The University of Akron Athletics
Three Players Officially Commit to Akron Men’s Basketball
November 14 | Men's Basketball
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AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron men's basketball program, under second-year head coach John Groce, is pleased to announce the addition of Camron Reece, Mikal Dawson and Ali Ali as all three players signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball for the blue and gold during the 2019-2020 season.
"Our incoming class is a group of very skilled players with great size that impacts our versatility on both offense and defense both in the backcourt and in the frontcourt," Groce said. "Camron is the most experienced of the bunch, having played two years at the junior college level, while Mikal and Ali will have the full four-year college basketball experience as Zips."
Camron Reece, a 6'7" forward from Oakland, Calif., attends Sheridan College, where current Zip Channel Banks played last season. Reece will have two years of eligibility remaining for Akron. When Reece and Banks were teammates (2017-18), Reece was a Third-Team All-Region IX selection after starting all 29 games for the Generals. He averaged a double-double, grabbing 15.2 rebounds and scoring 14.5 points per game. Reece shot 66.9 percent from the floor while adding 24 steals, 20 blocks and 16 assists.
In 2018-19, Reece entered his second season at Sheridan as a preseason Second-Team All-American. After four games this season, he is averaging 20 rebounds per 40-minute game, grabbing 29 boards and scoring at an 11.3 ppg rate with 45 total points. Prior to joining the Generals, he attended Oakland Tech High School and helped the Bulldogs to a 10-0 record in Oakland's Athletic League. He was named First-Team All-OAL after averaging a double-double as a senior.
"Camron is a very athletic physical presence that adds versatility on both sides of the ball," Groce said. "His length and athleticism will enhance our ability to rebound and score. Cam is an elite level athlete that we are excited to have in our program."
Mikal Dawson, a 6'4" guard from Huntington, W.Va., was a Huntington High School standout before reclassifying as a 2019 college recruit by signing with Huntington Prep's post-graduate program. During his high school career at Huntington High, Dawson was one of West Virginia's top players and was a member of two state championship teams, a runner-up squad, and a quarterfinal team. He was also an all-league football player.
In 2017-18, he finished second in the 2018 state player of the year voting, averaging 20 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He scored his 1,000th career point while leading the Highlanders to a 17-7 record. Dawson earned First-Team All-State accolades for a second-consecutive season, was named captain of the Class AAA all-state first team by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association, and was The Herald-Dispatch Player of the Year. In addition, he is a two-time Herald-Dispatch All-Tri-State first-team player. As a junior, Dawson averaged 22 points per game and led the Highlanders to a 2017 state title. He was also a member of Huntington's state runner-up team in 2016 and won the state title as a freshman in 2015.
"Mikal is a very long and athletic guard that will add versatility at both ends," Groce said. "He is an elite level playmaker that will be able to play all three guard positions. His length and athleticism also make him a very good defensive player."
Ali Ali, a 6'8" wing from Kendallville, Ind., attends East Noble High School where he will be one of the key returning pieces in his senior season. He is a player that can step out and shoot from long range at a high rate as well as make plays for himself and others when he has the ball in his hands. He will contribute in every statistical category this season.
As a junior, Ali earned First-Team All-Northeast 8 Conference and was the first player in school history to be named Indiana Junior All-Star. In addition, he was a finalist for the Journal Gazette Player of the Year. Ali averaged 16.3 points per game on 53.0 percent shooting from the floor which included a 47.4 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc. He grabbed 4.9 rebounds per game with 4.6 assists and owned a 2.43 assist to turnover ratio.
"Ali is a long, athletic wing that has the ability to play multiple positions," Groce said. "He has a high basketball IQ and makes his teammates better at both ends. We believe Ali has tremendous upside and we look forward to helping Ali develop and reach his full potential."
The Zips are scheduled to return to James A. Rhodes Arena for their third game of the season against Chicago State on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. The Zips will then depart for the Cayman Islands Basketball Classic on Saturday to play Clemson in Game 1 on Monday, Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. ET.
