Akron Travels to Rival for Wagon Wheel Showdown on ESPNU

GAME PREVIEW: Akron at Kent State, Friday, Feb. 5 at 7 PM | M.A.C. Center | ESPNU

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Akron Travels to Rival for Wagon Wheel Showdown on ESPNU

Akron Zips (10-4, 8-3 MAC) at Kent State (10-4, 7-3 MAC)
Friday, Feb. 5 • M.A.C. Center • Kent, Ohio • 7 p.m. • ESPNU

AKRON HEAD COACH
John Groce (Taylor '94)
Career Record: 245-176 (13th Season)
Record at Akron: 65-46 (4th Season)
MAC Record at Akron: 36-29 (4th Season)
Overall MAC Record: 70-59 (at Ohio and Akron)

KENT STATE HEAD COACH
Rob Senderoff (Albany '95)
Overall: 190-124 (10season)
Record at KSU: 190-124 (10th season)
MAC Record: 94-74 (10th season)

ALL-TIME SERIES
Kent Leads: 78-77- Groce vs. Kent State: 4-3 (8-8 Overall)
Last Meeting: Akron 66, Kent 62 at James A. Rhodes Arena on Jan. 1, 2021
First Meeting: Akron 37, Kent 16 in Kent 1915-16 season
In Akron:44-24, Neutral: 8-2, In Kent: 25-52

BROADCASTS
TV/Video: ESPNU: Jason Benneti (PxP) and Dan Dakich (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 is coming off a road loss to the top-ranked Toledo Rockets as they snapped Akron's six-game winning streak at Savage Arena. The Zips look to bounce back with a road win at their rival Kent State. The Crystal Clinic Wagon Wheel Challenge showdown will be televised on ESPNU and is scheduled to tipoff at 7 p.m. at the M.A.C. Center on Friday, Feb. 5. Currently the Akron Zips lead the Crystal Clinic Wagon Wheel Challenge 1.5-1 as Akron earned points from men's basketball and cross country, while Kent State earned points from the win in football.

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 156th 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 15 of the last 26 meetings, including a 66-62 win earlier this season at James A. Rhodes Arena on New Year's Day. Last year,

The two teams split the series as Akron posted a 79-76 victory at James A. Rhodes Arena (March 6) and KSU claimed the earlier contest 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 44-24 against Kent State at home, posting wins in eight of the last 10 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 Friday's game with a 10-4 overall record and 7-3 league mark. The Flashes have won three straight games and nearly defeated Toledo, but fell 76-74. Kent State is 7-1 at home and 3-3 on the road.

The Flashes average 81.9 points per game on 46.3 percent shooting from the floor (418-of-902) and 34.5 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc (124-of-359), draining 8.9 triples a game. In addition, the Flashes shoot 75.7 percent from the free throw line (187-of-247) with 8.9 bonus buckets a night.

KSU has three players scoring in double figures led by Danny Pippen follows21.6 points per game and is first on the glass, grabbing 8.8 rebounds per game for 115 total boards. He shoots 45.4 percent from the floor, including a second-best 35-of-105 showing from deep (.333). He leads the team in blocked shots with 20.

Michael Nuga follows, averaging 17.8 points per game on 50.0 percent shooting from the floor and 38.5 percent from deep (37-of-96). Nuga owns a team-best 37 made 3-point field goals and adds 5.5 rebounds per game (72 Rebs), 21 assists and 19 steals.

Tervell Beck rounds out the double digit scorers with 10.6 points per game, while Justyn Hamilton adds 9.3 points and a second-best 7.6 rebounds per game. Hamilton secured 106 boards this season and adds 11 blocked shots. In addition, Giovanni Santiago contributes 8.1 points per night with a third-best 29 made 3-pointers on the season.

Defensively, KSU limits its opponents to 72.2 points per game on 41.4 percent shooting from the floor and 32.3 percent from 3-point range, allowing only 8.1 long distance strikes per night. The Flashes caused 183 turnovers (13.1 to/g) with 99 steals (7.1 stl/g). KSU holds the edge on the glass, outrebounding opponents by a large +8.0 margin with 572 total boards (40.9 rebs/g) compared to the 460 total rebounds secured (32.9 rebs/g) by the opposition.

AKRON IN THE MAC
Akron opened 2020-21 MAC play with a 90-70 win over Ohio and followed with a 66-62 win over rival Kent State, before falling to Eastern Michigan, 71-59, and Northern Illinois, 67-65. Akron bounced with a six-game winning streak, knocking off the top-ranked Toledo Rockets in overtime, 95-94, the top-ranked Bowling Green Falcons for the first road win, 69-57, the Central Michigan Chippewas, 81-67, the Western Michigan Broncos, 79-68, the rematch against Eastern Michigan, 86-65 and most recently, Ball State, 74-42. The Rockets ended the Zips consecutive game win streak with a 91-76 win on Tuesday.

