The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Ohio
Zips Battle Ohio on ESPNU on Friday
January 22 | Men's Basketball
Akron and Ohio can be viewed on ESPNU with Eric Rothman (PxP) and Mark Adams (Analyst) on the call. Fans can listen to the action on the Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst) on the call. Live stats are also available on GoZips.com/coverage.
Akron (15-4, 6-1 Mid-American) at Ohio (11-9, 5-3 Mid-American)
Friday, Jan. 23 – Convocation Center – Athens, Ohio
6:30 pm ET – ESPNU – WHLO 640 AM
HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 365-224 | At Akron: 183-92
Ohio: Jeff Boals | Overall Record: 180-126 | At Ohio: 125-85
ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron leads 50-45 | Groce vs.Ohio: 9-7 (9-7 at UA)
First Met: 1911-12 season At Akron (Akron 21, Ohio 18)
Last Met: Feb. 22, 2025 At Ohio (Akron 67, 84)
Akron: 30-15 | Neutral: 4-1 | At Ohio: 16-29
Current Streak: 1L
INSIDE THE SERIES
Akron and Ohio will be meeting for the 96th time on Friday with the Zips leading 50-45. John Groce,who began his head coaching career at Ohio, is 9-7 all-time against the Bobcats.
Akron struck first blood last season with a 92-80 victory over the Bobcats at the JAR where Isaiah Gray and Amani Lyles set career highs in scoring.Ohio would defend the Convocation Center with an 84-67 victory to halt the Zips' 14 game winning streak, the longest in the nation at the time.
The Zips took the first game of the series in 2023-24 on January 23 with a 67-58 victory at James A. Rhodes Arena while the Bobcats struck back with a 74-67 victory of their own at theConvocation Center. The Zips took the third meeting in the MAC Championship semifinals, 65-62.
Akron and Ohio split the series in 2022-23 with both squads protecting home court. Xavier Castaneda led all scorers with a career-high 34 points, on 10-of-15 shooting in the most recent meet- ing between the two sides that saw Ohio win 90-81. Enrique Freeman had a career performance at the JAR in the 2022-23 season against the Bobcats, scoring 32 points to help the Zips defeat Ohio 83-77 on January 28, 2023.
Holding a 50-45 series advantage, The Zips have won 19 of the last 30 meetings, and are 30-15 against the Bobcats in Akron, winning 19 of the last 23 meetings at Rhodes Arena. The Zips are16-29 against OU in Athens, winning six of the last 13 meetings at the Convocation Center.
LAST TIME OUT (VS BUFFALO 1/17/26)
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Amani Lyles and Tavari Johnson recorded career highs in rebounds in an 82-63 win over the Buffalo Bulls Tuesday night.
The Zips (15-4, 6-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Amani Lyles, who put together a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Tavari Johnson added 13 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals, Evan Mahaffey chipped in with 11 points while Eric Mahaffey added 10 points, six rebounds, three steals, two assists and one block.
Akron has recorded wins over Buffalo in 10 straight contests.
Akron utilized great ball movement in Tuesday's game, piling up 21 assists on 27 made field goals. Johnson's six assists led the distribution list for the Zips while Shammah Scott also added five assists of his own. The Zips have recorded 20 or more assists in 10 games this season and hold a 10-0 recorded when hitting that mark.
Akron's defense held Buffalo to only 35.4 percent shooting from the field, including 25 percent from beyond the arc.Â
After jumping out to a 6-2 advantage, Akron went on a 13-0 run with 15:18 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Eric Mahaffey, to increase its lead to 19-2. The Zips then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 43-27 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down 10 shots to account for 30 of its 43 points.
Akron kept its lead intact before going on an 11-0 run, finished off by Evan Mahaffey's layup, to grow the lead to 56-30 with 16:27 to go in the contest. The Bulls narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still cruised the rest of the way for the 82-63 win. Akron got out on the break in the period, scoring 11 fast break points.
LAST TIME AGAINST OHIO (2/22/25)
ATHENS, Ohio- The Akron men's basketball team got a 38-point performance from the bench, but fell 84-67 to the Ohio Bobcats on the road Saturday.
The Zips (21-6, 13-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Amani Lyles, who had 17 points. Seth Wilson added 12 points and Tavari Johnson helped out with 12 points.
Akron grabbed 37 rebounds in Saturday's game compared to Ohio's 35, led by six boards from Isaiah Gray.
Akron struggled out of the gate, falling behind 43-29 heading into halftime. Ohio kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing a 75-48 advantage before Akron went on a 10-0 run to shrink the deficit to 75-58 with 3:15 to go in the contest. The Zips were unable to cut further into the deficit by the end of the game, losing 84-67. Akron took care of business in the paint, recording 20 of its 38 points in the lane.
