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2024–25 Akron Zips men's basketball team

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The 2024–25 Akron Zips men's basketball team represented 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, played their home games at the James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio as members of the Mid-American Conference.

ConferenceMid-American Conference
Record28–7 (17–1 MAC)
Headcoach
Associate headcoachDustin Ford (8th season)
Quick facts Akron Zips men's basketball, MAC regular season & tournament champions ...
2024–25 Akron Zips men's basketball
NCAA tournament, First Round
ConferenceMid-American Conference
Record28–7 (17–1 MAC)
Head coach
Associate head coachDustin Ford (8th season)
Assistant coaches
  • Robby Pridgen (8th season)
  • Mike Allen (1st season)
  • Jon Ekey (1st season)
  • Devan Morrow (1st season)
Home arenaJames A. Rhodes Arena
Seasons
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More information Conf., Overall ...
2024–25 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Akron †17–1 .94428–7  .800
Miami (OH)14–4 .77825–9  .735
Kent State11–7 .61124–12  .667
Toledo10–8 .55618–15  .545
Ohio10–8 .55616–16  .500
Western Michigan9–9 .50012–20  .375
Eastern Michigan9–9 .50016–16  .500
Bowling Green8–10 .44414–18  .438
Ball State7–11 .38914–17  .452
Central Michigan7–11 .38914–17  .452
Buffalo4–14 .2229–22  .290
Northern Illinois2–16 .1116–25  .194
† 2025 MAC tournament winner
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They won the MAC with a 17–1 record and the MAC tournament[1][2] As a 13 seed, they lost their first round matchup in the NCAA tournament to Arizona.[3]

Previous season

The Zips finished the 2023–24 season 24–11, 13–5 in MAC play to finish in a tie for second place.[4] They defeated Miami (OH),[5] Ohio,[6] 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.[7] In the NCAA tournament, they received the #14 seed in the Midwest Region,[8] where they would fall to #3 region seed Creighton in the First Round.[9]

Offseason

Departures

More information Name, Number ...
Departures
Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for departure
Greg Tribble2G6'3"195SeniorCincinnati, OhioGraduated
Kaleb Thornton3G6'0"175SeniorBolingbrook, IllinoisGraduated
Darrion Baker4F6'8"225FreshmanChicago, IllinoisTransferred to SIU Edwardsville
Ryan Prather Jr.10G6'5"205RS FreshmanClarksburg, MarylandTransferred to Robert Morris
Sammy Hunter11W6'9"225SeniorNassau, BahamasGraduated
Mikal Dawson22W6'5"222SeniorHuntington, West VirginiaTransferred to Marshall
Ali Ali24G6'8"205SeniorKendallville, IndianaGraduated
Enrique Freeman25F6'7"206SeniorCleveland, OhioGraduated; Drafted 50th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 2024 NBA draft
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Incoming transfers

More information Name, Number ...
Incoming transfers
Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous school
Isaiah Gray13G6'3"220SeniorBrooklyn, New YorkCornell
Seth Wilson14G6'2"220SeniorLorain, OhioWest Virginia
Bowen Hardman15G6'3"220JuniorCincinnati, OhioOhio State
Josiah Harris22W6'7"210JuniorCanton, OhioWest Virginia
James Okonkwo32F6'8"240SeniorMaidenhead, EnglandNorth Carolina
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Recruiting class

More information Name, Hometown ...
College recruiting
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
Rich Brisco
F		 Brooklyn, New York Hillcrest Prep 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 230 lb (100 kg)  
Recruit ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    (N/A)
Sharron Young
G		 Morgantown, West Virginia Morgantown High School 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg)  
Recruit ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    (N/A)
Eric Mahaffey
G		 Cincinnati, Ohio Archbishop Moeller High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg)  
Recruit ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    (N/A)
Conner Groce
G		 Richfield, Ohio Revere High School 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 165 lb (75 kg)  
Recruit ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    (N/A)
Overall recruit ranking:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2024 Team Ranking". Rivals.
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Preseason

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.[10]

Preseason rankings

More information Predicted finish, Team ...
MAC preseason poll
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1Ohio121 (11)
2Akron106 (1)
3Kent State99
4Toledo95
5Bowling Green73
6Miami (OH)72
7Ball State67
8Central Michigan55
9Eastern Michigan36
10Western Michigan33
11Northern Illinois24
12Buffalo11
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MAC Tournament Champions: Ohio (8), Kent State (3), Toledo (1)

Source[10]

Preseason All-MAC

More information Team, Player ...
Preseason All-MAC teams
Team Player Position Year
Second Isaiah Gray Guard Senior
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Source[10]

