The University of Akron Athletics
Thursday, March 14
Cleveland, Ohio
4:00 pm
University of Akron
vs
Miami University (OH)
Akron Begins MAC Tournament on Thursday Against Miami
March 13 | Men's Basketball
Akron (21-10, 13-5 Mid-American) vs Miami (OH) (15-16, 9-9 Mid-American)
Thursday, Mar. 14 – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse – Cleveland, Ohio
4:00 pm ET – ESPN+ - WHLO 640
HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 319-212 | At Akron: 137-80
Miami: Travis Steele | Overall Record: 97-86 | At Miami: 27-36
ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron Leads: 37-33 (3-2 MAC Tournament) Groce vs. Miami 8-4 (14-7 Overall)
First Meeting: Miami 45 - Akron 14 in Oxford on Feb. 20, 1915
Last Meeting: Miami 68 - Akron 68 at Millett Hall on Jan. 27, 2024
In Akron: 22-9, Neutral: 2-1, In Oxford: 13-23
Current Streak: L1
WHAT'S AHEAD
The Akron Zips battle the Miami RedHawks in the first round of the MAC Tournament on
Thursday, March 14 for the 71st all-time meeting. Akron and Miami can be viewed on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi and Rhett Boyd on the call. Fans can listen to Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst). Live stats are also available on GoZips.com.
AKRON IN THE MAC TOURNAMENT
Akron is 35-21 all-time in the MAC Tournament, 28-10 in its last 38 tournament games. The Zips have won at least one game in the MAC Tournament every year since the 2004-05 season and set an unprecedented 16-of-18 semifinal appearances. The Zips' runs of the consecutive title games (7) and semifinal appearances (13) are the longest streaks in MAC history. The Zips are 29-15 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Akron is 7-6 in opening round games, 1-0 second round, 13-4 in the quarterfinals, 10-5 semifinals, and 4-6 in title games.
MAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Enrique Freeman was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year on March 12 by the conference office.
Freeman becomes the fourth player in Akron history to be named the MAC Player of the Year; joining Romeo Travis (2007), Isaiah Johnson (2017), and Loren Cristian Jackson (2020). He was also a unanimous selection by the 11 opposing head coaches.
Earning All-MAC First Team honors for the second year in a row and All-Defensive Team honors for the fourth time in his career, Freeman led the conference in double-doubles (28), rebounds per game (12.8), total rebounds (397), defensive rebounds per game (9.16), and field goal percentage (.584). He is first in the NCAA in double-doubles (28), rebounds per game, and total rebounds.
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
Miami comes into the MAC Tournament as the No. 7 seed after finishing the regular season with a 15-16 overall record and a 9-9 record in conference. The RedHawks finished 3-2 over their last five games which saw three straight losses before falling to Toledo and Ohio to conclude the regular season.
Anderson Mirambeaux finished as the RedHawks leading scorer with 12.5 points per game while Darweshi Hunter was second with 11.7. Mirambeaux finished with 13.1 points per game in conference contests. Bryce Bultman finished as the leading rebounder with 4.8 per game while Evan Ipsaro was the leader in assists with 2.7. Jaquel Morris leads the way with 33 blocks on the season.
Miami won the lone contest against the Zips with Hunter hitting a last second jumper to put the RedHawks ahead of Akron at Millett Hall.
As a team, Miami is averaging 70.8 points per game while holding opponents to just 69.9 points per game. Those 69.9 points rank second among MAC schools. The RedHawks are 6th in the MAC for field goal percentage (.443) and second in opponent field goal percentage (.426). They also hold the second best 3pt fg% in the MAC (.365) and the 4th best opponent 3pt fg% (.318). Miami is last in the MAC for rebounds per game (33.4) and 8th in opponent rebounds (36.3) along with holding the worst rebound margin (-2.9). Miami is also third in the MAC for assist-to-turnover ratio (1.25) while leading the conference in assists with 14.71 per game.
Hunter finished the regular season ranked No. 25 in scoring among the MAC while ranked 25th in rebounding with 4.4 per game. Bultman ranked 20th with 4.8 rebounds per game. Ryan Mabrey finished 14th in 3-point shooting (.366) while Hunter shot .356 from deep. Hunter was also sixth in free throw shooting (.831) and 10th in made 3-point field goals per game (2.0). Issaro was 14th in assists per game with 2.7 while Mekhi Cooper and Bultman ranked 15th and 16th.
The RedHawks rank 90th in the country in assists per game (14.7), 25th in bench points per game (27.90), 50th in 3pt percentage (.365), and 76th in 3pt defense (.318).
