The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Princeton
Zips Travel to Princeton for the Penultimate Non-Conference Match of the Season
December 29 | Men's Basketball
Akron (7-4, 0-0Â Mid-American) vs Yale (9-4, 0-0 Ivy League)
Monday, Dec. 30 – Jadwin Gymnasium – Princeton, N.J.
1 pm ET – ESPN+ - WHLO 640
HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 329-217 | At Akron: 147-85
Princeton: Mitch Henderson | Overall Record: 241-126 | At Princeton: Same
ALL-TIME SERIES
Series is tied 1-1 | Groce vs Princeton: 0-1
First Met: Dec. 30,2012 (W, Akron 62 - Princeton 58) At Akron
Last Met: Dec. 3, 2017 (L, Princeton 64 - Akron 62)
In Hawaii
Current Streak, L1
INSIDE THE SERIES
Akron and Princeton will meet for just the third time in program history with the series tied 1-1. The Zips took the first meeting between the two schools with a 62-58 victory at James A. Rhodes Arena on December 30, 2012 before falling on a last second shot to the Tigers, 64-62, in Hawaii on December 3, 2017 as part of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Princeton comes into Monday's contest with a 9-4 overall record and a 3-1 record at Jadwin Gymnasium. The Tigers have won their past two games which featured an 83-82 victory at Rutgers on December 21. Caden Pierce and Xavian Lee each scored 21 points in the victory with the pair each recording a double-double. Pierce snagged 14 rebounds while Lee dished out 11 assists in the win.
After his 21-point, 14-rebound performance Pierce was recognized was named the Lute Olson National Player of the Week by collegeinsider.com then on Dec. 24 he was honored as one of five Oscar Robertson Trophy National Players of the Week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). In addition, Pierce received the Ivy League Player of the Week award for the sixth time in his career on Dec. 23.
The Ivy League preseason favorites, Princeton took top spot with 15 first place votes and 127 points. Yale, who the Zips battled in the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational, was picked to finish second with 108 points.
Pierce was also named named one of the finalists for the Naismith Starting 5 – Karl Malone power Forward of the Year Top 20 Preseason Watch List.
The Tigers are averaging 76.9 points per game while holding a scoring margin of +5.1 heading into Monday. Shooting .457 from the field, Princeton is also shooting .380 from beyond the arc while hitting 10.7 3's per game. The Tigers only turn the ball over 10.5 times per game with a turnover margin of +2.08 and an assist-turnover ratio of +1.48.
Lee leads the Tigers in scoring (16.2),assists (6.0) and steals (1.2). Overall, the Tigers feature two other players averaging double figures in scoring as Caden Pierce (12.1) and Dalen Davis (11.5) round out the list. Pierce also serves as the leader in rebounds with 7.2 while Malik Abdullahi leads the way in blocked shots with six on the season.
The Tigers rank in the top four in the Ivy League in scoring defense (4th - 71.8), scoring margin (4th - +5.1), fg percentage (4th - .457), 3pt percentage (2nd - .380), 3pt fg made per game (2nd - 10.7), opp. 3pt percentage (.318), opp. rebounding (34.6), turnover margin (+2.08), assist-turnover ratio (4th - +1.48) and steals (2nd - 7.31).
In the NCAA, Princeton ranks 49th in assist-turnover ratio (+1.48), 93rd in assists per game (15.7),77th in effective fg pct (.547), 38th in 3pt percentage (.380), 20th in 3pters made per game (10.7), 98th in turnover margin (+2.1) and 55th in turnovers per game (10.5).
Individually, Xavian Lee rankes 51st in assist-turnover ratio (+2.79), 16th in total assists (78) and 20th in assists per game (6.0). Blake Peter ranks 97th in 3pt percentage (.393) and 94th in total 3pters made (33).Â
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron heads to Princeton, N.J., with a 7-4 overall record and 0-2 in true road games this season. The Zips went 1-1 at the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational with a defeat to Yale (74-58) and a victory over Jackson State (68-50).
Against Jackson State four Zips scored in double figures while Isaiah Gray and James Okonkwo both recorded double-doubles.
The Zips are currently score 81.2 points per game while holding an +8.2 scoring margin over their opponents. The Blue and Gold shoot .430 from the field and .351 from long range while hitting 11.5 3's per game. Akron is also averaging 40.4 rebounds per game, 18.2 assists,12.8 turnovers, 8.2 steals, and 3.1 blocks per game.
Tavari Johnson leads the Zips in scoring with 13.3 points and is one of two Zips to average double figures in scoring. Nate Johnson is second on the team in scoring (11.5) and leads the Zips in assists (3.7), and steals (1.5). James Okonkwo is the leader in rebounds with 8.4 per game and total blocks with 11. Amani Lyles is second on the team in blocks with eight.
Akron is in the top five in the MAC for scoring offense (1st - 81.2), scoring margin (1st - +8.2), scoring defense (4th - 73.0), opp. fg pct (4th - .435), 3pt pct ( 3rd - .351), 3pters made (1st - 11.5), opp. 3pt pct (5th - .329), ft pct (5th .726), rebounds (1st - 40.4), off. rebounds (1st - 13.8), def. rebounds (4th - 26.5), rebound margin (4th - +1.9), turnover margin (5th - +2.18), assist-turnover margin (2nd - +1.42), steals (8.18) and assists (1st - 18.18).
In the NCAA, Akron ranks 68th in assist-turnover ratio (+1.42), 19th in assists per game (18.2), 27th in bench points per game (32.00), 44th in fastbreak points (14.82), 21st in off. rebounds (14.27), 27th in rebounds per game (41.00), 64th in scoring offense (81.2), 88th in steals per game (8.2), 6th in made 3's per game (11.5) and 50th in turnovers forced (15.00).
Individually, James Okonkwo ranks 41st in off. rebounds per game (3.18) and 56th in rebounds per game (8.5).
LAST TIME AGAINST PRINCETON (12/3/17)
Honolulu, Hawaii – Princeton's Myles Stephens grabbed a loose ball in the paint and threw it off the backboard as time expired to lift the Tigers past the Zips 64-62 on Saturday at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
The 40-minute back-and-forth battle featured nine tied scores and eight lead changes as fifth-year senior Malcolm Duvivier (Toronto, Ohio) poured in 18 points to lead Akron (6-4). Duvivier scored 15 points in the second frame, including the Zips final nine points on three contested 3-point shots down the stretch.
Freshman Eric Parrish (Cypress, Texas) followed in scoring for the Zips with 16 points. He led Akron's first-half offensive attack, scoring all 16 points during the initial 20 minutes. Parrish was perfect from behind the 3-point arc, knocking down three triples and finished the game shooting 6-of-9 from the field.Â
For the game, Akron shot 20-of-57 from the floor (.351) and 12-of-30 (.400) from deep, while Princeton went 23-of-52 from the field and 7-of-24 from long distance. The Tigers held a slight edge on the glass, outrebounding the Zips by five boards, 36-31.
WHAT'S NEXT? Â
Akron begins #MACtion with a trip to Bowling Green on Friday, January 3 for a 6 p.m. Start. The Zips and Falcons will be featured on CBSSN.
