The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
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Western Michigan
Zips to Battle Broncos on the Road for 10th Straight Win
January 23 | Men's Basketball
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Akron Zips (16-3, 6-0 MAC) at Western Michigan (6-12, 2-4 MAC)
Tuesday, January 24 • University Arena
Kalamazoo, Mich. • 7 p.m. ET
TV/Video: WatchESPN/ESPN3 - Mike Monaco (PxP) and Brian Snider (Analyst)
Live Stats: GoZips.com/Schedule - Live Stats
Radio: Akron-IMG Sports Network - Steve French (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst) WARF 1350 AM (flagship), iHeart Radio, TuneIn.com/Akron Zips
Head Coaches
Steve Hawkins (South Alabama '87)
Overall Record: 377-308 (24th season)
Record at WMU: 240-197 (14th season)
MAC Record:132-94 (14th season)
Keith Dambrot (Akron '82)
Overall Record: 402-203 (19th season)
Record at Akron: 294-133 (13th season)
MAC Record at Akron: 147-61 (13th Season)
Career MAC Record: 157-85 (15th Season)
All-Time Series: Akron Leads: 28-19 | Dambrot vs WMU: 17-5 (17-9 Overall)
Last Meeting: Akron 66, Western Michigan 59 January 6, 2017 at James A. Rhodes 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 294 games, most by any team in the MAC.
• Head coach Keith Dambrot became Akron's All-Time Wins Leader on Jan. 3, with an 89-84 win over Bowling Green. At UA, Dambrot collected 289 wins in 422 games, replacing Russell Beichly's mark of 288 wins in 432 games (1941-59). Dambrot earned his 400th collegiate career win on Jan. 14 at Miami.
• 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 semifinals. The Zips' runs of consecutive title game and semifinal appearances are the longest streaks in MAC history.
• Akron owns the third longest home winning streak in the country behind Kansas (53) and Oregon (37). The Zips own a 172-23 (.882) at James A. Rhodes Arena and have been winners of 27-straight games at Rhodes Arena, tsetting a new Rhodes Arena's longest winning streak record.
• As of Jan.22, UA ranks in the NCAA's Top 100 in 14-of-32 statistical categories (347 teams), ranking No. 6 in the NCAA for 3-point FG's made per game (10.6), No. 13 total 3-point FG's made (202), No. 26 in 3-point FG's attempted (521), and No. 42 3-Point FG Percentage (38.8). The Zips also rank No. 27 in Field Goal Percentage (48.4), No. 46 in scoring Margin (+10.2) , and No. 60 in rebound margin (4.7).
What's Ahead
The Akron Zips travel to Kalamazoo, Mich. for their second meeting with Western Michigan on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. The Zips have won nine straight games which ranks as the seventh longest winning streak in NCAA Division I basketball while leading the Mid-American Conference with a 6-0 record and 16-3 overall. The Zips set the Rhodes Arena record of longest winning streaks of 27 consecutive wins on Friday against Eastern Michigan with a 70-63 final score. In addition, the Zips' run of consecutive home wins ranks No. 3 in the NCAA behind Kansas (53) and Oregon (37). Akron is 2-0 on the road in the MAC this season, defeating Central Michigan and Miami. Fans can follow the action on WatchESPN, ESPN3 with Mike Monaco calling the action andBrian Snider providing analysis.
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.
Akron opened MAC play with a pair of wins over Bowling Green (89-84) and Western Michigan (66-59) at Rhodes Arena. After two road wins against Central Michigan (89-85) and Miami (74-70), the Zips returned to the JAR to defeat Ohio (83-68) and Eastern Michigan (70-63).
