The University of Akron Athletics
Sunday, December 17
Akron, Ohio
2 PM
University of Akron
vs
Miami-Hamilton
Zips Host Miami Hamilton for Sunday Matinee
December 16 | Men's Basketball
Akron (6-3, 0-0 Mid-American) vs Miami Hamilton (5-5 USCAA Div. II)
Sunday, Dec. 17 – James A. Rhodes Arena – Akron, Ohio
2:00 pm ET – WHLO 640
HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 304-205 | At Akron: 122-73
Bradley: Michael Piatt | Overall Record: 65-32| At Miami Hamilton: 47-22
All-Time Series
First Ever Meeting
QUICK HITS
WHAT'S AHEAD
The Akron Zips make their way back to the JAR to play host to Miami Hamilton on December 17. Fans can listen to Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst). Live stats are also available on GoZips.com.
SCOUTING THE HARRIERS
The Harriers are currently 5-5 this season in the USCAA (Div. 2). They most recently lost to Boyce 73-59 on Dec. 11 and had won their previous three games.
Ryan Marchal leads Miami-Hamilton with 22.8 points per game with 10 apperances and starts. He also leads the way with 3.9 APG and 2.2 SPG. Cory Davis is the leader in rebounds with 8.0 RPG and is second on the team with six blocks. Josh Wildermuth is the leader in blocks with seven on the season.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron is currently on a two-game winning streak after winning 77-76 at Northern Kentucky on Dec. 9. Enrique Freeman and Sammy Hunter led the way with 21 and 20 points while Ali Ali and Nate Johnson both added 13 points each to the winning effort.
Freeman was named MAC POTW for the third time this season after recording a pair of 20+ pt, 10+ reb performances against Bradley and Northern Kentucky.
Ali, who played his first game of the season at NKU, scored 13 points on a 5-of-8 shooting night while adding five assits, one steal and two rebounds.
The Zips rank 69th in D1 in assists per game (15.6), 47th in effective FG% (.555), 79th in FG% (.473)84th in rebound margin (+5.1), 81st in scoring defense (66.7), 99th in scoring margin (+8.8), 78th in 3pth% (36.3) and 39th in 3-pointers made per game (9.4).
LAST TIME OUT (DEC. 9, 2023)
Enrique Freeman collected 21 points, which was capped off by a last-second dunk off a pass by Ali Ali, while Sammy Hunter added 20 as the Akron men's basketball team beat the Northern Kentucky Norse 77-76 on the road Saturday.
The Zips (6-3) had four players score in double figures, led by Freeman, who secured a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Hunter tacked on 20 points and Nate Johnson helped out with 13 points. This was the first time Akron had two players score at least 20 points since Freeman and Xavier Castaneda recorded the feat against Kent State in the MAC Tournament last season.
The Akron offense made hay from three-point land, knocking down eight threes. Hunter hit five treys for the Zips, which was one shy of tying his career high.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Zips own a 459-134 (.774) all-time record at Rhodes Arena. In the last 16 seasons, Akron has posted a 255-39 (.867) record at the JAR.
Under coach Groce, Akron is 79-14 (.849) at home. The Zips were 15-1 at home in 2022-23.
Akron went 12-4 at Rhodes Arena in Groce's first year as head coach and followed with a 14-3 effort. The Zips went 15-2 at home in 2019-20 en route to the regular season MAC Championship. During COVID shortened season, Akron posted a 9-1 mark at the JAR (2020-21) and posted a 12-3 record in 2021-22. Groce became the third Akron coach since 1940 to win his first six home games in the first season as head coach. The Zips rattled off seven straight wins at the JAR before falling in the MAC home opener to Buffalo. The Zips set the all-time longest home winning streak record at Rhodes Arena with 30 consecutive wins during the 2015-17 seasons, replacing the 26-game run the Zips made during the 1985-87 seasons under head coach Bob Huggins. The streak ranked No. 2 in the NCAA.
NON-CONFERENCE FOES AT THE JAR
Under John Groce, Akron is currently 39-1 at home against non-conference opponents. Akron is on a 28-0 run against non-conference foes at the JAR since losing to Marshall on Dec. 15, 2018.
ENRIQUE FREEMAN - MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK X3
For the third time this season Enrique Freeman was named the MAC Player of The Week on Dec.11.
The senior forward finished shooting over 75% from the field (19-of-25) as he recorded a pair of 20+ point, 10+ rebound performances.
He started the week with a 21-point, 18 rebound performance against Bradley where he finished shooting 9-of-13 from the field. Freeman kept Akron in the game in the first half as he scored 11 of the Zips' 26 first-half points. His 21 points and 18 rebounds led all players in each category. Freeman also had four blocks, four steals, and two assists against the Braves.
Freeman then added a 21-point, 10-rebound effort on the road against Northern Kentucky. Putting together a 10-of-12 (.833) performance from the field, Freeman notched the two biggest points of the game late in the second half. Down by a point, Freeman collected a pass from Ali Ali with three seconds left and unleased a seismic two-handed dunk to push the Zips in front for the 77-76 win. He had one steal and one block against the Norse as well.
