The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
UC Irvine
Zips Open the WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational against UC Irvine
December 20 | Men's Basketball
BOX SCORE PDFÂ |Â Â GAME NOTES (PDF)Â
Akron Zips (8-3, 0-0 Mid-American) vs UC Irvine (5-8, 0-0 Big West)
WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational
Wednesday, December 21 • Don Haskins Center
El Paso, Texas • 7:00 p.m. ET
TV/Video: None
Live Stats: GoZips.com/Schedule - Live Stats
Radio: Akron-IMG Sports Network - Steve French (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst) WARF 1350 AM (flagship), iHeart Radio, TuneIn.com/Akron Zips
Head Coaches
UC Irvine - Russell Turner (Hampden-Sydney '92)
Overall Record:123-98 (7th season) |Â Record at UC Irvine: 123-98 (7th season)
Akron - Keith Dambrot (Akron '82)
Overall Record:Â 394-203 (19th season) |Â Record at Akron:Â 286-133 (13th season)
All-Time Series
First Meeting between Akron and UC Irvine |Â Dambrot vs UC Irvine: 0-0
Akron basketball Notes:
• 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 285 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.
• Akron has three wins against Power Five Conference opponents over the last two seasons, and has five-straight seasons with at least one win over a Power Five Conference opponent (at Mississippi State in 2011-12; vs. Penn State in 2012-13; vs. Oregon State in 2013-14; Southern California and South Carolina in 2014-15; vs. Arkansas in 2015-16)
• The Zips own a 168-23 (.880) at James A. Rhodes Arena and have been winners of 23-straight games at Rhodes Arena, dating back to the 2014-15 season.Â
What's Ahead
The Akron Zips travel to El Paso, Texas for the WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational, the nation's oldest collegiate holiday basketball tournament. The Zips open the Sun Bowl Invitational against UC Irvine on Wednesday, December 21, at 7 p.m.ET, followed by a game between Texas El Paso and Maryland Eastern Shore at 9 p.m. ET. The two winners will play for the tournament championship on Thursday, December 22, at 9 p.m. ET after the consolation game that determines third and fourth place at 7 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-UC Irvine Series
Wednesday's game marks the first meeting in series history between the Zips and the Anteaters. In fact, the Zips have only lined-up against one team at the Sun Bowl Invitational, Maryland Eastern Shore. Akron holds a 4-1 all-time series advantage over UMES Hawks, winning four straight games.
Scouting the Anteaters
The defending Sun Bowl Champion, UC Irvine, enters the game with a 5-8 overall record after an 85-79 overtime loss to New Mexico State on Monday night, and have played eight of the last nine games on the road or at a neutral site. UC Irvine averages 63.7points per outing on 42.0 percent shooting from the floor and a 31.8 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 6.4 triples a game. In addition, the Anteaters shoot 64.6 percent from the free throw line with 10.4 bonus buckets a night.
UC Irvine has one player scoring in double figures and one player just below 10 points per game. Leading the way for the Anteaters is Jaron Martin, who replaced his 26-point career-high performance against Cal with a 33-point effort on Monday at New Mexico State. He averages 13.9 points per game on 41.1 percent shooting from the field and 37.0 percent rate from beyond the 3-point with 27 made 3-pointers. He is the team leader in assists (63) and steals (12). Ioannis Dimakopoulos follows with 9.9 points per game on a team-best 47.2 percent shooting from the field, and 37.5 percent from deep with nine triples. He ranks third on the team with 11 blocked shots, while Tommy Rutherford leads with 16 rejections and Jonathan Galloway has 14 blocks. Galloway and Rutherford also leads the squad on the glass, securing 6.3 (82) and 5.3 (69) rebounds per game, respectively.Â
Defensively, the Anteaters allow their opponents to score 67.7 points per game and limit them to shooting just 38.5 percent from the floor and 34.3 percent from 3-point range, allowing 7.5 long distance buckets a night. UC Irvine has caused 143 turnovers (11.0 to/g) with 61 steals (4.7 stl/g) and 55 blocked shots (4.2 blk/g). The Bulldogs have also outrebounded the opponent 496-464, holding a 2.5 edge on the glass.Â
A Closer Look at the Other Potential Opponents
Depending on the outcomes of Wednesday's games, Akron has the opportunity to play either Maryland Eastern Shore or Texas El Paso for the first time in program history.
