The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
No. 8 Eastern Michigan
Akron Opens MAC Tournament Against No. 8 Eastern Michigan
March 08 | Men's Basketball
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MAC Tournament Quarterfinals
No. 1 Akron Zips (24-7, 14-4 MAC) vs No. 8 Eastern Michigan (16-16, 7-11 MAC)
Thursday, March 9 • Quicken Loans Arena • Cleveland, Ohio • Noon
TV/Video: BCSN/Spectrum – Mason Lowry (PxP), Pat Vuyancih (Analyst), and Gabriella Kreuz (Sideline)
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
EMU - Rob Murphy (Central State '96)
Overall: 107-96 (6th season)
Record at EMU: 107-96 (6th season)
MAC Record: 51-54 (6th season)
MAC Tournament: 8-6 (6th Season)
UA - Keith Dambrot (Akron '82)
Overall Record: 410-207 (19th season)
Record at Akron: 302-137 (13th season)
MAC Record at Akron: 155-65 (13th Season)
Career MAC Record: 165-89 (15th Season)
MAC Tournament: 25-9 (13th Season)
All-Time Series
Akron Leads: 27-20 - Dambrot vs. EMU: 17-3 (20-4 Overall)
Last Meeting: Akron 87, EMU 76 - February 10, 2017 at EMU Convocation Center
Akron basketball Notes:
• Akron has won at least 21 games in 12-straight seasons under 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot, something only a handful of Division I programs have accomplished. In fact, Akron, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, and Ohio State are the only programs to post 11-straight 21-win seasons, and of those five teams, Akron (24-7), Gonzaga (32-1), Kansas (28-3), and Duke (23-8) are the only programs to already accomplish that feat this year - Ohio State (17-14).
• The Akron Zips secured its fourth all-time Regular-Season MAC Championship after defeating Buffalo, 89-83, on the road at Alumni Arena. In addition, Akron owns the No. 1 Seed for the 2017 MAC Tournament in back-to-back seasons. The Zips have a 59 NCAA RPI and 104 KenPom RPI.
• 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 300th career win at Akron on Feb. 14 against Toledo.
• Akron set the all-time longest home winning streak record at James. A. Rhodes Arena with 30 consecutive wins, replacing the 26-game run the Zips made during the 1985-87 seasons under head coach Bob Huggins. The streak ranked No. 2 in the NCAA. The Zips own a 175-24 (.879) at Rhodes Arena.
• 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).
• As of March 5, UA ranks in the NCAA's Top 100 in 13-of-32 statistical categories (347 teams), ranking No. 5 in the NCAA for 3-point FG's made per game (10.5), No. 5 in 3-point FG's made (324), No. 7 in 3-point FG's attempted (857), and No. 5 in 3-Point FG Percentage (.378). The Zips also rank No. 49 in Field Goal Percentage (.471), and No. 62 in Scoring Margin (+7.1).
WHAT'S AHEAD
The Akron basketball team enters the Mid-American Conference Tournament as the No. 1 seed. Akron will collide with No. 8 seeded Eastern Michigan for the quarterfinal matchup and third meeting of the season on Thursday, March 9 at Quicken Loans Arena. The game is scheduled to begin at Noon and will be televised by Buckeye Cable Sports Network/Spectrum with Mason Lowry calling the action, Pat Vuyancih providing analysis and Gabriella Kreuz reportig from the sideline. The Zips finished 13-2 at home and 7-2 at the JAR in league play, and 7-5 on the road and 7-2 when traveling to a MAC opponent. Akron is 4-0 in neutral site games this season.
Fans can join the action at The Q after visiting the Zips' official tailgating headquarters, the Corner Alley. The Corner Alley is located at the corner of East 4th and Euclid Ave. in downtown Cleveland. UA students can receive their free ticket courtesy of the AK-Rowdies two hours prior to game time until 30 minutes before tipoff.
