Akron Travels to Western Michigan for Rematch

Tuesday, February 18

Kalamazoo, MI

7 PM

University of Akron

Western Michigan

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February 17 | Men's Basketball

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Akron Zips (19-6, 9-3 MAC) vs Western Michigan (11-14, 4-8 MAC)
Tuesday, Feb. 18 • Read Fieldhouse • Kalamazoo, Michigan • 7 PM • ESPN+

Western Michigan Head Coach
Steve Hawkins (South Alabama '87)
Overall Record: 426-368 (26th Season)
Record at WMU:289-257 (17th Season)
MAC Record: 156-130 (17th Season)
MAC Tournament: 17-13 (17th Season)

AKRON ZIPS Head Coach
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 230-171 (12th Season)
Record at Akron: 50-40 (3rd Season)
MAC Record at Akron: 23-25 (3rd Season)
Overall MAC Record: 57-55 (at Ohio and Akron)

All-Time Series
Akron Leads: 33-20 (7-2 MAC Tournament) Groce vs. Western Michigan: 3-1 (5-3 Overall)
Last Meeting: Akron 56, Western Michigan,48 at James A. Rhodes Arena on January 5, 2019
First Meeting: Akron 79, Western Michigan 74 March 5, 1988 in Kalamazoo, Mich.
In Akron:18-7, Neutral: 5-2, In Kalamazoo: 10-11

Broadcast
TV/Video: ESPN+ – Evan Stockton (PxP), Wayne Hinton (Analyst), Sam Mattlin (Sideline)
Live Stats: (GoZips.com/Schedule) - Live Stats
Radio: Akron Sports Network - Steve French (PxP), Joe Dunn (Analyst), WARF 1350 AM (flagship), iHeart Radio, TuneIn.com/Akron Zips

What's Ahead
The Akron Zips are on the road again and look for their sixth MAC road victory when the lineup against Western Michigan on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at Read Fieldhouse in Kalamazoo, Mich. The Zips claimed the first game of the East/West Crossover Series earlier in the season. Akron is riding a three-game winning streak. The contest will be broadcasted on ESPN+ and can be heard on at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/AkronZips. Fans can also follow the action on GoZips.com via Live Stats.

The Zips are 19-6 overall record with a 9-3 league mark. Akron opened league play against five consecutive western division opponents. All other league foes played at least two divisional opponents during that stretch. Akron is 6-1 against the West, defeating Eastern Michigan twice in the MAC season opener on the road (69-45) and at home (59-58), Western Michigan (84-69, H), Ball State (75-60, H), Northern Illinois (72-49, A) but fell to Toledo (99-89, H). The Zips are 3-2 in divisional play, defeating Miami (81-60), Ohio (88-86) and Bowling Green (74-59) on the road and falling to Buffalo at home and Kent State on the road.

Scouting the Broncos
Western Michigan is 2-2 in their last four outings, defeating Miami (64-60) and Ball State (68-64). The Broncos own an 11-14 overall record with a 4-8 league mark, standing 8-3 at home, 3-9 on the road and 0-2 in neutral site games this season.

WMU averages 70.0 points per game on 42.9 percent shooting from the floor and 32.6 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 7.0 triples a game. In addition, the Broncos shoot 71.3 percent from the free throw line with 15.4 per game.

WMU has two players scoring in double figures led by Michael Flowers and Brandon Johnson. Flowers leads the team with 17.1 points per night. He owns a team best 55 made 3-pointers on 146 attempts for a 37.7 percent shooting. He shoots 4.14 percent from the field with 127 total field goals. Flowers also leads the squad in assists (80) and second in steals (18). Johnson follows and controls the paint while averaging 15.2 points per night on 46.6 percent shooting (137-of-294). He is the team's top rebounder, grabbing 7.8 boards a game (195 total rebounds). Johnson is the team leader in blocked shots with 22 of WMU's 55. Bartis White adds 7.9 points per game with a second-best 42 triples. He is the team leader in steals with 26, while Jared Printy and Rafael Cruz, Jr. total 21 and 18 long-distance shots, respectively. Jason Whitens is second in rebounds (125) and assists (41).
Defensively, WMU allows its opponents to score 72.5 points per game on 43.7 percent shooting from the floor and 32.5 percent from 3-point range, allowing 7.4 long distance strikes per night. The Broncos caused 285 turnovers (11.4 to/g) with 124 steals (5.0 stl/g). Western Michigan is outrebounded by the opponent by a -2.5 margin as the opponent grabbed 925 total boards (37.0 rebs/g) compared to the 862 total rebounds (34.5 rebs/g) secured.

The Akron-Western Michigan Series
Tuesday's game marks the 54th meeting in series history between Akron and Western Michigan with the Zips owning a 33-20 all-time series advantage. In addition, the Zips and the Broncos have met nine times in postseason history as Akron holds a 7-2 edge.

