The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Eastern Michigan
Akron Eyes 27th Straight Win at Rhodes Arena against Eastern Michigan
January 19 | Men's Basketball
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GAME NOTES (PDF)Â |Â LIVE STATSÂ | Â WatchESPN - ESPN3Â |Â Akron-IMG Sports NetworkÂ
Akron Zips (15-3, 5-0 MAC)Â vs Eastern Michigan (12-6, 4-1 MAC)
Friday, January 20 • James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio • 6:30 p.m. ET
TV/Video: CBS Sports Network - Dave Ryan (PxP) and Steve Wolf (Analyst)
Live Stats:Â GoZips.com/Schedule - Live StatsÂ
Radio: Akron-IMG Sports Network - Steve French (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst) WARF 1350 AM (flagship), iHeart Radio, TuneIn.com/Akron Zips
Head Coaches
EMU - Rob Murphy (Central State '96)
Overall: 103-86 (6th season)
Record at EMU: 103-86 (6th season)Â
MAC Record: 47-44 (6th season)
UA - Keith Dambrot (Akron '82)
Overall Record:Â 401-203 (19th season)
Record at Akron:Â 293-133 (13th season)
MAC Record at Akron: 146-61 (13th Season)
Career MAC Record: 156-85 (15th Season)
All-Time Series
Akron Leads:25-20 Dambrot vs EMU:Â 15-3 UA (18-4 Overall)
Last Meeting: Akron 65, Eastern Michigan 63 - March 10, 2016 at Quicken Loans Arena Â
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 293 games, most by any team in the MAC.
• Head coach Keith Dambrot became Akron's All-Time Wins Leader on Jan. 3, with an 89-84 win over Bowling Green. At UA, Dambrot collected 289 wins in 422 games, replacing Russell Beichly's mark of 288 wins in 432 games (1941-59). Dambrot earned his 400th collegiate career win on Jan. 14 at Miami.
• 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 semifinals. The Zips' runs of consecutive title game and semifinal appearances are the longest streaks in MAC history.
• Akron owns the third longest home winning streak in the country behind Kansas (52) and Oregon (36). The Zips own a 171-23 (.881) at James A. Rhodes Arena and have been winners of 26-straight games at Rhodes Arena, tying Rhodes Arena's longest winning streak record.
• As of Jan.18, UA ranks in the NCAA's Top 100 in 12-of-32 statistical categories (347 teams), ranking No. 6 in the NCAA for 3-point FG's made per game (10.8), No. 9 total 3-point FG's made (195), No. 19 in 3-point FG's attempted (495), and No. 28 3-Point FG Percentage (39.4). The Zips also rank No. 25 in Field Goal Percentage (48.7), No. 47 in scoring Margin (+10.3) , and No. 53 in rebound margin (5.2).
What's Ahead
The Akron Zips are back at James A. Rhodes Arena, hosting the Eastern Michigan on Friday, Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m. The Zips have won eight straight games, including five consecutive league games, and tied the Rhodes Arena record of longest winning streaks of 26 consecutive wins. Akron looks to break the record during a national televised broadcast by CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) with Dave Ryan calling the action and Steve Wolf providing analysis.Â
Fans can also 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.
Friday's game also features a bobblehead grab bag giveaway with over 700 previously released bobbleheads. Quantities and styles are limited and will be distributed when doors open (5:30 p.m.) at the marketing table on the west side of the lobby opposite of the season ticket holders mug distribution. Limit one per person.Â
Akron opened MAC play with a pair of wins over Bowling Green (89-84) and Western Michigan (66-59) at Rhodes Arena. The Zips returned to the JAR to defeat Ohio (83-68), after two road wins against Central Michigan (89-85) and Miami (74-70), extending their home winning streak to 26 games, which stands as the third best active home court winning streak in the country behind Kansas (52) and Oregon (36).Â
The Akron-Eastern Michigan Series
Friday's game marks the 46th meeting in series history between Akron and Eastern Michigan, and 19th meeting for a Dambrot coached UA squad. Akron holds a 25-20 all-time series advantage while Dambrot is 15-3 at Akron and 18-4 overall. The Zips have won 15 of the last 18 meetings. The Zips won both meetings last season, opening with a 92-88 win at Rhodes Arena on Jan. 19 followed by a 65-63 come-from-behind victory in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament on March 10, at Quicken Loans Arena.
Scouting the Eagles
Eastern Michigan enters the contest as the West Division leaders with a 12-6 overall record and 4-1 in MAC play. The Eagles opened league play at home, defeating Central Michigan (85-63), but falling to Buffalo (77-68). They re currently on a three-game winning streak, defeating Bowling Green (81-53), Ohio (53-49), and Western Michigan (86-80). The Eagles are 8-1 at home, 3-5 on the road, and 1-0 at neutral sites this season.