Purchase 2018-19 Season Tickets | Akron Basketball Schedule
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron men's basketball program, under second-year head coach John Groce, is pleased to announce the addition of Camron Reece, Mikal Dawson and Ali Ali as all three players signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball for the blue and gold during the 2019-2020 season.
"Our incoming class is a group of very skilled players with great size that impacts our versatility on both offense and defense both in the backcourt and in the frontcourt," Groce said. "Camron is the most experienced of the bunch, having played two years at the junior college level, while Mikal and Ali will have the full four-year college basketball experience as Zips."
Camron Reece, a 6'7" forward from Oakland, Calif., attends Sheridan College, where current Zip Channel Banks played last season. Reece will have two years of eligibility remaining for Akron. When Reece and Banks were teammates (2017-18), Reece was a Third-Team All-Region IX selection after starting all 29 games for the Generals. He averaged a double-double, grabbing 15.2 rebounds and scoring 14.5 points per game. Reece shot 66.9 percent from the floor while adding 24 steals, 20 blocks and 16 assists.
In 2018-19, Reece entered his second season at Sheridan as a preseason Second-Team All-American. After four games this season, he is averaging 20 rebounds per 40-minute game, grabbing 29 boards and scoring at an 11.3 ppg rate with 45 total points. Prior to joining the Generals, he attended Oakland Tech High School and helped the Bulldogs to a 10-0 record in Oakland's Athletic League. He was named First-Team All-OAL after averaging a double-double as a senior.
"Camron is a very athletic physical presence that adds versatility on both sides of the ball," Groce said. "His length and athleticism will enhance our ability to rebound and score. Cam is an elite level athlete that we are excited to have in our program."
Mikal Dawson, a 6'4" guard from Huntington, W.Va., was a Huntington High School standout before reclassifying as a 2019 college recruit by signing with Huntington Prep's post-graduate program. During his high school career at Huntington High, Dawson was one of West Virginia's top players and was a member of two state championship teams, a runner-up squad, and a quarterfinal team. He was also an all-league football player.
In 2017-18, he finished second in the 2018 state player of the year voting, averaging 20 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He scored his 1,000th career point while leading the Highlanders to a 17-7 record. Dawson earned First-Team All-State accolades for a second-consecutive season, was named captain of the Class AAA all-state first team by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association, and was The Herald-Dispatch Player of the Year. In addition, he is a two-time Herald-Dispatch All-Tri-State first-team player. As a junior, Dawson averaged 22 points per game and led the Highlanders to a 2017 state title. He was also a member of Huntington's state runner-up team in 2016 and won the state title as a freshman in 2015.
"Mikal is a very long and athletic guard that will add versatility at both ends," Groce said. "He is an elite level playmaker that will be able to play all three guard positions. His length and athleticism also make him a very good defensive player."
Ali Ali, a 6'8" wing from Kendallville, Ind., attends East Noble High School where he will be one of the key returning pieces in his senior season. He is a player that can step out and shoot from long range at a high rate as well as make plays for himself and others when he has the ball in his hands. He will contribute in every statistical category this season.
As a junior, Ali earned First-Team All-Northeast 8 Conference and was the first player in school history to be named Indiana Junior All-Star. In addition, he was a finalist for the Journal Gazette Player of the Year. Ali averaged 16.3 points per game on 53.0 percent shooting from the floor which included a 47.4 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc. He grabbed 4.9 rebounds per game with 4.6 assists and owned a 2.43 assist to turnover ratio.
"Ali is a long, athletic wing that has the ability to play multiple positions," Groce said. "He has a high basketball IQ and makes his teammates better at both ends. We believe Ali has tremendous upside and we look forward to helping Ali develop and reach his full potential."
The Zips are scheduled to return to James A. Rhodes Arena for their third game of the season against Chicago State on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. The Zips will then depart for the Cayman Islands Basketball Classic on Saturday to play Clemson in Game 1 on Monday, Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. ET.
Players Mentioned
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