The Akron-Western Michigan Series
Tuesday's game marks the 48th meeting in series history between Akron and Western Michigan, and 23rd meeting for a Dambrot coached UA squad. Akron holds a all-time 28-19 series advantage while Dambrot is 17-5 at Akron. The Zips have won five straight games against WMU and 17 of the last 20 meetings of the series, including this season series opener 66-59 on January 6, 2017 at James A. Rhodes Arena. During last season's lone meeting on January 8. Akron posted a 62-53 win over the Broncos at James A. Rhodes Arena. The last time the Zips fell to the Broncos was in the MAC Tournament semifinals on March 14, 2014. WMU needed overtime to advance to the title game, defeating Akron 64-60 at Quicken Loans Arena. Akron is 6-2 in the MAC Tournament against WMU and 5-2 on a neutral court. In addition, the Zips are 8-11 in Kalamazoo, winning four of the last five meetings at University Arena.
Scouting the Broncos
Western Michigan enters the second meeting with a 6-12 overall record and 2-4 conference mark. The Broncos have won both of their home contestes, defeating Toledo, 90-74, and Kent State, 92-88. However, WMU is 0-4 on the road, dropping two straight games to Eastern Michigan, 86-80, and Buffalo, 66-54. WMU averages 74.2 points per game on 44.7 percent shooting from the floor and a 36.4 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 6.2 triples a game. In addition, the Broncos shoot 67.9 percent from the free throw line with 13.4 bonus buckets a night.
The Broncos have two players scoring in double figures, led by Thomas Wilder. He averages 17.2 points per game on 46.0 percent shooting from the field and 47.9 percent rate from beyond the 3-point arc with a team-high 34 made 3-pointers. Tucker Haymond follows with 13.7 points per game on 44.4 percent shooting from the field and 37.7 percent from deep with 20 triples. He owns a second-best 54 assists, while Wilder leads the squad with 64. In addition, Bryce Moore adds a threat from deep for the Broncos. He scores 5.4 points per outing, connecting at a 41.1 percent rate from downtown with 23 made 3-pointers.
Defensively, the Broncos allow their opponents to score 78.2 points per game on 49.2 percent shooting from the floor and 37.5 percent from 3-point range, allowing 8.1 long distance buckets a night. WMU has caused 251 turnovers (13.9 to/g) with 115 steals (6.4 stl/g) and 40 blocked shots (2.2 blk/g). The Broncos have outrebounded their opponent 629-606, establishing a +1.3 margin on the glass.
Last Time Out Against Western Michigan
Seniors Isaiah Johnson and Kwan Cheatham, Jr. led Akron to a 66-59 victory over the Western Michigan. Johnson notched his third double-double of the season and second in three games, scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Cheatham followed with 14 points and buried the go-ahead shot from long distance followed by two free throws. Junior guard Jimond Ivey also finished with double digits in scoring with 13 points. Thomas Wilder led the Broncos offense with 17 points, and Tucker Haymond had 13 points and seven rebounds.
For the game, Akron shot 25-of-56 (44.6 percent) from the field, but only hit 7-of-29 (24.1 percent) from beyond the arc. Western Michigan finished the game shooting 24-of-57 (42.1 percent) from the floor with a 6-of-16 (37.5 percent) showing from downtown.
In a game that showcased 11 tied scores and 10 lead changes, Western Michigan controlled the scoreboard for the majority of the game. WMU led for nearly 19 minutes, while Akron held leads for a total of 14 minutes and the game was tied for a seven-minute span.
With 5:08 remaining in the game, Akron captured a one-point advantage, 55-54, on a layup by Johnson. Junior guard Noah Robotham (Las Vegas, Nev.) followed with a 3-pointer to push the lead to four points, but WMU battled back to tie the game, 58-58, at the 1:28 mark.
On the ensuing possession, Cheatham received the ball from Robotham on the left wing behind the 3-point arc. Cheatham's defender stumbled, creating an open look, and the senior knocked down the long distance shot for a three-point lead with 1:10 remaining in the game, 61-58.
Western Michigan's attempt to tie the game bounced off the rim, and Cheatham was there to recover the rebound. He was immediately fouled, and buried both free throws. Johnson followed with two made free throws to create even more separation with 28 seconds showing on the clock, 65-58. Both teams added a free throw before time expired.