The Eagles have five players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Willie Mangum IV with 16.2 points per outing. He is shooting 40.8 percent from the floor (98-of-240), and 36.0 from long range with a team-high 49 made 3-point field goals on 136 attempts. James Thompson IV follows with 14.9 points per night on 58.4 percent shooting (90-of-154) and leads the team with 10.5 rebounds per game (179 rebs) and blocked shots (17). Ray Lee contributes 14.8 points per night on 40.6 percent shooting from the field and 31.8 from downtown with a second-best 21 made 3-pointers on 66 attempts. He also adds 42 assists and 25 steals. Rounding out the double-digit efforts are Tim Bond and Ty Toney with 10.2 and 10.1 points per game, respectively. Bond leads the team with 69 assists and 36 steals while shooting 48.9 percent from the floor and 31.1 percent from behind the 3-point arc. Toney shoots 42.0 percent from the floor with 36 assists and 30 steals.
Defensively, EMU has limited opponents to 71.1 points a night on 40.9 percent shooting from the field and 32.8 percent from downtown with 7.6 made 3-pt FG per game. The Eagles caused 325 turnovers (18.1 tpg) while collecting 197 steals (10.9 stl/g) and 80 blocked shots (4.4 blk/g). On the glass, the Eagles have outrebounded its opponents 674-646 for a +1.6 margin.
Last Time Out Against Ohio
A driving lay-up by Isaiah Johnson with 26 seconds remaining capped a 21-7 run to end to the game which lifted top-seeded Zips to a come-from-behind 65-63 victory over eighth-seeded Eastern Michigan in the quarterfinal round of the Mid-American Conference Championship on Thursday, March 10, at Quicken Loans Arena. The win extended the Zips' streak of reaching the MAC Championship semifinals to a MAC record of 11 consecutive years. Â
Reggie McAdams directed Akron's comeback registering a team-high 20-point performance, while also pulling down seven rebounds. Johnson turned in a 19-point, 16-rebound effort to collect his fifth double-double of the season, while Antino Jackson added 11 points to round out the Zips' double-figure scorers.Â
Raven Lee led three Eagles surpassing the double-digit scoring plateau turning in a game-high 23 points off the bench. James Thompson IV crafted a 15-point, 12-rebound affair, while Willie Magnum IV added 10 points.Â
Akron finished the tilt shooting 33.9 percent (21-of-62) from the field and connected on nine three pointers. Eastern Michigan attacked the basket at 37.9 percent (22-of-58) and outrebounded the Zips, 44-38, including a five-rebound advantage on the defensive glass. Akron captured the victory by taking care of the ball as the Zips committed only five turnovers, their lowest mark versus a conference opponent this season.
The Zips in the MAC
Akron is 92-42 in the regular season against the West Division (.687), including winners of 35 of the last 43 regular-season contests since divisional play began during the 1997-98 season, and 65-25 under head coach Keith Dambrot (.722). The Zips have posted a 42-17 mark (.712) in the last 59 games against the MAC East dating back to the start of the 2012 league schedule. Akron is 5-1 against the MAC East at the conference tournament during that stretch.Â
Akron is 44-7 at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule (.863). UA has seen aton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season, and is 146-61 overall (.705), including an 90-14 mark in MAC play at home (.865). The Zips' 146 wins are the most in the league duringthat stretch. The Zips have won 66 of their last 89 MAC games (.742).Â
Akron is 25-9 in the MAC Tournament under head coach Keith Dambrot, going 19-5 in its last 24 tournament games. Under head coach Keith Dambrot, the Zips have won at least one game in the MAC Tournament every year and have made eight MAC Tournament title game appearances in the last ten seasons with an unprecedented 11-straight semifinal appearances. The Zips' runs of consecutive title game and semifinal appearances are the longest streaks in MAC history. The Zips own a 22-9 record at Quicken Loans Arena.Â
Streaking Zips
Akron established a six-game winning streak early in the season, and is now on an eight-game run. In addition, the Zips currently own a 26-game winning streak at Rhodes Arena, tying the facility record which spanned three seasons from 1985-87 under head coach Bob Huggins. The Zips have rattled-off nine consecutive wins this season at Rhodes Arena over American, Radford, Georgia Southern, Adrian, Coppin State, Marshall, Bowling Green, Western Michigan, and Ohio. Akron's current home court winning streak is the third longest in the NCAA and 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 171-23 with an 88.1 winning percentage at the JAR and have not lost at home since Feb. 21, 2015 against Miami (57-52). In addition, The Zips have won eight consecutive regular season MAC games. Â