Head coach John Groce is 6-3 all-time against the Broncos and 3-1 at Akron. Akron has won nine of the last 10 meetings and 21 of the last 25 games of the series.

The Zips won the first game of the East/West series this season, 84-69 at Rhodes Arena. Akron won the lone game in 2018-19 season 56-48 at the JAR to open MAC play.

In 2017-18, the two teams split the series (1-1) as the Broncos defeated Akron in the MAC opener 87-75 in Kalamazoo, ending the Zips five-year, six-game winning streak – Western Michigan's pervious win came during the 2014 MAC Tournament semifinals on March 14. WMU needed overtime to advance to the title game, defeating Akron 64-60 at Quicken Loans Arena. In the second meeting of 2017-18, Akron pulled-off an improbable come-from-behind victory to advance in the 2018 MAC Tournament. In the first round of the MAC Tournament at University Arena, the No. 11 seeded Zips earned a 79-78 win over No. 6 seeded Broncos after trailing by 19 points. In 2016-17, Akron swept the season series, winning game one 66-59 at James A. Rhodes Arena and followed with a 90-80 win in Kalamazoo, Mich.

In the 2015-16 season's lone meeting, Akron posted a 62-53 win over the Broncos at Rhodes Arena.

Akron is 7-2 in the MAC Tournament against WMU and 5-2 on a neutral court. In addition, the Zips are 10-11 in Kalamazoo, winning six of the last eight meetings at University Arena. In 2002, Akron opened the MAC Tournament in Kalamazoo and advanced to Cleveland after a 90-83 win as the 11th seed. The Zips are 2-0 in the MAC Tournament at University Arena and 6-6 all-time in opening round games.

On the Road Again...
Akron is 6-3 on the road this season with an impressive 5-1 record when traveling to league foes. The Zips own a +8.7 scoring margin and have outscored the home team (+78, 702-624). Akron averages 78.0 points per game as the visitors while shooting 47.1 from the field and 42.5 percent from downtown with 10.7 made triples per game. On the glass, the Zips are tied with the 322-322.

Defending the JAR
The Zips have posted a 55-35 mark (.611) in the last 90 games against the MAC East dating back to the start of the 2012 league schedule. Akron is 6-3 against the MAC East at the conference tournament during that stretch. Akron is 111-53 in the regular season against the West Division (.706), including winners of 54 of the last 71 regular-season games since divisional play began during the 1997-98 season. Akron is 64-17 (.790) at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule. UA has seen a ton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season, and is 176-88 overall (.665), including a 109-24 mark in MAC play at home (.820). The Zips' 176 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 96 of their last 141 MAC games (.681).

Zips Improvement Under Groce...
In the first year under Groce (2017-18), the Zips had to find their groove again with a brand new roster, virtually starting from scratch. That year the Zips finished with a 14-18 overall record and 6-12 league mark, ranking 234th in offensive efficiency (101.8), 270th defensive efficiency (109.9) and 198th in pace of play (67.8). Akron lost in the first round of the MAC Tournament.

In year two (2018-19), The Zips dramatically improved on the defensive side of the ball, finishing No. 22 defensive efficiency (94.1) and No. 1 in the MAC. Akron climbed 248 slots, however the slower tempo 254th (66.2) and offensive efficiency 259th (100.0) needed improvement. The Zips finished 17-16 overall and 8-10 MAC while advancing to the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament.

This season, the Zips picked up the pace, improving 134 spots in the tempo ratings, ranking 120th (69.6). The new pace of play directly effects the offensive efficiency rating as the Zips climbed 215 spots for a No. 44 (109.6) ranking in the NCAA. On the defensive side of the ball, Akron stands at 108th (98.5).

The Polls - Zips Rank in Mid-Major Top 25 Poll
For the first time since the 2016-17 season, Akron basketball returned to the The CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. Akron is currently No. 15 (2/10/20). The Zips entered the poll at No. 19 with 194 votes to climb eight spots on the Jan. 6 rankings. The Zips were previously ranked 27th overall with 43 points. Akron jumped five spots to No. 14 with 359 points (1/13/2020). Akron split week three MAC games and dropped to No. 16 with 336 points (1/20/2020). Akron climbs to its best ranking of the season at No. 12 after a pair of road wins (1/27/20). Zips fell to 16th after two losses (2/3/20), but moved up to 15th with a lone win during bye week (2/10/20). Zips moved up to No. 14 after two wins (2/17/20). In 2016-17, the Zips climbed as high as No. 7 in the mid-major poll, receiving 577 votes by Jan. 30.