Roster

More information Players, Coaches ...
2024–25 Akron Zips men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
F 0 Amani Lyles 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)235 lb (107 kg) JrBeechcroft High School Columbus, Ohio
G 1 Shammah Scott 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)195 lb (88 kg) SrWichita State Cleveland, Ohio
F 2 Rich Brisco 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)230 lb (104 kg) FrHillcrest Prep Brooklyn, New York
G 3 Sharron Young 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)160 lb (73 kg) FrMorgantown High School Morgantown, West Virginia
G 4 Eric Mahaffey 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)190 lb (86 kg) FrArchbishop Moeller High School Cincinnati, Ohio
G 5 Tavari Johnson 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)160 lb (73 kg) JrLyons High School Chicago, Illinois
G 11 Conner Groce 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)165 lb (75 kg) FrRevere High School Richfield, Ohio
G 13 Isaiah Gray 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)220 lb (100 kg) SrCornell Brooklyn, New York
G 14 Seth Wilson 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)220 lb (100 kg) SrWest Virginia Lorain, Ohio
G 15 Bowen Hardman 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg) JrOhio State Cincinnati, Ohio
G 20 Evan Wilson 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)195 lb (88 kg) SrNoblesville High School Noblesville, Indiana
G/F 21 Zach Halligan 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)203 lb (92 kg) SoWalsh Jesuit High School Uniontown, Ohio
G/F 22 Josiah Harris 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)210 lb (95 kg) JrWest Virginia Canton, Ohio
G/F 23 Marvin Musiime-Kamali 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)195 lb (88 kg) RS FrCushing Academy Brockton, Massachusetts
F 32 James Okonkwo 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)240 lb (109 kg) SrNorth Carolina Maidenhead, England
G 34 Nate Johnson 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)205 lb (93 kg) RS JrLakota East High School Liberty Township, Ohio
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: November 17, 2024

