# 2024–25 Akron Zips men's basketball team

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

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

## Offseason
### Departures

Departures :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| 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

Incoming transfers :
| 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

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight |
| Rich Brisco F | Brooklyn, New York | Hillcrest Prep | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: N/A ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, 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.com. ||||||

## 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.

### Preseason rankings

MAC preseason poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 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

### Preseason All-MAC

Preseason All-MAC teams :
| Team | Player | Position | Year |
| Second | Isaiah Gray | Guard | Senior |
Source

## Schedule and results

| 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 | | | | | | Climate Pledge Arena Seattle,WA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. E=East. All times are in Eastern. |||||||||
Sources: