The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Air Force
Akron Continues Savannah Invitational in Georgia Against Air Force
November 24 | Men's Basketball
GAME NOTES (PDF) | LIVE STATS | Web Stream | Akron-IMG Sports Network | Season Tickets | Akron Basketball Schedule
Akron Zips (3-1, 0-0 Mid-American) vs Air Force (5-0, 0-0 Mountain West)
Savannah Invitational • Friday, November 25 • Savannah Civic Center
Savannah, Ga. • 7:30 p.m. ET
TV/Video: None
Live Stats: GoZips.com - Live Stats
Radio: Akron-IMG Sports Network - Steve French (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst) WARF 1350 AM (flagship), iHeart Radio, TuneIn.com/Akron Zips
USAF - Dave Pilipovich (Theil '86)
Overall Record:65-73 (5th season)
Record at Air Force: 65-73 (5th season)
UA - Keith Dambrot (Akron '82)
Overall Record: 389-201 (19th season)
Record at Akron: 281-131 (13th season)
All-Time Series
First Meeting between Akron and Air Force
Dambrot vs Air Force: 0-0
• Akron has won at least 21 games in 11-straight seasons under 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot, joining the likes of Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Ohio State. Over the last 12 seasons, the Zips have won 278 games, most by any team in the MAC.
• The Zips finished the 2015-16 campaign as MAC Regular-Season Champions with a 26-9 overall record, including a 13-5 league mark and an undefeated 15-0 showing at James A. Rhodes Arena. Dambrot led Akron to its eighth MAC Tournament title game appearance in the last ten seasons and an unprecedented 11th-straight semifinal. The Zips' runs of consecutive title game and semifinal appearances are the longest streaks in MAC history.
• The Zips ranked No. 2 in the NCAA for 3-point FG's made per game, total 3-point FG's made, and 3-point FG's attempted. UA ranked in the NCAA's Top 100 in 20-of-32 statistical categories (346 teams), including four Top 5's: 3-pt FG per game (2nd, 11.7), 3-pt FGM (2nd, 409), 3-pt FG attempted (2nd, 1,069), and 3-pt FG defense (3rd, .294). Akron was 32nd in 3-pt FG percentage (.383).
• The Zips own a 165-23 (.878) at James A. Rhodes Arena and have been winners of 20-straight games at Rhodes Arena, dating back to the 2014-15 season.
• Since the start of the 2004-05 season, the Zips have been one of best teams in the nation when it comes to rebounding after a loss. Excluding season-ending losses, Akron is 87-32 (.731) following a loss.
What's Ahead
Akron continues the Savannah Invitational after a 2-0 start, defeating Radford, 88-41, and Georgia Southern, 75-67, at James A. Rhodes Arena. The tournament relocates to the Savannah Civic Center for the final two games, as the Zips are scheduled to play Air Force in Savannah, Ga on Friday, Nov. 25, at 7:30 p.m. followed by a win/loss scenario for the finale. Akron will play against either East Carolina or Mercer on Saturday, Nov. 26, with the games set to tip at 5 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. Fans can follow the action on GoZips.com via Live Stats or by Zips' radio.
The Zips' radio broadcast will air on the Akron-IMG Sports Network SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron (flagship) with Steve French calling the action and Joe Dunn providing analysis. The pregame show starts 30 minutes prior to the contest. The free audio stream is available at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/Akron Zips.
The Akron-Air Force Series
Friday's game marks the first meeting in program history between Akron and Air Force. In fact, the Zips have never lined-up against any of the remaining three opponents at the Savannah Invitational.
Scouting the Falcons
The Falcons are currently riding a five game winning streak, posting the best start to a season since 2012-13 when opened the year with five consecutive wins, and look to tie a program-best start to a season with a 6-0 start. Air Force opened the Savannah Invitational with two wins, hosting both Florida A&M, 87-62, and Stetson, 85-72.
The Falcons have five players averaging double figures while shooting 50-percent or better from the floor. Frank Toohey leads the squad with 12.8 points per game, connecting at a 63.3 percent rate on 19-of-30 from the field. Hayden Graham follows with a 12.4 average on 58.1 percent shooting (25-of-43), while the final three players on the scoring list pose a threat from deep, combining for 30 of the Falcons' 46 made 3-pointers this season. Jacob Van is the team's third leading scorer with 12.2 points a night with an impressive 64.3 percent showing from beyond the 3-point arc, knocking down nine of 14 attempts, while Zach Kocur and Ryan Manning have each made half of their 3-point attempts for 11 and 10.8 points a game respectively. Kocur is 10-of-20 from downtown and Manning is 11-of-22 from long distance.
