The University of Akron Athletics
Zips Land Four All-MAC Selections
March 07 | Men's Basketball
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MAC Men's Basketball Tournament Central
CLEVELAND, Ohio – With the Mid-American Conference Tournament starting tonight, the league office opened the week by announcing the All-MAC, All-Freshman, and All-Defensive teams on Monday.
Four Zips earned All-MAC selections, including junior center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio), who was named First-Team All-MAC. Senior wing Reggie McAdams (Elida, Ohio) garnered a Second-Team All-MAC selection, while sophomore guard Antino Jackson earned Honorable Mention and freshman guard Josh Williams (Akron, Ohio) collected All-Freshman Team honors.
"It was nice to see four of our guys receive All-MAC honors," said head coach Keith Dambrot. "Many times due to our depth and balance, some of our other guys don't always receive the credit they deserve."
The All-MAC honors are the first for Johnson, McAdams, and Jackson, while marking the 26th All-MAC honorees under head coach Keith Dambrot. Williams is the eighth Akron freshman to earn All-Freshman Team honors in the last 12 years.
Johnson has dominated the paint all season for the Zips. "Big Dog" played in all 31 games, making eight starts while leading Akron's offensive and rebounding efforts. Johnson averages a team-high 13.1 points per game supported by a 57.7 percent shooting percentage. He pulls down 7.3 rebounds per game and has 226 total rebounds to date. Johnson recorded four double-doubles and registered double-digits in 22 games, including 14 of the last 16 games with a stretch of 13 games in row. He scored 20+ points five times, including a career-high 24 points (twice), against South Carolina State (Dec. 30) and Kent State (Feb. 19). Johnson was named MAC East Player of the Week three times, was named collegesportsmadness.com Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week, and earned the South Point Classic Most Valuable Player award.
"Isaiah put in a lot of hard work to get where he is at this point of his career," Dambrot said. "He is big and strong which makes him difficult to guard. He has played at a high level and he carried the load for us throughout the season. I expect him to continue to improve. He is becoming one of the best big men in the country."
McAdams is a career 41.0 percent marksman from beyond the 3-point arc. The senior wing is the Zips' third leading scorer with 11.1 points per game average. McAdams' 43.1 percent shooting from the floor and 42.0 from deep supports a team-best 86 triples with 109 total field goals. He ranks 38th in the NCAA for 3-point FG made, 39th for 3-point FG percentage, and 47th for 3-point FG made per game (2.77). In the MAC, McAdams ranks first in all three categories. He notched a career-best seven 3-pointers in three games this season, including back-to-back games against Bowling Green (Feb. 26) and Ohio (March 1) after achieving the mark for the first time against Eastern Michigan (Jan. 19). McAdams has played 126 career games with 55 starts. In 2015, he recorded a career-best 31 points against Central Michigan. He has buried 236 three-point field goals while scoring a career total 920 points and averaging 7.2 points a game for his career.
"Reggie is a career 41.0 percent 3-point shooter and demands attention from opposing defenses," Dambrot said. "He's had some big moments and big games for us this year, and his presence on the floor requires constant attention that has a huge impact on every game. He works hard, is a great senior leader and one of the best shooters we've ever had here."
Jackson has emerged as on of the Zips' top scorers this season. The sophomore guard played in all 31 games, starting 30 and currently averages a second-best 11.8 points per game. He is second in field goals made (118) and third from downtown (59). He shoots 84.2 percent from the charity stripe (64-of-76) and has dished out a team-high 108 assists (3.5 apg), collected 98 rebounds (3.2 rebs/g), and has a team-best 39 steals (1.3 stl/g). Jackson recorded 20+ points three times this season, including the Zips' win over against Arkansas. He registered a career-high numbers with a team-best 23 points with seven assists, including a 3-of-7 effort from deep and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe. Jackson earned MAC East Player of the Week (Nov. 16-22).
"Antino is one of the most explosive players in our league," Damrot said. "He has provided a spark to our offense all year. He has really improved and will continue to develop into a force to be reckoned with in the coming years."
Williams has played in 30 of the Zips' 31 contests and posted double-digits seven times. He averages 6.9 ppg with 77 total rebounds, 41 assists, 14 steals and four blocked shots. The Akron native posted back-to-back 20+ point performances while hitting a personal-best six triples in a game. He notched a career-high 20 points to lead the Zips past Ohio (Feb. 2) and followed with a 22-point effort for the win over Central Michigan (Feb. 6). He shot 4-of-5 from deep against Ohio and fired 6-of-7 from deep against CMU. He missed only two shots in two games, draining 13-of-15 from the field for a 86.7 shooting percentage. Williams was named MAC East Player of the Week (Feb. 1-7). After missing a game with an injury, Williams connected from deep six times for a third 20+ point performance. He totaled 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting and 6-of-9 from deep.
"Josh has had a terrific and outstanding freshman season," Dambrot said. "He has worked for everything he has achieved. Josh has a high basketball IQ continues to improve everyday both offensively and defensively. He is a future star."
The league will announce the Freshman and Defensive Players of the Year, as well as the Sixth Man Award, on Tuesday. Coach and Player of the Year will be announced on Wednesday.
All-MAC First Team
Isaiah Johnson, C, Akron
Chris Fowler, G, Central Michigan
Jimmy Hall, F, Kent State
Antonio Campbell, C, Ohio
Nathan Boothe, F/C, Toledo
All-MAC Second Team
Reggie McAdams, F, Akron
Franko House, F, Ball State
James Thompson IV, C, Eastern Michigan
Jaaron Simmons, G, Ohio
Thomas Wilder, G, Western Michigan
All-MAC Third Team
Lamonte Bearden, G, Buffalo
Blake Hamilton, W, Buffalo
Braylon Rayson, G, Central Michigan
Marin Maric, C, Northern Illinois
Jonathan Williams, G, Toledo
Honorable Mention
Antino Jackson, G, Akron
Spencer Parker, F, Bowling Green
Raven Lee, G, Eastern Michigan
Eric Washington, G, Miami
Geovonie McKnight, G, Miami
All-Freshman Team
Josh Williams, G, Akron
CJ Massinburg, G, Buffalo
James Thompson IV, C, Eastern Michigan
Marshawn Wilson, G, Northern Illinois
Jordan Dartis, G, Ohio
All-Defensive Team
Franko House, F, Ball State
Willie Conner, W, Buffalo
Tim Bond, F, Eastern Michigan
Khaliq Spicer, C, Kent State
Aaric Armstead, G, Northern Illinois