AKRON IN THE MAC
Akron is 89-27 since the 2019-20 season in MAC play, owning the highest winning percentage (.767) in the league. The Zips are 74-24 in the MAC under the new conference format without divisions (new in 2020-21). Akron is 113-28 (.801) at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule. UA has seen a ton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season, and is 257-110 overall (.700), including a 155-32 mark in MAC play at home (.829). The Zips' 257 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 172 of their last 257 MAC games (.669).
CAREER HIGHS AGAINST THE BULLS
- Zach Halligan tied his career-high for points (7) while setting a career-high for made 3s (2) at Buffalo.
- Tavari Johnson set a career-high in rebounds (8) at Buffalo.
- Amani Lyles set a career-high in rebounds (15) at Buffalo.
- Eric Mahaffey set a career-high in steals (3) at Buffalo.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron heads to Athens, Ohio, to battle the Bobcats on Friday. The Zips and Bobcats will battle on ESPNU for the second straight season at the Convocation Center.
The Zips enter Friday's contest with a 15-4 overall record and a 6-1 record in the MAC.
Akron recently defeated Buffalo, 82-63, on the road Tuesday. Amani Lyles (15) and Tavari Johnson (8) set career-highs in rebounds against the Bulls in the win. Lyles recorded a double-double with a team-high 18 points while adding four assists and one steal. Johnson recorded 13 points along with six assists, two steals and one block.
Tavari Johnson leads the Zips in points (20.1) and assists (5.7). Amani Lyles leads the Blue and Gold in rebounds (7.5) while Evan Mahaffey leads the way in steals (1.9) and total blocks (15).
Akron is scoring 93.0 points per game while outscoring its opponents by 17.2 points per game. The Zips shoot .520 from the field while shooting .386 from beyond the arc and average 11.4 3s per game. The Blue and Gold hold a .766 ft percentage while averaging 38.1 rebounds, 20.5 assists, 10.7 turnovers, 8.4 steals and 3.3 blocks per game.
Akron ranks in the top five in the MAC in scoring offense (2nd - 93.0), scoring margin (2nd - +17.2), fg pct (2nd - .520), opp fg pct (2nd - .427), 3pt pct (3rd - .386), 3pters made per game (1st - 11.4), ft pct (3rd - .766), rebounds (3rd - 38.1), off rebounds (4th - 11.7), def rebounds (3rd - 26.4), rebound margin (3rd - +4.9), turnover margin (2nd. - +3.47), assist-turnover ratio (1st - +1.91), assists (1st - 20.47) and steals (2nd - 8.42).
The Zips rank 6th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+1.91), 4th in assists per game (20.5), 48th in bench points per game (30.05), 3rd in effective fg pct (.606), 14th in fastbreak points (16.95), 4th in fg pct (.520), 59th in fewest fouls per game (15.9), 39th in ft pct (.766), 71st in rebound margin (+4.9), 87th in def rebounds (26.32), 84th in rebounds per game (38.0), 4th in scoring offense (93.0), 63rd in steals per game (8.4), 14th in 3pt pct (.386), 7th in 3pters made per game (11.4), 33rd in turnover margin (+3.5), 52nd in turnovers forced per game (14.26) and 77th in fewest turnovers per game (10.7).
Individually, Evan Mahaffey ranks 21st in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+3.38), 66th in total steals (36) and 78th in steals per game (1.89). Tavari Johnson ranks 55th in assist-turnover ratio (+2.92),32nd in total assists (108), 33rd in assists per game (5.7), 85th in fg pct (.536), 11th in made fg (143), 20th in ft pct (.907), 26th in total points (381) and 34th in points per game (20.1). Amani Lyles is 99th in double-doubles (4), 30th in fg pct (.599) and 83rd in def rebounds per game (5.47). Shammah Scott ranks 19th in 3pt pct (.436).
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
Ohio enters Friday's contest with an 11-9 overall record and a 5-3 record in the MAC.
The Bobcats hold an 8-3 record at home this season.
Ohio recently came away with an 80-77 victory over NIU on Tuesday. Jackson Paveletzke tallied 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting to lead the Bobcats in scoring. JJ Kelly had a career night with a career-high 17 points and nine rebounds. Aidan Hadaway scored 18 points in the contest while leading the team with six assists.Â
Paveletzke leads Ohio in points (17.7) and assists (4.7). Hadaway is the leader in rebounds (7.5), Ajay Sheldon leads the way in steals (1.7) while JJ Kelly holds the top mark in total blocks (16).
Ohio is scoring 78.2 points per game while outscoring its opponents by 1.0 points per game. The Bobcats shoot .478 from the field while shooting .310 from beyond the arc and average 6.9 3-pointers per game. Ohio holds a .685 ft percentage while averaging 34.1 rebounds, 13.6 assists, 12.4 turnovers, 6.6 steals and 3.3 blocks per game.
The Bobcats rank 62nd in the NCAA in fg pct (.478).
