of the week and was a perfect 5-of-5 from beyond the 3-point arc in the first half. Â
In 34 minutes of play, Robotham shot 6-of-7 (.857) from long distance and 8-of-9 from the field (.889). In addition, he made five trips to charity stripe and drained all five attempts. Robotham also contributed four assists and three rebounds.Â
For the season, Robotham has played in 9-of-11 games, averaging 27.4 minutes and 11.2 points per game. He shoots 46.3 percent from the field (31-of-67), including a 43.5 percentage from long distance (20-of-46) and 79.2 from the free throw line (19-of-24). He adds 2.1 assists (19) and rebounds (19) per game.Â
BIG DOG Named MAC East Player of the Week
After securing the 2016 Savannah Invitational Most Valuable Player Award, senior center Isaiah Johnson was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week. In addition, Johnson was selected as the Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week by collegesportsmadness.com and Student-Athlete of the Week by the University of Akron.Â
Johnson had a big week, leading the Akron Zips to the 2016 Savannah Invitational Championship. Akron defeated Georgia Southern, Air Force and Mercer to claim the inaugural title. Johnson led the Zips' scoring efforts in all three games. For the week, Johnson scored 58 points in three games to average 19.33 points. He shot 22-of-30 from the floor for a 73.3 shooting percentage and 14-of-23 from the free throw line for a 61-percent effort. Johnson finished with 15 rebounds (5.0 rebs/g), 10 assists (3.33 ast/g), and three blocked shots (1.0 blk/g).
Zips Win Savannah Invitational
The Akron Zips won the inaugural 2016 Savannah Invitational Championship, defeating Mercer 65-63 on Saturday, Nov. 26, at the Savannah Civic Center. Senior center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio) earned the tournament's Most Valuable Player award, while junior guard Antino Jackson (Houston, Texas) was named to the all-tournament team. Akron led by as many as 12 points throughout the Savannah Invitational finale, but the Mercer Bears found their way to claw back into the game to be decided in the final minutes.
Akron finished the game shooting 20-of-43 from the floor for a 46.5 percentage, including a 50-percent effort from downtown on 10-of-20 triples. In addition, the Zips made 19 trips to the charity stripe, knocking down 15 shots for a 78.9 percentage. Mercer won the battle of the boards, 36-24, and the Zips held a slight 10-11 advantage in the turnover battle.
For the second-straight night, Johnson led the Zips' scoring efforts with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor, including a 5-of-7 effort from the free throw line. For his efforts, Johnson was selected as the Savannah Invitational MVP. Also scoring in double figures in back-to-back games was Jackson. He poured in 15 points on Friday against Air Force and returned with a 14 point showing in the finale on 5-of8 shooting from the field, including a 2-of-5 showing from deep. Jackson added two rebounds, two assists, and a block. Cheatham finished with nine points, draining 3-of-4 3-pointers.Â
2016 Savannah Invitational All-Tournament Team: Isaiah Johnson, Akron, (MVP), Antino Jackson, Akron, Desmond Williams, FAMU, Derick Newton, Stetson, Ike Smith, Georgia Southern, Ed Polite Jr., Radford, Frank Toohey, Air Force, B.J. Tyson, East Carolina, Ria'n Holland, MercerÂ
Zips Selected to Win MAC
For the fourth consecutive year, the Akron men's basketball team was selected to win the Mid-American Conference East Division while ranking as the favorite to claim the MAC Tournament title, according to the 2016-17 MAC Preseason Men's Basketball Poll. The Zips received 15 first-place votes for 194 points, edging out Ohio, who finished second in voting with 190 points and 16 first-place votes. Buffalo (144 points, five first place vote) was picked third overall in the East followed by Kent State (116 points), Bowling Green (63 points), and Miami (49 points).Eastern Michigan is the favorite in the West Division.Â
In addition, the Zips were selected as the favorite to claim the season finale in March. Akron received 15 votes to be crowned champions at the MAC Tournament, holding a four-vote margin over Ohio (11). Eastern Michigan earned three votes, while Buffalo and Northern Illinois each had two. Rounding out the tournament voting were Central Michigan, Kent State, and Miami with one vote apiece.Â
Johnson Named to Preseason All-MAC Squad
Senior center Isaiah Johnson was named to the East Division Preseason All-MAC team by the 24-member MAC News Media Panel and 12 league head coaches. In 2015-16, he played in all 35 games, making nine starts and averaging 13.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.6 apg, and 1.3 bpg. He led the Zips' offensive and rebounding efforts en route to an All-MAC First Team selection, NABC All-District First Team honor, and the MAC Sixth Man of the Year award. Furthermore, Johnson was a three-time MAC East Player of the Week recipient while being named to the MAC All-Tournament team, the South Point Classic Most Valuable Player, and collegesportsmadness.com Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week.
Up Next
The Akron basketball team will continue Mid-American Conference play, hosting Western Michigan for the second conference showdown of the season on Friday, January 6, at James A. Rhodes Arena. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by CBS Sports Network (CBSSN). Fans can also follow the action on GoZips.com via live stats or by Zips' radio broadcast on Akron-IMG Sports Network available at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/Akron Zips.Â
Zips Basketball Selected for Eight Television Appearances
As a result of the largest television package in Mid-American Conference history, the Akron men's basketball program enters the 2016-17 season with eight guaranteed television games on various regional and national sports networks. In addition, the Zips' current schedule allows for nine games to be selected as wildcard games for television. Six of the nine dates provide several TV opportunities that may involve a change in game dates and times and/or same date with time changes.
The MAC television package includes ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox Sports 1 (FS1), CBS Sports Network (CBSSN), American Sports Network (ASN), Buckeye Cable Sports Network (BCSN) and Time Warner Cable Sports Channel (TWCS). In addition, Akron can be seen on Fox Sports 2 (FS2) and ROOT Sports. ESPN3 broadcast are not considered when determining television appearances.
Last season, the Zips appeared in 17 televised games with an additional four games aired exclusively on ESPN3. Included in those contests were the MAC Championship (ESPN2) and National Invitation Tournament (ESPN). New to this season, CBS Sports Network agreed to air the MAC semifinal game in addition to the MAC season finale.
Zips Add Two Players in Early Signing Period
The Akron men's basketball program added a pair of student-athletes to the 2017-18 roster during the early signing period, announced by head coach Keith Dambrot. Signing national letters of intent to play for Akron were Eric Parrish (Cypress, Texas) and Jaden Sayles (Cincinnati, Ohio).
Parrish, a 6-6, 185-pound wing, played for Cypress Springs High School in 2015-16 and will spend the 2016-17 playing for Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kan. In 30 games during his senior season, Parrish nearly averaged a double-double from the wing position, scoring 18.4 points and pulling down 8.2 rebounds per game. In addition, he added three assists, two steals, and 1.6 blocks on average per night. During his four-year high school career, Parrish eclipsed the 1,000 point scoring threshold, recording 1,132 points while earning back-to-back team MVP awards. In addition, Parrish was a two-time all-district award winner as well as a two-time academic all-district recipient.
Sayles, a 6-9, 235-pound forward, plays Sycamore High School. As a junior, Sayles led the team in scoring with 13.6 points per game while shooting at a 53.6 percent clip from the field and 71.9 percent from the charity stripe. He pulled down a team-best 4.9 rebounds per game and averaged a team-high 1.5 blocks a night. Sayles finished the season ranked sixth in scoring, third in blocked shots and 14th in rebounds for Greater Miami Conference en route to a Second-Team ALL-GMC selection.