The Zips 1,000 Point ClubÂ
Senior center Isaiah Johnson leads the Zips' scoring efforts with 15.5 points per game, scoring double digits in 16-of-18 games including 10-of-the-last-11 outings. He has scored 279 points to date and ranks No. 7 in the NCAA for field goal percentage at 63.8 percent. As a result, Johnson became Zips' 42nd member of Akron's 1,000 point club and the 12th member under head coach Keith Dambrot to enter this elite club. Johnson used a career-high 33-point performance against Central Michigan to eclipse the 1,000 point threshold, totaling 1,032 career points. He now has 1,055 career points.Â
All-Time Wins Leader
Head coach Keith Dambrot became Akron's All-Time Wins Leader with his 289th career victory at Akron on Jan. 3, 2017. The Zips defeated Bowling Green 89-84 as they opened MAC play at James A. Rhodes Arena. In his 13-year career at UA, Dambrot has collected 289 career wins in 422 games, replacing the previous all-time win mark (288) 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 earned his 400th career victory as a collegiate coach and is seven wins shy of his 300th all-time win at Akron.Â
Zips Tie Rhodes Arena Record with 83-68 Win Over Bobcats
The Akron Zips registered its 26th consecutive home victory, which ties the James A. Rhodes Arena record, with an 83-68 defeat of the Ohio Bobcats on Tuesday night. Kwan Cheatham, Jr. led the way for the Zips (15-3, 5-0 MAC), scoring 17 points and pulling down 13 rebounds, marking his second double-double in three games. Isaiah Johnson added 15 points and nine rebounds, while Jimond Ivey (Cleveland, Ohio) and Antino Jackson rounded out the double-digit scorers 15 and 11 points, respectively. Jaaron Simmons paced the Bobcats (11-5, 3-2 MAC) in scoring with 19 points and five assists and Jordan Dartis chipped in 14 points.Â
On the contest, the Zips connected on 31-of-56 (55.4 percent) of their shots from the field and 9-of-19 (47.4 percent) from beyond the three-point line. Akron converted 12-of-14 (85.7 percent) of their shots from the charity stripe. The Bobcats made 28-of-63 (44.4 percent) of their shots from the field and 5-of-16 (31.3 percent) from beyond the arc. Ohio hit 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) of their shots from the free throw line.Â
Cheatham opened the scoring for the Zips, connecting on a triple form the corner and Jackson followed suit with another corner three to put the Zips up 6-2 early in the first half. Cheatham brought the crowd to its feet when he buried another three from the top of key and forced the Bobcats to take a timeout. Ohio battled back, establishing a 29-24 lead, but with 27 seconds left in the half, Daniel Utomi connected on a triple from the top of the key for a 38-35 lead into the halftime break.Â
Akron came out of the locker room and scored eight straight points to take a 46-37 advantage. The Zips used a quick 6-0 run capped by a huge breakaway dunk from Ivey that pushed the Akron lead to 17 and forced Ohio to take a timeout to stop the momentum. Emmanuel Olojakpoke came off the bench and threw down two monstrous alley-oops, bringing the home crowd to its feet on consecutive possessions and chipped in on the defensive end with two blocks. By the eight-minute media timeout, the Zips established a 69-50 advantage, and the two teams traded baskets over the following minutes, but the Bobcats used a 6-0 run to cut the Akron lead to 12, but a Johnson layup and a barrage of free throws from Robotham and Ivey sealed the game for the Zips, 83-68.
Chop-ping Up the CompetitionÂ
Senior forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr. has emerged as one of the Zips leaders in all areas of the game. Cheatham scores 11.0 points per game and leads the team in 3-point FG percentage while ranking No. 7 in the MAC at 42.2 percent. He has buried a second-best 38 triples, just three shy of UA's leader Josh Williams and connects from the charity stripe with a team-best 85.7 percent. In addition, he is tied for the lead on the glass, pulling down 7.3 rebounds per game with a team-high 101 defensive boards and 31 offensive grabs. Cheatham is also the Zips' leading rim protector with 17 blocked shots while adding 36 assists and nine steals. Â Â
Breakout Moment
Redshirt freshman Daniel Utomi received his first start on Saturday, Jan. 14, against Miami. The Houston, Texas native took full advantage of the moment, scoring a career-high 15 points. Utomi started the game on fire, knocking down five 3-pointers on five attempts in the first half. For the game, he went 5-of-7 from the field and 5-of-6 from deep with a career-best three steals and a rebound.Â
Trifecta!
