The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Arkansas State
Zips Begin 124th Season of Basketball at Arkansas State
November 03 | Men's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio - The Akron Zips battle the Arkansas State Red Wolves in the first leg of the MAC-SBC Challenge to begin the 2024-25 season and the 124th season of Akron basketball on Monday, November 4 for the first all-time meeting. Akron and Arkansas State can be viewed on ESPN+ with Chris Harris and Brian Boyer on the call. Fans can listen to the Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen (PxP). Live stats are also available on GoZips.com.
Akron (0-0, 0-0Â Mid-American) at Arkansas State (0-0, 0-0Â Sun Belt)
Monday, Nov. 4 – First National Bank Arena – Jonesboro, Ark.
8:00 pm ET – ESPN + - WHLO 640
HEAD COACHES
Akron:Â John Groce | Overall Record: 322-213 | At Akron: 140-81
Arkansas State: Bryan Hodgson | Overall Record: 20-17 | At Arkansas State: Same
ALL-TIME SERIES
First Meeting | Groce vs. Arkansas State: 1-0 (Nov. 20, 2011, 69-54 with Ohio)
INSIDE THE SERIES
This will be the first meeting between Akron and Arkansas State in program history. Coach Groce has faced the Red Wolves once as a head coach. Leading Ohio during the 2011-12 season, Groce and the Bobcats won 69-54 on November 20, 2011.
SCOUTING THE RED WOLVES
Arkansas State is coming off a 2023-24 season where it went 20-17 overall and  11-7 in the Sun Belt. Entering the SBC Tournament as the No. 4 seed, The Red Wolves advanced to the Championship Game where they fell to No.1 seed James Madison 91-71. The Red Wolves concluded the 2023-24 season with an 81-80 loss to High Point in the CBI Semifinals.
Entering the 2024-25 season, Arkansas State was picked to finish first in the Sun Belt Conference in the Preseason Coaches Poll, while a conference-leading three Red Wolves received preseason honors. A-State received 12 of 14 possible first-place votes and earned 193 of 196 possible points to be selected as the league favorite for the first time in school history.
Kobe Julien earned Preseason Player of the Year honors, highlighting a trio of Red Wolves on the preseason all-league lists that included Taryn Todd and Izaiyah Nelson on the second and third teams, respectively.Â
Julien earned First Team honors after leading the conference in scoring (17.3) last season at Louisiana before joining the Red Wolves in the offseason. A First Team NABC All-District and Second Team All-SBC selection, he scored in double figures in 31 of 33 contests. Of those 31 double-digit outputs, 11 were 20-plus and one over 30. He also tied for fourth in the league in free-throw percentage, converting at an 82.4-percent clip.
Todd led the Red Wolves in scoring the previous season with 12.8 ppg while being named Third-Team All-Sun Belt. He also led the Red Wolves in steals (37) and field goals (180), shooting 42.0 percent from the field. He led the team with 25 double-digit scoring outputs, including six past the 20-point mark and one 30-point performance.
Nelson led the Scarlet and Black in both rebounding (7.6) and blocked shots (73), the latter in which he ranked 17th nationally with the most swats by an A-State player since 2001-02. Nelson also accounted for a team-high eight double-doubles and averaged 9.8 points per contest.
Last season the Red Wolves ranked third in the Sun Belt in points per game (78.8), t11th in points allowed per game (77.0), fifth in scoring margin (1.8), seventh in field goal percentage (.441), 14th in opponent field goal percentage (.458), fifth in three-point percentage (.344), eighth in free throw percentage (.702), sixth in rebounding (38.4), fifth in rebounds allowed (35.2), second in offensive rebounds (13.2), fourth in rebound margin (+3.1), 13th in turnover margin (-1.22), third in assist-turnover ratio (1.29), third in block shots per game (4.41), fourth in assists per game (14.49) and 14th in steals per game (5.59).
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
The Akron Zips will look to defend their MAC Tournament Championship title as the Blue and Gold begin the season at Arkansas State on November 4 in the first leg of the MAC-SBC Challenge.Â
The Zips concluded the 2023-24 season in the NCAA Tournament where they fell to Creighton, 77-60, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Akron went 1-1 in the MAC-SBC Challenge last season as it defeated Southern Mississippi at home while falling to James Madison on the road.Â
In the 2024-25 MAC Preseason poll, the Zips were selected to finish second with 106 points and one first-place vote. Ohio was selected to finish first with 121 points and the remaining 11 first-place votes. Kent State was picked to finish third with 99 points and Toledo was selected fourth with 95 points.Â
Senior guard Isaiah Gray was named to the All-MAC Preseason Second Team. Gray, a transfer from Cornell, averaged 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 60 percent from the floor last season. He was second in the Ivy League with his .602 field goal percentage and ninth in the Ivy League in assists, sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio and fourth in steals while having 12 double-figure scoring games.
