The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Buffalo
Zips Defend Home Court Against Reigning MAC Tournament Champs, Buffalo Bulls
January 27 | Men's Basketball
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Akron Zips (17-3, 7-0 MAC) vs Buffalo Bulls (9-11, 3-4 MAC)
Saturday, January 28 • James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio • 7:30 p.m. ET
TV/Video: WatchESPN/ESPN3 - Michael Reghi (PxP) andJacki Windon (Analyst)
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
UB - Nate Oats (Maranatha Baptist '98)
Overall Record: 29-26 (2nd season)
Record at UB: 29-26 (2nd season)
MAC Record:13-12 (2nd season)
UA - Keith Dambrot (Akron '82)
Overall Record: 403-203 (19th season)
Record at Akron: 295-133 (13th season)
MAC Record at Akron: 148-61 (13th Season)
Career MAC Record: 158-85 (15th Season)
All-Time Series - Akron Leads: 30-26 Dambrot vs Buffalo: 15-12 (15-12 Overall)
Last Meeting: Buffalo 64, Akron 61 - March 12, 2016 - Quicken Loans Arena (MAC Championship)
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 295 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 (53) and Oregon (38). The Zips own a 172-23 (.882) at James A. Rhodes Arena and have been winners of 27-straight games at Rhodes Arena, setting a new Rhodes Arena's longest winning streak record.
• As of Jan.25, UA ranks in the NCAA's Top 100 in 14-of-32 statistical categories (347 teams), ranking No. 6 in the NCAA for 3-point FG's made per game (10.7), No. 7 total 3-point FG's made (214), No. 16 in 3-point FG's attempted (544), and No. 25 3-Point FG Percentage (39.3). The Zips also rank No. 23 in Field Goal Percentage (48.7), No. 47 in Scoring Margin (+10.2) , and No. 72 in rebound margin (4.2).
What's Ahead
The Akron Zips will host the Buffalo Bulls on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m., immediately following the women's game against Eastern Michigan at 5 p.m. The Zips enter the 2015-16 MAC Championship rematch with a 10-game winning streak which ranks as the fourth longest winning streak in NCAA Division I basketball. Akron also built a three-game lead in the Mid-American Conference with a 7-0 record and 17-3 overall mark. The Zips set the Rhodes Arena record of longest winning streak of 27 consecutive wins on Jan. 21, against Eastern Michigan with a 70-63 final score. In addition, the Zips' run of consecutive home wins ranks No. 3 in the NCAA behind Kansas (53) and Oregon (38). Akron is 10-0 at home and 4-0 at the JAR in league play. Fans can follow the action on WatchESPN, ESPN3 with Michael Reghi calling the action and Jacki Windon providing analysis.
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.
Akron opened MAC play with a pair of wins over Bowling Green (89-84) and Western Michigan (66-59) at Rhodes Arena. After two road wins against Central Michigan (89-85) and Miami (74-70), the Zips returned to the JAR to defeat Ohio (83-68) and Eastern Michigan (70-63), and extended the streak to 10 games after defeating Western Michigan (90-80).
The Akron-Buffalo Series
Saturday's game marks the 58th meeting in series history between Akron and Buffalo, and 28th meeting for a Dambrot coached UA squad. Akron holds a all-time 32-25 series advantage while Dambrot is 15-12 at Akron. The Zips swept the regular season series last season, winning 0n the road 75-71 (Jan. 5) and at home 80-70 (Feb. 16), but fell 64-61 to the Bulls in the MAC Championship game at Quicken Loans Arena on March 12. The series is tied 3-3 over the last two seasons as the Bulls won 2-of-3 meetings in 2014-15, including a 68-59 win on March 19 in the semifinal game of the MAC Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. The Zips are 1-2 against the Bulls in the MAC Tournament all-time.
