| Akron Zips men's basketball | |||||||||||||
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| University | University of Akron | ||||||||||||
| Athletic director | Charles Guthrie | ||||||||||||
| Head coach | John Groce (9th season) | ||||||||||||
| Conference | Mid-American | ||||||||||||
| Location | Akron, Ohio | ||||||||||||
| Arena | James A. Rhodes Arena (capacity: 5,500) | ||||||||||||
| Nickname | Zips | ||||||||||||
| Student section | AK-Rowdies | ||||||||||||
| Colors | Blue and gold[1] | ||||||||||||
| Uniforms | |||||||||||||
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| NCAA tournament runner-up | |||||||||||||
| NCAA Division II 1964, 1972 | |||||||||||||
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| Conference division regular-season champions | |||||||||||||
| 1998, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020 | |||||||||||||
TheAkron Zips men's basketball team represents theUniversity of Akron inAkron, Ohio. The team currently competes in theMid-American Conference East division. The Zips are currently coached by John Groce. Prior to becoming members of the MAC in 1992, the Zips were members of theOhio Valley Conference and theMid-Continent Conference. They had played inNCAA Division II into the mid 1970s, where they reached the National Championship Game twice, both of which they lost.
The Zips have appeared in theNCAA tournament seven times, most recently in 2025. The team first played in the NCAA tournament in1986 whenBob Huggins was its coach. In 2006, the Zips received an invitation to theNIT and won their first post season game atTemple University before falling in the second round. In 2007, the team won their second MAC East title and tied the school record for wins in a season in the Division I era with 26. They also made their first appearance in the MAC Tournament Championship game, which they lost on a last-second shot 53–52 to theMiami RedHawks. The loss cost them the MAC's automatic berth and they were subsequently not selected for either the2007 NCAA tournament orNIT, despite finishing with a 26–7 record. The Zips posted a 24–11 record (11–5 in the MAC) in 2008 which included a second-straight appearance in the MAC tournament championship game and a berth in the2008 National Invitation Tournament.
The team was established in 1901, when the school was still known as Buchtel College, playing out of Crouse Gym, the school's original building, built in 1888. They played their first game againstMount Union College, a 120–9 loss.[2] The team played just four games in the 1901–1902 season, winning their final two against theWestern Reserve College medical school. The team's first three seasons were spent without the benefit of a head coach. This changed with the arrival of the first head coach, Earl Williams, who would coach from 1904 to 1908.[2]
Growing too big for Crouse, the team began playing at the Akron Armory, just a few blocks off-campus, in the 1920s. The Zips began play in theOhio Athletic Conference in 1923 where they would compete from 1923 to 1965 except for 1936–1944 when the University left the OAC and competed as an independent. During their first season back in the OAC, Akron would unknowingly find themselves on the opposite end on what could be considered the first gambling scandal in college basketball history with five ofBrooklyn College's players being arrested in a failed attempt to throw a January 29, 1945 game against Akron.[3] In the OAC, Akron would win 8 conference titles and five tournament titles, three of them under legendary coach, Tony Laterza. In 1954 the Zips moved into their own on-campus home,Memorial Hall, located to the east of Crouse Gym.
After the 1965–1966 season Akron left the OAC for good and competed as an independent in the NCAA's College Division, which would later be renamedDivision II. When the NCAA divided into three divisions in 1973, the Zips would play one season inDivision III before moving to Division II, where they would play from 1975 to 1980. During the final three years as a Division II member, the Zips were part of an earlier Mid-Continent Conference for two years before joining theOhio Valley Conference for the 1979–1980 season (though they did not play conference games until the 1980–1981 season), their last in Division II.
The Zips participated in the NCAA Division II tournament on seven different occasions, making the Division II Final Four three times (1964, 1966, and 1972) and reaching the championship game in 1964 and 1972, falling toEvansville andRoanoke, respectively.[2] Coach Laterza's winning percentage at UA of .751 (178–59 from 1960 to 1968) remains best in the history of the program.