Fans can also follow the action on WatchESPN/ESPN3, 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-Eastern Michigan Series
Thursday's game marks the 48th meeting in series history between Akron and Eastern Michigan, and 21st meeting for a Dambrot coached UA squad. Akron holds a 27-20 all-time series advantage while Dambrot is 16-3 at Akron and 20-4 overall. The Zips have won 17 of the last 20 meetings, including four straight games. The Zips won both meetings this season 70-63 on Jan. 20, at Rhodes Arena and 87-76 on Feb. 10, at the EMU Convocation Center. Last season, Akron opened 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. Under Dambrot Akron is 7-1 at home, 6-2 on the road, and 4-0 in the MAC Tournament against the Eagles.
Last Time Out Against The Eagles
The Akron Zips recorded its 21st win of the season on ESPNU, using 18 long distance shots and a 52.9 percent shooting effort from downtown to defeat Eastern Michigan 87-76 at the EMU Convocation Center on Feb. 10. The Zips had five players score in double figures led by redshirt freshman Daniel Utomi with a career-high 19 points. Utomi was perfect from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 5-of-5 shots from downtown and finishing 6-of-7 from the floor with a 2-of-2 effort from the free throw line in 15 minutes of action.
Senior Isaiah Johnson added 17 points, five rebounds and five assists, while senior Kwan Cheatham, Jr. (collected 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, a blocked shot and a steal. Juniors Antino Jackson and Jimond Ivey rounded out the double-digit scoring with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Ivey grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while junior Noah Robotham dished out a team-best six assists.
As a team, the Zips dished out 22 assists for 27 field goals with only nine turnovers. Akron shot 52.9 percent from the floor (27-of-51) and behind the 3-point arc (18-of-34).Eastern Michigan was led by Willie Magnum's 22 points followed by James Thompson (19) and Ty Toney (17). EMU shot 45.3 percent from the field (29-of-64), 41.7 percent from deep (5-of-12), and won the battle of the boards 39-26.
Last MAC Tournament Meeting against EMU
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.
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.
Ray 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.
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.
Scouting Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan enters the contest with a 16-16 overall record and 7-11 in MAC play. The Eagles advanced to the MAC quarterfinals after defeating No. 9 Northern Illinois 72-69. EMU has won three of their last four games. The Eagles are 10-6 (3-6 MAC) at home, 5-10 (4-5 MAC) on the road, and 1-0 at neutral sites this season.
The Eagles have four players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Willie Mangum IV with 15.7 points per outing. He is shooting 40.9 percent from the floor (172-of-421), and 37.7 percent from long range with a team-high 93 made 3-point field goals on 247 attempts. Ray Lee is second in scoring with 15.6 points per night on 41.1 percent shooting from the field and 36.2 from downtown with a second-best 51 made 3-pointers on 141 attempts. He also adds 76 assists and 42 steals. James Thompson IV follows with 14.7 points per night on 57.2 percent shooting (171-of-299) and leads the team with 11.0 rebounds per game (342 rebs) with 29 blocked shots. Rounding out the double-digit efforts is Ty Toney with 10.2 points, while and Tim Bond tallies 9.1 points per night. Toney shoots 42.6 percent from the floor with 80 assists and 48 steals. Bond leads the team with 130 assists, 25 blocks, and 69 steals while shooting 42.2 percent from the floor and 32.1 percent from behind the 3-point arc.
Defensively, EMU has limited opponents to 72.8 points a night on 42.1 percent shooting from the field and 33.2 percent from downtown with 7.3 made 3-pt FG per game. The Eagles caused 522 turnovers (16.3 tpg) while collecting 312 steals (9.8 stl/g) and 144 blocked shots (4.5 blk/g). On the glass, the Eagles have been outrebounded by its opponents 1173-1164 for a -0.3 margin.