Scouting the Bulls
Buffalo enters the first meeting with a 9-11 overall record and 3-4 conference mark. The Bulls have won two of the last three conference games, defeating Kent State on the road, 82-69, and Western Michigan at home, 66-54. However, Buffalo dropped its last MAC game on the road to Miami, 75-74. The Bulls are 4-3 at home, 4-7 on the road, and 1-1 in neutral site games. In league play, Buffalo is 1-2 at home and 2-2 on the road. Buffalo averages 74.8 points per game on 43.6 percent shooting from the floor and a 30.6 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 7.1 triples a game. In addition, the Bulls shoot 67.0 percent from the free throw line with 14.3 bonus buckets a night.
The Bulls have four players scoring in double figures, led by Blake Hamilton. He averages 15.7 points per game on 38.4 percent shooting from the field and 32.7 percent rate from beyond the 3-point arc with a second-best 32 made 3-pointers. Hamilton leads the squad in assists with 83. Nick Perkins follows with 13.9 points per game on 44.7 percent shooting from the field and 27.3 percent from deep with 21 triples. He owns team-highs in rebounds (139) and blocks (22). In addition, CJ MAssinburg and Willie Conner add 13.6 and 12.7 points per game. Conner leads the squad from behind the 3-point arc with 40 trifectas on 34.2 percent shooting. Defensively, the Bulls allow their opponents to score 73.7 points per game on 41.0 percent shooting from the floor and 34.4 percent from 3-point range, allowing 7.1 long distance buckets a night. Buffalo has caused 257 turnovers (12.9 to/g) with 111 steals (5.6 stl/g) and 92 blocked shots (4.6 blk/g). The Bulls have outrebounded their opponent 825-732, establishing a +4.7 margin on the glass.
Last Time Out Against Buffalo
In a game where the outcome of the contest came down to one final shot, the University of Akron's aspirations for its fifth automatic NCAA Tournament berth was denied by a three pointer with three seconds remaining from Blake Hamilton which lifted Buffalo to a 64-61 victory over the Zips inside Quicken Loans Arena.
Akron had one final attempt at a game-tying shot but the inbounds heave was intercepted and the contest ended in a 64-61 Bulls' triumph. Antino Jackson directed the Zips with a team-high 14 points, while Isaiah Johnson added 12 points off the bench. C.J. Massinburg led the Bulls' offensive efforts scoring a game-high 18 points, while Hamilton contributed a 14-point, 11-rebound outing. Akron finished the game shooting 39.0 percent from the field, including making 13 three pointers. Buffalo connected at a 37.7 percent clip and made 10 triples.
The Zips took their first lead of the game, 55-54 on a lay-up by Johnson at the 6:51 mark. But, the Bulls responded with four unanswered tallies to regain the lead, 58-55, before a Jackson triple with 2:58 remaining tied the game at 58. He followed with a 25-footer from the top of the arc to extend Akron's lead to 61-58 at the 2:13 mark.
Next, Hamilton then nailed a triple at the other end to square the contest at 61. After the Zips were whistled for a foul with 23 seconds remaining the shot clock reset for the Bulls before Hamilton nailed what proved to be the game-winning shot from deep.
Akron Basketball Raising Eyebrows
The Akron Zips men's basketball program is starting to grab the attention of the national media. The Zips are currently on a nine-game winning streak, the seventh longest streak in NCAA Division I basketball heading into tonight's game against Western Michigan at University Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich., at 7 p.m.
The Zips' recent success began to attract the attention of several media outlets and analysts, including ESPN. On Friday evening (Jan. 20) after the Zips defeated Eastern Michigan at the JAR, ESPN's Kevin Connors selected Akron Zips Basketball as Kevin's Star of the night on ESPN SportsCenter.
Also, ESPN college basketball analyst Joe Lunardi's NCAA tournament projections has Akron ranked as a 12 seed in the latest edition of ESPN Bracketology, while CBS Sports Network's Jon Rothstein mentioned the Zips in his weekly Rothstein Files release on FanRagSports.com. In addition, Hero College Sports News reporter Daniel Reynolds highlighted the Zips as one of five mid-major programs to bust brackets in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
In addition, ESPN personalities Dick Vitale and Seth Greenburg mentioned Akron when discussing mid-major bracket busters as reported by Mid-Major Madness, while NCAA.com had the Zips as one of five teams who were slowly making their way to March Madness.
