GAME PREVIEW: Akron vs Kent State, Friday, Jan. 1 at 7 PM | James A. Rhodes Arena | CBS Sports Network

GAME PREVIEW: Akron vs Kent State, Friday, Jan. 1 at 7 PM | James A. Rhodes Arena | CBS Sports Network

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Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Wagon Wheel Challenge
Akron Zips (3-1, 1-0 MAC) vs. Kent State (3-1, 0-0 MAC)
Friday, Jan. 1 • James A. Rhodes Arena • Akron, Ohio • 7 PM ET

Kent State Head Coach
Rob Senderoff (Albany '95)
Overall: 184-121 (10th season)
Record at KSU: 184-121 (10th season)
MAC Record: 88-70 (10th season)

AKRON ZIPS Head Coach
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 238-173 (13th Season)
Record at Akron: 58-42 (4th Season)
MAC Record at Akron: 29-26 (4th Season)
Overall MAC Record: 63-56 (at Ohio and Akron)

All-Time Series
Kent Leads: 78-76 Groce vs. Kent State: 3-3 (7-8 Overall)
Last Meeting: Akron 79, Kent 76, at James A. Rhodes Arena on March 6, 2020
First Meeting: Akron 37, Kent 16 in Kent 1915-16 season
In Akron:43-24, Neutral: 8-2, In Kent: 25-52

Broadcast
TV: CBSSN - Joel Godett (PxP), Tim Doyle (Analyst)
Radio: Akron Sports Network - Dave Skoczen (PxP), Joe Dunn (Analyst) WHLO 640 AM (flagship), iHeart Radio, TuneIn.com/Akron Zips
Live Stats: GoZips.com/Schedule - Live Stats

What's Ahead
The University of Akron men's basketball team continues Mid-American Conference play on New Year's Day. On Jan. 1, 2021, the Zips are scheduled to open 2021 against its rival Kent State on CBS Sports Network. Tipoff for the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Wagon Wheel Challenge game is set for 7 p.m. at James A. Rhodes Arena.

The Zips' radio broadcast will air on the Akron-IMG Sports Network WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen and Joe Dunn calling the action. The pregame show starts 30 minutes prior to the contest. The free audio stream is available at iHeart Radio and TuneIn.com/Akron Zips. Fans can also follow the action on GoZips.com via Live Stats.

The Akron-Kent State Series
Friday's game marks the 155th meeting in series history between Akron and Kent State. The first meeting was during the 1915-16 season at Kent State where Akron pulled out the win, 37-16. Kent State owns a 78-76 all-time series advantage.

The Zips have won 14 of the last 25 meetings, including a 79-76 victory in the 2020 season finale at James A. Rhodes Arena (March 6). The two teams split as KSU claimed the earlier contest in the season 68-67 (Jan. 31) at the M.A.C Center. In 2019, Akron and Kent State split the series -- Zips won at home 72-53 (Feb. 8) and Kent State won 68-65 in Kent (March 8).

The team from the east entered 2018-19 season winning 2-of-3 contests, including a split in the 2017-18 season series (W 78-68 in Kent), (L 67-65 in Akron) and the 2017 MAC Championship game (W 70-65 in Cleveland).

Akron was the last team to earn a season series sweep, during the 2011-12 season. In fact, the Zips posted three consecutive wins that season, defeating the Flashes 84-75 at home (Jan. 21), 61-55 in Kent (March 2) and 78-74 in the semifinals of the MAC Tournament in Cleveland (March 9).

In addition, Akron won 2-of-3 games the following season (2012-13), winning on the road (71-67, Jan. 15) and falling at home (68-64, March 8) before winning its second consecutive semifinal matchup in the MAC Tournament (62-59, March 15). During that stretch, Akron won 5-of-6 games.

Akron is 43-24 against Kent State at home, posting wins in seven of the last nine games at the JAR. Akron is 25-52 all-time at the M.A.C. Center and 8-2 at neutral sites against the Golden Flashes. In 2016-17, Kent State snapped Akron's 30-game home-court winning streak at the JAR. The longest winning streak in the series for Akron is 9-games from 1941-1947 and Kent State's longest winning streak in the series is 5-games, and it happened twice, 1991-1994, and 1980-1985.

Akron and Kent State have met in the MAC Tournament eight times. Akron is 5-3 in the MAC Tournament against the Golden Flashes. In addition, Akron and Kent State have played for the MAC Tournament championship three times. Kent State leads 2-1 in MAC title games. Kent State won the tournament in 2007-08 (74-55), Akron won the title in 2010-11 in overtime (66-65), and Kent State won the tournament in 2016-17 (70-65).

Scouting the Golden Flashes
Kent State enters the MAC season opener with a 3-1 overall record. The Flashes have won two straight games and nearly defeated Virginia, but fell 71-64 in overtime for the only loss of the season. Kent State defeated Northern Kentucky (92-73), Detroit Mercy (80-66) and Point Park (90-41).

Kent State is 2-0 at home and 1-1 on the road. KSU averages 81.5 points per game on 47.6 percent shooting from the floor (128-of-269) and 33.3 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc (37-of-111), draining 9.3 triples a game. In addition, the Flashes shoot 75.0 percent from the free throw line (33-of-44) with 8.3 bonus buckets a night.