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron enters the MAC Tournament as the No. 2 seed after finishing 21-10 overall and 13-5 in conference action.
Akron enters 2-3 over its last five games with back-to-back losses to conclude the season. The Zips hadn't dropped back-to-back contests since losing three in a row from November 20 through November 28.
The Zips are led by Enrique Freeman in scoring with 18.1 points per game, rebounds with 12.8 and 48 total blocks. Ali Ali and Greg Tribble join Freeman in double-figure scoring with 15.5 and 10.9 points per game this season. In MAC action, Freeman scored 18.5 points, Ali notched 14.9 and Tribble had 12.0 points per game.
Among MAC schools, Akron ranked third in scoring (74.7), first in scoring defense (66.2), and first in scoring margin (+8.5). The Zips are also 2nd in field goal percentage (.459) and fourth in opponent field goal percentage (.431). Akron also holds the MAC's best opponent 3pt fg% (.304) while ranking fourth in rebounds per game (36.5), first in opponent rebounding (32.2) and first in rebound margin (+4.3).
Freeman is sixth in the MAC for points per game with 18.1 along with being first in rebounds per game (12.8) and field goal percentage (.584). Tribble is 11th in field goal percentage with a .473 mark. Sammy Hunter is 13th in 3pt field goal percentage (.372) and 12th for 3-pointers made per game (1.8). Mikal Dawson is 19th in 3's made with 1.5 per game. Tribble is 19th in free throw percentage (.747) while Freeman is 23rd (.730). Freeman finished the regular season 4th in the MAC in blocks per game (1.5) and total blocks (48).
Akron is 78th in the country in effective fg% (.531), 55th in rebound margin (+4.3), 31st in scoring defense (66.2), 51st in scoring margin (+8.5), and 21st in 3-point percentage defense (.304).
INSIDE THE SERIES
Thursday's game marks the 71st meeting in series history between Akron and Miami, and 22nd meeting for a Groce coached squad (14-7), 13th at Akron (8-4). Akron leads the series 37-33, and the Zips have won eight of the last nine meetings, including a sweep in 2022 and the lone meeting in 2023.
The Zips fell to the RedHawks on the road earlier this season 70-68 on January 27.
Akron is 22-9 at home, 2-1 at neutral site courts and 13-23 in Oxford. Akron is also on an eight-game winning streak against the RedHawks.
Akron and Miami have met five times in the MAC Tournament with the series at 3-2 in Akron's favor. The Zips are 2-1 in Cleveland and 1-0 at home against the RedHawks. Akron dropped a first-round game in Oxford (69-56, 2001).
LAST TIME AGAINST MIAMI (JAN. 27, 2024)
OXFORD, Ohio - The Akron men's basketball team fell to the Miami (OH) RedHawks 70-68 on the road Saturday on Darweshi Hunter's buzzer-beating shot with only one second left in the game.
The Zips (15-5, 7-1) had two players score in double figures, led by Ali Ali, who had 23 points. Enrique Freeman added a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds and Shammah Scott added five points and two steals.
The Akron offense was very productive from beyond the arc, making 10 threes on 25 attempts. Ali was the most prolific shooter for the Zips, draining four treys in the contest.
After jumping out to a 6-4 advantage, Akron went on a 9-0 run with 15:58 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Scott, to increase its lead to 15-4. The Zips then surrendered that lead and entered halftime down 41-32.
Miami (OH) kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing a 52-42 advantage before Akron went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Ali's jumper, to shrink the deficit to 52-48 with 9:32 to go in the contest. The Zips kept their comeback going, but Miami (OH) managed to hold on for the 70-68 win.
THE DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Freeman has 28 double-doubles this season, ranking 1st in the NCAA, and is the only player in the MAC to average a double-double. He is 1-of-15 players in Div. I to average a double-double and has recorded 20+ points and 10+ rebounds 13 times. Freeman recorded 11 consecutive double-doubles from Nov. 28 to Jan. 16 and has recorded 13 straight since Jan. 23.
Additionally, he ranks 77th in blocks (48), 74th in blocks per game (1.55), 26th in fg% (.584), 59th in fg made (198), 34th in free throws attempted (204), 41st in made free throws (149), 72nd in total points (560), 82nd in points per game (18.1), 1st in total rebounds (397), 3rd in def. rpg (9.16), 14th in off. rpg (3.65) and 1st in rebounds per game (12.8).
THE FINAL 5
Akron senior forward Enrique Freeman was one of 5 finalists for the 2024 Karl Malone Award as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on March 7. The annual honor is in its tenth year and recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men's college basketball.
