The University of Akron Athletics
Zips Earn Five All-MAC Honors; Coach Groce Named MAC Coach of the Year
March 12 | Men's Basketball
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference announced the All-Conference awards on Wednesday, March 12 as University of Akron guards Tavari Johnson and Nate 
Johnson were named to the All-MAC First Team, Isaiah Gray was named an All-MAC Honorable Mention, Sharon Young was named to the All-MAC Freshman Team, N. Johnson was named to the All-MAC Defensive Team and head coach John Groce was named Coach of the Year.
Tavari Johnson showed out for the Blue and Gold in his junior season, earning his first All-MAC First Team honor.
The junior guard was second on the team in scoring (12.8) while leading the Zips in assists (4.0) per game.
T. Johnson recorded a team-high seven games of 20 or more points this season while ranking second on the Zips for double-figure scoring games (20). He led the team in games with five or more assists (11) and led the team in scoring 11 times in the regular season.
N. Johnson earned his first All-MAC First Team honors in his redshirt junior season.
Johnson led the Zips in the regular season with 13.5 points and 1.9 steals per game. He averaged 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 0.5 blocks per game while scoring in double-figures a team-leading 23 times and scoring 15 or more points in 11 games. Johnson led the team in assists nine times and recorded five games of five or more assists. He led the Zips in rebounding eight times and was also named the MVP of the Akron Basketball Classic earlier in the season.
Isaiah Gray, a preseason All-MAC selection, averaged 9.5 points per game and is shot .486 percent from the field and .359 percent from long 
range in the regular season. Gray scored in double-figures in 20 games while scoring 15 or more points four times and has recorded one double-double. He also averaged 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
In his freshman season, Sharron Young was one of the go-to players off the bench. Averaging 7.7 points per game, he is also averaging, 2.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.9 steals per game while averaging 16.2 minutes per game. He has scored in double figures 10 times, scored 15+ points three times and has led the Zips in scoring three times this season.
For the second time leading the Akron Zips, John Groce was named the Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year. Coach Groce was previously named the MAC Coach of the Year in 2020. 
The Zips reached new heights this season under Groce, winning a program record 25 regular season games while tying the best record in the MAC in the modern era with a 17-1 conference record. The 2024-25 squad is just the second MAC school to finish the regular season 17-1, joining the 2001-02 Kent State squad that first did it.Â
Bringing in nine new faces to the program, coach Groce didn't miss a beat after winning the 2024 MAC Tournament title. Akron went 16-0 at 
home this season at home, becoming just the fourth Akron team to go undefeated at James A. Rhodes Arena. The Blue and Gold also tied the program record for most conference victories to begin MAC play (13). Winning 14 consecutive games from Jan. 3 through Feb. 18, the Zips held the longest active winning streak in the nation before falling to Ohio on Feb. 22.
The Zips start the Mid-American Conference as the No. 1 seed at Rocket Arena when they battle the No. 8 seeded Bowling Green Falcons on Thursday, March 13 at 11 a.m.
2024-25 MAC Men's Basketball All-MAC Teams & Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: John Groce, Akron
Player of the Year: Nate Johnson, Redshirt Junior, Guard, Akron
Defensive Player of the Year: Nate Johnson, Redshirt Junior, Guard, Akron
Freshman of the Year: Brant Byers, Forward, Miami
Sixth Man of the Year: Shammah Scott, Senior, Guard, Akron
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All-MAC First TeamÂ
Nate Johnson, Redshirt Junior, Guard, Akron
Tavari Johnson, Junior, Guard, Akron
Ugnius Jarusevicius, Junior, Forward, Central Michigan
VonCameron Davis, Redshirt Senior, Forward, Kent State
Peter Suder, Junior, Guard, Miami
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All-MAC Second TeamÂ
Da'Sean Nelson, Senior, Forward, Eastern Michigan
Jalen Terry, Senior, Guard, Eastern Michigan
Jalen Sullinger, Senior, Guard, Kent State
Sam Lewis, Sophomore, Guard, Toledo
Chansey Willis Jr., Junior, Guard, Western Michigan
All-MAC Third TeamÂ
Javontae Campbell, Junior, Guard, Bowling Green
Anthony Pritchard, Senior, Guard, Central Michigan
Kam Craft, Redshirt Sophomore, Guard, Miami
AJ Clayton, Senior, Forward, Ohio
Jackson Paveletzke, Junior, Guard, Ohio
Sonny Wilson, Sophomore, Guard, Toledo
All-MAC Honorable Mention
Isaiah Gray, Senior, Guard, Akron
Jermahri Hill, Junior, Guard, Ball State
Payton Sparks, Senior, Center, Ball State
Shereef Mitchell, Graduate Student, Guard, Ohio
Javan Simmons, Sophomore, Forward, Toledo
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MAC All-Defensive Team
Nate Johnson, Redshirt Junior, Guard, Akron
Javontae Campbell, Junior, Guard, Bowling Green
Anthony Pritchard, Senior, Guard, Central Michigan
Cli'ron Hornbeak, Senior, Center, Kent State
Shereef Mitchell, Graduate Student, Guard, Ohio
MAC All-Freshman Team
Sharron Young, Guard, Akron
Jamai Felt, Forward, Bowling Green
Ben Michaels, Forward, Buffalo
Brant Byers, Forward, Miami
Elijah Elliot, Guard, Ohio