Texas El Paso
UTEP enters the Don Haskins Sun Bowl with a 2-7 overall record and 79-23 all-time record at the event. The Miners have won the tournament 31 times, including eight championships since 2000. The Miners are led by seventh-year head coach Tim Floyd (Louisiana Tech, '77), who owns a 124-84 at UTEP and 451-265 career mark, spanning 23 seasons.
The Miners average 72.0 points per game with a 46.2 shooting percentage from the floor and 37.0 effort from beyond the 3-point arc with 7.6 made 3-point FG per game. Three players are scoring in double figures as Omega Harris leads the way with 17.5 points per game on 48.0 percent shooting (48-of-100) and 37.8 percent of his shots from beyond the arc (17-of-45). Dominic Artis follows with 14.8 points per game while draining 41.4 percent of his shots (46-of-111), including a 31-of-51 effort from deep. The final double-digit scorer, Matt Willms averages 10.6 points per game on 60.9 percent shooting from the field (39-of-64).
Defensively, UTEP holds its opponents to 75.2 points per game on 48.1 percent shooting from the floor and just 41.7 percent from 3-point range. The Miners caused 134 turnovers (14.9 to/g) with 54 steals (6.0 stl/g). The Miners have been outrebounded by 2.2 rebounds per game on the glass, pulling down 32.9 rebounds per game.
Maryland Eastern Shore
MDES enters the Don Haskins Sun Bowl with a 1-11 overall record. The Hawks are led by third-year head coach Bobby Collins (Eastern Kentucky, '91), who owns a 29-48 overall record at Maryland Eastern Shore and 94-105 career mark in seven seasons as a head coach.
The Hawks have been outscored 960-784, allowing the opposition to average 80.0 points per game. MDES scores 65.3 points per game with a 39.8 shooting percentage from the floor (288-of-723) and a 33.8 effort from beyond the 3-point arc (88-of-260) with 7.3 made 3-point FG per game.
Two players are scoring in double figures as Ryan Andino leads the way with 13.7 points per game on 39.8 percent shooting (53-of-133). He is a threat from deep, knocking down 43.0 percent of his shots from beyond the arc (46-of-107). Bakari Copeland follows with 13.4 points per game on 40.3 percent shooting from the floor (58-of-144) and 38.7 from deep (12-of-31). Defensively, MDES caused 167 turnovers (13.9 to/g) with 78 steals (6.5 stl/g). The Hawks average 31.6 rebounds per game, but arhave been outrebounded 465-379.
Chasing History
Head coach Keith Dambrot is knocking at the door to become the winning-est coach in Akron Basketball history. In his 13-year career at UA, Dambrot has collected 286 career wins in 419 games, which is two wins shy of tying the all-time win mark held by Russell Beichly. Beichly coached the Zips from 1941 to 1959. In those 19 seasons he reached 288 wins in 432 games. In addition, Dambrot is just six wins away from 400 career victories as a collegiate coach and 14 wins shy of his 300th all-time at Akron.
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 89-32 (.736) 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.
Robotham Named MAC East Player of the Week
Junior guard Noah Robotham (Las Vegas, Nev.) was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week on Dec. 19. In addition, Robotham was selected as the Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week by collegesportsmadness.com.
Robotham earned the honor after posting a career-high 27 points and leading the Zips to a 99-88 victory over Marshall on Saturday. The win marked Akron's 23rd consecutive victory at James A. Rhodes Arena. Robotham started the game on fire and never really slowed down. He only missed one shot in Akron's lone game of the week and was a perfect 5-of-5 from beyond the 3-point arc in the first half.
In 34 minutes of play, Robotham shot 6-of-7 (.857) from long distance and 8-of-9 from the field (.889). In addition, he made five trips to charity stripe and drained all five attempts. Robotham also contributed four assists and three rebounds.
For the season, Robotham has played in 9-of-11 games, averaging 27.4 minutes and 11.2 points per game. He shoots 46.3 percent from the field (31-of-67), including a 43.5 percentage from long distance (20-of-46) and 79.2 from the free throw line (19-of-24). He adds 2.1 assists (19) and rebounds (19) per game.
Zips Continue to Feed the Dog
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 6-of-11 games, while averaging a team-high 14.9 points per game while scoring in double-digits in 10-of-11 contests, including a season-high 20-point performance against Georgia Southern. He posted one double-double of 14 points and 10 boards and also scored 19 (twice), 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, and 11 this season. Big Dog is shooting 68.1 percent from the floor (64-of-94), and pulled down a second-best 69 rebounds with 41 defensive boards and 28 on the offensive end. He owns a team-high 36 assists and nine blocks with three steals. Big Dog earned the Savannah Invitational MVP awards, MAC East Player of the Week (11/28), and College Sports Madness Player of the Week.