For two straight weeks, the Zips have received one vote for the AP Top 25 poll, sitting tied for 34th in the NCAA. In addition, the Zips have maintained a No. 8 ranking in CollegeInsider.com Men's Mid-Major Top 25 poll, receiving 501 points on Jan. 16, followed by 549 points on Jan. 23, which is just 12 points behind No. 7 ranked Chattanooga of the Southern Conference.
Akron currently owns a 43 NCAA RPI, and ranks in the NCAA's Top 100 in 14-of-32 statistical categories. However, for the buzz to continue, the Akron Zips will need to continue their winning ways against good competition in the Mid-American Conference.
The Zips in the MAC
Akron is 94-42 in the regular season against the West Division (.691), including winners of 37 of the last 45 regular-season contests since divisional play began during the 1997-98 season, and 68-25 under head coach Keith Dambrot (.731). 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.
Akron is 45-7 at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule (.865). UA has seen a ton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season, and is 148-61 overall (.708), including an 91-14 mark in MAC play at home (.867). The Zips' 148 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 68 of their last 91 MAC games (.747).
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.
Streaking Zips
Akron established a six-game winning streak early in the season, and is now on an 10-game run. The 10 consecutive wins ranks fourth among all current NCAA Division I winning streaks. In addition, the Zips currently own a 27-game winning streak at Rhodes Arena, setting the facility record which spanned three seasons from 1985-87 under head coach Bob Huggins. The Zips have rattled-off 10 consecutive wins this season at Rhodes Arena over American, Radford, Georgia Southern, Adrian, Coppin State, Marshall, Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Ohio, and Eastern Michigan.
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 172-23 with an 88.2 winning percentage at the JAR and have not lost at home since Feb. 21, 2015 against Miami (57-52).
Akron Zips Undefeated in MAC Play
The Akron Zips are 7-0 in league play, defeating Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Miami, Ohio, and Eastern Michigan. In league play, Akron averages 80.1 points per game in the MAC while shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 39.3 from long distance with 10.0 made 3-pointers a game. The Zips own a +1.4 margin on the glass, outrebounding the competition 242-232. Akron averages 15.6 assists (109), 11.4 turnovers per game (80), 5.7 steals (40), and 3.6 blocked shots (25) in league play.
The Zips have won 10 consecutive regular season MAC games, dating back to the 2015-16 season which is the second longest MAC winning streak in Dambrot's tenure. The 2006-07 Zips won nine straight games in a single season after dropping the MAC opener to Ohio. However, the 2012-13 Zips won 19-straight games and rattled off 13 consecutive league games during that run.
Akron WINS 10th Straight Game
Senior Kwan Cheatham, Jr. recorded his fifth double-double of the season while leading the Akron Zips to their 10th straight win over Western Michigan 90-80 at University Arena on Tuesday night.
Cheatham poured in 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for his third double-double in five games. Four other Zips finished with double figures in scoring as junior Noah Robotham followed with 14 points,. Senior Isaiah Johnson and sophomore Jimond Ivey recorded 13 points apiece, while junior Antino Jackson completed the double-digit scoring with 12 points and sophomore Josh Williams added nine points. The Broncos were led by Thomas Wilder with a game-high 25 points, followed by a trio of 14-point scorers in Tucker Haymond, Reggie Jones, and Brandon Johnson.
Akron (17-3, 7-0) finished the game shooting 54.7 percent from the field (29-of-53) and 52.2 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 12-of-23 from downtown. The Zips added a 74.1 percent effort from the charity stripe (20-of-27). Western Michigan (6-13, 2-5) held a 37-31 advantage on the glass and won the turnover battle 6-8.
The Broncos started the scoring, but only held the lead for 27-seconds before Johnson tied the game with an inside post move. Ivey followed with a layup and a 3-pointer from the corner, which sparked a 12-2 run that was capped by a Williams triple from the top of the key.
