2024–25 Akron Zips men's basketball team
2024–25 Akron Zips men's basketball | |
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Conference | Mid-American Conference |
Record | 1–2 (0–0 MAC) |
Head coach |
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Associate head coach | Dustin Ford (8th season) |
Assistant coaches |
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Home arena | James A. Rhodes Arena |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Toledo | 0 | – | 0 | – | 3 | – | 1 | .750 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kent State | 0 | – | 0 | – | 2 | – | 1 | .667 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Central Michigan | 0 | – | 0 | – | 3 | – | 2 | .600 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eastern Michigan | 0 | – | 0 | – | 2 | – | 2 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Miami (OH) | 0 | – | 0 | – | 2 | – | 2 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling Green | 0 | – | 0 | – | 2 | – | 3 | .400 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Buffalo | 0 | – | 0 | – | 2 | – | 3 | .400 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Illinois | 0 | – | 0 | – | 2 | – | 3 | .400 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Michigan | 0 | – | 0 | – | 2 | – | 4 | .333 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Akron | 0 | – | 0 | – | 1 | – | 2 | .333 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ohio | 0 | – | 0 | – | 1 | – | 3 | .250 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ball State | 0 | – | 0 | – | 1 | – | 4 | .200 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
† 2025 MAC tournament winner As of November 20, 2024 |
The 2024–25 Akron Zips men's basketball team represents the University of Akron during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Zips, led by eighth-year head coach John Groce, play their home games at the James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio as members of the Mid-American Conference.
Previous season
[edit]The Zips finished the 2023–24 season 21–10, 13–5 in MAC play to finish in a tie for second place.[1] They defeated Miami (OH),[2] Ohio,[3] and Kent State to win the MAC tournament championship for the second time in three years and earn the MAC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.[4] In the NCAA tournament, they received the #14 seed in the Midwest Region,[5] where they would fall to #3 region seed Creighton in the First Round.[6]
Offseason
[edit]Departures
[edit]Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
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Greg Tribble | 2 | G | 6'3" | 195 | Senior | Cincinnati, Ohio | Graduated |
Kaleb Thornton | 3 | G | 6'0" | 175 | Senior | Bolingbrook, Illinois | Graduated |
Darrion Baker | 4 | F | 6'8" | 225 | Freshman | Chicago, Illinois | Transferred to SIU Edwardsville |
Ryan Prather Jr. | 10 | G | 6'5" | 205 | RS Freshman | Clarksburg, Maryland | Transferred to Robert Morris |
Sammy Hunter | 11 | W | 6'9" | 225 | Senior | Nassau, Bahamas | Graduated |
Mikal Dawson | 22 | W | 6'5" | 222 | Senior | Huntington, West Virginia | Transferred to Marshall |
Ali Ali | 24 | G | 6'8" | 205 | Senior | Kendallville, Indiana | Graduated |
Enrique Freeman | 25 | F | 6'7" | 206 | Senior | Cleveland, Ohio | Graduated; Drafted 50th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 2024 NBA draft |
Incoming transfers
[edit]Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous school |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Isaiah Gray | 13 | G | 6'3" | 220 | Senior | Brooklyn, New York | Cornell |
Seth Wilson | 14 | G | 6'2" | 220 | Senior | Lorain, Ohio | West Virginia |
Bowen Hardman | 15 | G | 6'3" | 220 | Junior | Cincinnati, Ohio | Ohio State |
Josiah Harris | 22 | W | 6'7" | 210 | Junior | Canton, Ohio | West Virginia |
James Okonkwo | 32 | F | 6'8" | 240 | Senior | Maidenhead, England | North Carolina |
Recruiting class
[edit]Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
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Rich Brisco F |
Brooklyn, New York | Hillcrest Prep | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | ||
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: N/A | ||||||
Sharron Young G |
Morgantown, West Virginia | Morgantown High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | ||
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: N/A | ||||||
Eric Mahaffey G |
Cincinnati, Ohio | Archbishop Moeller High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: N/A | ||||||
Conner Groce G |
Richfield, Ohio | Revere High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | ||
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: N/A | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: | ||||||
Sources:
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Preseason
[edit]On October 22, 2024 the MAC released the preseason coaches poll. Akron was picked to finish second in the MAC regular season and received 1 of the 12 first place votes.[7]
Preseason rankings
[edit]Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
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1 | Ohio | 121 (11) |
2 | Akron | 106 (1) |
3 | Kent State | 99 |
4 | Toledo | 95 |
5 | Bowling Green | 73 |
6 | Miami (OH) | 72 |
7 | Ball State | 67 |
8 | Central Michigan | 55 |
9 | Eastern Michigan | 36 |
10 | Western Michigan | 33 |
11 | Northern Illinois | 24 |
12 | Buffalo | 11 |
MAC Tournament Champions: Ohio (8), Kent State (3), Toledo (1)
Source[7]
Preseason All-MAC
[edit]Team | Player | Position | Year |
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Second | Isaiah Gray | Guard | Senior |
Source[7]
Roster