Three Zips Averaging Double Figures
Three Zips are averaging double figures in scoring led by Johnson's 14.9 points per game while junior guards Noah Robotham and Antino Jackson add 11.2 and 10.9 points a night, respectively. Robotham shoots 46.3 percent from the floor (31-of-67), including a 43.5 percent effort from deep (20-of-46), while Jackson connects with 43.8 percent of his shots (39-of-89) and 40.4 percent from long distance (21-of-52). Junior guard Jimond Ivey adds 9.5 points per game and senior forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr. chips-in 8.9 points per game with a team-best 6.8 rebounds (75) and 10 blocked shots.
Streaking Zips
Akron established a six-game winning streak early in the season, and the Zips currently own a 23-game winning streak at Rhodes Arena. The Zips have rattled-off six consecutive wins at Rhodes Arena over American, Radford, Georgia Southern, Adrian, Coppin State, and Marshall. Akron's current home court winning streak dates back to the 2014-15 season. Akron won the final two home games that season over Ohio and Northern Illinois, and posted an unblemished 15-0 record in 2015-16 at Rhodes Arena. The Zips are 168-23 with an 88.0 winning percentage at the JAR.
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, more minutes have been available for junior guard Jimond Ivey, and he has made the most of his time on the court. Ivey has played himself into the starting lineup after three starts due to an injury to point guard Noah Robotham. So far, Ivey has taken full advantage of the new role, making four starts in 11 games and scoring in double digits in six games, including a career-high 20 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 11 games, Ivey averages 25.5 minutes with 9.5 points on 53.1 percent shooting from the field. He drained 34-of-64 shots and is third on the squad with 5.6 rebounds per game, 62 total rebounds with 48 defensive and 14 offensive.
Fire and Ice
We are not talking hot and cold, rather high intensity and fast play mixed with a methodical calculated approach to describe Akron's backcourt. The combination of junior guards, Antino Jackson and Noah Robotham, provide the Zips' with that type of leadership. Both, Jackson (Fire) and Robotham (Ice) are a threat with or without the ball in their hands.
Jackson, and his high-energy approach, is always in attack mode. He has the ability to beat an opponent off the bounce and uses a devastating step back to generate several different types of open looks. He is third in team scoring (10.9 ppg), and has buried 21 long distance field goals. He shoots 43.8 percent from the field and 40.4 from deep and has a second-best 10 steals, while adding 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
On the other hand, Robotham has a methodical approach to navigating the offense and picking apart defenses. His change of pace during play keeps defenders on their heels as he contributes a 11.2 points per outing following a career-high 27-point performance against Marshall. He has 19 assists and six steals. He shoots 46.3 percent from the floor and a team-best 43.5 from behind the 3-point arc, burying 20 triples this season.
Fresh Start
The Akron Zips continue to improve its bench play this season with the help of five newcomers, two freshmen and three redshirt freshmen, whom are beginning to see more and more action. Playing in all 11 games are freshmen Tavian Dunn-Martin and Michael Hughes, while second-year freshmen, Emmanuel Olojakpoke, Daniel Utomi, and Craig Eubanks are starting to see their roles increase.
Dunn-Martin has made an immediate impact from the outside, draining 13-of-33 long distance shots for a 39.4 3-point FG shooting percentage. In 149 minutes, Dunn-Martin owns a 40.0 FG shooting percentage (20-of-50) en route to adding 5.7 points per game. As a backup point guard, Dunn-Martin has dished out 15 assists and made 13 trips to the charity stripe, draining 10 bonus buckets for an 76.9 free throw percentage.
Hughes has logged 107 minutes in the center position, second most of the newcomers. He has scored 24 points and pulled down 18 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per game. Hughes has nine blocked shots and four steals.
Olojakpoke is a rim protector who managed to block four shots against Coppin State. In 47 minutes played, he is shooting 60 percent on 9-of-15 shots from the field and has pulled down 16 rebounds with five blocks.
Meanwhile, Utomi has a knack for scoring the ball. He is 9-of-17 from the floor for a 52.9 shooting percentage, including a 40 percent effort from downtown. In 49 minutes of action, Utomi has connected with 4-of-10 shots from deep while adding seven rebounds, two steals, two assists, and a blocked shot.Â
Rounding out the newcomer play is Eubanks. He has provided a spark in 26 minutes of work, knocking down 3-of-5 shots, including 2-of-4 from long distance for eight points with one rebound and one blocked shot.