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Schedule and results

More information Date time, TV, Rank# ...
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		 W 79–72  2–2
  17 – T. Johnson  11 – Lyles  4 – T. Johnson  James A. Rhodes Arena (1,775)
Akron, OH
November 23, 2024*
4:00 pm, ESPN+		 Omaha
Akron Basketball Classic		 W 92–84  3–2
  18 – Johnson  6 – Lyles  9 – T. Johnson  James A. Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
November 24, 2024*
3:00 pm, ESPN+		 Alabama State
Akron Basketball Classic		 W 97–78  4–2
  25 – N. Johnson  10 – Tied  4 – Tied  James A. Rhodes Arena (1,589)
Akron, OH
December 3, 2024*
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 Northern Kentucky W 86–73  5–2
  27 – T. Johnson  7 – Harris  5 – T. Johnson  James A. Rhodes Arena (1,578)
Akron, OH
December 7, 2024*
3:00 pm		 SUNY Brockport W 101–48  6–2
  20 – Hardman  16 – Okonkwo  5 – Young  James A. Rhodes Arena (1,560)
Akron, OH
December 15, 2024*
1:00 pm, ESPN+		 vs. Milwaukee
MKE Tip-Off		 L 81–100  6–3
  22 – T. Johnson  6 – N. Johnson  4 – N. Johnson  Fiserv Forum 
Milwaukee, WI
December 20, 2024*
7:00 pm, YouTube		 vs. Yale
Sun Bowl Invitational semifinals		 L 58–74  6–4
  23 – T. Johnson  6 – Lyles  4 – N. Johnson  Don Haskins Center 
El Paso, TX
December 21, 2024*
7:00 pm, YouTube		 vs. Jackson State
Sun Bowl Invitational 3rd place game		 W 68–50  7–4
  12 – Scott  16 – Okonkwo  6 – N. Johnson  Don Haskins Center 
El Paso, TX
December 30, 2024*
1:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Princeton L 75–76  7–5
  17 – N. Johnson  10 – Okonkwo  2 – Tied  Jadwin Gymnasium (2,677)
Princeton, NJ
MAC regular season
January 3, 2025
6:00 pm, CBSSN		 at Bowling Green W 71–68  8–5
(1–0)		  17 – Young  9 – Okonkwo  5 – T. Johnson  Stroh Center (2,892)
Bowling Green, OH
January 7, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 Central Michigan W 87–71  9–5
(2–0)		  18 – Wilson  8 – Okonkwo  4 – Tied  James A. Rhodes Arena (1,597)
Akron, OH
January 11, 2025
3:30 pm, ESPN+		 at Eastern Michigan W 105–81  10–5
(3–0)		  17 – Okonkwo  7 – Musiime-Kamali  10 – T. Johnson  George Gervin GameAbove Center (2,540)
Ypsilanti, MI
January 14, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 Toledo W 85–78  11–5
(4–0)		  28 – N. Johnson  9 – N. Johnson  9 – T. Johnson  James A. Rhodes Arena (2,011)
Akron, OH
January 17, 2025
6:00 pm, CBSSN		 Ohio W 92–80  12–5
(5–0)		  22 – Gray  8 – N. Johnson  6 – Lyles  James A. Rhodes Arena (2,830)
Akron, OH
January 21, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Buffalo W 90–58  13–5
(6–0)		  20 – T. Johnson  9 – N. Johnson  5 – T. Johnson  Alumni Arena (1,021)
Amherst, NY
January 25, 2025
2:00 pm, ESPN+		 Miami (OH) W 102–75  14–5
(7–0)		  15 – T. Johnson  9 – S. Scott  15 – T. Johnson  James A. Rhodes Arena (2,834)
Akron, OH
January 28, 2025
8:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Northern Illinois W 80–70  15–5
(8–0)		  21 – T. Johnson  11 – Gray  4 – T. Johnson  Convocation Center (1,059)
DeKalb, IL
January 31, 2025
7:00 pm, CBSSN		 at Kent State W 85–71  16–5
(9–0)		  20 – N. Johnson  13 – J. Okonkwo  5 – T. Johnson  MAC Center (6,327)
Kent, OH
February 4, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 Ball State W 81–73  17–5
(10–0)		  18 – S. Young  6 – J. Okonkwo  6 – S. Scott  James A. Rhodes Arena (1,883)
Akron, OH
February 8, 2025*
2:00 p.m., ESPN+		 South Alabama
MAC-SBC Challenge		 W 80–65  18–5
  20 – T. Johnson  10 – J. Okonkwo  10 – N. Johnson  James A. Rhodes Arena (1,505)
Akron, OH
February 11, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 Western Michigan W 105–92  19–5
(11–0)		  22 – N. Johnson  9 – J. Okonkwo  3 – N. Johnson  James A. Rhodes Arena (1,380)
Akron, OH
February 15, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Central Michigan W 85–82  20–5
(12–0)		  18 – N. Johnson  7 – N. Johnson  6 – I. Gray  McGuirk Arena (2,057)
Mount Pleasant, MI
February 18, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 Northern Illinois W 73–63  21–5
(13–0)		  15 – T. Johnson  8 – N. Johnson  4 – S. Scott  James A. Rhodes Arena (3,472)
Akron, OH
February 22, 2025
6:00 pm, ESPN2		 at Ohio L 67–84  21–6
(13–1)		  17 – A. Lyles  6 – I. Gray  7 – S. Scott  Convocation Center (6,740)
Athens, OH
February 25, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Ball State W 87–82  22–6
(14–1)		  21 – T. Johnson  9 – N. Johnson  5 – S. Scott  Worthen Arena (3,210)
Muncie, IN
February 28, 2025
9:00 p.m., ESPN2		 Kent State W 77–72  23–6
(15–1)		  16 – T. Johnson  10 – N. Johnson  4 – N. Johnson  James A. Rhodes Arena (4,967)
Akron, OH
March 4, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Toledo W 96–87  24–6
(16–1)		  16 – S. Scott  9 – A. Lyles  5 – S. Scott  Savage Arena (4,145)
Toledo, OH
March 7, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 Buffalo W 88–70  25–6
(17–1)		  14 – Tied  11 – J. Okonkwo  5 – T. Johnson  James A. Rhodes Arena (2,391)
Akron, OH
MAC Tournament
March 13, 2025
11:00 am, ESPN+		 (1) vs. (8) Bowling Green
Quarterfinals		 W 96–67  26–6
  17 – B. Hardman  8 – J. Okonkwo  7 – T. Johnson  Rocket Arena (8,737)
Cleveland, OH
March 14, 2025
5:00 pm, CBSSN		 (1) vs. (4) Toledo
Semifinals		 W 100–90  27–6
  31 – N. Johnson  9 – A. Lyles  6 – N. Johnson  Rocket Arena (15,476)
Cleveland, OH
March 15, 2025
7:40 pm, ESPN2		 (1) vs. (2) Miami (OH)
Championship		 W 76–74  28–6
  22 – N. Johnson  14 – Lyles  5 – N. Johnson  Rocket Arena (7,099)
Cleveland, OH
NCAA Tournament
March 21, 2025
7:35 pm, TruTV		 (13 E) vs. (4 E) No. 21 Arizona
First round		 L 65–93  28–7
  13 – Tied  4 – Tied  4 – A. Lyles  Climate Pledge Arena (16,978)
Seattle,WA
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
E=East.
All times are in Eastern.
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Sources:[11][12]

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