Akron pushed the lead to as many as 23 points during the first half, shooting 58.8 percent from the field (20-of-34) and 9-of-16 from long distance for a 56.3 percentage from downtown.
In the second half, Akron increased the lead to 20 points by the 11-minute mark, 69-49. However, the Broncos began to chip away at the lead, cutting the deficit to single digits with 2:13 left to play. Akron responded with three free throws by Robotham for a 85-73 lead. Akron closed the game with five additional free throws to remain undefeated in Mid-American Conference play.
Akron Sets Rhodes Arena Record with 70-63 Win Over Eastern Michigan
The Akron Zips set the all-time longest winning streak at James A. Rhodes Arena with its 27th straight victory on Friday night, defeating the Eastern Michigan Eagles, 70-63. The Zips' run ranks as the third best home winning streak in NCAA Division I basketball behind Kansas (53) and Oregon (38). The streak also replaces the 26-game winning streak that spanned three seasons under head coach Bob Huggins from 1985 to 1987. The Zips are 172-23 at the James A. Rhodes Arena under 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot, boasting an 88.2 winning percentage and have not lost at home since Feb. 21, 2015 against Miami.
Isaiah Johnson led the way for the Zips with 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Antino Jackson added 11 points and six assists and Jimond Ivey chipped in 11 points. Senior Kwan Cheatham, Jr. scored seven points and pulled down seven rebounds. Ty Toney scored 17 points for the Eagles and Willie Magnum IV added 13 points.
For the contest, the Zips connected on 42.6 percent (23-of-54) of their shots from the floor and hit 26.9 percent (7-of-26) of their shots from behind the 3-point arc. The Eagles scored on 38.1 percent (24-of-63) of their attempts and hit 25 percent (4-of-16) of their shots from downtown.
The Zips 1,000 Point Club
Senior center Isaiah Johnson leads the Zips' scoring efforts with 15.7 points per game, scoring double digits in 18-of-20 games including 12-of-the-last-13 outings. He has scored 313 points to date and ranks No. 7 in the NCAA for field goal percentage at 63.7 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 1,089 career points.
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 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 five wins shy of his 300th all-time win at Akron.
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. He has scored at least five points in every game since, adding a 12-of-22 effort from the floor and 8-of-13 showing from deep in four games.
Chop-ing Up the Competition
Senior forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr. has emerged as one of the Zips leaders in all areas of the game. Cheatham scores a second-best 11.3 points per game and is second on the team in 3-point FG percentage (25 attempts min.) while ranking No. 7 in the MAC at 42.2 percent. He has buried a second-best 43 triples, just one shy of UA's leader Josh Williams and connects from the charity stripe with a team-best 82.4 percent. In addition, he is the leader on the glass, pulling down 7.5 rebounds per game with a team-high 115 defensive boards and 35 offensive grabs. Cheatham is also the Zips' leading rim protector with 18 blocked shots while adding 40 assists and 10 steals.
Trifecta!
Four of Akron's players rank in the Mid-American Conference Top 15 for 3-point FG percentage and four are shooting above 40.0 percent for the Zips, led by the MAC's No. 6 ranked Antino Jackson with a 42.4 percentage on 39-of-92 shooting. No.7 ranked Kwan Cheatham, Jr. follows with a 42.2 percent effort on 43-of-102, while the 10th overall ranked is Tavian Dunn-Martin with a 40.7 percentage on 22-of-54 shooting.Noah Robotham (.397, 29-of-73) rounds out the MAC leaders at the 13th spot as Josh Williams shoots 37.0 percent from deep with a team-best 44 made triples on 119 attempts. In addition, Daniel Utomi knocked down 12-of-24 trifectas for a 50.0 percent average.
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 10.7 triples. In addition, Akron is No. 7 overall in total 3-pointers made with 214, and ranked 16th for 3-point attempts at 544. As a result, the Zips 39.3 long distance percentage ranks 25th best.