Back-to-Back MAC Champions
The Akron Zips secured the MAC Regular-Season Championship, No. 1 Seed in the MAC Tournament, and East Division Title on Friday with an 89-83 road win over Buffalo. Akron has captured the regular season or tournament title six of the last seven seasons. In addition, the Zips were back-to-back regular season champs in 2012 (22-12, 13-3 MAC) and 2013 (26-7, 14-2 MAC), as well as 2016 (23-9, 13-5 MAC) and 2017 (23-6, 13-3 MAC). Akron won the MAC Tournament in 2009 (23-13, 10-6 MAC), 2011 (23-13, 9-7 MAC), and 2013 (26-7, 14-2 MAC). The Zips swept the regular season and tournament titles in 2013, and Akron claimed the East Division title in 2007 (26-7, 13-3 MAC).
The Zips in the MAC
The Zips have posted a 45-21 mark (.682) in the last 66 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 98-42 in the regular season against the West Division (.700), including winners of 41 of the last 49 regular-season contests since divisional play began during the 1997-98 season, and 73-25 overall under head coach Keith Dambrot (.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 are 22-9 at Quicken Loans Arena.
Akron is 49-9 at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule (.845). UA has seen a ton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season, and is 155-65 overall (.705), including a 94-16 mark in MAC play at home (.855). The Zips' 155 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 75 of their last 102 MAC games (.735).
The Akron Zip sfinished 14-4 in league play, defeating Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Miami, Ohio, Eastern Michigan, Buffalo, and Northern Illinois before falling to Ohio, and bouncing back with wins over Ball State, Eastern Michigan, and Toledo. The Zips dropped two consecutive games to Kent State and Bowling Green, but went on the road and defeated Buffalo and Kent State before falling at home to Miami.
In league play, Akron averaged 76.8 points per game in the MAC while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 36.7 from long distance with 10.0 made 3-pointers a game. The Zips own a -0.6 margin on the glass, being slightly outrebounded by the competition 604-615. Akron averages 14.8 assists (266), 10.7 turnovers per game (193), 5.8 steals (104), and 3.1 blocked shots (56) in league play.
The Zips won 12 consecutive regular season MAC games, dating back to the 2015-16 season, which 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).
The Starting Five
Isaiah Johnson and Antino Jackson are the only two Zips to start all 31 games this season. Kwan Cheatham has 30 starts and 31 games played, while Noah Robotham has played and started in 28 games. Jimond Ivey entered the starting lineup after seven games and never left, posting 24 starts. Josh Williams has nine starts, while Daniel Utomi and Tavian Dunn-Martin each have one.
The starting five have combined for 1793 of the 2407 total points scored for 57.8 points per game. They are shooting a combined .485 percent from the field (616-of-1269), including 39.8 percent from deep (227-of-571) and 68.3 percent effort from the free throw line (334-of-489). The starting unit has contributed 24.0 rebounds per game (744), including 17.71 defensive (549) and 6.29 offensive (195). The squad is receiving 12.4 assists (383), 4.0 steals (123), and 2.1 blocked shots (64).
Johnson Named MAC Player of the Year
For the second time in program history, an Akron Zips player earned the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year award as senior center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio) claimed the league's top honor for 2017, the league office announced on Wednesday.
"It's an honor for Big Dog to win this award with the amount of talent in this league, like Jaaron Simmons, Blake Hamilton, Jimmy Hall, Marcus Keene, and Thomas Wilder just to name a few," head coach Keith Dambrot said. "It's a tribute to how much he means to this team. Isaiah has worked hard to get to this point of his career, and has done whatever it takes to make the team better throughout the years."
The 2017 MAC Player of the Year honor comes two days after Johnson was named first team All-MAC. He became the second player in program history to receive the award since Romeo Travis garnered the award in 2007. For the second-straight season, Johnson was named to the first-team All-MAC, and in 2015-16, Johnson earned the MAC's Sixth Man of the Year award.