Akron attainedNCAA Division I status in 1980 and began play in theOhio Valley Conference that fall.[2] In 1983, the Zips moved into their current arena, theJames A. Rhodes Arena, just to the east of old Memorial Hall. In 1984Bob Huggins began coaching the team, leading the Zips to the 1986 OVC title and tournament title to gain their first berth in theNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament as a No. 15 seed, where they fell to the 5th-ranked and No. 2-seededMichigan Wolverines 70–64 in the first round. Akron would play one more season in the OVC and earn a berth in the 1987National Invitation Tournament before another stint as an independent from 1987 to 1990. Huggins would lead the Zips to the 1989 NIT before leaving Akron after the season to coach atCincinnati. Akron would rejoin theMid-Continent Conference in 1990 and compete for two seasons before officially beginning play in theMid-American Conference in 1992. The Zips struggled early on as members of the MAC including a disastrous 0–18 MAC season in 1995–1996 which saw the Zips finish the season 3–23 overall on a 21-game losing streak after a 3–1 start. Akron posted their first winning season in MAC play during the 1997–1998 season under coachDan Hipsher going 13–5 and winning the first MAC East division title and qualifying for theMAC tournament for the first time. The Zips posted winning MAC records in 1998–1999 and 1999–2000 before struggling for several seasons, ultimately leading to the dismissal of Hipsher and the hiring ofKeith Dambrot as head coach in 2004.[2]
Dambrot had previously coached at nearbySt. Vincent - St. Mary High School inAkron and had coachedLeBron James. Dambrot lead a resurgence in Zips basketball, posting a winning record (19–10, 11–7 MAC) in the 2004–2005 season, their first winning campaign since 2000, and a second MAC East division title in 2007. Under Dambrot, the Zips had won 21 or more games in each of the last 12 seasons (beginning in 2005–2006) and had made ten postseason appearances: the 2009, 2011, and 2013 NCAA tournament, the 2006, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2017 NIT, the 2010 CBI, and the 2014 CIT.[2] The 2006–2007 team tied the school record for wins, finishing 26–7, but failed to earn an invitation to any postseason tournament. In 2007, the Zips advanced to the MAC tournament championship game for the first time in program history, losing on a last-second shot 53–52 to theMiami RedHawks atQuicken Loans Arena inCleveland. They made a second appearance in 2008, falling to arch-rivalKent State 74–55. Finally, in 2009, the Zips defeated Buffalo in the MAC Championship Game and advanced to their first NCAA tournament in 23 years, falling to Gonzaga in Round One. The Zips fell to Ohio in the 2010 MAC Championship Game, but returned to beat Kent State in the 2011 MAC Championship Game (their 5th consecutive appearance in the title game) to advance to the NCAA tournament for the 2nd time in 3 seasons.[2] Dambrot left the Zips to take a head coaching position atDuquesne University.
Groce had coached at theUniversity of Illinois since 2012 before being hired as the Head coach for the Zips. TheZips had a rough start adjusting to their new head coach, finishing 14-18 overall on the season and losing toEastern Michigan in the Quarterfinals of the MAC tournament 58-67. During the 2019-2020 season theZips finally caught their stride with Groce at the helm finishing the season with a record of 24-7, the best since Groce began his tenure. However, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic the MAC tournament was cancelled and no conference champion was crowned.[6]
| Season | Overall record* | MAC tournament record | Postseason record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coleman Crawford (1992–1995) | |||
| 1992–93 | 8–18 (3–15) | Did not qualify | – |
| 1993–94 | 8–18 (2–16) | Did not qualify | – |
| 1994–95 | 8–18 (4–14) | Did not qualify | – |
| Dan Hipsher (1995–2004) | |||
| 1995–96 | 3–23 (0–18) | Did not qualify | – |
| 1996–97 | 8–18 (6–12) | Did not qualify | – |
| 1997–98 | 17–10 (13–5) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – |
| 1998–99 | 18–9 (12–6) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – |
| 1999-00 | 17–11 (11–7) | 0–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – |
| 2000–01 | 12–16 (9–9) | 0–1; Lost in first round | – |
| 2001–02 | 10–21 (5–13) | 1–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – |
| 2002–03 | 14–14 (9–9) | 0–1; Lost in first round | – |
| 2003–04 | 13–15 (7–11) | 0–1; Lost in first round | – |
| Keith Dambrot (2004–2017) | |||
| 2004–05 | 19–10 (11–7) | 1–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – |
| 2005–06 | 23–10 (14–4) | 1–1; Lost in semifinal | 1–1;NIT second round |
| 2006–07 | 26–7 (13–3) | 2–1; Lost in final | – |
| 2007–08 | 24–11 (11–5) | 2–1; Lost in Final | 1–1;NIT second round |
| 2008–09 | 23–13 (10–6) | 4–0; Won tournament | 0–1;NCAA tournament first round |
| 2009–10 | 24–11 (12–4) | 2–1; Lost in final | 0–1CBI first round |
| 2010–11 | 23–13 (9–7) | 4–0; Won tournament | 0–1;NCAA tournament first round |
| 2011–12 | 21–12 (13–3) | 1–1; Lost in final | 0–1;NIT first round |
| 2012–13 | 26–7 (14–2)† | 2–0; Won tournament | 0–1;NCAA tournament first round |
| 2013–14 | 21–13 (12–6) | 1–1; Lost in semifinals | 0–1;CIT first round |
| 2014–15 | 21–14 (9–9) | 3–1; Lost in semifinals | – |
| 2015–16 | 26–9 (13–5) | 2–1; Lost in final | 0–1;NIT first round |
| 2016–17 | 24–7 (14–4) | 2–1; Lost in final | 1–1;NIT second round |
| John Groce (2017–Present) | |||
| 2017–18 | 14–18 (6–12) | 1–1; Lost in quarterfinal | – |
| 2018–19 | 17–16 (8–10) | 1-1; Lost in quarterfinal | – |
| 2019–20 | 24–7 (14–4) | – | – |
| 2020–21 | 15–8 (12–6) | 1–1; Lost in semifinals | – |
| 2021–22 | 24–10 (14–6) | 3–0; Won tournament | 0–1;NCAA tournament first round |
| 2022–23 | 22-11 (13-5) | 1–1; Lost in semifinals | – |
| 2023–24 | 24–10 (13–5) | 3–0; Won tournament | 0–1;NCAA tournament first round |
| 2024–25 | 28-6 (17–1) | 3–0; Won tournament | 0-1;NCAA tournament first round |
* –Tournament Titles shaded in██ dark gold. Regular-Season Titles shaded in██ light gold.East Division Titles shaded in██ light blue.
* – Overall record includes tournament/postseason results; Regular season conference record contained in parentheses.
* –† Indicates regular-season and tournament title.
Since joining the MAC for the 1992–1993 season, the Zips have appeared in the last 23conference tournaments, making their first appearance in 1998, the same year they won their first MAC East division title.[7] Since then they have posted a record of 30–19 in tournament play including consecutive appearances in the championship game between 2007 and 2013 for which is the current record for consecutive appearances. Additionally, they also hold the record for best winning percentage in the MAC Tournament at 0.612.[8]
| Year | Seed | Location | Round | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 3rd | Akron, OH | Quarterfinal | L 95–88 to (6)Kent State |
| 1999 | 4th | Akron, OH | Quarterfinal | L 80–74OT (5)Bowling Green |
| 2000 | 4th | Akron, OH | Opening | L 75–73 to (13)Central Michigan |
| 2001 | 9th | Oxford, OH | Opening | L 69–56 to (8)Miami |
| 2002 | 11th | Kalamazoo, MI | Opening | W 90–83 over (6)Western Michigan |
| Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | L 60–58 to (3)Bowling Green | ||
| 2003 | 6th | Akron, OH | Opening | L 79–77 to (11)Ohio |
| 2004 | 11th | Muncie, IN | Opening | L 76–72 to (6)Ball State |
| 2005 | 6th | Akron, OH | Opening | W 79–66 over (11)Eastern Michigan |
| Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | L 66–60OT to (3)Western Michigan | ||
| 2006 | 3rd | Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | W 72–57 over (6)Western Michigan |
| Semifinal | L 77–69 to (7)Toledo | |||
| 2007 | 2nd | Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | W 82–53 over (7)Central Michigan |
| Semifinal | W 61–54 over (3)Kent State | |||
| Final | L 53–52 to (4)Miami (OH) | |||
| 2008 | 3rd | Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | W 81–60 over (6)Central Michigan |
| Semifinal | W 73–62 over (2)Western Michigan | |||
| Final | L 74–55 to (1)Kent State | |||