The opening four minutes set the tone for the game, a tough back-and-forth battle. In the first half, Ivey started the scoring, but back-to-back scores by the Broncos gave WMU its first lead, 4-2. Akron recaptured the lead with three consecutive scores, two layups by Ivey and one from Robotham, 8-4. The two teams continued to trade blows as both teams only managed to establish a small advantages throughout the initial stanza as a 3-pointer by Antino Jackson (Houston, Texas) gave the Zips their largest lead at 11-7, and both teams led by three points on multiple occasions.
As the first half was winding down, WMU's Reggie Jones used a layup to create a three point advantage, 32-29 with under a minute to play. After a Bronco miscue with 12 seconds showing on the clock, the Zips rushed the ball up the floor and Jackson found Cheatham on the sideline behind the 3-point arc. Cheatham received the pass and launched a shot from downtown while falling out of bounds with no time left on the clock. The shot touched nothing but the bottom of the net as the Zips tied the game, 32-32, at halftime.
After the break, the Broncos established the early lead and held it for the first ten minutes. WMU pushed the lead to as many as six points twice during that span, but it wasn't enough to hold off the Zips. After WMU's Seth Dugan pushed the lead to six for the second time, 48-42, Akron freshman Emmanuel Olojakpoke responded with a dunk, which began to shift the game's momentum. Akron followed with three consecutive layups, and Ivey capped the 11-0 run with a 3-pointer from the corner for a 53-48 Zips' lead with 10:14 remaining in the game. During the final 10 minutes, the Broncos only managed to regain a one-point lead, 54-53, which was quickly erased by Johnson's layup at 5:08.
The Zips in the MAC
Akron is 93-42 in the regular season against the West Division (.689), including winners of 36 of the last 44 regular-season contests since divisional play began during the 1997-98 season, and 67-25 under head coach Keith Dambrot (.728). The Zips have posted a 42-17 mark (.712) in the last 59 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 45-7 at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule (.865). UA has seen a ton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season, and is 147-61 overall (.707), including an 91-14 mark in MAC play at home (.867). The Zips' 147 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 67 of their last 90 MAC games (.744).
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.
Streaking Zips
Akron established a six-game winning streak early in the season, and is now on an ninet-game run. The nine consecutive wins ranks seventh among all current NCAA Division I winning streaks. In addition, the Zips currently own a 27-game winning streak at Rhodes Arena, setting the facility record which spanned three seasons from 1985-87 under head coach Bob Huggins. The Zips have rattled-off 10 consecutive wins this season at Rhodes Arena over American, Radford, Georgia Southern, Adrian, Coppin State, Marshall, Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Ohio, and Eastern Michign.
Akron's current home court winning streak is the third longest in the NCAA and 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 172-23 with an 88.2 winning percentage at the JAR and have not lost at home since Feb. 21, 2015 against Miami (57-52).
Akron Zips Undefeated in MAC Play
The Akron Zips are 6-0 in league play, defeating Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Miami, Ohio, and Eastern Michigan. In league play, Akron averages 78.5 points per game in the MAC while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 37.4 from long distance with 9.7 made 3-pointers a game. The Zips own a +2.7 margin on the glass, outrebounding the competition 211-195. Akron averages 15.7 assists (94), 12.0 turnovers per game (72), 6.3 steals (38), and 3.3 blocked shots (20) in league play.
The Zips have won nine consecutive regular season MAC games, dateing back to the 2015-16 season which ties the second longest MAC winning streak in Dambrot's tenure. The 2006-07 Zips won nine straight games in a single season after dropping the MAC opener to Ohio. However, the 2012-13 Zips, who won 19-straight games, rattled off 13 consecutive league games during that run.