Johnson has been the focal point of the Zips' offense all season, leading Akron to back-to-back MAC regular-season championships. He leads the top-seeded Zips in nearly every statistical category. Big Dog started all 31 regular-season games, averaging a team-high 16.2 points per game supported by a 63.0 percent shooting from the floor, which ranks first in the MAC and ninth in the NCAA.
Johnson posted six double-double performances and scored in double digits 28-of-31 games, including 13 of the last 14 games. Johnson scored 20-plus points six times this season, including a career-high 33 points on the road against Central Michigan. On that night, Johnson also became the 42nd member of the Zips' 1,000 Point Club. Johnson has scored 501 points this season, bringing his career total to 1,277.
Johnson also leads the Zips in assists and rebounds. He dishes-out a team-best 2.9 assists per game with 89 total assists. On the glass, Johnson pulls down a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game with 228 total boards, 137 defensive and 91 offensive. In addition, Johnson ranks second in blocked shots with 27, just two shy of the leader Kwan Cheatham, Jr.
Big Dog was named MAC East Player of the Week three times (Nov. 28, Jan. 16, and Feb. 13) and earned collegesportsmadness.com Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week twice (Nov. 28). His first player of the week honor came after two stellar performances at the 2016 Savannah Invitational where Johnson earned the tournament's most valuable player award. In addition, Johnson was named to the 2016 Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational all-tournament team.
Dambrot Earns Second-Straight Coach of the Year Award
The 2016-17 Akron Zips men's basketball program swept the Mid-American Conference's top honors, as Zips' 13th year head coach Keith Dambrot was named the 2017 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year award. In addition, senior center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio) was named 2017 Player of the Year. For the second straight season, Dambrot earned the league's highest coaching honor. He is one of two coaches from Akron to receive the MAC recognition and is the only Zips' leader to win the award three times (2013, 2016, 2017) – Former Zips' head coach Dan Hipsher garnered the award in 1998.
Dambrot, who became Akron's all-time wins leader this season, surpassed his 400th career win and 300th win at Akron en route to guiding the Zips to back-to-back MAC regular-season championships. He led Akron to its fourth title in program history after winning the MAC by three games with a 14-4 league record and 24-7 overall mark. On Jan.3, Dambrot broke Akron's all-time wins record as the Zips defeated Bowling Green, 89-84, at James A. Rhodes Arena to give Dambrot his 289th win at Akron. It replaced the previous record of 288 held by Russell Beichly, who led the Zips for 19 seasons (1941-59). Dambrot is currently 302-137 at Akron with a 155-65 league record. Dambrot is 410-207 in 19 years as a collegiate coach.
The Zips have won at least one game every year in the MAC Tournament with Dambrot at the helm. Akron is 25-9 all-time under Dambrot, advancing to eight MAC title games in the last 10 seasons and 11-straight semifinal appearances. The Zips' runs of consecutive title game and semifinal appearances are the longest streaks in MAC history.
In the last 24 tournament games, Akron posted 19 wins, and the Zips are 22-9 at Quicken Loans Arena. In the MAC Tournament, Akron is 5-6 in opening round games and 4-0 under Dambrot. The Zips won their only second round appearance in tournament history under Dambrot before the tournament format changed from a five game maximum to four games.
Akron is 9-3 all-time in quarterfinal games and 9-2 under Dambrot. Dambrot is the only coach in Akron basketball history to lead the Zips to the MAC semifinals, making 11-straight appearances. The Zips are 8-3 all-time in semifinal play and 3-5 in Mac title games.
Three Zips on All-MAC SQUAD
Three Zips earned All-MAC selections, including senior center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio), who was named First-Team All-MAC. Senior forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr. (Cincinnati, Ohio) garnered a Second-Team All-MAC selection, while junior guard Antino Jackson (Houston, Texas) earned Honorable Mention.
For a second-straight season, Johnson was named to the first-team All-MAC and Jackson earned honorable mention honors, while Cheatham made his first appearance as an all-league player, marking 29 All-MAC honorees under Dambrot.