LOU HENSON + OSCAR ROBERTSON AWARD WATCH LIST
Freeman was named to the 2023-24 Lou Henson and Oscar Robertson National Player of the Year Watch List. CollegInsider.com announced Freeman on Monday (Dec. 11) being named the Lou Henson National Player of the Week while the US Basketball Writers Association named him to the Oscar Robertson Award list on Dec.12.
Freeman led the offensive efforts for Akron, averaging a double-double with 21.0 points and 14.0 rebounds per game against Bradley and Northern Kentucky. He shot 76.0 percent from the floor (19-of-25) while collecting nine offensive rebounds and 19 defensive rebounds for x28 total boards. He also registered five steals, five blocks, and two assists last week.
BIG GAME SAMMY HUNTER
Sammy Hunter dropped 20 points on NKU on a 7-of-10 performance from the field and 5-of-7 from deep.
Hunter is shooting 45.8 percent from the field this season and 42.6 percent from 3-point range (23-54). He's currently 1st on the Zips for made 3's.
ALI ALI JOINS THE PARTY
An All-MAC Preseason selection, Ali Ali was finally cleared to play with his first game of the season coming on the road at Northern Kentucky. Ali went 5-of-8 from the floor to collect 13 points. He also was tied for the team lead in assists with five against the Norse.
An All-MAC second team award winner in 2021-22, Ali played for Butler the past season where he scored 6.5 ppg and had 2.7 rpg in 18 appearances and 12 starts.
LONG RANGE SPECIALISTS
Sammy Hunter, Kaleb Thornton and Mikal Dawson have made 55 of the 85 (.647) 3-pointers for Akron.
Hunter has recorded at least one made 3pt FG in every game this season, shooting at a 38.3 percent clip (23-of-54). He has made three or more triples in four games with 23 total trifectas.
Dawson has connected on 23 3-pointers this season and is 34.9 percent from deep.
Thornton is shooting 10-of-20 from deep (.500).
Six Zips have connected on seven or more 3's this season.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Zips will welcome Gardner-Webb from the Big South to the JAR on Thursday, December 21 for a 6:30 pm start.
Sunday, Dec. 17 – James A. Rhodes Arena – Akron, Ohio
2:00 pm ET – WHLO 640
HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 304-205 | At Akron: 122-73
Bradley: Michael Piatt | Overall Record: 65-32| At Miami Hamilton: 47-22
All-Time Series
First Ever Meeting
QUICK HITS
- December will see the Zips play three home games, one road contest, and one neutral site game.
- Under coach Groce, the Zips have posted a 91-38 overall record over the past five seasons and a 53-21 conference record in that same span.
- Groce recorded his 300th career win with the 72-54 victory over Southern Miss on Nov. 10.
- Akron has made at least one 3-pointer in its last 746 games when it was held without a 3-pointer against Purdue in the 2000-01 season.
- Akron recorded its 1,700th win in program history with a 67-52 win against Bradley on Dec. 5.
- Under coach Groce, Akron is currently 39-1 at home against non-conference opponents.
- Freeman has recorded five games with 20+ points and 10+ rebounds this season. The most recent was a 21-point, 10-reb performance at Northern Kentucky.
- Freeman recorded his 1,000th career rebound in the 77-71 win over FIU. Freeman is just the sixth player to record 1,000 points and rebound as a Zip.
- Freeman has had a double-double in seven games this season.
- Freeman was named MAC POTW for the third time this season on Dec. 11.
- Sammy Hunter has recorded at least one 3pter in every game this season. He scored 20 pts at NKU on Dec.9.
WHAT'S AHEAD
The Akron Zips make their way back to the JAR to play host to Miami Hamilton on December 17. Fans can listen to Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst). Live stats are also available on GoZips.com.
SCOUTING THE HARRIERS
The Harriers are currently 5-5 this season in the USCAA (Div. 2). They most recently lost to Boyce 73-59 on Dec. 11 and had won their previous three games.
Ryan Marchal leads Miami-Hamilton with 22.8 points per game with 10 apperances and starts. He also leads the way with 3.9 APG and 2.2 SPG. Cory Davis is the leader in rebounds with 8.0 RPG and is second on the team with six blocks. Josh Wildermuth is the leader in blocks with seven on the season.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron is currently on a two-game winning streak after winning 77-76 at Northern Kentucky on Dec. 9. Enrique Freeman and Sammy Hunter led the way with 21 and 20 points while Ali Ali and Nate Johnson both added 13 points each to the winning effort.
Freeman was named MAC POTW for the third time this season after recording a pair of 20+ pt, 10+ reb performances against Bradley and Northern Kentucky.
Ali, who played his first game of the season at NKU, scored 13 points on a 5-of-8 shooting night while adding five assits, one steal and two rebounds.
The Zips rank 69th in D1 in assists per game (15.6), 47th in effective FG% (.555), 79th in FG% (.473)84th in rebound margin (+5.1), 81st in scoring defense (66.7), 99th in scoring margin (+8.8), 78th in 3pth% (36.3) and 39th in 3-pointers made per game (9.4).