Akron Sets Rhodes Arena Record with 70-63 Win Over Eastern Michigan
The Akron Zips set the all-time longest winning streak at James A. Rhodes Arena with its 27th straight victory on Friday night, defeating the Eastern Michigan Eagles, 70-63. The Zips' run ranks as the third best home winning streak in NCAA Division I basketball behind Kansas (52) and Oregon (37). The streak also replaces the 26-game winning streak that spanned three seasons under head coach Bob Huggins from 1985 to 1987. The Zips are 172-23 at the James A. Rhodes Arena under 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot, boasting an 88.2 winning percentage and have not lost at home since Feb. 21, 2015 against Miami.
Isaiah Johnson led the way for the Zips (16-3, 6-0 MAC) with 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Antino Jackson added 11 points and six assists and Jimond Ivey chipped in 11 points. Senior Kwan Cheatham, Jr. scored seven points and pulled down seven rebounds. Ty Toney scored 17 points for the Eagles (12-7, 4-2 MAC) and Willie Magnum IV added 13 points.
For the contest, the Zips connected on 42.6 percent (23-of-54) of their shots from the floor and hit 26.9 percent (7-of-26) of their shots from behind the 3-point arc. The Eagles scored on 38.1 percent (24-of-63) of their attempts and hit 25 percent (4-of-16) of their shots from downtown.
Noah Robotham started the scoring for the Zips, connecting on a triple from the top of the key and Cheatham buried a three of his own to give Akron a quick 6-0 lead. Jackson scooped up a loose ball and converted an easy layup to push the Akron lead to eight and force the Eagles to take a timeout. Johnson converted an old-fashioned 3-point play to extend the Zips lead to nine with 14 minutes to play in the first half. Next, Ivey caught a pass in the corner from Johnson and connected on a three to give Akron a 19-9 lead with just under 11 minutes remaining in the half. Cheatham and Emmanuel Olojakpoke combined for a monster block and Cheatham followed the rejection with a triple from the top of the key, giving Akron a 27-15 lead heading into the under-8 media timeout.Over the next four minutes, the Zips held the Eagles to 1-of-7 shooting and established a 34-22 lead. The two teams traded buckets, and Akron maintained a 38-28 lead heading into the halftime break.
The Zips and Eagles exchanged baskets to start the second half, and Akron maintained a nine-point lead with 15 minutes to play in the game. However, Eastern Michigan held Akron without a field goal for nearly three minutes, but an alley-oop to Ivey broke the scoring drought for the Zips. Johnson converted a second three-point play to put the Zips back ahead by 10 points, 52-42 with 9:24 left to play. On the ensuing possession, Ivey threw down a monstrous alley-oop dunk off of a Jackson lob to bring the James A. Rhodes Arena crowd to its feet, and forced the Eagles into another timeout. Robotham connected on another triple to push the Zips lead to 15 with just over seven minutes on the clock, 57-42. Johnson converted on two free throws with six minutes left to play to maintain the Zips 12-point lead.
Johnson used another layup and free throw to extend the Akron lead to 11 points, 63-52, with just under four minutes on the clock. Eastern Michigan answered with five quick points to cut the lead to six, 65-59, and forced Akron to use a timeout with 2:07 left to play. Toney followed layup, and the Zips saw their lead shrink to four points. Jackson split a pair of free throws before he collected a crucial defensive rebound and converted both of his next two foul shots to give the Zips a seven-point lead,68-61, with 45 seconds remaining. Clutch free throws from Johnson and Jackson halted the Eagles attempt at a comeback in the last seconds of the game and extended the Zips winning streak to nine games, with six of those victories coming in MAC play.
The Zips 1,000 Point Club
Senior center Isaiah Johnson leads the Zips' scoring efforts with 15.8 points per game, scoring double digits in 17-of-19 games including 11-of-the-last-12 outings. He has scored 300 points to date and ranks No. 6 in the NCAA for field goal percentage at 63.8 percent. As a result, Johnson became Zips' 42nd member of Akron's 1,000 point club and the 12th member under head coach Keith Dambrot to enter this elite club. Johnson used a career-high 33-point performance against Central Michigan to eclipse the 1,000 point threshold, totaling 1,032 career points. He now has 1,076 career points.