Johnson has dominated the paint all season for the Zips. Big Dog started all 31 games and posted six double-double performances while leading Akron in nearly every statistical category. The 6'10" senior from Cincinnati averages a team-high 16.2 points per game, scoring double digits in 28-of-31 games this season. He ranks first in the MAC and ninth in the NCAA for field goal percentage, shooting 63 percent from the floor on 189-of-300. He dishes out a team-best 2.9 assists per game with 89 total assists. On the glass, Johnson pulls down a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game with 228 total boards, 137 defensive and 91 offensive. Johnson adds a second-best 27 blocks and owns 14 steals. Johnson was named MAC East Player of the Week three times this season, and also garnered the Savannah Invitational MVP and Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational All-Tournament team honors. In addition, Johnson became Akron's 42nd member of the 1,000 point club and 12thunder Dambrot. He has scored 501 points this season and 1,277 career.
Cheatham has been the x-factor for the Zips, emerging as one of leaders in all areas of the game. He is second in team scoring with 11.5 points per game, while leading Akron's efforts from beyond the 3-point arc. Cheatham ranks seventh in the league for 3-pointers made per game (2.2) with a team-high 69 triples. Cheatham knocks down the long distance shot at a 39 percent rate which is 13th best in the MAC. From the field, Cheatham shoots 41.4 percent with 121 made field goals. He leads Akron on the defensive glass, grabbing 179 defensive rebounds en route to a second best 226 total boards (7.3 rebs/g). Cheatham is also the squad's leading rim protector with a 29 blocked shots while adding 61 assists and 17 steals. Cheatham was named MAC East Player of the Week on January 30, after scoring a career-high 31 points against Buffalo and shooting 10-of-19 from beyond the 3-point arc for the week.
Jackson started all 31 games and is third in scoring for the Zips with 11.3 points per game. He is shooting a career-best 44.6 percent from the floor (112-of-251), which includes a personal-high 41.9 percent from downtown (62-of-148). Jackson is 63-of-83 from the charity stripe (.759) and has dished out a second-best 87 assists (2.8 apg), collected 69 rebounds (2.2 rebs/g), and has a second-best 28 steals (0.9 stl/g). Jackson earned MAC East Player of the Week and was named Don Haskins Sun Bowl MVP while landing on the Savannah Invitational All-Tournament team.
Off the Bench
The Akron bench has been the catalyst for success under 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot and this year is no different. The Zips' bench is scoring 19.8 points per game (614 total points). The UA reserves are shooting 43.4 percent from the floor (209-of-482), 34.0 percent from long range (97-of-285), and 67.8 from the free throw line (99-of-146). The UA bench has contributed 10.7 rebounds per game (332), and squad is receiving 2.5 assists (76), 1.4 steals (44), and 1.2 blocked shots (37).
Trifecta!
Three of Akron's players rank in the Mid-American Conference Top 15 for 3-point FG percentage and seven are shooting above 35.0 percent for the Zips. Antino Jackson leads the Zips and ranks No. 7 in the MAC with 41.9 shooting percentage (62-of-148), while Noah Robotham Ranks No. 12 (.393, 44-of-112) and Kwan Cheatham, Jr. is No. 13 with a 39.0 percentage (69-of-177). Daniel Utomi leads the Zips in shooting percentage from behind the 3-point arc with a 44.4 percent effort on 24-of-54 shooting, but does not have enough attempts to be ranked. Tavian Dunn-Martin (.382, 29-of-76), Josh Williams (.348, 57-of-164), and Jimond Ivey (.353, 30-of-85) 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 10.5 triples. In addition, Akron is No. 5 overall in total 3-pointers made with 324, and ranked 7th for 3-point attempts at 857. As a result, the Zips 37.8 long distance percentage ranks 57th best.
