Akron Basketball Opens Season at No. 17 Ohio State

Akron Basketball Opens Season at No. 17 Ohio State
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Akron Zips (0-0, 0-0 MAC) at No. 17 Ohio State (0-0, 0-0 Big 10)
Tuesday, November 9 • Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio • 6:00 p.m. • ESPN2

Game 1 Notes: Akron at 17 Ohio State

Ohio State Head Coach
Chris Holtmann (Taylor '94)
Overall Record: 201-129 (11th season)
Record at OSU: 87-44 (5th Season)
Big Ten Record: 46-32 (5th Season)

AKRON ZIPS Head Coach
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 250-180 (13th Season)
Record at Akron: 70-49 (4th Season)
MAC Record at Akron: 40-32 (4th Season)
Overall MAC Record: 74-62 (at Ohio and Akron)

All-Time Series
OSU Leads: 7-1 • Groce vs. OSU: 2-6 (at Illinois)
Last Meeting: OSU 72, Akron 63 (OT) NIT at Value City Arena on Nov. 8, 2016
First Meeting: OSU 20, Akron 17 in Akron on Feb. 9, 1906

Broadcast
TV/Video: ESPN2: Jason Benetti (PxP) and Jon Crispin (Analyst)
Radio: Akron Sports Network - Bill Morga (PxP) - WHLO 640 AM (flagship), iHeart Radio
Live Stats: GoZips.com/Schedule - Live Stats

What's Ahead
The Akron Zips open the 2021-22 season against Big Ten Conference and No. 17 ranked Ohio State on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The Zips enter the 121st season and fifth under head coach John Groce. Fans can follow the action on ESPN2 with Jason Benetti (PxP) and Jon Crispin (analyst) calling the action. The game can also be followed via live stats on GoZips.com or by Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Bill Morgan calling the action.

The Akron-OSU Series
Tuesday's game marks the ninth meeting in series history between Akron and Ohio State, and first
meeting for a Groce led UA squad. OSU holds a 7-1 all-time series advantage that started in
1906.The Buckeyes claimed the first meeting 20-17, and the Zips lone win came in 1913 in Akron by a score of 21-19. Akron and Ohio State's last two meetings were in the first round of the NIT. In 1989, the Zips led 34-33 at the break, however the Buckeyes outscored the Zips by 10 points in the second half for an 81-70 win. In 2016, the two teams battled again as Ohio State outscored the Zips 10-1 in overtime for a 72-63 win. Akron led 29-25 at halftime.

Scouting the Buckeyes
The 17th ranked Buckeyes return a veteran group of six graduates and three seniors from a squad that posted a 21-10 overall record and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament after finishing runner-up at the Big Ten Tournament. E.J. Liddell was named to the 2021-22 preseason All-Big Ten team and appears on the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year watchlist after averaging 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season. He shot 47.4 percent (158-of-333) from the field, including 27 made 3-point FGs. In addition, Justice Sueing, who averaged 10.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game the previous season, earned Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year watchlist honors.

Ohio State defeated Indianapolis 82-46 in exhibition action to start the 2021-22 season. Five players scored in double figures for the Buckeyes as Eugene Brown III led the way with 15 points. Liddell, Meechie Johnson Jr. and Zed Key added a dozen points each, while Malaki Branham had 10 points.

Groce and Holtmann
Akron head coach John Groce and Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann were college teammates at Taylor University, playing for Taylor Hall of Fame head coach Paul Patterson. Both, Groce and Holtmann graduated in 1994 and started their coaching careers at Taylor under Patterson, who passed away in September. Holtmann was the first assistant coach that Groce hired when he took the head coaching job at Ohio University in 2008. In addition, both coaches had similar stops along the way as Groce was an assistant coach at Butler (2000-01) and Holtmann was an assistant (2013-14) and head coach Bulldogs (2014-17). Groce was an assistant coach at Ohio State (2004-08) as Holtmann enters his fifth season with the Buckeyes.

Starting the Season Off Right
The Zips are 74-46 (.610) all-time in season openers with a 60-12 (.829) home record and 14-34 (.292) on the road. Since the 2004-05, UA is 12-5 (.667) when opening the season, standing 9-1 (.875) at home, 3-4 (.429) on the road and 4-0 (1.000) under head coach John Groce. In addition, Akron owns a 98-21 (.822) home-opening record and 33-4 (.888) at Rhodes Arena. The Zips have been winners in the last 18-of-19 home opening games. Akron is 18-8 in MAC openers, 10-1 at home since joining the league in 1992. Over the last 15 seasons, the Zips are 11-4 in MAC openers and 7-1 at home. Akron has won the last 7-of-8 MAC openers.

Best Start to a Season
The 2015-16 Akron Zips started the season with a 3-0 winning streak. The three consecutive wins to open the season marks the best start in the Division I era of Akron men's basketball history. In addition, the 13-2 start was the best opening to a season in Akron basketball's Division I era, while the Zips win over the Arkansas Razorbacks marked the fifth consecutive season the Zips posted a win over a Power Five Conference opponent.

UP NEXT
Akron will host Point Park for its 2021-22 home opener on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. Fans can follow the action via live stats on GoZips.com or by Akron Sports Radio network on WHLO 640 AM.

The University of Akron Athletics

Akron Basketball Opens Season at No. 17 Ohio State

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