The Zips are 8-3 in the MAC under the new conference format without divisions (new in 2020-21). Akron is 72-19 (.795) 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 191-92 overall (.669), including a 119-25 mark in MAC play at home (.822). The Zips' 191 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 108 of their last 156 MAC games (.685). Previously, the Zips posted a 59-36 mark (.617) in the last 95 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 112-53 in the regular season against the West Division (.679), including winners of 55 of the last 72 regular-season games since divisional play began during the 1997-98 season.

THE LAST MEETING
Once down 16 points and struggling to break through offensively, the Akron Zips not only roared back, but broke down the walls of the Kent State defense for a thrilling 66-62 win in the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Wagon Wheel Challenge on New Year's Day on CBS Sports Network at James A. Rhodes Arena.

Akron overcame its slow start to claim its second straight Mid-American Conference win to start league play and winning its second straight matchup against its archrival. With the win, Akron earned a half point for the Wagon Wheel Challenge to give the Zips 1.5-1 lead.

Senior guard Loren Cristian Jackson led the Zips with a game-high 31 points and added six assists. Sophomore forward Enrique Freeman once again provided an energetic post presence, finishing with 10 points, nine rebounds and two resounding blocked shots, while sophomore guard Mikal Dawson and senior forward Camron Reece chipped in with six points apiece.

Even without the normal, raucous home crowd, the season's first installment of the rivalry series between the Zips and Flashes delivered the intensity, excitement and drama. Both sides took double-digit leads, only to have the other side battle back into the game. Still, in every big moment, it was the reining MAC Player of the Year who made the difference as Jackson sank big shot after big shot.

When he wasn't scoring, Jackson was still the fuse that ignited Akron's offense, assisting on a layup by Reece and a 3-pointer by Dawson early in the second half as part of a 10-0 run that tied the contest at 37-all, with the senior guard delivering the game-evening hoop on a driving layup that prompted a Kent State timeout.

Moments later, Jackson assisted on a layup by Freeman that gave Akron its first lead since the opening moments of the game, 42-41. Freeman also used his ups to rise above the crowd in arguably the game's decisive moment, snaring an offensive rebound, drawing a foul and making two free throws with 38 seconds remaining to stake his team to a 63-60 lead.

If that weren't enough, he made a late defensive recovery to force a Kent State turnover on the ensuing possession, causing senior forward Danny Pippen to fumble the ball out of bounds with 31.5 seconds on the clock.

Jackson scored Akron's first 16 points of the game, firing away from deep to help keep his squad close before the rest of the Zips found their stride. The first Akron basket by someone other than Jackson came with 5:12 left in the opening half, when Reece drained a short jump hook moving across the lane, drawing a foul in the process.

The Zips were able to narrow their deficit in the waning moments of the half, buoyed in part by an and-one hustle play from freshman guard Garvin Clarke, who snuck in from the weak side for an offensive rebound and put the ball in the hoop with an athletic scoop shot from close range before calmly sinking the ensuing foul shot to bring Akron within nine points (33-24).

The freshman reserve nearly pulled off a buzzer-beating stunner moments later, nabbing the rebound off a missed Kent State free throw, absorbing contact from a defender near midcourt and launching a 45-foot heave that banked in, but was ruled no good after officials review.

It would have been just the sixth made triple of the evening, coming at the end of a half that saw the two rivals combine to shoot just 5-of-29 (27.3 percent) from long range.

Senior guard Mike Nuga led Kent State in defeat with 19 points, while Pippen added 16 for the Flashes.

WALK INTO A STARTING ROLE - ENRIQUE FREEMAN
Starting forward sophomore Enrique Freeman (Cleveland, Ohio) is a walk-on player that joined the Zips for the 2019-20 season. He is on a full academic scholarship and spent the 2018-19 year completely focused on his academics. During his second year on campus he walked into the gym for walk-on tryouts. Groce and staff added him to the team, and Freeman quickly adjusted to the role of student-athlete. He appeared in seven games last season, scoring five total points with a 1-of-1 showing from the floor and 3-of-4 effort from the free throw line. He grabbed four rebounds and had one block. In the offseason, Freeman put on 20 pounds with workouts and eating habits.

This season he has appeared in all 14 games with 11 starting appearances. Against Malone, he had a career showing with 22 points and 21 rebounds. That effort stands as the most by an Akron player since 1985. He is third in scoring for the Zips with 8.4 points per game (117 pts) and leads the squad on the glass with 9.6 rebounds per game (134 rebs). He has three double-doubles and is leading the MAC in field goal percentage (.758, 50-of-66) and defensive rebounds (7.1 - 99) and is second in rebounding (9.6 - 134) and blocked shots (1.36 - 19) and 6th in offensive rebounds (2.5 - 35). In addition, he ranks No. 24 in the NCAA in defensive rebounds, No. 29 in rebounds per game and No. 43 in total rebounds.