Later in March, the finalists will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committees. The Selection Committees for the Karl Malone Award are composed of top men's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Akron will either play the winner of Ohio and Western Michigan on March 15 with a win over Miami.
Thursday, Mar. 14 – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse – Cleveland, Ohio
4:00 pm ET – ESPN+ - WHLO 640
HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 319-212 | At Akron: 137-80
Miami: Travis Steele | Overall Record: 97-86 | At Miami: 27-36
ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron Leads: 37-33 (3-2 MAC Tournament) Groce vs. Miami 8-4 (14-7 Overall)
First Meeting: Miami 45 - Akron 14 in Oxford on Feb. 20, 1915
Last Meeting: Miami 68 - Akron 68 at Millett Hall on Jan. 27, 2024
In Akron: 22-9, Neutral: 2-1, In Oxford: 13-23
Current Streak: L1
WHAT'S AHEAD
The Akron Zips battle the Miami RedHawks in the first round of the MAC Tournament on
Thursday, March 14 for the 71st all-time meeting. Akron and Miami can be viewed on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi and Rhett Boyd on the call. Fans can listen to Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst). Live stats are also available on GoZips.com.
AKRON IN THE MAC TOURNAMENT
Akron is 35-21 all-time in the MAC Tournament, 28-10 in its last 38 tournament games. The Zips have won at least one game in the MAC Tournament every year since the 2004-05 season and set an unprecedented 16-of-18 semifinal appearances. The Zips' runs of the consecutive title games (7) and semifinal appearances (13) are the longest streaks in MAC history. The Zips are 29-15 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Akron is 7-6 in opening round games, 1-0 second round, 13-4 in the quarterfinals, 10-5 semifinals, and 4-6 in title games.
MAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Enrique Freeman was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year on March 12 by the conference office.
Freeman becomes the fourth player in Akron history to be named the MAC Player of the Year; joining Romeo Travis (2007), Isaiah Johnson (2017), and Loren Cristian Jackson (2020). He was also a unanimous selection by the 11 opposing head coaches.
Earning All-MAC First Team honors for the second year in a row and All-Defensive Team honors for the fourth time in his career, Freeman led the conference in double-doubles (28), rebounds per game (12.8), total rebounds (397), defensive rebounds per game (9.16), and field goal percentage (.584). He is first in the NCAA in double-doubles (28), rebounds per game, and total rebounds.
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
Miami comes into the MAC Tournament as the No. 7 seed after finishing the regular season with a 15-16 overall record and a 9-9 record in conference. The RedHawks finished 3-2 over their last five games which saw three straight losses before falling to Toledo and Ohio to conclude the regular season.
Anderson Mirambeaux finished as the RedHawks leading scorer with 12.5 points per game while Darweshi Hunter was second with 11.7. Mirambeaux finished with 13.1 points per game in conference contests. Bryce Bultman finished as the leading rebounder with 4.8 per game while Evan Ipsaro was the leader in assists with 2.7. Jaquel Morris leads the way with 33 blocks on the season.
Miami won the lone contest against the Zips with Hunter hitting a last second jumper to put the RedHawks ahead of Akron at Millett Hall.
As a team, Miami is averaging 70.8 points per game while holding opponents to just 69.9 points per game. Those 69.9 points rank second among MAC schools. The RedHawks are 6th in the MAC for field goal percentage (.443) and second in opponent field goal percentage (.426). They also hold the second best 3pt fg% in the MAC (.365) and the 4th best opponent 3pt fg% (.318). Miami is last in the MAC for rebounds per game (33.4) and 8th in opponent rebounds (36.3) along with holding the worst rebound margin (-2.9). Miami is also third in the MAC for assist-to-turnover ratio (1.25) while leading the conference in assists with 14.71 per game.
Hunter finished the regular season ranked No. 25 in scoring among the MAC while ranked 25th in rebounding with 4.4 per game. Bultman ranked 20th with 4.8 rebounds per game. Ryan Mabrey finished 14th in 3-point shooting (.366) while Hunter shot .356 from deep. Hunter was also sixth in free throw shooting (.831) and 10th in made 3-point field goals per game (2.0). Issaro was 14th in assists per game with 2.7 while Mekhi Cooper and Bultman ranked 15th and 16th.
The RedHawks rank 90th in the country in assists per game (14.7), 25th in bench points per game (27.90), 50th in 3pt percentage (.365), and 76th in 3pt defense (.318).
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron enters the MAC Tournament as the No. 2 seed after finishing 21-10 overall and 13-5 in conference action.
Akron enters 2-3 over its last five games with back-to-back losses to conclude the season. The Zips hadn't dropped back-to-back contests since losing three in a row from November 20 through November 28.
