Akron Hosts Heidelberg on Tuesday

Akron (2-0, 0-0 Mid-American) vs Heidelberg (2-0, 0-0 Ohio Athletic Conference)
Tuesday, Nov. 14 - James A. Rhodes Arena | Akron, Ohio - 7:30PM - WHLO 640 (Audio)

What's Ahead
The Akron Zips stay at the JAR as they host Heidelberg University for a 7:30 pm tip-off on November 14. Fans can listen to Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Jeff Phelps (PxP) and Bill Morgan (analyst). Live stats are also available on GoZips.com.

HEAD COACHES

Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 300-202 | At Akron: 118-70
Heidelberg: Andy Bucheit| Overall Record: 122-127| At Heidelberg: Same

All-Time Series
Akron Leads: 43-9                                                                   Groce vs. Heidelberg: 0-0 (0-0 Overall)
First Met: Akron 41-20                                                                                                           1911-12
Last Meeting: Akron102-65                                                          At Heidelberg December 13, 1966
Current Streak: 14 W                                                     Last Win At Akron: 101-80 (Feb. 25, 1966)

QUICK HITS

Akron will play five of its seven games in the month of November on the road or at a neutral site.
Under coach Groce, the Zips have posted an 87-35 overall record over the past four seasons and a 53-21 conference record in that same span.
Groce recorded his 300th career win with the 72-54 victory over Southern Miss on Nov. 10.
Akron has made at least one 3-pointer in its last 739 games when it was held without a 3-pointer against Purdue in the 2000-01 season.
Enrique Freeman will be playing in his 100th game.
Akron is three wins away from its 1700th win in program history.
The Zips last played Heidelberg in 1966.
Akron has scored 100+ more points against Heidelberg six times since the 1955-56 season.
Akron's 500th program victory came against Heidelberg on Dec. 17, 1953 in a 74-64 victory.

SCOUTING THE STUDENT PRINCES
Heidelberg's offense was red hot to begin the season with 97 points in its season opener against Bluffton and 111 points against Penn St. Altoona. The Student Princes stand 2-0 after a pair of wins in the Ron Linhart Memorial Tournament.

Heidelberg had a player score 20 or more points in each of its first two games. Eric Panning had a 22 pt, 13 reb performance in the season opener while Tre Watkins scored 21 points against Penn St. Panning had another double-double in the 111-66 win over the Lions.

Heidelberg was projected to finish fifth in the Ohio Athletic Conference.

LAST TIME OUT
(Nov.10, 2023)
The Akron men's basketball team took a 33-31 lead over Southern Miss into the halftime break, and never trailed from there on the way to a 72-54 win over the Golden Eagles at home Friday.

The Zips (2-0) had three players score in double figures, led by Nate Johnson, who had 17 points. Enrique Freeman added 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals and Greg Tribble chipped in as well with 13 points and six rebounds.

After falling behind 13-6, Akron went on a 7-0 run with 11:53 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Sammy Hunter, to tie the game at 13. The Zips then proceeded to grab a 33-31 lead heading into halftime. Akron got a great contribution from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 11 of its 33 total points.

Akron kept its lead intact before going on a 17-0 run, finished off by Tribble's three, to grow the lead to 72-54 with 26 seconds to go in the contest, The Zips held onto that lead for the rest of the game for the 72-54 win. Akron capitalized on eight Southern Miss turnovers in the period, collecting 14 points off those turnovers.

The 1k, 1k club
Enrique Freeman is closing in on 1,000 rebounds in his career as a Zip. Currently 7th all-time in career rebounds with 975, He'd become just the seventh player in Akron history to record 1k points and 1k rebounds in his career.

Len Paul - 2,028 Pts | 1021 Reb | 107 GP
Bill Turner - 1,630 Pts | 1,171 Reb | 106 GP
Ray Pryear - 1,152 Pts | 1,213 Reb | 91 GP
Don Williams - 1,145 Pts | 1,218 Reb | 107 GP
Fred Golding - 1,229 Pts | 1,360 Reb | 97 GP
Enrique Freeman - 1,217 Pts | 975 Reb | 99 GP

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.

300 AND CLIMBING
Coach Groce notched his 300th career win when he led the Zips to a 72-54 victory on November 10 at the JAR. It was his 118th victory leading the Zips as well.

HOW GROCE STACKS UP AT AKRON
John Groce currently has 118 wins as the head coach at Akron. He currently stands as the fifth-winningest coach in program history.
1. Keith Dambrot (305-139) 2005-17
2.Russell Beichly (288-144) 1941-59
3.Tony Laterza (178-59) 1960-68
4. Wyatt Webb (126-60) 1969-75
5. John Groce (118-70) 2017-pres.

MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Enrique Freeman was named the MAC Player of The Week on Nov. 13.

Freeman averaged a double-double this past week as he helped lead the Akron Zips to a pair of wins over South Dakota State and Southern Mississippi in the opening week of play.

Freeman started the season with a 13-point, 14-rebound performance on the road at South Dakota State (81-75). He added five assists and two blocks as the Zips handed the Jackrabbits just their 10th home loss since the 2011-12 season.

He followed that performance with a 13-point and nine-rebound effort as the Zips bested Southern Mississippi in their home opener (72-54). He chipped in three assists, three steals, and one block against the Golden Eagles on November 10.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Zips own a 457-134 (.773) all-time record at Rhodes Arena. In the last 16 seasons, Akron has posted a 253-39 (.866) record at the JAR.

Under coach Groce, Akron is 77-14 (.825) at home. The Zips were 15-1 at home in 2022-23.

Akron went 12-4 at Rhodes Arena in Groce's first year as head coach and followed with a 14-3 effort. The Zips went 15-2 at home in 2019-20 en route to the regular season MAC Championship.

During COVID shortened season, Akron posted a 9-1 mark at the JAR (2020-21) and posted a 12-3 record in 2021-22. Groce became the third Akron coach since 1940 to win his first six home games in the first season as head coach.

The Zips rattled off seven straight wins at the JAR before falling in the MAC home opener to Buffalo. The Zips set the all-time longest home winning streak record at Rhodes Arena with 30 consecutive wins during the 2015-17 seasons, replacing the 26-game run the Zips made during the 1985-87 seasons under head coach Bob Huggins. The streak ranked No. 2 in the NCAA.

CLOSING IN ON 1,700 PROGRAM WINS
Akron currently has recorded 1,697 wins in program history. Akron (then Butchel College) first started competing in men's basketball in 1901-02.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Akron travels to the Cayman Islands for three games beginning on November 19 when it battles Florida International to begin the Cayman Islands Classic.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Enrique Freeman

Sammy Hunter

Nate Johnson

Greg Tribble

The University of Akron Athletics