[edit]2024–25 Akron Zips men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster |
Schedule and results
[edit]Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Non-conference regular season | |||||||||||
November 4, 2024* 8:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Arkansas State MAC-SBC Challenge |
L 75–80 OT | 0–1 |
15 – Young | 12 – Okonkwo | 7 – Gray | First National Bank Arena (4,610) Jonesboro, AR | ||||
November 8, 2024* 7:00 pm |
Ohio Wesleyan | W 88–57 | 1–1 |
15 – Hardman | 8 – Lyles | 7 – Tied | James A. Rhodes Arena (2,154) Akron, OH | ||||
November 12, 2024* 10:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Saint Mary's | L 68–87 | 1–2 |
16 – Harris | 9 – Okonkwo | 4 – Tied | University Credit Union Pavilion (3,316) Moraga, CA | ||||
November 22, 2024* 6:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Lamar Akron Basketball Classic |
James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH | |||||||||
November 23, 2024* 4:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Omaha Akron Basketball Classic |
James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH | |||||||||
November 24, 2024* 3:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Alabama State Akron Basketball Classic |
James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH | |||||||||
December 3, 2024* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Northern Kentucky | James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH | |||||||||
December 7, 2024* 3:00 pm |
SUNY Brockport | James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH | |||||||||
December 15, 2024* 1:00 pm |
vs. Milwaukee MKE Tip-Off |
Fiserv Forum Milwaukee, WI | |||||||||
December 20, 2024* 7:00 pm |
vs. Yale Sun Bowl Invitational semifinals |
Don Haskins Center El Paso, TX | |||||||||
December 21, 2024* 7:00/9:00 pm |
vs. Jackson State/ at UTEP Sun Bowl Invitational |
Don Haskins Center El Paso, TX | |||||||||
December 30, 2024* 1:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Princeton | Jadwin Gymnasium Princeton, NJ | |||||||||
MAC regular season | |||||||||||
January 3, 2025 6:00 pm, CBSSN |
at Bowling Green | Stroh Center Bowling Green, OH | |||||||||
January 7, 2025 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Central Michigan | James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH | |||||||||
January 11, 2025 ESPN+ |
at Eastern Michigan | George Gervin GameAbove Center Ypsilanti, MI | |||||||||
January 14, 2025 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Toledo | James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH | |||||||||
January 17, 2025 6:00 pm, CBSSN |
Ohio | James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH | |||||||||
January 21, 2025 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Buffalo | Alumni Arena Amherst, NY | |||||||||
January 25, 2025 2:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Miami (OH) | James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH | |||||||||
January 28, 2025 8:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Northern Illinois | Convocation Center DeKalb, IL | |||||||||
January 31, 2025 7:00 pm, CBSSN |
at Kent State | MAC Center Kent, OH | |||||||||
February 4, 2025 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Ball State | James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH | |||||||||
February 11, 2025 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Western Michigan | James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH | |||||||||
February 15, 2025 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Central Michigan | McGuirk Arena Mount Pleasant, MI | |||||||||
February 18, 2025 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
Northern Illinois | James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH | |||||||||
February 22, 2025 2:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Ohio | Convocation Center Athens, OH | |||||||||
February 25, 2025 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Ball State | Worthen Arena Muncie, IN | |||||||||
March 1, 2025 ESPN+ |
Kent State | James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH | |||||||||
March 4, 2025 7:00 pm, ESPN+ |
at Toledo | Savage Arena Toledo, OH | |||||||||
March 7, 2025 ESPN+ |
Buffalo | James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH | |||||||||
MAC tournament | |||||||||||
March 13–15, 2025 ESPN+/CBSSN/ESPN2 |
vs. | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Cleveland, OH | |||||||||
References
[edit]- ^ "2023-24 Men's Basketball Standings". Mid-American Conference. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ "Enrique Freeman leads Akron men's basketball to MAC Tournament quarterfinal win over Miami". AOL. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ "Akron snaps out of slump to beat Ohio, advances to MAC tourney championship vs. Kent State". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ "Late mistake by Kent State allows Akron to pull out 62-61 win for MAC title, NCAA Tournament bid". AP News. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ "Latest bracket, schedule and scores for 2024 NCAA men's tournament". NCAA.com. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ "Creighton outmuscles Akron for 77-60 win in NCAA Tournament opener". Spectrum News Columbus. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c "MAC Announces 2024-25 Men's Basketball Preseason Poll & Teams". Mid-American Conference. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ "2024-25 Men's Basketball Schedule". University of Akron Athletics. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ "Akron Zips 2024-25 Regular Season NCAAM Schedule". ESPN. Retrieved November 17, 2024.