All-Time Wins Leader
Head coach Keith Dambrot became Akron's All-Time Wins Leader with his 289th career victory at Akron on Jan. 3, 2017. The Zips defeated Bowling Green 89-84 as they opened MAC play at James A. Rhodes Arena. In his 13-year career at UA, Dambrot has collected 289 career wins in 422 games, replacing the previous all-time win mark (288) 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 earned his 400th career victory as a collegiate coach and is six wins shy of his 300th all-time win at Akron.
Breakout Moment
Redshirt freshman Daniel Utomi received his first start on Saturday, Jan. 14, against Miami. The Houston, Texas native took full advantage of the moment, scoring a career-high 15 points. Utomi started the game on fire, knocking down five 3-pointers on five attempts in the first half. For the game, he went 5-of-7 from the field and 5-of-6 from deep with a career-best three steals and a rebound.
Chop-ping Up the Competition
Senior forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr. has emerged as one of the Zips leaders in all areas of the game. Cheatham scores 10.8 points per game and leads the team in 3-point FG percentage (25 attempts min.) while ranking No. 7 in the MAC at 41.7 percent. He has buried a second-best 40 triples, just one shy of UA's leader Josh Williams and connects from the charity stripe with a team-best 80.6 percent. In addition, he is second on the glass, pulling down 7.3 rebounds per game with a team-high 106 defensive boards and 33 offensive grabs. Cheatham is also the Zips' leading rim protector with 18 blocked shots while adding 39 assists and 10 steals.
Trifecta!
Four of Akron's players rank in the Mid-American Conference Top 15 for 3-point FG percentage and five are shooting above 40.0 percent fro the Zips, led by the MAC's No. 7 ranked Kwan Cheatham, Jr. with a 41.7 percent effort on 40-of-96 shooting. Coming in at 9th overall is Tavian Dunn-Martin with a 41.5 percentage on 22-of-53 shooting, while Antino Jackson (.411, 37-of-90) and Noah Robotham (.400, 28-of-70) are 11th and 13th, respectively. Josh Williams shoots 36.9 percent from deep with a team-best 41 made triples on 111 attempts. In addition, Daniel Utomi knocked down 11-of-23 trifectas for a 47.8 percentage.
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 10-of-19 games, while averaging a team-high 15.8 points per game. He scored in double-digits 17-of-19 contests, including a career-high 33-point performance against Central Michigan. He posted his third double-double with 16 points and 13 boards while scoring 21, 20, 19 (twice), 17, and 16 (three times), this season. Big Dog ranks No. 6 in the NCAA for FG percentage, shooting 63.8 percent from the floor (111-of-174), and pulled down a team-high 140 rebounds with 86 defensive boards and 54 on the offensive end. He owns a team-high 64 assists with 15 blocks and nine steals. Big Dog earned the Savannah Invitational MVP award, MAC East Player of the Week (twice, 11/28 and 1/16), College Sports Madness Player of the Week, and Sun Bowl All-Tournament team honors.
Four Zips Averaging Double Figures
Four Zips are averaging double figures in scoring led by Johnson's 15.8 points per game while junior guard Antino Jackson follows with 11.1 points per game. Senior Kwan Cheatham, Jr. adds 10.8 points, while junior Jimond Ivey averages 10.6 points. Noah Robotham and Josh Williams follow closely with 9.2 and 7.8 points per game. 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. Johnson ranks 10th overall in the MAC for scoring while Jackson and Cheatham are 29th and 30th, respectively.
The Zips rank among the nation's best from behind the 3-point arc. The Zips rank No. 6 out of 347 teams in the NCAA for 3-point FG made per game with 10.6 triples. In addition, Akron is No. 13 overall in total 3-pointers made with 202, and ranked 26th for 3-point attempts at 521. As a result, the Zips 38.8 long distance percentage ranks 42nd best.