In addition, Akron received one vote for the AP Poll on Monday, Jan. 27 and Jan. 13. The Zips debuted at No. 63 in the first NCAA NET Rankings and now stands 77th. Akron's highest ranking of the season was No. 34. In the Ken Pom rankings, Akron is currently 70th overall and is at the top of the MAC in offensive efficiency according to Ken Pom (111.1) and 44th in the NCAA (109.6). Akron has the third-best defensive efficiency rating in the MAC after 12 league games (97.1) and stands 108th in the NCAA (98.5).

Strong Defensive Stance and Sacrifice
The Akron Zips have limited opponents to scoring 60 points or less in 12 games, including six games of 50 points or under. The Zips allow only 65.4 points per game, ranking No. 73 in the NCAA for scoring defense and 4th MAC. Akron limits opponents to 40.0 shooting from the floor (47th NCAA, 2nd MAC) and 30.5 from long distance (58th NCAA, 2nd MAC). Akron has caused 333 turnovers (13.9 t/g) with 117 steals (4.9 stl/g). In addition, players are sacrificing their bodies by taking charges as Banks leads with 22 followed by Cheese (18) and Jackson (16).

Creating Space
The Akron Zips are 10-3 in the last 13 games, including seven MAC wins by double figures. During that stretch, the Zips have outscored the opponents by a +9.3 margin (+121, 997-876). In the 12 league games, Akron holds a +9.6 margin (+115, 912-797). The Zips defeated UMass (+6), EMU (+24), WMU (+15), BSU (+15), NIU (+23), Miami (+21), Ohio (+2), EMU (+1), BGSU (+15) and CMU (+13). The Zips fell to Toledo (-10), Buffalo (-3) and Kent State (-1). The Zips own a +10.7 scoring margin in all games (+267, 1,903-1,636).

Long Distance Attacks
Akron is shooting 37.9 percent as a team from beyond the 3-point arc (239-of-631), ranking 16th NCAA and 1st MAC. The 239 made 3-pointers ranks 27th NCAA and 1st MAC while attempts (631) ranks 68th NCAA and 3rd MAC. Akron averages 9.6 triples per game, standing 20th NCAA and 1st MAC. The long distances attacks are spearheaded by Loren Cristian Jackson with 75 while Channel Banks and Xeyrius Williams follow with 63 and 59, respectively. Jackson ranks 24th in the NCAA, while Banks and Williams rank 95th and 123rd, respectively. Cheese has 36 made 3-pointers.

2020 Vision
Four different players have scored at least 20 points 21 times this season. Loren Cristian Jackson leads with 10 20-plus point performances, registering a career-high 35 points in addition to a 33-, 31-, a trio of 28-, a pair of 26- and a pair of 20-point efforts. Tyler Cheese owns seven of those performances, scoring 20 points three times coupled with 25-, 23-, and a pair of 21-point efforts. Xeyrius Williams and Channel Banks round out the 20-point performers list as Williams posted a career-best 25-point, 23-point and 20-point games. Banks is also a career-high with 21 points. In addition, the Zips have six 19-point efforts by Williams (NC Central, Miami), Cheese (YSU, Toledo) and Jackson (YSU, Kent State).

Zips Scoring in Bunches
The Zips have four players averaging double figures in scoring led by Loren Cristian Jackson with 18.9 points per game followed by Tyler Cheese (16.0), Xeyrius Williams (14.1) and Channel Banks (10.8). Over 25 games, the Akron Zips have seen at least three players score in double digits in 23 times. Akron had five double-figure scorers against Malone (Williams 17, Banks 15, Cheese 15, Reece 13 and Jackson 12) ... four against Central Michigan (Jackson 31, Banks 14, Williams 11, Cheese 11), Buffalo (Jackson 28, Williams 16, Cheese 12 and Banks 11), Miami (Jackson 20, Williams 19, Cheese 18, Banks 12), West Virginia (Williams 20, Banks 16, Jackson 16 and Cheese 15), YSU (Cheese 19, Jackson 19, Banks 12 and Reece 10), Southern (Cheese 21, Williams 15, Banks 14, and Reece 11), Concord (Banks 19, Sayles 16, Williams 12 and Tribble 11), Liberty (Banks 17, Jackson 17, Williams 15 and Cheese 12), Ohio (Jackson 35, Chees 16, Banks 12 and Williams 12) and Kent State (Jackson 19, Cheese 15, Williams 15 and Banks 10).

The Broadcasts
The Zips game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ with Evan Stockton calling the action, Wayne Hinton providing analysis and Sam Mattlin with the sideline report. The Zips' radio broadcast will air on the Akron 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/AkronZips. Fans can also follow the action on GoZips.com via Live Stats.

UP NEXT
The Zips return to James A. Rhodes Arena to play the second meeting of the season against Miami. On Saturday, Feb. 22 tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. on ESPN+ which also can be heard on at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/AkronZips. Fans can also follow the action on GoZips.com via Live Stats.