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.
Zips Win 23-Straight at Rhodes Arena
Junior guard Noah Robotham scored a career-high 27 points to lead the Akron Zips to their 23rd straight victory at James A. Rhodes Arena, defeating Marshall 99-88. Robotham was a perfect 5-of-5 from beyond the 3-point arc in the first half, and finished the game shooting 6-of-7 from long distance, 8-of-9 from the field, and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe. He also contributed four assists and three rebounds.
Four others notched double digits in scoring as senior center Isaiah Johnson followed with 16 points on a perfect 8-of-8 performance from the floor. He dished out team-best eight assists and pulled down eight rebounds. Senior forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr. was third in scoring with 15 points, with a 4-of-6 showing from deep. Junior guard Jimond Ivey and sophomore guard Josh Williams rounded out the double-digit scoring with 12 points apiece. Ivey pulled down a team-high nine rebounds wiith four assists, while Williams grabbed three boards.Â
The Zips (8-3) were on fire all night, shooting 58.6 percent from the field on 34-of-58 shots, including a 53.6 percent effort from 3-point land (15-of-28). At the charity stripe, Akron connected on 16-of-20 attempts for an 80-percent effort. Akron held a 36-23 advantage on the glass while causing 16 turnovers with seven steals. Akron opened the first half with the hot hand, shooting 65.5 percent from the floor (19-of-29) and a blistering 73.3 percent performance from behind the 3-point arc (11-of-15).Â
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.
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.Â
BIG DOG Named MAC East Player of the Week
After securing the 2016 Savannah Invitational Most Valuable Player Award, senior center Isaiah Johnson was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week. In addition, Johnson was selected as the Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week by collegesportsmadness.com and Student-Athlete of the Week by the University of Akron.
Johnson had a big week, leading the Akron Zips to the 2016 Savannah Invitational Championship. Akron defeated Georgia Southern, Air Force and Mercer to claim the inaugural title. Johnson led the Zips' scoring efforts in all three games. For the week, Johnson scored 58 points in three games to average 19.33 points. He shot 22-of-30 from the floor for a 73.3 shooting percentage and 14-of-23 from the free throw line for a 61-percent effort. Johnson finished with 15 rebounds (5.0 rebs/g), 10 assists (3.33 ast/g), and three blocked shots (1.0 blk/g).
Zips Win Savannah Invitational
The Akron Zips won the inaugural 2016 Savannah Invitational Championship, defeating Mercer 65-63 on Saturday, Nov. 26, at the Savannah Civic Center. Senior center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio) earned the tournament's Most Valuable Player award, while junior guard Antino Jackson (Houston, Texas) was named to the all-tournament team. Akron led by as many as 12 points throughout the Savannah Invitational finale, but the Mercer Bears found their way to claw back into the game to be decided in the final minutes.
Akron finished the game shooting 20-of-43 from the floor for a 46.5 percentage, including a 50-percent effort from downtown on 10-of-20 triples. In addition, the Zips made 19 trips to the charity stripe, knocking down 15 shots for a 78.9 percentage. Mercer won the battle of the boards, 36-24, and the Zips held a slight 10-11 advantage in the turnover battle.Â
For the second-straight night, Johnson led the Zips' scoring efforts with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor, including a 5-of-7 effort from the free throw line. For his efforts, Johnson was selected as the Savannah Invitational MVP. Also scoring in double figures in back-to-back games was Jackson. He poured in 15 points on Friday against Air Force and returned with a 14 point showing in the finale on 5-of8 shooting from the field, including a 2-of-5 showing from deep. Jackson added two rebounds, two assists, and a block. Cheatham finished with nine points, draining 3-of-4 3-pointers.Â
2016 Savannah Invitational All-Tournament Team: Isaiah Johnson, Akron, (MVP), Antino Jackson, Akron, Desmond Williams, FAMU, Derick Newton, Stetson, Ike Smith, Georgia Southern, Ed Polite Jr., Radford, Frank Toohey, Air Force, B.J. Tyson, East Carolina, Ria'n Holland, Mercer
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).Â
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.Â
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.Â
Johnson Named to Preseason All-MAC Squad
Senior center Isaiah Johnson 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.
Up Next
Akron will continue play at the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational on Thursday, December 22 against either Maryland Eastern Shore or Texas El Paso. Thursday's games are scheduled for 5 or 7 p.m. ET. Fans can follow the action on GoZips.com via live stats or by the Akron-IMG Radio Network.
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.
