NCAA Tournament: 13 Seed Akron to Play 4 Seed UCLA in March Madness

Thursday, March 17

Portland, Ore.

9:50 PM

University of Akron

UCLA

NCAA Tournament: 13 Seed Akron to Play 4 Seed UCLA in March Madness

March 16 | Men's Basketball

NCAA Tournament: 13 Seed Akron to Play 4 Seed UCLA in March Madness
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Game 34 Notes: No. 13 Akron vs No. 4 UCLA

NCAA Tournament, East Region – First Round
No. 13-seed Akron Zips (24-9, 14-6 MAC) vs No. 4-seed UCLA Bruins (25-7, 15-5 PAC-12)
Thursday, March 17 • MODA Center • Portland, Oregon • 6:50 PM (PT) • 9:50 PM (ET) • TBS

What's Ahead
For the fifth time in program history, the Akron Zips men's basketball program will play in March Madness after winning the 2022 Mid-American Conference Tournament. The Zips earned a 13-seed for the 2022 NCAA Tournament and will play in the East Region against fourth-seeded UCLA Bruins on Thursday night at the MODA Center in Portland, Oregon on TBS at 9:50 p.m. (ET), 6:50 p.m. (PT)). The Zips' radio broadcast will air on the Akron 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. Fans can also follow the action on GoZips.com via Live Stats.

Zips in the NCAA Tournament
Akron has made 21 postseason apperances, including the NCAA Tournament 14 times with nine of those showings coming as a Division II institution. Akron enters its fifth NCAA Division I NCAA Tournament in 2022. Akron is 21-13 all-time in NCAA postseason play, but has yet to advance to the round of 32 in the NCAA DI Tournament. Akron first appeared in March Madness in 1986 as Bob Huggins led the Zips to a 15 seed in the Midwest Regional on March 14, 1986 at the H.H.H. Metrodome (Minneapolis, Minn.) against the second-seeded Michigan (L, 70-64). The Zips never went back to the Big Dance until head coach Keith Dambrot led the Zips to three NCAA appearances in five years, starting in 2009 as a 13 seed against four seed Gonzaga (L, 77-64) in the South Regional on March 19, 2009 at Rose Garden Arena (Portland, Ore.). The Zips next trip was in 2011 at the Southwest Regional on March 18, 2011 at the United Center (Chicago, Ill.) as the 15-seed Zips fell to the teo seed Notre Dame (69-56). Akron's last apperance came in 2013 when the Zips earned a 12 seed and fell to fifth-seeded VCU (88-42) in the South Regional on March 21, 2011 at The Palace of Auburn Hills (Detroit, Mich.).

AKRON BASKETBALL AT A GLANCE
• 2022 Mid-American Conference Tournament Champions
• 24-9 record, including 14-6 mark in league play
• Akron enters NCAA Tournament play having won eight straight games
• Akron is 40-16 over the last three years in MAC play, best winning percentage (.714) in the conference
• 2019-20 MAC regular season champions with school-record 24 regular season wins (postseason not contested COVID-19)

Key Personnel
• Three players average in double figures – All Ali (So.) – 14.2, Xavier Castaneda (Jr.) – 13.5 ppg, Enrique Freeman (So.) – 13.2 ppg

Enrique Freeman
• Averages a double-double with 13.2 ppg and 10.8 rebounds, and has posted 17 double-doubles on the season
• 1-of-13 players in NCAA to average a double-double in points and rebounds
• Ranked in the top-16 in the NCAA in six categories
• No. 1 in the NCAA in FG percentage (.661), 5th in total rebounds (357), 6th in rebounding (10.8), 8th in the NCAA in double-doubles (17), 9th in defensive rebounding (7.2), 16th in offensive rebounding (3.30)
• Ranked first in the MAC in FG percentage, total rebounds, rebounding, double-doubles and defensive rebounding
• 23 double-figure scoring games, including three straight games entering NCAA Tournament
• 24 double-figure rebounding games
• MAC Defensive Player of the Year
• MAC Tournament MVP
• Second-Team All-MAC

Ali Ali
• Second-Team All-MAC
• MAC All-Tournament team
• 26 double-figure scoring games, including nine straight games entering NCAA Tournament
• posted career-high 32 points versus Buffalo on Jan. 1, 2022
• Six 20+ point performances

Xavier Castaneda
• Honorable Mention All-MAC
• MAC All-Tournament team
• 26 double-figure scoring games, including 10 straight games entering NCAA Tournament
• posted career-high 29 points versus Ball State on Jan. 11, 2022
• Four 20+ point performances

Other Key Contributors
• Greg Tribble (7.3 ppg, 2.7 reb, 2.2 ast and 1.13 stl), Mikal Dawson 6.0 ppg,3.3 reb and 1.0 stl)
• Aziz Bangaogo (3.3 ppg, 3.3 reb and 1.25 blk), Greg Tribble (7.3 ppg, 2.7 reb, 2.2 ast and 1.13 stl)
• Garvin Clarke (3.2 ppg, 2.4 reb and 1.1 ast), Mike Wynn (2.5 ppg and reb, 1.8)

