The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Ball State
#4PetesSake Gameday Preview: Akron vs. Ball State
February 06 | Men's Basketball
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Akron Zips (19-4, 9-1 MAC) vs. Ball State (15-8, 6-4 MAC)
Tuesday, February 7 • James A. Rhodes Arena
Akron, Ohio • 6 p.m. ET
TV/Video: American Sports Network - Dave Ellis (PxP) and Jan Van Breda Kolff (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
BSU -James Whitford (Wisconsin '94)
Overall: 48-70 (4th season)
Record at Ball State: 48-70 (4th season)
MAC Record: 20-44 (4th season)
UA - Keith Dambrot (Akron '82)
Overall Record: 405-204 (19th season)
Record at Akron: 297-134 (13th season)
MAC Record at Akron: 150-62 (13th Season)
Career MAC Record: 160-86 (15th Season)
All-Time Series
Akron Leads: 21-15 - Dambrot vs Ball State: 13-0 (13-5 Overall)
Last Meeting: Akron 73, Ball State 64 - January 30, 2016 at Worthen Arena
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 297 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.
• Akron owns the second longest home winning streak in the country behind Oregon (40). The Zips own a 173-23 (.883) at James A. Rhodes Arena and have been winners of 28-straight games at Rhodes Arena, setting a new Rhodes Arena's longest winning streak record.
• The Zips rode a 12 game winning streak into Ohio, which ranked fifth in the NCAA. As a result, Akron received five votes in the AP Top 25 poll and one vote in the USA Today Coaches' Poll (Week 13 – Jan. 30). In addition, Akron is ranked No. 7 on the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 Poll and currently owns a 42 NCAA RPI and 99 Ken Pomeroy RPI.
• As of Feb. 6, UA ranks in the NCAA's Top 100 in 12-of-32 statistical categories (347 teams), ranking No. 5 in the NCAA for 3-point FG's made per game (10.7), No. 9 total 3-point FG's made (245), No.16 in 3-point FG's attempted (640), and No. 48 3-Point FG Percentage (38.3). The Zips also rank No. 39 in Field Goal Percentage (47.9), No. 57 in Scoring Margin (+8.3) , and No. 80 in rebound margin (3.7).
What's Ahead
The Akron basketball team hosts Ball State for its fourth annual 4 Pete's Sake Purple Out game at James A. Rhodes Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. The Zips enter the contest after Ohio snapped a 12-game winning streak, which ranked as the fifth longest winning streak in NCAA Division I basketball. Akron also built a three-game lead over the Mid-American Conference opponents with a 9-1 MAC record and 19-4 overall mark. The Zips extended the Rhodes Arena record of longest home-court winning streak of 28 consecutive wins, defeating the Buffalo Bulls 91-90. In addition, the Zips' run of consecutive home wins ranks No. 2 in the NCAA behind Oregon (40). Akron is 11-0 at home and 5-0 at the JAR in league play. Akron is 4-4 on the road and 4-1 when traveling to a MAC opponent. American Sports Network will televise the game with Dave Ellis calling the action and Jan Van Breda Kolff 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.
The Akron-Ball State Series
Tuesday's game marks the 37th meeting in series history between Akron and Ball State, and 14th meeting for a Dambrot coached UA squad. Akron holds a 21-15 all-time series advantage while Dambrot has never lost to the Cardinals in 13 meetings at UA, but is 13-5 overall. The Zips have won 13 consecutive meetings, and Akron is 12-5 all-time against BSU at home, 8-10 at BSU and 1-0 in neutral site games.
Scouting the Cardinals
Ball State enters the game with a share for first place in the West Division at 6-4 in MAC play and 15-8 overall. The Cardinals dropped their last conference game to Buffalo, 96-69, after winning three consecutive league games over Toledo (81-80), Western Michigan (84-78), and Eastern Michigan (88-80). Ball State is 9-4 at home, 4-4 on the road, and 2-0 in neutral site games this season. In league play, the Cardinals are 4-2 at home and 2-2 on the road. BSU averages 79.5 points per game on 47.0 percent shooting from the floor and 37.3 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 8.5 triples a game. In addition, the Bobcats shoot 71.6 percent from the free throw line with 15.0 bonus buckets a night.
The Bobcats have two players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Tayler Persons with 16.1 points per outing. He is shooting 49.4 percent from the floor (129-of-261) and 44.3 percent from deep with 27 made 3-pointers on 61 attempts. Persons also leads the team in assists (113) and steals (36). Franko House follows with 13.3 points per night on 54.4 percent shooting (112-of-206) and connects at a team-best 36.7 percent rate from deep (11-of-30). Leading BSU from deep are Sean Sellers, Francis Kiapway, and Ryan Weber. Sellers 44.4 percent from behind the arc with a team-high 48 triples that supports his 9.1 points per night. Kiapway follows with a second-best 36 trifectas at a 31.9 percent rate, while Weber has knocked down 35 3-pointers with a 32.1 long distance percentage. Kiapway and Weber average 7.9 and 8.6, points respectively.