Four Zips Averaging Double Figures
Four Zips are averaging double figures in scoring led by Johnson's 16.2 points per game while fellow senior Kwan Cheatham, Jr. is second with 11.5 points per game. Antino Jackson follows with 11.3 points per game, while Jimond Ivey rounds out the double-digit scorers with 10.0 points per game. Noah Robotham and Josh Williams follow closely with 8.7 and 7.4 points, respectively. Five players have scored in double figures seven 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. 9 overall in the MAC for scoring while Cheatham and Jackson are 27th and 29th.
Streaking Zips
The Zips secured their 21st win for the 12th consecutive season thanks to a 12-game winning streak and bouncing back with three wins over Ball State, Eastern Michigan, and Toledo. In addition, the Zips completed a 30-game home-court winning streak at Rhodes Arena, setting the facility record, which spanned three seasons from 1985-87 under head coach Bob Huggins (26 games). The Zips rattled-off 13 consecutive wins this season at Rhodes Arena over American, Radford, Georgia Southern, Adrian, Coppin State, Marshall, Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Ohio, Eastern Michigan, Buffalo, Ball State, and Toledo. In addition, Akron won 12 consecutive regular season MAC games, dating back to the 2015-16 season, second most in Dambrot's tenure. The win over Ball State moved 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 (20-4, 24 games).
Akron's home-court winning streak was the second longest in the NCAA and dated 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. After a loss to Kent State, the Zips are 175-24 with an 87.9 winning percentage at the JAR. Akron's previous loss came Feb. 21, 2015 against Miami (57-52).
Another 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 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, and then exploded for a career-high 19 points against Eastern Michigan with a perfect shooting night from behind the 3-point arc. He shot 5-of-5 from 3-point land and finished the game shooting 6-of-7 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe. Utomi added a 16 point effort against Kent State with a 4-of-4 performance from deep.
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 11.5 points per game and leads the team shooting efforts behind the 3-point arc. He ranks No. 13 in the MAC at 39.0 percent, and has buried a team-high 69 triples (2.2 per game No. 8 in MAC) and connects from the charity stripe with a team-best 81.1 percent (45-of-55). In addition, he is a leader on the glass, pulling down 7.3 rebounds per game (226) with a team-high 179 defensive boards and 47 offensive grabs. Cheatham is also the Zips' leading rim protector with 29 blocked shots while adding 61 assists and 17 steals. Cheatham Earned MAC East Player of the Week on Jan. 30.
Zips Continue to Feed the Dog
Last season, Isaiah Johnson was a force in the paint for the Zips, and this year, he proves to be even better. Johnson leads the Zips' scoring efforts with 16.2 points per game, scoring double digits in 28-of-31 games including 22-of-the-last-25 outings. Johnson buried a 16-foot shot from the wing as the buzzer sounded to lift the Zips to 65-63 home win over Ball State. Big Dog has led the Zips' scoring efforts in 15-of-31 games, while posting a career-high 33-point performance against Central Michigan. He has six double-doubles this season, and one against Buffalo, scoring 27 points with 10 boards.
Big Dog ranks No. 9 in the NCAA for FG percentage, shooting 63.0 percent from the floor (189-of-300), and pulled down a second-best 228 rebounds with 137 defensive boards and 91 on the offensive end. He leads in assists (89) and is second in blocks (27) with 14 steals. Big Dog earned the Savannah Invitational MVP award, MAC East Player of the Week (three times, 11/28, 1/16, and 2/10), College Sports Madness Player of the Week, and Sun Bowl All-Tournament team.
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 24 starts in 31 games. He has scored in double digits 18 times and 12-of-the-last-19 games, including a career-high 23 points and a personal best 11 rebounds. In addition, he posted two double-doubles against American (12 pts/11 rebs.) and Kent State 14 pts/12 rbs.).
In 31 games, Ivey averages 28.7 minutes with 10.0 points and ranks seventh in the MAC with a 52.9 shooting percentage from the field. He drained 110-of-208 shots and leads the team with 36 steals. Ivey is third on the squad with 5.8 rebounds per game, hauling in 180 total rebounds with 139 defensive and 41 offensive boards.