During Eight-Game Winning Streak
• Freeman averaging 13.5 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 70.7 percent from the field
• Ali averaging 16.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game
• Castaneda averaging a team-best 16.6 points, while adding 4.0 rebounds
• Akron averaging 73.9 ppg, while holding opponents to 62.5 ppg
• Akron shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from beyond the arc
• Akron shoots 74.7 percent as a team at the free throw line, including Castaneda's team-best 84.8 percent

John Groce in the NCAA Tournament
As a head coach Groce owns a 4-3 overall record in the NCAA Tournament and is 3-0 in the opening round play, winning with Illinois (2013) and Ohio (2012 and 2010). In his coaching career, Groce is 9-0 in the Round of 64, earning wins twice at Ohio State (2007 and 2006), three times at Xavier (2004, 2003 and 2002) and once at Butler (2001).

In addition, the 2010 and 2012 NCAA Tournament performances at Ohio , the Bobcats became just the sixth school ever to win games as both a 13 and 14 seed. Also 1-of-6 teams win two games. In 2012, Ohio advanced to the Sweet 16 defeating No. 2 Michigan and No. 12 seed South Florida before falling in overtime to No. 1 seed North Carolina.

13 seeds vs 4 seeds
31-113: Record for 13 seeds vs. No. 4 seeds
21.5 percent: Overall winning percentage for 13 seeds since 1985
23: Largest margin of victory for a 13 seed; Navy over LSU (78-55)
1: Smallest margin of victory for a 13 seed; six times, first by Xavier over Missouri (70-69)
6-2: Record for No. 13 seeds in games decided by one point
2: Buzzer-beater wins for 13 seeds: Murray State over Vanderbilt (2010), Valparaiso over Ole Miss (1998)
6: 13 seeds to win at least two games

The Akron-UCLA Series
First meeting in the series for UCLA and Akron. No common opponents in 2021-22.

Scouting The Bruins
UCLA finished second overall in regular season play and second in the PAC-12 Tournament. The Bruins own a 25-7 overall record and 15-5 in league play and 3-2 in neutral site games. The Bruins average 76.4 points per game on 45.0 percent shooting from the floor and 35.1 percent effort from beyond the 3-point arc, draining 6.9 triples a game. In addition, UCLA shoots 73.6 percent from the free throw line on 13.6 attempts per game.

UCLA has four players scoring in double figures led by first-team ALL-PAC-12 Johnny Juzang with 16.0 points per game, shooting 43.5 percent from the floor and 36.2 percent from deep with a 42 trifectas. PAC-12 first team selection Jaime Jaquez, Jr. follows with 14.0 points per game and leads the team in rebounding with 5.8 boards per game with 179 total rebounds. Tyger Campbell is also a first-team selection and adds a fourth-best 11.5 points per game with a team-best 126 assists. Jules Bernard averages 12.8 points per game and owns a team-high 49 made 3-pointers. Campbell adds 47 3-point field goals and Juzang made 42 from deep.

Defensively, UCLA limits its opponents to scoring 64.8 points per game on 41.6 percent shooting from the floor and 32.2 percent from 3-point range, allowing 6.8 long distance strikes per night. The Bruins caused 433 turnovers (13.5 to/g) with 225 steals (7.0 stl/g) and 104 blocked shots (3.3 blk/g). UCLA outrebounds the opponent by a +4.0 margin as the opponent grabbed 1,059 total boards (33.1 rebs/g) compared to the 1,186 total rebounds (37.1 rebs/g) secured.

NCAA Tournament History
• Akron claimed the 2022 MAC Championship to earn a 13 seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament
• The Zips bring an 8-game winning streak to the NCAA Tournament
• Akron will make its fifth NCAA Division I Tournament Appearance
• The Zips are 0-4 in the NCAA Tournament
• Akron fell to (2) Michigan (1986, L 70-64), (4) Gonzaga (2009, L 77-64), (2) Notre Dame (2011, L 69-56) and (5) VCU (2013, L 88-42)
• Three different head coaches led the Zips to the dance: Bob Huggins (1986), Keith Dambrot (2009, 2011 and 2013), and John Groce (2022)
• John Groce is 4-3 in the NCAA Tournament as a head coach (3-1 at Ohio and 1-1 Illinois)
• Groce is 3-0 in first round games ah a head coach
• Groce has advanced to the first round March Madness action nine times in his career.
• Groce owns a 6-0 first round record in the NCAA Tournament as a head coach and assistant coach
• The Zips appeared in nine NCAA Tournaments prior to Division I status with a 21-9 overall record
• Akron was NCAA DII National runner-up twice in 1964 and 1972
• Akron made 21 postseason appearances with 24-21 overall record: NCAA (21-13), NIT (3-7), CBI (0-1)