Four of Akron's players rank in the Mid-American Conference Top 15 for 3-point FG percentage, led by No. 7 ranked Kwan Cheatham, Jr. with a 42.2 percent effort on 38-of-90 shooting. Coming in at 10th-12th are Antino Jackson (.419), Tavian Dunn-Martin (.412), and Noah Robotham (.400) while Josh Williams shoots 38.3 percent from deep with a team-best 41 made triples. Jackon is third on the team with 36 made 3-point field goals as Robotham and Dunn-Martin follow with 26 and 21, respectively.Â
Akron Zips Undefeated in MAC Play
The Akron Zips are 5-0 in league play, defeating Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Miami, and Ohio. Akron averages 80.2 points per game in the MAC while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 39.5 from long distance with 10.2 made 3-pointers a game. The Zips own a +4.0 margin on the glass, outrebounding the competition 175-155. Akron averages 15.6 assists (78), 12.4 turnovers per game (62), 6.2 steals (31), and 3.6 blocked shots (18) in league play.Â
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 9-of-18 games, while averaging a team-high 15.5 points per game. He scored in double-digits 16-of-18 contests, including a career-high 33-point performance against Central Michigan. He posted his third double-double with 16 points and 13 boards while scoring 20, 19 (twice), 17, and 16 (three times), this season. Big Dog ranks No. 7 in the NCAA for FG percentage, shooting 63.8 percent from the floor (104-of-163), and pulled down a share of the team-high 132 rebounds with 79 defensive boards and 53 on the offensive end. He owns a team-high 61 assists with 15 blocks and eight steals. Big Dog earned the Savannah Invitational MVP award, MAC East Player of the Week (11/28), College Sports Madness Player of the Week, and Sun Bowl All-Tournament team honors.Â
Four Zips Averaging Double Figures
Four Zips are averaging double figures in scoring led by Johnson's 15.5 points per game while junior guard Antino Jackson follows with 11.1 points per game. Senior Kwan Cheatham, Jr. adds 11.0 points, while junior Jimond Ivey averages 10.6 points. Noah Robotham and Josh Williams follow closely with 9.2 and 8.3 points per game. Five players have scored in double figures five times this season, including the UMES game where all five starters contributed double-digits for the first time since March 10, 2009. Johnson ranks 10th overall in the MAC for scoring while Jackson and Cheatham are 29th and 30th, respectively.Â
The Zips rank among the nation's best from behind the 3-point arc. The Zips rank No. 6 out of 347 teams in the NCAA for 3-point FG made per game with 10.8 triples. In addition, Akron is No. 9 overall in total 3-pointers made with 195, and ranked 19th for 3-point attempts at 495. As a result, the Zips 39.4 long distance percentage ranks 28th best.Â
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. Now, Ivey is thriving in his new role, making 11 starts in 18 games. He has scored in double digits11 times, including a career-high 23 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. Â
In 18 games, Ivey averages 27.8 minutes with 10.6 points on 55.9 percent shooting from the field. He drained 66-of-118 shots . He leads the team with 21 steals and is third on the squad with 6.0 rebounds per game, 108 total rebounds with 84 defensive and 24 offensive boards. Â
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.Â
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 second in team scoring (11.1 ppg), and has buried 36 long distance field goals. He shoots 45.3 percent from the field and 41.9 from deep and has a second-best 17 steals, while adding 2.6 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game. Â
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 9.2 points per outing following a career-high 27-point performance against Marshall. He has 38 assists and nine steals. He shoots 41.8 percent from the floor and 40.0 from behind the 3-point arc, burying 26 triples this season.Â
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 18 games is freshmen Tavian Dunn-Martin. After 16 straight appearances, freshman Michael Hughes was sidelined with an injury, while second-year freshmen, Emmanuel Olojakpoke, Daniel Utomi, and Craig Eubanks are starting to see their roles increase.Â
Dunn-Martin has made an immediate impact from the outside, draining 21-of-51 long distance shots for a 41.2 3-point FG shooting percentage, tht ranks 11th in the MAC. In 12.6 minutes a game, Dunn-Martin owns a 45.3 FG shooting percentage (34-of-75) en route to adding 5.7 points per game. As a backup point guard, Dunn-Martin has dished out 20 assists and made 18 trips to the charity stripe, draining 14 bonus buckets for an 77.8 free throw percentage.Â
Hughes has logged 8.4 minutes per game in the center position, second most of the newcomers. He has scored 33 points and pulled down 22 rebounds and has 10 blocked shots with four steals.Â
Olojakpoke is a rim protector who managed to block four shots against Coppin State. In 78 minutes played, he is shooting 60.9 percent on 14-of-23 shots from the field and has pulled down 21 rebounds with nine blocked shots.