Collectively, the Falcons are shooting 50.0 percent from the floor as a team (148-of-294), including a 42.2 percent effort from long distance (46-of-109), which equates to 9.2 triples per game. In addition, Air Force has made 149 trips to the free throw line this season and cashed-in 109 charity points for a 73.2 FT percentage.
On the glass, Air Force holds a +10.2 margin against its opponents, outrebounding them 207-156 with 41.4 rebounds per night. Graham leads with 5.4 boards per night and a team-high 27 total rebounds, followed by 25 boards from Toohey (5.0 rebs/g), 21 from Lyons (4.2 rebs/g), and 20 from Van (4.0 rebs/g).
Defensively, the Falcons have limited their opponents to 67.0 points per game on 41.0 percent shooting from the field and 33.1 percent from downtown with 8.2 made 3-pt FG per game. Air Force caused 62 turnovers (12.4 tpg) while collecting 21 steals (4.2 stl/g) and six blocked shots (1.2 bpg).
A Closer Look at the Other Two Teams
Depending on the outcomes of Friday's games, Akron has the opportunity to play either East Carolina or Mercer for the first time in program history.
East Carolina
ECU enters this weekend with a 4-1 overall record and a 2-0 start in the Savannah Invitational, defeating Stetson, 73-50, and Florida A&M, 82-62 to extend its home winning streak to 16 games. The Pirates are led by seventh-year head coach Jeff Lebo (North Carolina, '89), who became the program's winning-est coach after the Florida A&M game with 103 victories, (103-101). In his 19th-season as a head coach, Lebo has posted a 314-257 career record.
The Pirates own a +11.2 scoring margin, outscoring their opponents 352-296 with a 44.4 shooting percentage from the floor (120-of-270) and 36.5 effort from beyond the 3-point arc (31-of-85) with 6.2 made 3-point FG per game. Three players are scoring in double figures as Caleb White leads the way with 18.8 points per game on 53.2 percent shooting (25-of-47). He is a threat from deep, knocking down 55.2 percent of his shots from beyond the arc (16-of-29). B.J. Tyson follows with 13.6 points per game while Kentrell Barkley scores 12.6 points a night.
Defensively, ECU holds its opponents to 59.2 points per game on 33.8 percent shooting from the floor and just 25.2 percent from 3-point range. The Pirates caused 62 turnovers (12.4 t/g) with 31 steals (6.2 stl/g). ECU has a +11.4 margin on the glass, pulling down 45.4 rebounds per game.
Mercer
Mercer enters this weekend with a 3-1 overall record and a 2-0 start in the Savannah Invitational, defeating Georgia Southern, 80-67, and Radford, 58-47. The Bears are led by ninth-year head coach Bob Hoffman (Oklahoma Baptist, '79), who owns a 167-114 at Mercer and 564-283 career mark, spanning 26 seasons.
The Bears own a +9.0 scoring margin, outscoring their opponents 279-243 with a 45.5 shooting percentage from the floor (97-of-213) and 34.5 effort from beyond the 3-point arc (29-of-84) with 7.3 made 3-point FG per game. Two players are scoring in double figures as Ria'n Holland leads the way with 19.5 points per game on 50.0 percent shooting (27-of-54). He is a threat from deep, knocking down 42.4 percent of his shots from beyond the arc (14-of-33). Demetre Rivers follows with 12.3 points per game while draining 63.3 percent of his shots (19-of-30), including a 4-of-10 effort from deep.
Defensively, Mercer holds its opponents to 60.8 points per game on 34.6 percent shooting from the floor and just 29.7 percent from 3-point range. The Bears caused 50 turnovers (12.5 t/g) with 19 steals (4.8 stl/g). Mercer has a slight +0.8 margin on the glass, pulling down 36.2 rebounds per game.
Thriving in A New ROLE
With the loss of two starters and a third key player from the Akron's 2015-16 MAC Championship run, the Zips have inserted Isaiah Johnson and Josh Williams into the starting lineup, freeing up more minutes for junior Jimond Ivey. So far, Ivey has taken full advantage of the new role, scoring in double digits 3-of-4 games, including a career high 15 points and a personal best 11 rebounds. In addition, he posted his first career double-double against American that included 12 points and a career-best 11 boards.