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 10-of-19 games, while averaging a team-high 15.8 points per game. He scored in double-digits 17-of-19 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 21, 20, 19 (twice), 17, and 16 (three times), this season. Big Dog ranks No. 6 in the NCAA for FG percentage, shooting 63.8 percent from the floor (111-of-174), and pulled down a team-high 140 rebounds with 86 defensive boards and 54 on the offensive end. He owns a team-high 64 assists with 15 blocks and nine steals. Big Dog earned the Savannah Invitational MVP award, MAC East Player of the Week (twice, 11/28 and 1/16), College Sports Madness Player of the Week, and Sun Bowl All-Tournament team honors.
Four Zips Averaging Double Figures
Four Zips are averaging double figures in scoring led by Johnson's 15.7 points per game while fellow senior Kwan Cheatham, Jr. is second with 11.3 points per game. Junior guard Antino Jackson follows with 11.1 points per game, and junior Jimond Ivey averages 10.7 points. Noah Robotham and Josh Williams follow closely with 9.5 and 7.9 points per game. Five players have scored in double figures six times this season, including the starters twice. In the UMES game, all five starters scored double-digits for the first time since March 10, 2009, and the Zips matched that feat as the starters did it again against Western Michigan (1/24). Johnson ranks 10th overall in the MAC for scoring while Cheatham and Jackson are 29th and 30th, respectively.
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 13 starts in 20 games. He has scored in double digits 13 times and 7-of-the-last-8 games, 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.
In 20 games, Ivey averages 27.6 minutes with 10.7 points and ranks second in the MAC with a 56.6 shooting percentage from the field. He drained 73-of-129 shots and leads the team with 22 steals. Ivey is third on the squad with 5.7 rebounds per game, hauling in 114 total rebounds with 90 defensive and 24 offensive boards.
The Zips Sixth Man
Sophomore Josh Williams is a career 39.4 percent shooter from long distance, knocking down 102-of-259 triples to date. The Akron, Ohio native started nine games this season, and now is the Zips' sixth man, leading Akron's second unit. He has buried a team-best 44 3-pointers on 119 attempts while averaging 7.9 points per game. Williams matched a career-high 18 points against UC Irvine, burying six 3-pointers on nine attempts.
In 20 games, Williams averages 24.0 minutes while shooting 37.7 percent from the field, 52-of-138. In 15 trips to the charity stripe, Williams collected 10 bonus buckets while pulling down 48 rebounds and dishing out 19 assists with nine steals.
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 (11.1 ppg), and has buried 39 long distance field goals. He shoots 45.9 percent from the field and 42.4 from deep and has a second-best 17 steals, while adding 3.0 assists and 2.4 rebounds 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 9.5 points per outing following a career-high 27-point performance against Marshall. He has 43 assists and 13 steals. He shoots 42.9 percent from the floor and 39.7 from behind the 3-point arc, burying 29 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 20 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.
Dunn-Martin has made an immediate impact from the outside, draining 22-of-54 long distance shots for a 40.7 3-point FG shooting percentage, that ranks 10th in the MAC. In 11.6 minutes a game, Dunn-Martin owns a 44.9 FG shooting percentage (35-of-78) en route to adding 5.3 points per game. As a backup point guard, Dunn-Martin has dished out 21 assists and made 18 trips to the charity stripe, draining 14 bonus buckets for an 77.8 free throw percentage.
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.
Olojakpoke is a rim protector who managed to block four shots against Coppin State. In 93 minutes played, he is shooting 63.0 percent on 17-of-27 shots from the field and has pulled down 23 rebounds with 13 blocked shots.
Meanwhile, Utomi has a knack for scoring the ball. He is 21-of-40 from the floor for a 52.5 shooting percentage, including a 50.0 percent effort from downtown. In 7.6 minutes per game, Utomi has connected with 12-of-24 shots from deep while adding 11 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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Up Next
The Akron basketball team will continue Mid-American Conference, Traveling to Northern Illinois on Tuesday, Jan. 31. Tipoff is scheduled at 7:00 p.m. ET and 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
