2016-17 Akron Basketball Summer Prospectus

July 11 | Men's Basketball

Follow Akron Basketball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram | Follow Coach Dambrot on Twitter

2016-17 Akron Basketball Summer Prospectus in PDF Format

Team Notes

• The Zips return three starters and nine letterwinners from last season's Mid-American Conference Regular Season Championship squad that posted a 26-9 overall record and a 13-5 mark in MAC play.

• UA earned the No. 6 seed in the 2016 NIT postseason tournament. Akron's bid was the sixth in program history and fourth for 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot (1987, 1989, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2016).

• Akron tied the school record for wins in a season (26), thanks to the best start to a season in program history. The Zips won its first three games, and after two setbacks, won 10-straight contests from Nov. 27 through Jan. 8 to move to 13-2 overall. Akron recorded its second-best winning streak (10 games) under Dambrot behind a 19-game run in 2012-13. The streak helped UA receive votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll and ranked as high as No. 8 on the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll while achieving a 28 NCAA RPI, lowest in school 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).

• Akron 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.

• UA posted 21 or more wins for a 11th-straight season, 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.

• When it comes to MAC play, the Zips have been a dominate force in the league. Over the last 12 seasons, Akron has posted 141 league wins, most of any MAC program and played in eight MAC title games in the last ten years, including a MAC-record seven-straight from 2007-13.

• Akron made its 11th-straight MAC Tournament Semifinal appearance in 2016, setting a new mark for the longest streak is league tournament history (since 1980) -- Miami (Ohio) 10-straight (1992-2001).

• Akron owns 3-3 record 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 finished the season with an unblemished 15-0 home record in 2015-16, improving to 162-23 (.876) at Rhodes Arena under Dambrot.

Returning Letterwinner Notes

• Senior forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr., started 34-of-35 games as a junior, averaging 7.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 blocked shot per game. He posted nine double-digit scoring performances with a career-high double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds against Ohio (March 1). He added an 18-point performance against NIU (Jan. 26) with a perfect night from the field, 5-of-5 from the floor and 4-of-4 from beyond the 3-point arc and at the charity stripe. He finished the season ranked 10th in the MAC in blocked shots. He blocked at least one shot in 21 games, including nine multi-block performances with three blocks (four times) and two blocks (five times).

• Senior center Isaiah Johnson 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 and earned the MAC Sixth Man of the Year award, All-MAC First Team, and NABC All-District First Team. He was named to the MAC All-Tournament team, the South Point Classic Most Valuable Player, collegesportsmadness.com Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week, and was a three-time MAC East Player of the Week recipient He recorded six double-doubles with points and rebounds, including three of the last five games. He posted double-digit scoring efforts in 25 games, 18 of the last 20, and had a stretch of 13 games-straight with 11 or more points. Johnson scored 20-plus points six times, including a career-high 24 points (twice), against South Carolina State (Dec. 30) and Kent State (Feb. 19). He ranked second in the MAC in FG percentage (.574), fourth in blocked shots (1.3, 45), seventh in rebounds (7.6, 266, and 15th in scoring (13.6).

• Junior guard Aaron Jackson appeared in 30 games, making five starts. He finished the season averaging 2.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. He scored in double figures three times this season, including a career high 16 points in the season home opener against Hiram (Nov. 16).

• Junior guard Antino Jackson appeared in all 35 games, starting 34 games as a sophomore. He was named All-MAC Honorable Mention and was the Zips' second leading scorer, averaging 11.8 ppg, 3.5 apg, and 3.1 rpg. He finished the campaign with 25 double-digit scoring performances, including 12 in his last 16 games. Jackson set career highs in points (23, vs. Arkansas, Nov. 18), assists (8 (twice, last vs. BGSU Feb. 26), and rebounds (8 vs. Western Michigan, Jan. 8). Jackson led the team in total assists with 121 and free throw percentage (.815, 66-of-81). He ranked among the leaders in the MAC in six categories, free throw percentage (5th, .815), assists (10th, 3.5), assist to turnover ratio (11th, 1.6), 3-point FG made (13th,1.9), steals (13th, 1.2), and scoring (26th, 11.8).