The Blue and Gold will feature a plethora of new faces after seeing notable players such as Enrique Freeman, Ali Ali, Greg Tribble, Sammy Hunter, Mikal Dawson and Kaleb Thornton graduate or move on from the program. Coming into the 2024-25 season, the Zips welcome nine new faces, with four freshmen and five transfers joining the ranks. Isaiah Gray - Cornell, Seth Wilson - West Virginia, Bowen Hardman - Ohio State, Josiah Harris - West Virginia, James Okonkwo - North Carolina, Rich Brisco - Hillcrest Prep, Sharron Young - Morgantown HS, Eric Mahaffey - Archbishop Moeller HS and Conner Groce - Revere HS all join the Blue and Gold for the 2024-25 season
IN THE ASSOCIATION
Enrique Freeman became the first Akron player to be selected in the modern two-round NBA Draft era as the Indiana Pacers selected him with the 50th pick of the second round on June 27, 2024.
He became the seventh Zip to be drafted in the NBA Draft, joining Louis Arko (Syracuse Nationals, 1950), Bill Turner (Golden State Warriors, 1967), Len Paul (Detroit Pistons, 1973), Nate Barnett (Houston Rockets, 1975), Joe Jakubic (Cleveland Cavaliers, 1984) and Marcel Boyce (Phoenix Suns, 1987). In addition, Fred "Fritz" Nagy (Pittsburgh Ironmen, 1947) and Joe Wahl (Philadelphia Warriors, 1948) were selected to the Basketball Association of America that existed for three seasons and merged with the NBA in 1949.
MAC-SBC CHALLENGE
This will mark the second season the Mid-American Conference and the Sun Belt Conference will battle in the MAC-SBC Challenge. The Zips travel to Arkansas State for the first leg of the challenge on Monday, November 4 with the second leg set for Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025.
ON NATIONAL TV
The Akron Zips men's basketball program was selected for three nationally televised broadcasts with five 21-day wildcard dates.
Akron is slated to open MAC play at Bowling Green on CBS Sports Network at the Stroh Center on Friday, Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. The Zips are then scheduled to travel to Ohio on Friday, January 17 on CBSSN with a 6 p.m. tip off time.Â
The first installment of the rivalry game between Akron and Kent State was also selected to be aired on national TV as CBSSN will broadcast the game from the M.A.C. Center in Kent, Ohio on Friday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m.
The remaining dates will be announced 21 days prior to the contests which may affect four game dates for Akron, including a pair of home games against Kent State (3/1/24) and Buffalo (3/7/24) as well as a pair road games at Central Michigan (2/15/23) and at Ohio (2/22/24).
WE'LL TAKE YOUR BEST
The Zips are set to battle three teams picked to finish first in their respective conference preseason poll. Arkansas State (Sun Belt), Milwauekee (Horizon) and Princeton (Ivy League) were all selected to be the top team in their conference. Three other schools were selected in the top three with Saint Mary's (West Coast) selected to finish second, Yale (Ivy League) picked to finish second and Northern Kentucky (Horizon) picked to finish third.
STARTING THE SEASON OFF RIGHT
The Zips are 76-47 (.618) all-time in season openers with a 61-12 (.829) home record and 15-35 (.300) on the road. Since the 2004-05, UA is 14-6 (.700) when opening the season, standing 10-1 (.875) at home, 4-5 (.444) on the road and 6-1 (.857) under head coach John Groce.
The Zips began last season with a win after handing South Dakota State just their 10th home loss since the 2011-12 season with a 81-75 road victory to begin the 2023-24 season. Â
Akron owns a 101-21 (.828) home-opening record and 37-4 (.902) at Rhodes Arena. The Zips have been winners in the last 21-of-22 home opening games. Akron is 20-8 in MAC openers, and 11-1 at home since joining the league in 1992. Over the last 18 seasons, the Zips are 15-3 in MAC openers and 7-1 at home. Akron has won the last 9-of-10 MAC openers.
Akron is 24-8 in MAC openers since joining the league in 1992. Over the last 18 seasons, the Zips are 15-3 in MAC openers. Akron has won the last 15-of-16 MAC openers, including a 6-1 mark under head coach John Groce. The Zips fell in Groce's initial MAC opener, but have won six straight.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Zips host Ohio Wesleyan for the Home Opener on Friday, November 8 for a 7 p.m. start.