The Zips Sixth Man
Sophomore Josh Williams is a career 37.8 percent shooter from long distance, knocking down 115-of-304 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 57 long distance buckets on 164 attempts while averaging 7.4 points per game. Williams matched a career-high 18 points against UC Irvine, burying six 3-pointers on nine attempts.
In 30 games, Williams averages 22.4 minutes while shooting 37.8 percent from the field, 74-of-196. In 24 trips to the charity stripe, Williams collected 17 bonus buckets while pulling down 58 rebounds (1.9 rebs/g) and dishing out 26 assists with 15 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 (11.3 ppg), and has buried 62 long distance field goals. He shoots 44.6 percent from the field and 41.9 from deep and owns a second-best 28 steals, while adding 2.8 assists (87) and 2.2 rebounds per game (69).
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 8.7 points per outing following a career-high 27-point performance against Marshall. He has 87 assists (2.9 ast/g) and 23 steals. He shoots 40.1 percent from the floor and 39.3 from behind the 3-point arc, burying 44 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 31 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 29-of-76 long distance shots for a 38.2 3-point FG shooting percentage. In 10.6 minutes a game, Dunn-Martin owns a 39.3 FG shooting percentage (42-of-107) en route to adding 4.1 points per game. As a backup point guard, Dunn-Martin has dished out 35 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 7.4 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 27 games and 6.3 minutes on average, Olojakpoke is shooting 68.8 percent on 33-of-48 shots from the field and has pulled down 41 rebounds with 18 blocked shots.
Meanwhile, Utomi has a knack for scoring the ball. He shoots 47.0 percent from the floor on 39-of-83, including a 44.4 percent effort from downtown. In 8.7 minutes per game, Utomi has connected with 24-of-54 shots from deep while adding 27 rebounds, seven steals, six 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.
Up Next
The Akron basketball team is the No. 1 Seed in the Mid-American Conference Tournament and looks to advance to the semifinals for the 12th-straight season with a quarterfinals win. The semifinal game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 10 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio against the winner of the No. 5 western Michigan and No. 4 Ball State game on Thursday, March 9. T 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.
21 WINS, 12 STRAIGHT SEASONS
The Akron Zips recorded its 21st win of the season on ESPNU, using 18 long distance shots and a 52.9 percent shooting effort from downtown to defeat Eastern Michigan 87-76 at the EMU Convocation Center on Friday night.
Under 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot, the Akron basketball program has won at least 21 games in 12-straight seasons , something only a handful of Division I programs have accomplished. In fact, Akron, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, and Ohio State are the only programs to post 11-straight 21-win seasons, and of those five teams Akron, Gonzaga, Duke, and Kansas are the only programs to already accomplish that feat this year.
The Zips had five players score in double figures led by redshirt freshman Daniel Utomi (Houston, Texas) with a career-high 19 points. Utomi was perfect from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 5-of-5 shots from downtown and finishing 6-of-7 from the floor with a 2-of-2 effort from the free throw line in 15 minutes of action.
AKRON SECURES MAC REGULAR-SEASON TITLE, DEFEATS BUFFALO 89-83
The Akron Zips secured a share of the Mid-American Conference regular-season title after defeating Buffalo, 89-83, in front of a sold-out crowd at Alumni Arena on Friday night. With the win, Akron moved to 23-6 overall and 13-3 in league play, and a win or Ohio loss away from clinching the No. 1 seed for the MAC Tournament with sole possession of the regular season title
For the seventh time this season, five Zips scored in double figures led by senior center Isaiah Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio) with 19 points and six rebounds. Junior Noah Robotham (Las Vegas, Nev.) and sophomore Josh Williams (Akron, Ohio) added 16 and 15 points, respectively, while junior Antino Jackson (Houston, Texas) and sophomore Jimond Ivey (Cleveland, Ohio) followed with 14 and 13. All four players went 3-of-4 from long distance, combining for 12 of the Zips 13 made 3-pointers. Blake Hamilton led the Bulls with 23 points. Willie Conner followed with 18 points, while CJ Massinburg and Nick Perkins added 17 and 13.