Meanwhile, Utomi has a knack for scoring the ball. He is 17-of-29 from the floor for a 58.6 shooting percentage, including a 55.0 percent effort from downtown. In 82 minutes of action, Utomi has connected with 11-of-20 shots from deep while adding eight rebounds, five steals, two assists, and a blocked shot.Rounding out the newcomer play is Eubanks. He provided a spark in 26 minutes of work, knocking down 3-of-5 shots, including 2-of-4 from long distance with one rebound and one blocked shot.Â
Zips Don Haskins Sun Bowl Champions
The Akron Zips secured its second tournament championship this season, defeating Maryland Eastern Shore, 76-60, to be crowned the 55th Annual WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Champions at the Don Haskins Center. Junior guard Antino Jackson earned the Barry Kobren Most Valuable Player Award for leading the Zips to their second tournament title, while senior center Isaiah Johnson was named to the Sun Bowl All-Tournament Team. In addition, 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot recorded his 288th victory at Akron, tying former head coach Russell Beichly (1941-59) as the winning-est coach in program history.Â
Jackson used two stellar performances to lead the Zips at the Sun Bowl Invitational, scoring a career-high 23 points against UC Irvine and followed with 13 points, six assists and four rebounds in the finale. Against UMES, he shot 5-of-12 from the field with three long distance buckets in 32 minutes of work. Meanwhile, Johnson followed a 12-point, six-rebound tournament-opening performance with his second double-double of the season. Johnson scored a team-high 15 points and grabbed a team-best 13 rebounds. He shot 6-of-8 from the field and 3-of-5 from the charity stripe while dishing out four assists and blocking two shots.Â
All five starters scored in double figures for the first time since March 10, 2009 as junior Jimond Ivey, senior Kwan Cheatham, Jr., and freshman Tavian Dunn-Martin joined Jackson and Johnson with double-digit scoring performances. Ivey poured in 13 points with a second-best eight rebounds, while Cheatham and Dunn-Martin tallied 10 points each. It was Dunn-Martin's first career start.Â
2016 Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational All-Tournament Team: Antino Jackson (MVP), Isaiah Johnson (Akron), Bakari Copeland (Maryland Eastern Shore), Jaron Martin (UC Irvine), Dominic Artis (UTEP), Dante Caldwell (Maryland Eastern Shore - Don Haskins Award)
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 15-of-16 home opening games. Akron is 18-7 in MAC openers, 10-1 at home since joining the league in 1992. Under 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot, the Zips are 11-2 in MAC openers and 7-0 at home. Akron has won the last eight straight MAC openers.Â
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.Â
Up Next
The Akron basketball team will continue Mid-American Conference, traveling to Kalamazoo, Mich. for a second meeting with Western Michigan on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m. Fans can follow the action on WatchESPN/ESPN3, GoZips.com via live stats, or by Zips' radio broadcast on Akron-IMG Sports Network available at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/Akron Zips.Â
Big Dog Earns Second MAC Weekly Honor
For the second time this season, senior Center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio) was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week, announced by the league office on Monday. In addition on Jan. 16, Johnson was selected as the University of Akron's Student-Athlete of the Week. Johnson became Akron's 42nd member of the 1,000 point club after a career-high 33-point performance against Central Michigan. Â
For the week, Johnson scored 41 points on 59 percent (13-of-22) shooting from the floor and a 65 percent (15-of-23) performance from the free throw line. He added 14 rebounds (7.0 rebs/g), three assists (1.5 ast/g), two blocked shots (1.0 blk/g), and a steal (0.5 stl/g).Â
Jackson Named MAC East Player of the Week
Junior guard Antino Jackson was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week, announced by the league office on Dec. 27. In addition, Jackson is the third player from Akron to be recognized as MAC East Division Player of the Week this season, joining Isaiah Johnson (Nov. 28) and Noah Robotham (Dec. 19). Jackson earned the Barry Kobren Most Valuable Player Award for leading the Zips to their second tournament title defeating Maryland Eastern Shore, 76-60, to be crowned the 55th Annual WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Champions. For the tournament, Jackson logged 59 minutes, averaging 18 points per game on 56.5 percent shooting from the field (13-of-23) that included a 50.0 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc (6-of-12). He was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line and averaged 4.5 assists (9) and 4.0 rebounds (8) per game.Â
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.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).Â
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. Â
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. Â
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.Â
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.