LAST TIME OUT (DEC. 9, 2023)
Enrique Freeman collected 21 points, which was capped off by a last-second dunk off a pass by Ali Ali, while Sammy Hunter added 20 as the Akron men's basketball team beat the Northern Kentucky Norse 77-76 on the road Saturday.
The Zips (6-3) had four players score in double figures, led by Freeman, who secured a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Hunter tacked on 20 points and Nate Johnson helped out with 13 points. This was the first time Akron had two players score at least 20 points since Freeman and Xavier Castaneda recorded the feat against Kent State in the MAC Tournament last season.
The Akron offense made hay from three-point land, knocking down eight threes. Hunter hit five treys for the Zips, which was one shy of tying his career high.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Zips own a 459-134 (.774) all-time record at Rhodes Arena. In the last 16 seasons, Akron has posted a 255-39 (.867) record at the JAR.
Under coach Groce, Akron is 79-14 (.849) at home. The Zips were 15-1 at home in 2022-23.
Akron went 12-4 at Rhodes Arena in Groce's first year as head coach and followed with a 14-3 effort. The Zips went 15-2 at home in 2019-20 en route to the regular season MAC Championship. During COVID shortened season, Akron posted a 9-1 mark at the JAR (2020-21) and posted a 12-3 record in 2021-22. Groce became the third Akron coach since 1940 to win his first six home games in the first season as head coach. The Zips rattled off seven straight wins at the JAR before falling in the MAC home opener to Buffalo. The Zips set the all-time longest home winning streak record at Rhodes Arena with 30 consecutive wins during the 2015-17 seasons, replacing the 26-game run the Zips made during the 1985-87 seasons under head coach Bob Huggins. The streak ranked No. 2 in the NCAA.
NON-CONFERENCE FOES AT THE JAR
Under John Groce, Akron is currently 39-1 at home against non-conference opponents. Akron is on a 28-0 run against non-conference foes at the JAR since losing to Marshall on Dec. 15, 2018.
ENRIQUE FREEMAN - MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK X3
For the third time this season Enrique Freeman was named the MAC Player of The Week on Dec.11.
The senior forward finished shooting over 75% from the field (19-of-25) as he recorded a pair of 20+ point, 10+ rebound performances.
He started the week with a 21-point, 18 rebound performance against Bradley where he finished shooting 9-of-13 from the field. Freeman kept Akron in the game in the first half as he scored 11 of the Zips' 26 first-half points. His 21 points and 18 rebounds led all players in each category. Freeman also had four blocks, four steals, and two assists against the Braves.
Freeman then added a 21-point, 10-rebound effort on the road against Northern Kentucky. Putting together a 10-of-12 (.833) performance from the field, Freeman notched the two biggest points of the game late in the second half. Down by a point, Freeman collected a pass from Ali Ali with three seconds left and unleased a seismic two-handed dunk to push the Zips in front for the 77-76 win. He had one steal and one block against the Norse as well.
LOU HENSON + OSCAR ROBERTSON AWARD WATCH LIST
Freeman was named to the 2023-24 Lou Henson and Oscar Robertson National Player of the Year Watch List. CollegInsider.com announced Freeman on Monday (Dec. 11) being named the Lou Henson National Player of the Week while the US Basketball Writers Association named him to the Oscar Robertson Award list on Dec.12.
Freeman led the offensive efforts for Akron, averaging a double-double with 21.0 points and 14.0 rebounds per game against Bradley and Northern Kentucky. He shot 76.0 percent from the floor (19-of-25) while collecting nine offensive rebounds and 19 defensive rebounds for x28 total boards. He also registered five steals, five blocks, and two assists last week.
BIG GAME SAMMY HUNTER
Sammy Hunter dropped 20 points on NKU on a 7-of-10 performance from the field and 5-of-7 from deep.
Hunter is shooting 45.8 percent from the field this season and 42.6 percent from 3-point range (23-54). He's currently 1st on the Zips for made 3's.
ALI ALI JOINS THE PARTY
An All-MAC Preseason selection, Ali Ali was finally cleared to play with his first game of the season coming on the road at Northern Kentucky. Ali went 5-of-8 from the floor to collect 13 points. He also was tied for the team lead in assists with five against the Norse.
An All-MAC second team award winner in 2021-22, Ali played for Butler the past season where he scored 6.5 ppg and had 2.7 rpg in 18 appearances and 12 starts.
LONG RANGE SPECIALISTS
Sammy Hunter, Kaleb Thornton and Mikal Dawson have made 55 of the 85 (.647) 3-pointers for Akron.
Hunter has recorded at least one made 3pt FG in every game this season, shooting at a 38.3 percent clip (23-of-54). He has made three or more triples in four games with 23 total trifectas.
Dawson has connected on 23 3-pointers this season and is 34.9 percent from deep.
Thornton is shooting 10-of-20 from deep (.500).
Six Zips have connected on seven or more 3's this season.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Zips will welcome Gardner-Webb from the Big South to the JAR on Thursday, December 21 for a 6:30 pm start.
Players Mentioned
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