BSU has limited opponents to 74.7 points a night on 41.5 percent shooting from the field and 35.2 percent from downtown with 7.7 made 3-pt FG per game. The Cardinals caused 310 turnovers (13.5 tpg) while collecting 143 steals (6.2 stl/g) and 83 blocked shots (3.6 blk/g). On the glass, BSU has outrebounds its opponents 879-804 for a +3.3 margin.
Last Time Out Against Ball State
The Akron men's basketball team used a 14-0 run and 52-percent shooting performance en route to a 73-64 Mid-American Conference win over Ball State at Worthen Arena. The Zips lead by 11 points by halftime, 39-28, however the Cardinals battled back in the second half to pull within three points, 56-53. At the 9:32 mark. the Zips stepped up the defensive pressure and held BSU scoreless for more than seven minutes while exploding for 14 unanswered points.
The Zips distributed the basketball evenly, accumulating 18 assists while draining 26 field goals on 50 attempts. Akron went 10-of-24 from downtown for a 41.7 percent effort. Meanwhile, BSU also had the hot hand, shooting 24-of-49 from the field (.510), including a 12-of-25 effort from deep (.480).
The difference in the game appeared to be on the defensive side of the ball and at the free throw line. Akron caused 18 turnovers and collected 10 steals while cashing in on 11-of-15 from the charity stripe. The Cardinals connected with 2-of-5 bonus buckets and had seven steals on 15 UA turnovers. The Zips won the battle of the boards 29-22.
The Zips had three players score in double figures, led by Reggie McAdams' 15 points. Jackson followed with 14 points, including a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe, while Johnson recorded 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Noah Robotham issued a team-high seven assists. Jeremie Tyler and Bo Calhoun led the Cardinals with 18 and 15 points, respectively.
The Zips in the MAC
Akron is 95-42 in the regular season against the West Division (.693), including winners of 38 of the last 46 regular-season contests since divisional play began during the 1997-98 season, and 70-25 overall under head coach Keith Dambrot (.737). The Zips have posted a 43-18 mark (.705) in the last 61 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 46-7 at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule (.868). UA has seen a ton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season, and is 150-62 overall (.708), including an 92-14 mark in MAC play at home (.868). The Zips' 150 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 70 of their last 94 MAC games (.745).
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
The Zips are in position to win 20 games for the 12th consecutive season thanks to a 12-game winning streak that recently ended. In addition, the Zips currently own a 28-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 11 consecutive wins this season at Rhodes Arena over American, Radford, Georgia Southern, Adrian, Coppin State, Marshall, Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Ohio, Eastern Michigan, and Buffalo. In addition, Akron won 12 consecutive regular season MAC games, dating back to the 2015-16 season.
Akron's current home court winning streak is the second 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 173-23 with an 88.3 winning percentage at the JAR and have not lost at home since Feb. 21, 2015 against Miami (57-52).
A win over Ball State would move Akron to 20-4 on the season, which ties the fastest UA team to reach 20 wins in Akron's Division I era. The 2012-13 team reached the 20-win plateau on Feb. 13, 2013 (20-24, 24 games).
Akron Zips Three Game Lead in MAC Play
The Akron Zips are 9-1 in league play, defeating Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Miami, Ohio, Eastern Michigan, Buffalo, and Northern Illinois before falling to Ohio. In league play, Akron averages 79.8 points per game in the MAC while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 36.9 from long distance with 10.1 made 3-pointers a game. The Zips own a +1.2 margin on the glass, outrebounding the competition 342-330. Akron averages 14.7 assists (147), 10.6 turnovers per game (106), 5.8 steals (58), and 3.1 blocked shots (31) in league play.
The Zips won 12 consecutive regular season MAC games, dating back to the 2015-16 season was 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. Kent State owns the MAC regular season consecutive win record (21), and single season record (17-1).
Akron Win Streak Snapped at 12 Games
The Akron Zips 12-game winning streak ended on Saturday as the Zips fell 85-70 on the road to Ohio University at the OU Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio. The Zips went nearly two months without a loss, dating back to Dec. 10 against No. 1 ranked Gonzaga, and still currently owns a 28-game home-court winning streak at James A. Rhodes Arena.