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. Now, Ivey is thriving in his new role, making 12 starts in 19 games. He has scored in double digits 12 times, including a career-high 23 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.
In 19 games, Ivey averages 27.5 minutes with 10.6 points and ranks third in the MAC with a 56.9 shooting percentage from the field. He drained 70-of-123 shots and leads the team with 22 steals. Ivey is third on the squad with 5.8 rebounds per game, 110 total rebounds with 86 defensive and 24 offensive boards.
The Zips Sixth Man
Sophomore Josh Williams is a career 39.4 percent shooter from long distance, knocking down 99-of-251 triples to date. The Akron, Ohio native started nine games this season, and now is the Zips' sixth man, leading Akron's second unit. He has buried a team-best 41 3-pointers on 111 attempts while averaging 7.8 points per game. Williams matched a career-high 18 points against UC Irvine, burying six 3-pointers on nine attempts.
In 19 games, Williams averages 24.1 minutes while shooting 37.7 percent from the field, 49-of-130. In 15 trips to the charity stripe, Williams collected 10 bonus buckets while pulling down 46 rebounds and dishing out 18 assists with eight steals.
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 second in team scoring (11.1 ppg), and has buried 37 long distance field goals. He shoots 45.2 percent from the field and 41.1 from deep and has a second-best 17 steals, while adding 2.8 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game.
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 9.2 points per outing following a career-high 27-point performance against Marshall. He has 40 assists and 12 steals. He shoots 42.3 percent from the floor and 40.0 from behind the 3-point arc, burying 28 triples this season.
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 19 games is freshmen Tavian Dunn-Martin. After 16 straight appearances, freshman Michael Hughes was sidelined with an injury, 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 22-of-53 long distance shots for a 41.5 3-point FG shooting percentage, that ranks 9th in the MAC. In 12.1 minutes a game, Dunn-Martin owns a 45.5 FG shooting percentage (35-of-77) en route to adding 5.6 points per game. As a backup point guard, Dunn-Martin has dished out 21 assists and made 18 trips to the charity stripe, draining 14 bonus buckets for an 77.8 free throw percentage.
Hughes has logged 8.4 minutes per game in the center position, second most of the newcomers. He has scored 33 points and pulled down 22 rebounds and has 10 blocked shots with four steals.
Olojakpoke is a rim protector who managed to block four shots against Coppin State. In 82 minutes played, he is shooting 62.5 percent on 15-of-24 shots from the field and has pulled down 23 rebounds with 10 blocked shots.
Meanwhile, Utomi has a knack for scoring the ball. He is 19-of-36 from the floor for a 52.8 shooting percentage, including a 47.8 percent effort from downtown. In 7.3 minutes per game, Utomi has connected with 11-of-23 shots from deep while adding 11 rebounds, five steals, two assists, and a blocked shot. Rounding out the newcomer play is Eubanks. He provided a spark in 26 minutes of work, knocking down 3-of-5 shots, including 2-of-4 from long distance with one rebound and one blocked shot.
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)
Big Dog Earns Second MAC Weekly Honor
For the second time this season, senior Center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio) was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week, announced by the league office on Monday. In addition on Jan. 16, Johnson was selected as the University of Akron's Student-Athlete of the Week. Johnson became Akron's 42nd member of the 1,000 point club after a career-high 33-point performance against Central Michigan.
For the week, Johnson scored 41 points on 59 percent (13-of-22) shooting from the floor and a 65 percent (15-of-23) performance from the free throw line. He added 14 rebounds (7.0 rebs/g), three assists (1.5 ast/g), two blocked shots (1.0 blk/g), and a steal (0.5 stl/g).
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. 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.
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. 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.
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. 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.
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, Mercer
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Up Next
The Akron basketball team will continue Mid-American Conference, hosting Buffalo at James A. Rhodes Arena on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 7:30 p.m. following the women's game against Eastern Michigan. Fans can follow the action on WatchESPN/ESPN3, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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