The Akron Zips (17-5) have shocked the mid-major basketball world with a dominant 10-0 start to begin conference play.
This year was thought to be a rebuilding year for the Akron program. In 2024, they made March Madness and put up a good fight against Creighton but ultimately fell short in the first round. Enrique Freeman, who tied the record for most double-doubles in a single season of college hoops, led Akron last season. Freeman managed to impress at the NBA combine, and the Indiana Pacers selected him 55th overall. They lost several more starters, too, including Greg Tribble Jr. and Ali Ali, who are both playing professionally overseas. With so many starters lost, many people outside the program wrote this season off as a rebuilding season. But not inside the program. And certainly not John Groce.
John Groce was quick to get active in the transfer portal. He brought in key transfers such as Seth Wilson from WVU, Bowen Hardman from OSU and Isiah Gray from Cornell. All of these transfers had something to prove. Groce also brought in another key addition straight out of high school. Guard Sharron Young was the Gatorade West Virginia High School Player of the Year. He led his high school team to the state championship, and Groce saw a lot of potential within him.
While the transfer portal provided depth, the core of this year’s team was already in place but needed to prove they could compete at a high level. Third-year players Tavari Johnson, Nate Johnson and Amani Lyles had been developing in Groce’s system, waiting for their opportunity to shine. Nate Johnson, an athletic standout, excels at attacking the rim. Tavari Johnson is a shifty point guard with exceptional playmaking ability, and Lyles has emerged as a defensive anchor. Their growth has been instrumental in the Zips’ success.
The Zips have become something special with the combination of returning developing players and transfers looking for something to prove. Groce has his team playing with a 10-deep rotation and is one of the best teams in the country in terms of bench points. He has created a team where anyone can be the No. 1 option any night. Against Ball State, Shammah Scott and Sharron Young were coming off the bench. Against their rival Kent State, it was Tavari Johnson and Nate Johnson who led the way. In total, the team has had nine different leading scorers throughout the season.
After their victory over Ball State, Groce addressed how, despite all of the roster turnover, they got to the point where they are 10-0 in the MAC for the first time in 13 years.
“Well, I just know that we are 1-0 tonight,” he said. “I think that’s part of the way we have gotten here, not getting too far ahead of ourselves.”
There is a lot more season to come for the Zips, and they are taking it one game at a time. With their depth, versatility and one-game-at-a-time mentality, the Zips are poised to make noise not just in the MAC, but potentially on the national stage