Saturday's game on CBS Sports Network featured eight lead changes and five tied scores before the Bobcats (14-7, 6-4) pulled away for the final time on a Jordan Dartis 3-pointer at the 4:31 mark. Ohio ended the game with 12 consecutive free throws for the 15-point win. Jaaron Simmons scored a game-high 38 points, which included a 5-of-5 showing from downtown and 13-of-16 effort from the free throw line. He also pulled down a team-best 10 rebounds.
For the Zips (19-4, 9-1), senior center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio) and junior guard Antino Jackson led the way with 18 and 14 points, respectively. Johnson connected on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor and a 4-of-7 performance from the charity stripe, while Jackson went 3-of-8 from deep and 3-of-4 from the foul line. Senior forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr. and sophomore guard Josh Williams had nine points each , and Cheatham led the team on the glass with 13 rebounds.
The Zips were whistled for 30 fouls, sending the Bobcats to the charity stripe 38 times while connecting with 30 of those attempts for a 78.9 percentage. The Zips attempted 16 free throws and drained 11 bonus buckets for an 68.8 percent showing.
For the game, the Zips shot 37.9 percent from the field collectively, including a 9-of-37 (.243) performance from deep. Ohio used a 23-of-48 (.479( effort from the floor and 9-of-22 (.409) performance from long distance. On the glass, Akron held a slight 36-35 advantage as turnovers and assists were tied at 10 apiece.
Akron Basketball Raised Eyebrows
The Akron Zips men's basketball program grabbed the attention of the national media during their 12-game winning streak, the fifth longest streak in NCAA Division I basketball.
The Zips' success began to attract the attention of several media outlets and analysts, including ESPN. On 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.
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.
Also, ESPN college basketball analyst Joe Lunardi's NCAA tournament projections has Akron ranked as a 13 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 reporters Daniel Reynolds and Jeff Ames highlighted the Zips as one of five mid-major programs to bust brackets in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Sports Illustrated's Molly Geary discusses how the Zips' 11-game run prepares them for March Madness.
After two straight weeks of receiving one vote for the AP Top 25 poll, Akron earned five votes in the poll (Jan. 30 - Week 13), sitting about 30th in the NCAA. Akron also received one vote in the USA Today Coaches' Poll. In addition, the Zips climbed one spot to a No. 7 ranking in CollegeInsider.com Men's Mid-Major Top 25 poll, receiving 501 points on Jan. 16, followed by 549 points on Jan. 23, and 577 votes on Jan. 30.
Akron currently owns a 49 NCAA RPI, and ranks in the NCAA's Top 100 in 12-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.
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 (54) and Oregon (39). The streak also replaces the 26-game winning streak that spanned three seasons under head coach Bob Huggins from 1985 to 1987. The Zips have not lost at home since Feb. 21, 2015 against Miami.
The Zips 1,000 Point Club
Senior center Isaiah Johnson leads the Zips' scoring efforts with 16.5 points per game, scoring double digits in 21-of-23 games including 15-of-the-last-16 outings. He has scored 379 points to date and ranks No. 10 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 1,155 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 three 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 followed with three-straight games of at least five points, adding a 14-of-27 effort from the floor and 9-of-17 showing from deep in the last six 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 11.9 points per game and is second on the team in 3-point FG percentage and No. 7 in the MAC at 40.9 percent (50 attempts min.). He has buried a team-high 54 triples and connects from the charity stripe with a team-best 82.9 percent. In addition, he is the leader on the glass, pulling down 7.9 rebounds per game with a team-high 145 defensive boards and 36 offensive grabs. Cheatham is also the Zips' leading rim protector with 21 blocked shots while adding 44 assists and 13 steals. Cheatham Earned MAC East Player of the Week on Jan. 30.
Four Zips Averaging Double Figures
Four Zips are averaging double figures in scoring led by Johnson's 16.5 points per game while fellow senior Kwan Cheatham, Jr. is second with 11.9 points per game. Junior guard Antino Jackson follows with 11.7 points per game, and junior Jimond Ivey averages 10.0 points. Noah Robotham and Josh Williams follow closely with 9.0 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 No. 8 overall in the MAC for scoring while Cheatham and Jackson are 28th and 29th, respectively.
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 11-of-23 games, while averaging a team-high 16.5 points per game. He scored in double-digits 21-of-23 contests, including a career-high 33-point performance against Central Michigan. He posted his fourth double-double against Buffalo, scoring 27 points with 10 boards. Big Dog ranks No. 10 in the NCAA for FG percentage, shooting 63.8 percent from the floor (141-of-221), and pulled down a second-best 168 rebounds with 103 defensive boards and 65 on the offensive end. He owns a team-high 71 assists with 18 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.
Trifecta!