KSU has three players scoring in double figures led by Michael Nuga, averaging 17.8 points per game on 47.3 percent shooting from the floor and 33.3 percent from deep (12-of-36). Nuga owns a team-best 12 made 3-point field goals and adds 5.0 rebounds per game (20 Rebs), 8 assists and 8 steals.

Danny Pippen follows in scoring with 17 points per game and is second on the glass, grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game for 25 total boards. He shoots 41.0 percent from the floor, including a second-best 10-of-32 showing from deep (.313). He eads the team in blocked shots with four.

Justyn Hamilton rounds out the double-digit scoring with 13.0 points and a team-high 9.5 rebounds per game. Hamilton secured 38 boards this season and adds 5 assists, 3 steals and a blocked shot. In addition, Giovanni Santiago contributes 7.8 points per night with a third-best nine made 3-pointers on the season.

Defensively, KSU limits its opponents to 62.8 points per game on 36.3 percent shooting from the floor and 28.1 percent from 3-point range, allowing only 6.8 long distance strikes per night. The Flashes caused 62 turnovers (15.5 to/g) with 36 steals (9.0 stl/g). KSU holds the edge on the glass, outrebounding opponents by a large +11.3 margin with 169 total boards (42.3 rebs/g) compared to the 124 total rebounds secured (31.0 rebs/g) by the opposition.

The Last Meeting
The Akron Zips secured the No. 1 seed for the 2020 Mid-American Conference Tournament with a 79-76 win over rival Kent State in what proved to be the last game of the 2019-20 campaign.

Akron had four players score in double figures, and needed every bit to win the intense a rivalry game. Xeyrius Williams had another monster double-double for the Zips, leading all scorers with 22 points and all rebounders with 12 rebounds – it marks his 12th double-double of the season. Loren Cristian Jackson, Channel Banks, Tyler Cheese also reached double figures with 16, 14 and 10 points, respectively.

It was Jackson's two free throws with 10.5 seconds left that put Akron ahead 77-74. A foul on the ensuing possession sent Kent State freshman guard Giovanni Santiago to the line, where he hit both charity tosses before two more free throws by Banks with 3.7 seconds left carved out the final margin of victory for the Zips. Kent State missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The clutch moments came fast and furious down the stretch, from Cheese's 3-pointer with 2:21 remaining to numerous counterpunches by Kent State to tie the game after Akron edged ahead. However, it was the frequent whistles by the officials that had as big an impact on the game, with the Zips scoring six key points in the closing minutes from the line and Kent State (19-12, 9-9 MAC) notched two of its own after a foul call on Jackson with 30.2 seconds left, following the guard's layup to put his team ahead by four, 73-69, with 36.9 seconds left.

The dramatic finale came after Kent State managed to edge ahead early in the second half using a 6-0 run, but the game remained close. The first half was a similarly back-and-forth affair that saw the two rivals trade leads, big shots, defensive stands and game-turning plays.

Neither team could build a lead bigger than six points in the first half and the arch rivals were nearly even in multiple statistical categories, including rebounding, assists, steals and blocked shots, all of which saw the Zips and Flashes within two of each other.

The LeBron James Shoe Deal and Nike Apparel
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 three college programs in the country that are partnered with the LBJ line of Nike equipment, the others are Ohio State and Duquesne. Akron rocks six pairs of LBJ kicks in three different styles all customized to Akron Basketball.

The Akron Zips men's basketball team has five different uniforms. Akron will continue to sport the grey set of uniforms modeled after the Team USA uniforms, which were new for 2017-18. The Grey uniforms feature the script Akron on the chest in blue outlined in the university gold. The numbers are depicted the same way which matches the blue piping that outlines the uniform. The shorts feature the Z-logo on both sides of the leg and are piped with the blue.

In 2018-19, the Zips will showcased new home and away, whites and blues, with combinations that brought back the Akron gold. Both sets feature the script Akron across the chest in gold with the white set accented by blue outlines and piping, while the blues are outlined in white.The pants feature the Z-Logo on one leg and script Akron on the opposite side. Also, the Roo-Head debuts on the waistband.

Speaking of Gold, Akron's "Gold Standard" uniforms are back. Yes, Akron will be rockin gold uniforms once again. The Team USA inspired uniforms feature the script Akron in blue across the chest with the Roo-Head on the sides of the shorts. The waistband features the Z-Logo. The final uniform is a Fear The Roo uniform that is anthracite (dark grey) as the base color. The front of the jersey features the blue and gold Roo Head Logo with a blue number outlined in gold. The shorts features Zips in gold script on the waistband with a Roo Head on the left leg and script Akron logo on the right leg in gold.

UP NEXT
On Saturday, Jan. 9 the Zips are scheduled to be on the road for the first time this season, traveling to Ypsilanti, Mich. to square-off against Eastern Michigan. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 PM. Fans can follow the action on ESPN+, 640 WHLO AM or GoZips.com.

GAME PREVIEW: Akron vs Kent State, Friday, Jan. 1 at 7 PM | James A. Rhodes Arena | CBS Sports Network

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Players Mentioned

Channel Banks

Tyler Cheese

Loren Cristian Jackson

Xeyrius Williams

The University of Akron Athletics