In four games, Ivey averages 21.5 minutes, 11.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game on 64.0 percent shooting from the field. He drained 16-of-25 shots and leads the squad with 29 rebounds, 22 defensive and seven offensive.
BIG DOG Continues to Dominate the Painted Area
Last season, Isaiah Johnson was a force in the paint for the Zips, and this year, he is on pace to be even better. Big Dog has led the Zips' scoring efforts in 3-of-4 games. He is averaging a team-high 16.5 points per game while scoring in double-digits in all four contests, including a season-high 20-point performance against Georgia Southern He has one double-double of 14 points and 10 boards and also scored 17 and 15 this season. Big Dog is shooting 65.8 percent from the floor (25-of-38), and pulled down a second-best 28 rebounds with 19 defensive boards and nine on the offensive end. He owns a team-high 11 assists and four blocks with three steals.
Four Zips Averaging Double Figures
Four Zips are averaging double figures in scoring. Senior Isaiah Johnson leads the Zips with 16.5 points per game and followed by a trio of juniors in Jimod Ivey (11.3 points), Noah Robotham (10.5 points), and Antino Jackson (10 points).
Streaking Zips
Not only has Akron established a three-game winning streak, the Zips currently own a 20-game streak at James A. Rhodes Arena. After a disappointing season-opening loss, the Zips have rattled-off three consecutive wins over American, Radford, and Georgia Southern all at Rhodes Arena. The three consecutive wins at the JAR improved Akron's current home winning streak to 20 games, dating back to the 2014-15 season. Akron won the final two home games that season, and posted an unblemished 15-0 record in 2015-16 at Rhodes Arena. The Zips are 165-23 (.678) at the JAR under 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot.
Starting the Season Off Right
The Zips are 70-46 (.603) all-time in season openers with a 56-12 (.824) home record and 14-34 (.292) on the road. UA is 8-5 (.615) when opening the season under Dambrot, standing 5-1 (.833) at home and 3-4 (.429) on the road. In addition, the Zips own a 95-21 (.819) home opening record at Rhodes Arena and have been winners in the last 14-of-15 home opening games.
The 2015-16 Akron Zips started the season with a 3-0 winning streak and completed a 10 game winning streak. The three consecutive wins to open the season marks the best start in the Division I era of Akron men's basketball history and the 10-game streak stands as the second-best under Dambrot behind a 19-game run in 2012-13. In addition, the 13-2 start was the best opening to a season in Akron basketball's Division I era, while the Zips win over the Arkansas Razorbacks marks the fifth consecutive season the Zips posted a win over a Power Five Conference opponent.
Rebounding After a Loss
Since the start of the 2004-05 season, the Zips have been one of best teams in the nation when it comes to rebounding after a loss. Excluding season-ending losses, Akron is 87-32 (.731) following a loss. In head coach Keith Dambrot's 13-year tenure, Akron has only posted 24 losing streaks. In fact, of those 24 losing streaks, 15 have been just two games and 18 have consisted of two or more games on the road (road/neutral site). UA has never lost more than four-straight games under Dambrot. Akron has not lost five-in-a-row since Jan. 5-19, 2002, under former head coach Dan Hipsher.
Mr. Chairman
After serving three seasons on the NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee, Akron men's basketball head coach Keith Dambrot was named the new chairman of the committee, starting with the 2015-16 season. Dambrot is currently in his second season as chairman, replacing former chairman and Belmont head coach Rick Byrd, who completed his term on the rules committee in August 2015. The NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee is comprised of 13 coaches and administrators, who assess both current and proposed rules to promote consistency and fair play in the game. The committee meets once a year and votes on changes every other May unless there's a pressing issue about player safety.
The Zips LeBron James Shoe Deal and New LOOK
Since June 2008, the Akron men's basketball program has been partnered with Nike under which the Zips' shoes, game uniforms, warm ups and accessories are licensed under the Nike and LeBron James Trademarks. The Zips are just one of two college programs in the country that are partnered with the LBJ line of Nike equipment, the other is Ohio State.
The Akron Zips men's basketball team will be sporting new uniforms in 2016-17. The new look represents a reinvigorated pride in our University, our City, and Zips Athletics. The new design for both home and away were inspired by the "Pride of the City" slogan that men's basketball will carry throughout the season. The goal is to strengthen the pride for the University of Akron within community.
