The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Central Michigan
Zips Host Central Michigan in Conference Home Opener
January 06 | Men's Basketball
Akron (8-5, 1-0Â Mid-American) vs Central Michigan (6-7, 0-1 Mid-American)
Tuesday, Jan. 7 – James A. Rhodes Arena – Akron, Ohio.
7 pm ET – ESPN + - WHLO 640
HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 330-218 | At Akron: 148-86
Central Michigan: Tony Barbee | Overall Record:172-192 | At Central Michigan: 41-65
ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron Leads: 40-15| Groce vs. Central Michigan: 8-1 At Akron | 11-3 Overall
First Met: 1938-39 (W, Akron 69, Central Michigan 51) at Central Michigan
Last Met: Feb. 6, 2024 (W, Akron 68 - Central Michigan 47) At Akron
In Akron: 24-5 | Neutral: 1-0 | In Mount Pleasant: 15-10
Current Streak: 7W
INSIDE THE SERIES
Tuesday's game marks the 56th meeting in series history between Akron and Central Michigan, and the 15th meeting for a Groce coached squad, ninth at Akron. The Zips hold an all-time 40-15 series advantage while Groce is 11--3 overall and 8-1 at Akron.
The Zips have won 25 of the last 28 meetings, including a seven-game winning streak. Akron has swept the series the since the 2019-20 series with the last CMU victory coming in the 2018-19 season when the two teams split the season series. Akron fell in overtime 88-86 at McGuirk Arena in the first meeting but bounced back with a 70-67 win at Rhodes Arena.
The Zips won last season on at the JAR 68-47 while winning at McGuirk Arena (60-56) and the JAR (57-56) in 2022-23. Akron won the in 2020-21 (81-67 at James A. Rhodes Arena) and 2019-20 (80-67 at McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant, Mich.).
Akron will look to defend the JAR from Central Michigan and keep the home winning streak intact against the Chippewas that has stood since January 24, 2004 (14-0).
SCOUTING THE CHIPPEWASCentral Michigan enters Tuesday's contest with a 6-7 overall record, an 0-1 record in the MAC and a 3-5 record on the road. The Chippewas are 2-3 over their last five games and recently fell 57-55 against Ohio to open MAC play.Â
CMU trailed 54-44 with under eight minutes remaining by got within one point of the Bobcats on a tip-in by Cayden Vasko with 45 seconds. Ohio would make 1-of-2 free throws to extend the lead to two with eight seconds left and a last second shots for CMU would clank off the iron.
Jakobi Hardy scored 15 points to lead CMU, while Anthony Pritchard had 13 and Ugnius Jarusevicius added 11 points and 11 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double and his third of the season. CMU outrebounded the Bobcats, 42-28. The Chippewas made just two of their 15 3-point attempts.Â
CMU has the 7th hardest strength of schedule in the NCAA and the fifth hardest when just looking at non-conference opponents according to Kenpom.com.
The Chippewas are scoring 73.4 points this season while outscoring opponents by 3.7 points. Shooting .451 from the field, CMU is hitting .310 percent of their 3-point shots and make 7.0 per game. CMU is rebounding 37.8 boards per game while holding a rebound margin of +5.3. Jacobi Heady leads CMU in points (13.3) and steals (2.4) while Anthony Pritchard is the leader in assists (4.1) and rebounds (6.8). Bryan Ndjonga leads the way in blocks with 10 on the year.
CMU is in the top five in the MAC for scoring defense (2nd - 69.7), fg percentage (4th - .451), opp fg percentage (2nd - .415), opp 3-point percentage (1st - .288), rebounding (3rd - 37.8), off. rebounds (4th - 10.5), rebound margin (2nd - 5.3), opp. rebounds (2nd - 32.5), def. rebounds (2nd - 27.4), blocked shots (4th - 3.68), steals (5th - 7.77) and assists (4th - 14.23).Â
Central Michigan ranks 59th in the NCAA in fastbreak points (13.77), 97th in fg defense (.415), 72nd in rebound margin (+5.3), 62nd in def, rebounds (27.38), 100th in rebounds per game (37.85 and 31st in 3pt def. (.288). Anthony Pritchard ranks 35th in the NCAA for total steals (31) and 22nd for steals per game (2.38).
ZIPS AT A GLANCEAkron returns to James A. Rhodes Arena for the first time since December 7 and holds an 8-5 overall record, a 1-0 record in the MAC and a 6-0 record at home.
The Zips are coming off a come from behind 71-68 victory at Bowling Green on January 3 to open conference action. Sharron Young had a career-high 17 points to lead the Zips in scoring while Shammah Scott and Isaiah Gray hit clutch 3's late in the contest to help push the Blue and Gold in front. Trailing for the majority of the game, Akron only led for one minute and 10 seconds.
