The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Muskingum
November 09 | Men's Basketball
Akron, Ohio
What's Ahead
The Akron Zips open home play at James A. Rhodes Arena on Monday, Nov. 9 against Muskigum at 7 p.m. Prior to tipoff, Akron will celebrate the 2025-26 Mid-American Conference Tournament championship team with a ring presentation and a banner unveiling. Fans can listen to the action on the Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst) on the call. Live stats are also available on GoZips.com/coverage.
HOME OPENERS
Akron owns a 104-21 (.831) home-opening record and 39-4 (.907) at Rhodes Arena. The Zips have been winners in the last 23-of-24 home opening games. Akron is 26-8 in MAC openers, and 13-1 at home since joining the league in 1992. Over the last 19 seasons, the Zips are 16-3 in MAC openers and 8-1 at home. Akron has won the last 10-of-11 MAC openers.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2025-26
Won the Mid-American Conference tournament title for the third straight season.
Set the program record for most regular season wins in a single season (26).
Set the program record for the most wins in a single season (29).
Shammah Scott became the first Zip to be named the MAC Sixth Man of the Year, and just the second player in conference history to earn the award in consecutive seasons.
Won 10 of the last 11 games to close out the season .
Set the program record for consecutive MAC victories (16).
Has gone 34-2 in MAC play the past two seasons, the best two-year stretch in the conference.
Set a new record for consecutive wins at James A. Rhodes Arena (31).
Has gone perfect at home the past two seasons. Recorded a 44-1 record over the last three seasons.
Set the single-season program record for fg made, points and assists.
The Zips opened the season with a 75-61 win over Louisiana under new head coach Dustin Ford and staff: associate head coach Jay Shunnar, assistant coaches Devan Morrow, Joshua Jones, Todd May and Jordan Amati, strength coach Presley Gauch, graduate assistant coaches Nikola Cvetinovic and Blake Benko, director of personal development Jami Bosley.
Akron is coming off a 2025-26 season that saw the Blue and Gold claim the Mid-American Conference Tournament title for the third straight season, the first time in MAC history. The Zips concluded the 2025-26Â season in the NCAA Tournament, falling to No. 5 Texas Tech 91-71 in Tampa, Fla.
Akron returns a strong core of experienced players for the 2026-27 season, led by fifth-year standout Evan Mahaffey and redshirt senior Chabi Barre. Mahaffey returns after earning All-MAC Honorable Mention and All-MAC Defensive Team recognition in 2025-26, when he averaged 10.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while starting all 35 contests. Barre provides experience and interior presence after appearing in 18 games for the Zips last season. The Zips also welcome back redshirt junior Marvin Musiime-Kamali and redshirt junior Zach Halligan. Musiime-Kamali appeared in all 35 games in 2025-26, averaging 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game, while Halligan played in 34 contests, including 23 starts, and averaged 2.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. Redshirt junior guard Cody Head returns after sitting out the 2025-26 season. Head previously played at Lipscomb and Arkansas State, earning ASUN All-Freshman Team honors at Lipscomb in 2023-24 after averaging 8.1 points per game and shooting 53.2 percent from the field. Redshirt freshmen Tai Perkins and Josh Henderson also return after redshirting last season.
Akron adds an experienced group of transfers for 2026-27, highlighted by graduate guard Kamrin Oriol and redshirt senior guard Tahj Staveskie. Oriol arrives from North Florida after averaging 20.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 2025-26. He shot 40.2 percent from 3-point range and 88.7 percent from the free-throw line. Staveskie joins the Zips from Incarnate Word, where he averaged 17.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while earning 30 starts in 31 appearances. Senior guard Ty Pence comes to Akron from Illinois State, where he averaged 9.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last season and earned Purple CBI All-Tournament Team honors in 2024-25. Redshirt senior forward Max Burton transfers from Western Michigan after averaging 5.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in 2025-26. The Zips also add senior forward Buddy Hammer Jr., who brings Division I and junior college experience after stops at North Texas, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and Connors State. At Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, he averaged 12.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game and earned NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention recognition. Junior forward Colin White joins Akron from Ohio State. A standout at Ottawa-Glandorf High School, White was named Ohio Mr. Basketball in 2024 and finished his prep career with more than 2,000 points. Redshirt freshman guard Exavier Wilson joins the Zips after beginning his collegiate career at Kansas State. He was a standout at Father Tolton Catholic High School in Columbia, Missouri, before arriving in Akron. The Zips also add a pair of first-year freshmen. RJ Jones is a guard from St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio and Devan Christion a forward from Ed W. Clark High School in Las Vegas, Nev.
The 2025-26 Akron squad became the fifth team in program history to post and undefeated season at the JAR, finishing 15-0. The previous four teams to go undefeated at the JAR were the 1986-87 (18-0), 2005-06 (13-0), 2015-16 (15-0) and 2024-25 (16-0) squads.The Zips are currently riding a program best 31 game winning streak at the JAR. Akron is just one of two teams to go perfect at home the past two seasons.... the other is Duke.
How To Follow
| Television / Stream | NO STREAM |
| Radio | Akron Sports Network |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| Game Notes | Akron |
| @ZipsMBB | |
| X | @ZipsMBB |
Matchup Comparison
| Category | Akron | Louisiana |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring Average | 75.0 | 72.0 |
| Scoring Margin | +14.0 | +0.0 |
| FG Percentage | .460 | .410 |
| 3PT Percentage | .345 | .240 |
| 3PT FG Made Per Game | 10 | 25 |
| FT Percentage | .826 | .692 |
| Rebounds Per Game | 45 | 35 |
| Assists Per Game | 14 | 13 |
| Turnovers Per Game | 16 | 17.5 |
| Steals Per Game | 2 | 11.5 |
| Blocks Per Game | 2 | 0.5 |
Statistics are per game unless otherwise noted.
Akron Winning Streak at James A. Rhodes Arena
Streaks, Storylines & Sidebars
- Dustin Ford was named the 23rd head coach in Akron men's basketball history on March 30, 2026.
- Coach Ford enters his 10th season on the Akron sideline, first as head coach.
- The Zips have posted a 166-60 overall record since the 2019-20 season and a 100-28 conference record in that same span.
- Akron is 121-15 (.890) at home and currently riding a 31 game home winning streak.
- Duke and Akron were the only two Division I men's teams to complete the back-to-back home undefeated streaks in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
- Akron recorded its 800th win at the Div. I level against Concord on Dec. 29, 2025.
- Since 2009, Akron has claimed six MAC Regular Season titles and seven MAC Tournament titles.
- Akron has made three consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearances and set a MAC record with three-straight MAC Tournament championships(2024, 2025 and 2026).
- Akron earned its sixth NCAA appearance with its fifth MAC Championship on March 16, 2025.
- Akron has made at least one 3-pointer in its last 840 games since playing Purdue in the 2000-01 season.
- Enrique Freeman became the first Akron player to be selected in the modern two-round NBA Draft era as the Indiana Pacers selected him with the 50th overall pick (2nd round) on June 27, 2024.