The home uniforms are white with dark blue trim and accents, while the away are dark blue with white trim and accents. The "Pride of the UniverCity" uniforms display the name Akron in a prestigious old-style script font on the chest with the number(s) below. The script font and numbers are the same color as the jersey top (white/white or blue/blue) and outlined with the opposite color. The inspiration for the script writing and to use Akron on the chest stemmed from tradition and an overwhelming amount of pride for the city of Akron and its University.
The game shorts have three distinguishing marks. The right side of the shorts depicts the Zips' mascot Zippy, and her Fear the Roo head logo, while the left side dons the University's official seal. The final mark on the shorts is the notorious Z logo, which appears on the front waistband.
Akron Defeats Georgia Southern, 75-67, Keeps Home Winning Streak Alive
The University of Akron men's basketball team defeated Georgia Southern, 75-67, to extend its home winning streak to 20 consecutive games at James A. Rhodes Arena behind the strength of perimeter shooting and defensive toughness down the stretch. Despite some early offensive struggles, the Zips found their rhythm midway through the half, shooting 48.1 percent (13-of-27) from the floor and 38.9 percent (7-of-18) from long range. Georgia Southern shot 40.7 percent (11-of-27) from the floor and a mere 27.3 percent (3-for-11) from beyond the 3-point arc.
Akron's top three scoring leaders all set season highs in points as Johnson led with 20 points and Jackson followed with 19 points, while Ivey set a new career-high with 15 points. In addition, the Zips dished-out 20 assists led by a season-best six helpers from Jackson and three each from Johnson, Ivey, and Cheatham.
For the game, Akron held a slight advantage on the glass, outrebounding Georgia Southern 35-31 with Cheatham leading the way with seven rebounds. The Zips shot 46.4 percent (26-of-56) from the floor, including a 30.6 percent (11-of-36) effort from deep.
Akron Extends Home Streak to 19 Games
The University of Akron men's basketball team outscored Radford, 57-27, in the second half to pull away from the Highlanders as the Zips continue to roll at James A. Rhodes arena for its 19th straight home victory by a final score of 88-41 on Sunday night.
Twelve players touched the scoring column on the stat sheet with four Zips recording double digits in scoring, led by Isaiah Johnson's 15 points. He added a team-high seven rebounds as the Zips won the battle of the boards 36-29. Freshman wing Daniel Utomi (Houston, Texas) followed in scoring with a career-high 14 points, shooting 4-of-5 from the field, 1-of-2 from deep, and 5-of-7 from the charity stripe. Rounding out the double-digit scorers were Antino Jackson and freshman guard Tavian Dunn-Martin (Huntington, W.Va.) with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
For the game, Akron finished shooting 56.6 percent (30-of-53) from the floor, 50.0 percent (13-of-26) from behind the 3-point arc, and 71.4 percent (15-of-21) from the free throw line. The Zips caused 22 turnovers with eight steals and three blocked shots while limiting the Radford offense to 31.3 percent (15-of-48) shooting from the field and 20.0 percent (2-of-20) from long distance.
Zips Add Two Players in Early Signing Period
The Akron men's basketball program added a pair of student-athletes to the 2017-18 roster during the early signing period, announced by head coach Keith Dambrot. Signing national letters of intent to play for Akron were Eric Parrish (Cypress, Texas) and Jaden Sayles (Cincinnati, Ohio).
Parrish, a 6-6, 185-pound wing, played for Cypress Springs High School in 2015-16 and will spend the 2016-17 playing for Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kan. In 30 games during his senior season, Parrish nearly averaged a double-double from the wing position, scoring 18.4 points and pulling down 8.2 rebounds per game. In addition, he added three assists, two steals, and 1.6 blocks on average per night. During his four-year high school career, Parrish eclipsed the 1,000 point scoring threshold, recording 1,132 points while earning back-to-back team MVP awards. In addition, Parrish was a two-time all-district award winner as well as a two-time academic all-district recipient.
Sayles, a 6-9, 235-pound forward, plays Sycamore High School. As a junior, Sayles led the team in scoring with 13.6 points per game while shooting at a 53.6 percent clip from the field and 71.9 percent from the charity stripe. He pulled down a team-best 4.9 rebounds per game and averaged a team-high 1.5 blocks a night. Sayles finished the season ranked sixth in scoring, third in blocked shots and 14th in rebounds for Greater Miami Conference en route to a Second-Team ALL-GMC selection.