The Zips are led by Enrique Freeman in scoring with 18.1 points per game, rebounds with 12.8 and 48 total blocks. Ali Ali and Greg Tribble join Freeman in double-figure scoring with 15.5 and 10.9 points per game this season. In MAC action, Freeman scored 18.5 points, Ali notched 14.9 and Tribble had 12.0 points per game.
Among MAC schools, Akron ranked third in scoring (74.7), first in scoring defense (66.2), and first in scoring margin (+8.5). The Zips are also 2nd in field goal percentage (.459) and fourth in opponent field goal percentage (.431). Akron also holds the MAC's best opponent 3pt fg% (.304) while ranking fourth in rebounds per game (36.5), first in opponent rebounding (32.2) and first in rebound margin (+4.3).
Freeman is sixth in the MAC for points per game with 18.1 along with being first in rebounds per game (12.8) and field goal percentage (.584). Tribble is 11th in field goal percentage with a .473 mark. Sammy Hunter is 13th in 3pt field goal percentage (.372) and 12th for 3-pointers made per game (1.8). Mikal Dawson is 19th in 3's made with 1.5 per game. Tribble is 19th in free throw percentage (.747) while Freeman is 23rd (.730). Freeman finished the regular season 4th in the MAC in blocks per game (1.5) and total blocks (48).
Akron is 78th in the country in effective fg% (.531), 55th in rebound margin (+4.3), 31st in scoring defense (66.2), 51st in scoring margin (+8.5), and 21st in 3-point percentage defense (.304).
INSIDE THE SERIES
Thursday's game marks the 71st meeting in series history between Akron and Miami, and 22nd meeting for a Groce coached squad (14-7), 13th at Akron (8-4). Akron leads the series 37-33, and the Zips have won eight of the last nine meetings, including a sweep in 2022 and the lone meeting in 2023.
The Zips fell to the RedHawks on the road earlier this season 70-68 on January 27.
Akron is 22-9 at home, 2-1 at neutral site courts and 13-23 in Oxford. Akron is also on an eight-game winning streak against the RedHawks.
Akron and Miami have met five times in the MAC Tournament with the series at 3-2 in Akron's favor. The Zips are 2-1 in Cleveland and 1-0 at home against the RedHawks. Akron dropped a first-round game in Oxford (69-56, 2001).
LAST TIME AGAINST MIAMI (JAN. 27, 2024)
OXFORD, Ohio - The Akron men's basketball team fell to the Miami (OH) RedHawks 70-68 on the road Saturday on Darweshi Hunter's buzzer-beating shot with only one second left in the game.
The Zips (15-5, 7-1) had two players score in double figures, led by Ali Ali, who had 23 points. Enrique Freeman added a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds and Shammah Scott added five points and two steals.
The Akron offense was very productive from beyond the arc, making 10 threes on 25 attempts. Ali was the most prolific shooter for the Zips, draining four treys in the contest.
After jumping out to a 6-4 advantage, Akron went on a 9-0 run with 15:58 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Scott, to increase its lead to 15-4. The Zips then surrendered that lead and entered halftime down 41-32.
Miami (OH) kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing a 52-42 advantage before Akron went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Ali's jumper, to shrink the deficit to 52-48 with 9:32 to go in the contest. The Zips kept their comeback going, but Miami (OH) managed to hold on for the 70-68 win.
THE DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Freeman has 28 double-doubles this season, ranking 1st in the NCAA, and is the only player in the MAC to average a double-double. He is 1-of-15 players in Div. I to average a double-double and has recorded 20+ points and 10+ rebounds 13 times. Freeman recorded 11 consecutive double-doubles from Nov. 28 to Jan. 16 and has recorded 13 straight since Jan. 23.
Additionally, he ranks 77th in blocks (48), 74th in blocks per game (1.55), 26th in fg% (.584), 59th in fg made (198), 34th in free throws attempted (204), 41st in made free throws (149), 72nd in total points (560), 82nd in points per game (18.1), 1st in total rebounds (397), 3rd in def. rpg (9.16), 14th in off. rpg (3.65) and 1st in rebounds per game (12.8).
THE FINAL 5
Akron senior forward Enrique Freeman was one of 5 finalists for the 2024 Karl Malone Award as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on March 7. The annual honor is in its tenth year and recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men's college basketball.
Later in March, the finalists will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committees. The Selection Committees for the Karl Malone Award are composed of top men's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Akron will either play the winner of Ohio and Western Michigan on March 15 with a win over Miami.
Players Mentioned
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