The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Kent State
Zips Travel to Rival Kent State on Friday
January 18 | Men's Basketball
Akron (13-4, 5-0 Mid-American) at Kent State (9-8, 2-3 Mid-American)
Friday, Jan. 19 – M.A.C Center – Kent, Ohio
7:00 pm ET – ESPNU - WHLO 640
Head Coaches
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 311-206 | At Akron: 129-74
Kent State: Rob Senderoff | Overall Record: 256-155 | At Kent State: Same
All-Time Series
Kent State Leads: 82-80 Groce vs. Kent State: 7-7 (11-12 Overall)
First Meeting: Akron 37, Kent 16 in Kent 1915-16 season
Last Meeting: Kent 79, Akron 73 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on March 10, 2023
In Akron:45-25 | Neutral: 9-2 | In Kent: 27-53 | MAC Tournament: 6-4 | MAC Title Games: 2-2
WHAT'S AHEAD
The Akron Zips travel this Friday to face rival Kent State. The Zips and Golden Flashes are set to battle for the 163rd time. Akron and Kent State can be viewed on ESPNU with Jordan Bernfield (PxP) and Tim McCormick (Analyst). 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 GOLDEN FLASHES
The Golden Flashes come into Friday's contest with a 9-9 overall record and a 2-3 record in the MAC. Kent State has gone 5-3 at home this season and is 1-1 at home in conference action.
Kent State snapped a three-game losing streak with an 83-76 win at Northern Illinois on January 16. The Golden Flashes were led by VonCameron Davis and Reggie Bass' 23 points while two other players scored in double figures. Davis and Bass went a combined 18-for-15 against the Huskies. Bass finished 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. The Golden Flashes shot over 60% from the field and over 47% from 3-point range.
Kent State saw a challenging non-conference schedule, with the Golden Flashes starting the year with a 113-108 overtime loss to James Madison. Kent State has also faced The College of Charleston, South Dakota State, Cleveland State, Oregon and Saint Mary's to name a few non-conference foes.
The Flashes are scoring 78.2 points per game and have a +4.3 scoring margin. They also are shooting 45.5% from the field and 36.4% from 3-point range. Three players are averaging double-figures, with Jalen Sullinger leading the way with 14.7 points per game. Chris Payton Jr. (14.6) and Davis (12.3) are the other two Flashes scoring 10 or more points per game. Payton Jr. is the squad's leading rebounder with 8.1 per game and shot blocker with 24 on the season.
Kent State is 87th in the country in bench points (24.71), 22nd in free throw% (.768), 56th in free throws made per game (15.9), 86th in scoring offense (78.2), 65th in 3-point % (.364), 93rd in turnover margin (+1.7), and 47th in turnovers forced per game (14.82).
Hubbard is 56th in 3's attempted (118), 87th in 3-point percentage (.364), 64th in 3's made per game (2.69), and 76th for total 3's made (43).
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
The Zips are riding a five-game winning streak to begin conference action as they travel to face rival Kent State.
Akron is coming off a 77-66 victory at home against Western Michigan. Enrique Freeman led Akron with 20 points and 14 rebounds while Sammy Hunter (19 points) and Ali Ali (18 points) helped guide the Zips to the victory behind 50 points in the second half.
The Zips are led by Freeman's 18.4 points per game and is one of three Zips to average 10 or more points a game. Ali (15.8) and Hunter (10.2) are the other two. Greg Tribble is knocking on the door with 9.8 points per game.
Freeman is leading Akron in rebounds with 12.2 per game and total blocks with 26. Kaleb Thornton leads the way in assists with 3.24 while Nate Johnson is the leader in steals with 1.31 per game.
Akron is scoring 77.1 points per game and is outscoring its opponents by 11.5 points. The Zips are shooting 47.3% from the field, 35.8% from beyond the arc and are hitting 8.9 three-pointers per game.
The Zips are currently 94th in the country in assists per game (14.9), 36th in effective fg% (.551), 57th in field goal percentage (.473), 79th in rebound margin (+4.4), 46th in scoring defense (65.6), 44th in scoring margin (+11.5), 89th in 3-point fg% (.358), and 53rd in 3's made per game (8.9).
INSIDE THE SERIES
Friday's game marks the 163rd meeting in series history between Akron and Kent State. The first meeting was during the 1915-16 season at Kent State where Akron pulled out the win, 37-16. The Zips have
won 19 of the last 34 meetings. Akron went 1-2 against the Golden Flashes with each side defending its home court while Kent State won in the MAC Tournament to take a 82-80 advantage in the overall series.