Three of Akron's players rank in the Mid-American Conference Top 15 for 3-point FG percentage and are shooting at or above 40.0 percent for the Zips. Antino Jackson leads the Zips, ranking No. 7 in the MAC with a 42.3 shooting percentage with 47 trifectas on 111 attempts, while No. 8 is Kwan Cheatham with a 40.9 percentage on with a team-high 53 triples on 132 attempts. Ranked 10th overall is Tavian Dunn-Martin with a 40.0 percentage on 22-of-55 shooting, while Noah Robotham (.372, 32-of-86). In addition, Josh Williams (.367, 51-of-139) and Daniel Utomi (.419, 13-of-31) are keys in Akron's perimeter game.
The Zips rank among the nations best from behind the 3-point arc. The Zips rank No. 5 out of 347 teams in the NCAA for 3-point FG made per game with 10.7 triples. In addition, Akron is No. 9 overall in total 3-pointers made with 245, and ranked 16th for 3-point attempts at 640. As a result, the Zips 38.3 long distance percentage ranks 48th best.
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 16 starts in 23 games. He has scored in double digits 13 times and 7-of-the-last-11 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 23 games, Ivey averages 27.7 minutes with 10.0 points and ranks third in the MAC with a 55.6 shooting percentage from the field. He drained 79-of-142 shots and leads the team with 27 steals. Ivey is third on the squad with 5.6 rebounds per game, hauling in 128 total rebounds with 101 defensive and 27 offensive boards.
The Zips Sixth Man
Sophomore Josh Williams is a career 39.1 percent shooter from long distance, knocking down 109-of-279 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 second-best 51 long distance buckets on 139 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 23 games, Williams averages 23.7 minutes while shooting 37.5 percent from the field, 60-of-160. In 17 trips to the charity stripe, Williams collected 11 bonus buckets while pulling down 51 rebounds (2.2 rebs/g) and dishing out 21 assists with 10 steals. He is ranked 11th in the Mid-American Conference for 3-pointers made per game (2.2).
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 (11.7 ppg), and has buried 47 long distance field goals. He shoots 46.0 percent from the field and 42.3 from deep and has a second-best 22 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 9.0 points per outing following a career-high 27-point performance against Marshall. He has 55 assists and 13 steals. He shoots 40.8 percent from the floor and 37.2 from behind the 3-point arc, burying 32 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 22 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-55 long distance shots for a 40.0 3-point FG shooting percentage, that ranks 10th in the MAC. In 10.7 minutes a game, Dunn-Martin owns a 43.2 FG shooting percentage (35-of-81) en route to adding 4.6 points per game. As a backup point guard, Dunn-Martin has dished out 24 assists and made 18 trips to the charity stripe, draining 14 bonus buckets for a 77.8 free throw percentage.
After missing six games, Hughes returned to action against Ohio and buried two free throws. In 8.1 minutes per game in the center position, he has scored 35 points and pulled down 23 rebounds with 10 blocked shots and five steals.
Olojakpoke is a rim protector who managed to block four shots against Coppin State. In 19 games and 6.4 minutes on average, Olojakpoke is shooting 62.5 percent on 20-of-32 shots from the field and has pulled down 28 rebounds with 14 blocked shots.
Meanwhile, Utomi has a knack for scoring the ball. He is 23-of-48 from the floor for a 47.9 shooting percentage, including a 41.9 percent effort from downtown. In 7.4 minutes per game, Utomi has connected with 13-of-31 shots from deep while adding 14 rebounds, six 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 13 points in the finale. Meanwhile, Johnson followed a 12-point, six-rebound game with a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds.
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)
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.
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
Up Next
The Akron basketball team will travel to Ypsilanti, Mich. to battle Eastern Michigan on ESPNU at the EMU Convocation Center on Friday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. ET. Fans can also 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.
Cheatham Named MAC East Player of the Week
Senior Kwan Cheatham, Jr. was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week, announced by the league office on Monday. In addition on Jan. 30, Cheatham was selected as the University of Akron's Student-Athlete of the Week. Cheatham scored 51 points last week, averaging 25.5 points. In a pair of wins over Western Michigan (90-80), and Buffalo (91-90), He shot 60.7 percent from the field (17-of-28) , 52.6 percent from beyond the 3-point arc (10-of-19), and a perfect 7-of-7 from the charity stripe.
Against WMU, Cheatham poured in a team-high 20 points to go along with a team-best 11 rebounds for the double-double. In 33 minutes of work, he shot 63.6 percent from the field (7-of-11), 50.0 percent from downtown (3-of-6) and a perfect 3-of-3 from the free throw line, Against Buffalo, Cheatham had a career night with 31 points in 35 minutes of play. He shot 53.6 percent from deep, connecting with 7-of-13 long distance shots while shooting 58.8 percent from the floor (10-of-17). He was a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe and added seven rebounds, an assist, and a steal.
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.
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).
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.