• Junior guard Noah Robotham appeared in 29 games, making 28 starts. Robotham missed the first five games of the season, recovering from ACL surgery. Akron was 24-5 with his return. He finished first in assist per game (3.7, 108) and fourth in team scoring (9.7 ppg), recording double digits in 15-of-29 games. He posted a fourth-best team shooting percentage from deep (.400) and 3-pointers made (56). In the MAC, he ranked first in assist to turnover ratio (2.6) eighth in 3-point FG percentage (.400), ninth in assists (3.7), 12th in steals (1.2), and 14th in 3-point FG made (1.9, 56).

• Sophomore guard Jimond Ivey appeared in 32 games and averaged 8.6 minutes, 2.6 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. He set a career highs in points (12) and rebounds (8) against Hiram (Nov. 16) and provided a spark in the Zips' home win against Kent State (March 4). Ivey scored nine points on 3-of-4 shooting (.750) from the field and free throw line.

• Sophomore guard Josh Williams appeared in 34-of-35 games with four starts during his freshman campaign, averaging 6.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, and 1.4 apg. He was named MAC Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the 2016 MAC All-Freshman team. Williams was second on the team in 3-point FG percentage (.414) and scored in double figures seven times. He recorded three-straight games of 20+ points scored, delivering a career high 22 points in back-to-back games against Central Michigan (Feb. 6) and Northern Illinois (Feb. 13). He shot 16-of-21 (.762) from beyond the 3-point arc in that three game stretch. Williams was named MAC East Player of the Week. Williams ranked fifth in the league in 3-point FG percentage (.414).

• The Zips also return two walk-on senior guards in Carlitos Anderson (5 games, 0.6 ppg, 0.6 rpg) and Mark Noble (5 games, 0.4 ppg. 0.2 rpg).

Returning Non-Letterwinner Notes

• Junior college transfer Craig Eubanks (Cleveland, Ohio), redshirt freshman forward Peter Agba (Greensboro, N.C.), and redshirt freshman forward Emmanuel Olojakpoke (Houston, Texas) will make their Zips' debut this season, while redshirt freshman wing/forward Daniel Utomi (Houston, Texas) returns from an injury. In addition, walk-on Marquell McIntyre (Greensboro, N.C.) returned to the 2016-17 squad.

Newcomer Notes

• Freshman guard Tavian Dunn-Martin (Huntington, W.Va.) averaged 21.0 points and 4.0 assists per game at Huntington High School as a senior. He was named the 2015-16 Evans Award recipient, given to the state's best player. He scored a career-high 41 points and led the Highlanders to its third-straight Class AAA Championship game. Dunn-Martin won two state titles (2014 and 2015), a two-time Class AAA All-State selection (2015 and 2016) and a third-team selection in 2014.

• Freshman center Michael Hughes (Liberty, Mo.) joins the Zips from Liberty North High School where he averaged 22 points and 15 rebounds as a senior. He is a three-time Suburban Middle Seven All-Conference and All-District First-Team honoree while earning District MVP as a junior and senior. He guided Liberty North to a sixth-consecutive district championship by averaging a double-double as a senior (22 ppg, 15 rpg) and a junior (14.4 ppg, 12.0 rpg). In addition, Hughes averaged 12.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore.

• Freshman guard Ty Dalton (Houston, Texas) joins the Akron program from the South Kent School in Kent, Conn where he helped lead the squad to the National Prep Championship. Prior to prep school, he averaged 23.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game as a senior at Second Baptist High School in Houston. He was a two-time First Team Class AAAA All-State selection in Texas and a three-time All-District honoree.

Head Coach Keith Dambrot

• Head coach Keith Dambrot guided Akron to a 26-9 overall record and 13-5 league mark en route to capturing Akron's third Regular Season MAC Championship and sixth NIT birth. The Zips tied the all-time season wins record (26), posted an undefeated record at home (15-0), and achieved its lowest NCAA RPI in school history (28).

• He earned his second MAC Coach of the Year award and NABC All-District Coach of the Year honor for the 2015-16 season.

• In 12 seasons under Dambrot, Akron has amassed a 278-130 (.681) overall record, including a 141-61 (.698) mark in MAC play and a 162-23 (.876) tally in home games (87-14, .861 in MAC play at home).

• Dambrot will enter the 2016-17 season in fourth place in MAC history with a .645 win percentage while coaching in the league (298-164 overall; 278-130 Akron), fourth in overall wins (298), fourth in conference wins (151) and fifth in league games winning percentage (.640, 151-85).