JACKSON NAMED TO LUTE OLSON AND LOU HENSON PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Senior Loren Cristian Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) was named to a pair of mid-season watch lists, appearing on the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award and Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award lists, CollegeInsider.com. On Jan. 4, Jackson garnered the Lute Olson National Player of the Week accolades, placing him in the conversation for the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award. Jackson is one of 35 players mentioned for early consideration for national player of the year honors. In addition, Jackson made his second appearance on the Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award watch list in 2020-21, which is presented annually to the top mid-major player in division I college basketball. Jackson appeared on the preseason Lou Henson list after being named a finalist in the 2019-20 voting and earning Lou Henson All-America Team honors. Jackson is one of three players in the Mid-American Conference to receive recognition this season, and one of 40 players in division I basketball. Joining Jackson on the list in the MAC were Toledo's Marreon Jackson and Bowling Green's Justin Turner.

LCJ - ACTION JACKSON
Jackson is second in the MAC in scoring and assists with 21.4 and 6.5 per game, respectively. Jackson has scored 299 total points on 43.7 percent (92-of-213) shooting from the field and 35.3 percent (36-of-102) from beyond the 3-point arc with five 30-plus point performances. Jackson notched two double-doubles in points and assists this season and ranks second in the league in free throw percentage (89.5; 77-of-86).

Jackson currently ranks 15th all-time in scoring at Akron with 1,374 points in 78 games played. For his career Jackson has scored 1,570 points and dished out 383 assists which ranks 8th among active players in the NCAA. He is the only player (NCAA) this year to average 20+ points and 6.5 assists per game.

In the national rankings, Jackson appears in 13 categories for the NCAA's top 100 players, ranking 11th assists per game (6.5), 13th points per game (21.4), 18th total assists (91), 21st free throws made (77), 24th free throw percentage (89.5), 40th total points (299), 61st free throw attempts (86), 63rd field goals attempted (213), 77th 3-point field goals per game (2.6), 79th assist turnover ratio (2.22), 81st 3-point field goal attempts (102), 86th 3-point field goal percentage (.353), 100th field goals made (93) and 103rd 3-point field goals made (36).

HIGH MAJOR PLAYERS
The Zips have three players from high-major schools that are making an impact in 2021. Junior Bryan Trimble,Jr.(St. Johns) averages a second-best 11.4 points per game and leads the team from beyond the 3-point arc, connecting with 44 triples out of 55 field goals made. He ranks second in the MAC and No. 16 in the NCAA with 3.14 trifectas made per game. Trimble shoots 37.5 percent from long distance, ranking 14 in the MAC and 71st in the NCAA.

Senior Maishe Daily (Iowa) adds 7.1 points per game with 18 made 3-pointers and ranks 36th in the MAC in 3-point field goal percentage (.305). Dailey is third in rebounds (50), grabbing 3.6 per game while dishing out 1.5 helpers for 21 total assists.

Michael Wynn (Wake Forest) has been making an impact offensively and defensively the last two weeks. He scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds against EMU. He knocked down a crucial 3-pointer that sparked the Zips' run to put away the eagles. He followed with a season-high 10-point performance against Ball State, shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from deep and the charity stripe.

THE POLLS - ZIPS RANK IN MID-MAJOR TOP 25 POLL
For the first time this season, Akron basketball returned to the The CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. On Feb. 1, 2021 the Zips entered the poll at No. 18 after wining six-straight games against all league opponents. Last season, the Zips finished with their best ranking at No. 12 (2/24/20) and Akron received one vote for the AP Poll on Jan. 27 and Jan. 13 of 2020.

The Zips rank No. 101 in the NCAA NET Rankings. In the Ken Pom rankings, Akron is currently 104th overall and owns the second-best defensive efficiency rating in the MAC (98.2) and stands 119th in the NCAA (99.0). The Zips rank fourth in the MAC in offensive efficiency according to Ken Pom (109.4) and 97th in the NCAA (105.8).

UP NEXT
Akron continues its four-game road trip at Ohio on Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network. Fans can follow the action on ESPNU, 640 WHLO AM or GoZips.com.

QUICK HITS

• Jackson named Lute Olson and Lou Henson National Player of the Year Mid-Season Watch List
• LCJ, Lute Olson National Player of the Week (1/4), MAC Player of Week last two weeks (12/28 & 1/4)
• Jackson has five 30-plus point performances this season and scored double-digits 13-of-14 games.
•Jackson leads the team in scoring (21.4 ppg) and assists (6.5 APG), second in MAC for both
• Jackson has buried three or more 3-point FG in six games with a 7-of-14 best against Kent State
• The Zips are 8-0 at James A. Rhodes Arena and currently own an 13-game winning streak at the JAR
• Enrique Freeman's 21-rebound effort stands as the most by an Akron player since 1985.
• Freeman leads the league in FG % (.758) and DReb with 7.07 per game (99 DREBS)
• Bryan Trimble, Jr. posted a career-high 6-of-6 from deep against Ohio and 25 points against CMU
• Trimble has hit four or more 3-point FG in eight games with a 7-of-14 best performance (CMU)
• Jackson, Dailey and Trimble combined for 14-of-20 from beyond the arc against Ohio 70.0 Percent

Akron Travels to Rival for Wagon Wheel Showdown on ESPNU

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Players Mentioned

Garvin Clarke

Mikal Dawson

Enrique Freeman

Loren Cristian Jackson

Camron Reece

Bryan Trimble, Jr.

Michael Wynn

The University of Akron Athletics