Individually, Jackson Paveletzke ranks 78th in the NCAA in total assists (90), 84th in assists per game (4.7), 92nd in made fg (115), 97th in made ft (84), 86th in total points (336) and 94th in points per game (17.7). Aidan Hadaway ranks 99th in the NCAA in double-doubles (4), 92nd in made fg (115), 86th in total rebounds (149) and 77th in def rebounds (5.55). Javan Simmons ranks 72nd in ft attempts (119).
ON NATIONAL TV
The Zips are 1-1 this season in national televised games after falling to Purdue (Big Ten Network) and defeating Bowling Green (CBSSN).
Akron will be featured two more times on national television, with four wildcard dates to be possibly selected. Akron will be featured on CBSSN when they host Kent State (Jan. 30), while playing on ESPNU at Ohio (Jan. 23).Â
The remaining dates will be announced 21 days prior to the contests, which may affect five game dates for Akron, including two home games against UMass (Feb. 13) and NIU (March 6), as well as a pair of road games at Ball State (Feb. 20) and Kent State (Feb. 27).
Akron went 6-2 on the national stage in 2024-25 with wins at Bowling Green (71-68), against Ohio (92-80) at Kent State (85-71), against Kent State (77-72), against Toledo (100-90) and against Miami (OH) (76-74). The two defeats came at Ohio (84-67) and against Arizona (93-65).
ON THE ROAD
Akron is 3-2 in road contest this season, falling to No. 2/1 Purdue and (RV) Miami (OH) while defeating Tulane, Bowling Green and Buffalo.
The Zips were 8-4 on the road in 2024-25.
TOP 10 FOR ASSISTS AND CLIMBING
Tavari Johnson entered the top 10 for career assists with 10 assists against CMU (Jan. 6). Standing with 333 assists, Johnson needs 12 more to pass Andy Hipsher (2000-04) who is 7th all-time with 344 assists.
1K SCORING AS A ZIP AND CLIMBING
Tavari Johnson recorded his 1,000th career point wearing the Akron Blue and Gold against Concord on Dec. 29, 2025 with a 28 point performance. He became the 50th player in program history to record 1k points. Â
Johnson, who stands at 1,115 points, currently ranks as the 39th highest scorer in program history.
1KÂ POINTS, 300 ASSISTS
Tavari Johnson stands at 1,115 points and 333 assists in his time at Akron. He became the first player since Loren Cristian Jackson to record 1k points and at least 300 assists in his career as a Zip and just the eighth player all-time.
THE SENIOR CLASS: A WHOLE LOT OF WINNING
Akron's senior class has seen a great deal of success wearing the Blue and Gold. Since the 2022-23 season, the Zips have gone 89-33 (.729) overall and 49-12 (.803) in the MAC. Akron has also claimed the MAC Regular Season Title (2025) and MAC Tournament Title (2024+25) in that span as well.
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DISHING OUT DIMES
Ranking in the top 10 in assists per game in the NCAA (4th - 20.5), the Zips aren't afraid to share the rock. Akron has recorded 20 or more assists in 10 games with a season high 32 coming against PSU Shenango (Nov. 12). The most recent game with 20+ assists was at Buffalo (21) on Jan. 20, 2026.
The Zips are 10-0 this season when recording 20 or more assists and 37-0 with John Groce leading the Blue and Gold.
Akron is also one of the top teams in the country when it comes to assist-turnover ratio, ranking No. 6 (+1.91).
The Zips ranked 4th in the nation in assists per game (17.7) last season. The Blue and Gold recorded 20 or more assists in 15 games with a season high 28 coming against Ohio Wesleyan (11/8/24).Â
HIGH OCTANE OFFENSE
One of the nation's top scoring team's, Akron ranks in the top 10 in scoring offense (4th - 93.0). The Zips are 12-2 this season when scoring 85 or more points. The most recent game this season to feature 85 or more points was 104 against Western Michigan on Jan 17.Â
Akron scored 85 or more points in 19 games in 2024-25, were 19-0 when hitting that mark and finished ranked No.8 in the nation in scoring offense (84.0).
Under John Groce, Akron is 63-5 (.926) when scoring 85 or more points.
Ranking in the top 10 for made 3's per game (7th- 114), Akron has been one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the country the past couple of seasons. The Zips have made 10 or more 3pters in 13 games this season, with a season-high 20 falling against Western Michigan. Akron tied the program record for 3s in a game against the Broncos.
Akron is 12-2 this season when hitting 10 or more 3s and went 18-2 in during the 2024-25 season. Under the direction of John Groce, Akron is 100-22 (.819) when making 10 or more 3's.
Akron ranked 8th in the nation for made 3's per game in 2024-25 (10.7). The Blue and Gold hit 10 or more 3's in 20 games, 15 or more in six, while connecting on 19 3's against South Alabama (Feb. 8), which is the second most in program history.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Akron returns to the JAR to host Toledo on Tuesday, January 27, for a 7 p.m. start.
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