The Zips are currently scoring 79.9 points per game while holding an +7.1 scoring margin over their opponents. The Blue and Gold shoot .426 from the field and .342 from long range while hitting 11.2 3's per game. Akron is also averaging 39.9 rebounds per game, 17.2 assists,12.7 turnovers, 7.9 steals, and 3.3 blocks per game.
Tavari Johnson leads the Zips in scoring with 12.5 points and assists with 3.5. Tavari is one of two Zips to average double figures in scoring. Nate Johnson is second on the team in scoring (11.5) and leads the Zips in and steals (1.3). James Okonkwo is the leader in rebounds with 8.5 per game and total blocks with 14. Amani Lyles is second on the team in blocks with 11.
Akron is in the top five in the MAC for scoring offense (2nd - 79.9), scoring margin (2nd - +7.1), scoring defense (5th - 72.8), opp. fg pct (4th - .432), 3pt pct ( 4th - .352), 3pters made (2nd - 11.2), opp. 3pt pct (5th - .330), ft pct (5th .737), rebounds (1st - 39.9), off. rebounds (3rd - 13.2), def. rebounds (4th - 26.7), rebound margin (5th - +1.3), turnover margin (5th - +2.08), assist-turnover margin (3rd - +1.36), steals (2nd - 7.92) and assists (1st - 17.23).
In the NCAA, the Zips rank 87th in assist-turnover ratio (+1.36), 34th in assists per game (17.2), 17th for bench points per game (32.77), 74th in fastbreak points (13.23), 81st in def. rebounds (26.85), 30th in off. rebounds (13.62), 27th in rebounds per game (40.46), 77th in scoring offense (79.9), 100th in steals per game (7.9), 8th in 3-pointers made per game (11.2), 93rd for turnover margin (+2.1), and 55th for turnovers forced per game (14.77). James Okonkwo ranks 100th for total rebounds in the NCAA (112), 34th in off. rebounds per game (3.23) and 44th for rebounds per game (8.6).
LAST TIME AGAINST CENTRAL MICHIGAN Â (2/6/24)
AKRON, Ohio - The Akron men's basketball team kept Central Michigan to just 16 percent from 3-point range in a 4-for-25 shooting performance on the way to a 68-47 win over the Chippewas at home Tuesday.
The Zips (18-5, 10-1) had three players score in double figures, led by Enrique Freeman, who secured a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Greg Tribble added 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocks and Tavari Johnson helped out with 10 points off of the bench.
The Akron offense was very productive from downtown, pouring in nine threes on 32 attempts. Mikal Dawson was the most prolific shooter for the Zips, draining two treys in the contest.
Akron's defense held Central Michigan to only 16 percent shooting from beyond the arc and 30.8 percent from the field. The Chippewas did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with four offensive rebounds and managed seven second chance points while Akron cleared 33 defensive rebounds.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Zips own a 475-135 (.778) all-time record at James A. Rhodes Arena. In the last 17 seasons, Akronhas posted a 271-40 (.871) record at the JAR. The Zips recorded a 13-1 record at the JAR last season and had won their last 16 home games dating back to the 2022-23 season before falling to EMU on March 5, 2024.
Under coach Groce, Akron is 93-15 (.859) at home. The Zips were 15-1 at home in 2022-23 and 13-1 in 2023- 24. Akron is 6-0 at the JAR in 2024-25.
Akron owns a 102-21 (.829) home-opening record and 38-4 (.905) at Rhodes Arena. The Zips have been winners in the last 22-of-23 home opening games. Akron is 21-8 in MAC openers, and 12-1 at home since joining the league in 1992. Over the last 18 seasons, the Zips are 15-3 in MAC openers and 7-1 at home.
Akron has won the last 9-of-10Â MAC openers. 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. 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.
AKRON IN THE MAC
Akron is 66-25 since the 2019-20 season in MAC play, owning the highest winning percentage (.725) in the league. The Zips are 52-22 in the MAC under the new conference format without divisions (new in 2020-21). Akron is 100-28 (.781) 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 235-108 overall (.685), including a 142-32 mark in MAC play at home (.816). The Zips' 235 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 150 of their last 215 MAC games (.697).
CAREER NIGHT AGAINST THE FALCONS
Helping lead the Zips to a comeback victory to begin conference play at Bowling Green on January 3, Sharron Young scored a career high 17 points on the road. Leading the Zips in scoring on the night, Young went 6-of-10 from the field and 3-of-6 from long range against the Falcons. He also added four rebounds, two steals and one assist in the win.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Akron hits the road as it travels to Eastern Michigan on Saturday, January 11 for a 3:30 p.m. start.