Neither team has done historically well on the road. Akron is 45-25 at home while just 27-53 on the road against the Golden Flashes.
Akron and Kent State have met in the MAC Tournament nine times. Akron is 6-3 in the MAC Tournament against the Golden Flashes. In addition, Akron and Kent State have played for the MAC Tournament championship four times and the series is split 2-2 in MAC title games. Kent State won the tournament in 2007-08 (74-55), Akron won the title in 2010-11 in overtime (66-65), Kent State won the tournament in 2016-17 (70-65) and the Zips won in 2022 (75-55).
LAST TIME AGAINST KENT STATE (MAR. 10, 2023)
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The third-seeded University of Akron men's basketball team battled down to the wire against rival and second-seeded Kent State in the Mid-American Conference Tournament Semifinals at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday evening before the Golden Flashes notched a 79-73 triumph.
In a back-and-forth battle befitting the storied rivalry, Kent State was able to withstand a late scoring run by Akron to advance to the title game of the MAC Tournament on Saturday, March 11.
Junior Enrique Freeman (Cleveland, Ohio) directed the Zips' offensive efforts scoring a game-high 26 points while pulling down a season-best 18 rebounds. Senior Xavier Castaneda (Chicago, Ill.) and graduate student Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich.) added 21 and 11 points, respectively. Miryne Thomas led Kent State with a 24-point performance.
Akron finished the evening shooting 45.5 percent from the field, including making seven three-pointers. The Zips limited the Golden Flashes' attack to a .379 shooting mark, including 31 percent in the second half.
LAST TIME OUT (JAN. 16, 2024)
AKRON, Ohio - Enrique Freeman, Sammy Hunter, and Ali Ali helped propel the Zips to a 50-point second half to take a 77-66 victory over the Western Michigan Broncos on Tuesday evening.
Freeman finished with a 20-point, 14-rebound double-double to break Joe Jakubick's 40-year-old record for the most consecutive double-figure games in program history. Jakubick set the record with 30 straight games with 10 or more points while Freeman now has the record with 31 and counting.
The Zips (13-4, 5-0) had three players score in double figures, led by Freeman. Sammy Hunter tacked on 19 points and Ali Ali chipped in as well with 18 points.
Akron shared the ball well in Tuesday's game, racking up 16 assists on 29 made field goals. Individually, Kaleb Thornton dished out the most for the Zips with six assists.
Akron did a great job disrupting Western Michigan shots in the contest, coming away with five blocks. Freeman's three rejections led the way individually for the Zips.
After falling behind 3-2, Akron went on an 8-0 run with 17:35 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Hunter, to take a 10-3 lead. The Zips then surrendered that lead and entered halftime down 29-27.
Western Michigan kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing a 35-32 advantage before Akron went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Mikal Dawson's three, to seize a 38-35 lead with 15:38 to go in the contest. The Zips kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 77-66 win. Akron shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting seven shots from deep to score 21 of its 50 points.
AKRON IN THE MAC
Akron is 58-21 since the 2019-20 season in MAC play, owning the highest winning percentage (.734) in the league. The Zips are 44-17 in the MAC under the new conference format without divisions (new in 2020-21). Akron is 94-25 (.789) at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule. UA has seen a ton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season, and is 227-103 overall (.688), including a 137-31 mark in MAC play at home (.815). The Zips' 227 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 142 of their last 202 MAC games (.703).
ON THE ROAD
Akron is 4-1 in true road games this season. The Zips have posted wins over South Dakota State (81-75), Northern Kentucky (77-76), NIU (73-51), and Ball State (80-76) while falling to UNLV (72-70).
THE DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Freeman has 15 double-doubles this season, ranking 1st in the NCAA, and is the only player in the MAC to average a double-double. He is 1-of-12 players in Div. 1 to average a double-double while recording 20+ points and 10+ rebounds 10 times. Freeman has also recorded 11 consecutive double-doubles.
Additionally, he ranks 88th in blocks per game (1.53), 88th in total blocks (26), 33rd in fg% (.589), 50th in fg made (112), 31st in free throws attempted (116), 45th in made free throws (81), 68th in total points (312), 68th in points per game (18.4), 1st in total rebounds (224), 2nd in def. rpg (9.53),14th in off. rpg (3.65) and 1st in rebounds per game (13.2).
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Zips head back home to defend the JAR with Ohio coming to town on Tuesday, January 23 for a 7 pm start.
