The University of Akron Athletics
Men's Basketball Welcomes Five Transfers
May 07 | Men's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio – The Akron Zips basketball program added five transfers to the 2024-25 roster as Isaiah Gray (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Bowen Hardman (Cincinnati, Ohio), Josiah Harris (Canton, Ohio), James Okonkwo (Maidenhead, England) and Seth Wilson (Lorain, Ohio) committed to play for the Blue and Gold, head coach John Groce announced on Tuesday.
"What excited me the most about this group is that all the guys are committed to winning and have been excellent students and teammates throughout their college careers," Groce said. "We strive to add talented players that are high character and have collegiate experience. We believe we have accomplished that goal."
Gray, a 6-3 guard, played the past three seasons at Cornell. In the 2023-24 season, he ranked second in the Ivy League with his 60.2 field goal percentage, ninth in the Ivy League in assists, sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio and fourth in steals. He averaged 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Gray is a former first-team all-league and third-team All-New England selection at Cushing Academy. He was named the team's Most Improved Player while ranked as the No. 22 prospect in Massachusetts according to NERR.
"Isaiah is a competitively tough experienced play maker," said Groce. "He is a two-way guard that impacts winning at both ends of the floor at a high level."
Hardman, a 6-3 guard, played the past two seasons at Ohio State. He averaged 4.2 points per game in 2023-24 while shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from beyond the arc.
The Cincinnati, Ohio, native was a former Three-star recruit according to 247sports.com coming out of Princeton HS. Hardman shot over 40 percent from the floor, nearly 40 percent from beyond the three-point arc and 82 percent from the free throw line.
"Bowen is an elite level shooter that will make everyone's job easier on offense," Groce said. "He has big time range and an extremely quick release."
Harris is a 6-7 forward from West Virginia. In 2023-24, he played in all 32 games for the Mountaineers while starting 13 games. He shot 81.0 percent from the free throw line and averaged 5.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.
A native of Canton, Ohio, Harris attended Richmond Heights High School where he helped his team win the 2022 Ohio Division IV State Championship.
"Josiah provides size and length that helps him score at all three levels and rebound at an elite level," said Groce. "He has the ability to stretch the floor with his shot making and can attack off the bounce as well."
Okonkwo, a 6-8 forward, played the previous season at North Carolina. Prior to playing in Chapel Hill, N.C., Okonkwo played in 31 games in his last season at West Virginia. He averaged 10.9 minutes per game and led the Mountaineers with 22 blocks and was second in field goal percentage with a 57.4 mark in the 2022-23 campaign. He grabbed five or more rebounds 10 times and blocked multiple shots five times with a high of three against Iowa State.
A native of Maidenhead, England, he became just the third player from England to play for the Tar Heels where he joined London's Steve Bucknall, who played for Carolina from 1985-89, and Durham's Neil Fingleton, a Tar Heel in 2001-02.
"James has the potential to make an immediate impact to our frontcourt with his rebounding, rim protection and ability to score the basketball," said Groce. "He plays with a high motor and brings a level of toughness that will elevate those around him."
Wilson, a 6-2 guard, comes from West Virginia where he played the past three seasons. He played in 28 games and averaged 17.1 minutes, 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game while shooting 37.9 percent from beyond the arc in 2023-24.
The Ohio native played at Lorain High School as a junior and senior while playing his freshman and sophomore seasons at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. At St. Vincent-St. Mary he helped his team win the 2018 Ohio Division II State Championship. During his freshman season, he scored the second-most points by a freshman in school history, second only to LeBron James.
"Seth is a competitor and has an ability to take and make tough shots off the bounce and catch," Groce said. "He is a strong and physical guard that will allow him to be a great defender."