Zips Selected to Win MAC
For the fourth consecutive year, the Akron men's basketball team was selected to win the Mid-American Conference East Division while ranking as the favorite to claim the MAC Tournament title, according to the 2016-17 MAC Preseason Men's Basketball Poll. The Zips received 15 first-place votes for 194 points, edging out Ohio, who finished second in voting with 190 points and 16 first-place votes. Buffalo (144 points, five first place vote) was picked third overall in the East followed by Kent State (116 points), Bowling Green (63 points), and Miami (49 points).Eastern Michigan is the favorite in the West Division.
In addition, the Zips were selected as the favorite to claim the season finale in March. Akron received 15 votes to be crowned champions at the MAC Tournament, holding a four-vote margin over Ohio (11). Eastern Michigan earned three votes, while Buffalo and Northern Illinois each had two. Rounding out the tournament voting were Central Michigan, Kent State, and Miami with one vote apiece.
Johnson Named to Preseason All-MAC Squad
Senior center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio) was named to the East Division Preseason All-MAC team by the 24-member MAC News Media Panel and 12 league head coaches. In 2015-16, he played in all 35 games, making nine starts and averaging 13.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.6 apg, and 1.3 bpg. He led the Zips' offensive and rebounding efforts en route to an All-MAC First Team selection, NABC All-District First Team honor, and the MAC Sixth Man of the Year award. Furthermore, Johnson was a three-time MAC East Player of the Week recipient while being named to the MAC All-Tournament team, the South Point Classic Most Valuable Player, and collegesportsmadness.com Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week.
Zips Basketball Selected for Eight Television Appearances
As a result of the largest television package in Mid-American Conference history, the Akron men's basketball program enters the 2016-17 season with eight guaranteed television games on various regional and national sports networks. In addition, the Zips' current schedule allows for nine games to be selected as wildcard games for television. Six of the nine dates provide several TV opportunities that may involve a change in game dates and times and/or same date with time changes.
The MAC television package includes ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox Sports 1 (FS1), CBS Sports Network (CBSSN), American Sports Network (ASN), Buckeye Cable Sports Network (BCSN) and Time Warner Cable Sports Channel (TWCS). In addition, Akron can be seen on Fox Sports 2 (FS2) and ROOT Sports. ESPN3 broadcast are not considered when determining television appearances.
Last season, the Zips appeared in 17 televised games with an additional four games aired exclusively on ESPN3. Included in those contests were the MAC Championship (ESPN2) and National Invitation Tournament (ESPN). New to this season, CBS Sports Network agreed to air the MAC semifinal game in addition to the MAC season finale.
Up Next
The Akron Zips will travel to Savannah, Ga. to finish the final two games of the Savannah Invitational on Friday, Nov. 25 and Saturday, Nov 26. First, Akron will play Air Force at the Savannah Civic Center, beginning at 7:30 p.m. followed by a win/loss scenario against either East Carolina or Mercer.
2015-16 MAC Champions
The Zips finished the 2015-16 campaign with a 26-9 overall record, including a 13-5 league mark and an undefeated 15-0 showing at James A. Rhodes Arena. Dambrot led Akron to its eighth MAC Tournament title game appearance in the last ten seasons and an unprecedented 11th-straight semifinal. The Zips' runs of consecutive title game and semifinal appearances are the longest streaks in MAC history.
Akron earned the No. 6 seed in the 2016 National Invitation Tournament. It was Akron's sixth appearance in the NIT and fourth under Dambrot (1987, 1989, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2016). Akron tied the school record for wins in a season (26) and set program records in 3-point FG made (409) and attempted (1,069) in a season, as well as, made (20) and attempted (43) in a game.
Last year, the Zips secured the MAC Championship, No. 1 Seed in the MAC Tournament, and East Division Title on March 1, 2016 with a 91-76 win over Ohio. The Zips used a record-breaking performance from behind the 3-point arc to secure the title, knocking down 20 triples on 43 attempts, both new all-time standards. Akron captured the a regular season or tournament title in five of the last eight seasons. The Zips were regular season champs in 2012 (22-12, 13-3 MAC) and 2016 (26-9, 13-5 MAC), won the MAC Tournament in 2009 (23-13, 10-6 MAC) and 2011 (23-13, 9-7 MAC), and swept the regular-season and tournament titles in 2013 (26-7, 14-2 MAC). In addition, Akron claimed the East Division title in 2007 (26-7, 13-3 MAC). Akron tied the program's all-time record with 26 wins (1972, 2007, 2013, 2016) en route to its eighth MAC tournament title game in 10 seasons and 11th-straight semifinal appearance, both are MAC records.