For the game, Akron shot 59.1 percent from behind the 3-point arc and 56 percent from the field (28-of-50) compared to the Bulls shot 41.1 percent effort from the floor (23-of-56) and 30.4 percent from deep (7-of-23). In addition, Buffalo scored 30 points at the charity stripe in an 81.1 percent performance (30-of-37). The Bulls won the battle of the boards 42-22.
Zips' Win Streak Reaches 30 Games, Dambrot Earns 300th Win at Akron
The Akron Zips erased an 11-point second-half deficit and defeated the Toledo Rockets, 71-65, on Spectrum Sports Network at James A. Rhodes Arena. The win was the 30th consecutive victory at James A. Rhodes Arena for the Zips and also marked the 300th career victory for head coach Keith Dambrot. In addition, the win against the Rockets halted a four-game skid for the Zips.
Senior forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr. led the way for the Zips with a game-high 21 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. Senior center Isaiah Johnson added 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while junior guard Antino Jackson rounded out the Zips in double-digit scoring efforts with 13 points. Steve Taylor poured in 13 points and pulled down 13 boards for the Rockets. Nate Navigato added 13 points and Jonathan Williams chipped in 12 points and seven assists.
For the contest, the Zips shot 41.3 percent (26-of-63) from the field and connected on 35.5 percent (11-of-31) of their shots from beyond the arc. From the free throw line, the Zips converted 53.3 percent (8-of-15) of their attempts. The Rockets were successful on 43.4 percent (23-of-53) percent of their attempts from the floor and 37.5 percent (9-of-24) from downtown. Toledo converted 58.8 percent (10-of-17) of their free throw attempts.
Johnson Buzzer Beater LiftS Zips to 29th Straight Win at Rhodes Arena
Isaiah "Big Dog" Johnson continued his dominant season, hitting a 16-foot jumper from the wing as time expired to give the Akron Zips a 65-63 victory over the Ball State Cardinals. The victory marks the 29th consecutive win at James A. Rhodes Arena, which is the second-best home-court winning streak in the country behind Oregon (40). Johnson led the way for the Zips, scoring 20 points and pulling down a game-high nine rebounds. Jimond Ivey (Cleveland, Ohio) chipped in 10 points and Antino Jackson added eight points and five assists. Franko House paced the Cardinals in scoring with 18 points and seven rebounds and Ryan Weber added 16 points.
For the game, Akron converted 42.6 percent (26-of-61) of their attempts from the floor and shot 67 percent (8-of-12) from the charity stripe. Ball State shot 43.1 percent (22-of-51) from the floor and converted 76.9 percent (10-of-13) of their free throw attempts. The Zips outscored the Cardinals 40-24 in the paint and pulled down 11 offensive rebounds in the contest.
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 did not lose at home since Feb. 21, 2015 against Miami.
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
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 THIRD MAC EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior center Isaiah Johnson was named Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week for the third time this season, the league office announced. Johnson had a huge week for the Zips, leading Akron to its 21st win for the 12th-straight season. Johnson opened the week in the national spotlight, draining the game-winning jumper at the buzzer for a 65-63 win over Ball State. He was featured No. 8 on ESPN SportsCenter's Top Plays of the Night.
For the week, Johnson averaged 18.5 points per game (37) while shooting 56.0 percent from the field (14-of-25) and 69.2 from the free throw line (9-of-13). He grabbed 7.0 rebounds per game (14), while adding 2.5 assists (5) and 0.5 steals (1).
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 Jan. 30. Cheatham led the Zips through another undefeated week in Mid-American Conference play as Akron (18-3, 8-0) extended its winning streaks to 11-straight games on the season and 28-consecutive at James A. Rhodes Arena. 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.
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.
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.