| 2009 | 5th | Cleveland, OH | Opening | W 93–922OT over (12)Toledo |
| Quarterfinal | W 73–63 over (4)Miami | |||
| Semifinal | W 63–55 over (1)Bowling Green | |||
| Final | W 65–53 over (3)Buffalo | |||
| 2010 | 3rd | Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | W 97–892OT over (6)Eastern Michigan |
| Semifinal | W 66–64 over (7)Western Michigan | |||
| Final | L 81–75OT to (9)Ohio | |||
| 2011 | 6th | Akron, OH | Opening | W 67–53 over (11)Eastern Michigan |
| Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | W 82–752OT over (3)Miami | ||
| Semifinal | W 79–68 over (2)Western Michigan | |||
| Final | W 66–65OT over (1)Kent State | |||
| 2012 | 1st | Cleveland, OH | Semifinal | W 78–74 over (4)Kent State |
| Final | L 64–63 to (3)Ohio | |||
| 2013 | 1st | Cleveland, OH | Semifinal | W 62–59 over (4)Kent State |
| Final | W 65–46 to (2)Ohio | |||
| 2014 | 4th | Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | W 83–77 over (5)Ohio |
| Semifinal | L 64–60OT to (1)Western Michigan | |||
| 2015 | 7th | Akron, OH | First Round | W 76–52 over (10)Northern Illinois |
| Cleveland OH | Second Round | W 58–45 over (6)Western Michigan | ||
| Quarterfinal | W 53–51 over (3)Kent State | |||
| Semifinal | L 68–59 to (2)Buffalo | |||
| 2016 | 1st | Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | W 65–63 over (8)Eastern Michigan |
| Semifinal | W 80–66 over (12)Bowling Green | |||
| Final | L 64–61 to (3)Buffalo | |||
| 2017 | 1st | Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | W 79–62 over (8)Eastern Michigan |
| Semifinal | W 74–70 over (4)Ball State | |||
| Final | L 70–65 to (6)Kent State | |||
| 2018 | 11th | Kalamazoo, MI | Opening | W 79–78 over (6)Western Michigan |
| Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | L 67–58 to (3)Eastern Michigan | ||
| 2019 | 8th | Akron, OH | Opening | W 80–51 over (9)Miami |
| Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | L 82–46 to (1) No. 18Buffalo | ||
| 2020 | 1st | Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | – |
| 2021 | 8th | Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | W 74–67 over (6)Bowling Green |
| Semifinal | L 81–74OT to (2)Buffalo | |||
| 2022 | 4th | Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | W 70–68 over (5)Buffalo |
| Semifinal | W 70–62 over (1)Toledo | |||
| Final | W 75–55 over (2)Kent State | |||
| 2023 | 3rd | Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | W 101–77 over (6)Buffalo |
| Semifinal | L 79–73 to (2)Kent State | |||
| 2024 | 2nd | Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | W 75–63 over (7)Miami |
| Semifinal | W 65–62 over (3)Ohio | |||
| Final | W 62–61 over (8)Kent State | |||
| 2025 | 1st | Cleveland, OH | Quarterfinal | W 96-67 over (8)Bowling Green |
| Semifinal | W 100-90 over (3)Toledo | |||
| Final | W 76-74 over (2)Miami | |||
| Totals: 12 finals appearances, 6 championships, 41–21 record in tournament | ||||
The Zips have appeared in sevenNCAA tournaments. Their combined record is 0–7.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | #15 | First Round | #2Michigan | L 64–70 |
| 2009 | #13 | First Round | #4Gonzaga | L 64–77 |
| 2011 | #15 | First Round | #2Notre Dame | L 56–69 |
| 2013 | #12 | First Round | #5VCU | L 42–88 |
| 2022 | #13 | First Round | #4UCLA | L 53–57 |
| 2024 | #14 | First Round | #3Creighton | L 60–77 |
| 2025 | #13 | First Round | #4Arizona | L 65–93 |
The Zips appeared in eightNCAA Division II men's basketball tournaments. Their combined record was 19–8.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | First Round Sweet Sixteen | Austin Peay Evansville | W 76–61 L 70–82 |
| 1964 | Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | Ithaca Le Moyne Hofstra North Carolina A&T Evansville | W 94–77 W 62–38 W 77–58 W 57–48 L 59–72 |
| 1965 | First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | Steubenville Buffalo St. Michael's | W 72–70 W 69–58 L 87–101 |
| 1966 | Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Third Place Game | Youngstown State Steubenville Long Island Kentucky Wesleyan North Dakota | W 70–51 W 93–76 W 74–68 L 74–105 W 76–71 |
| 1967 | First Round Sweet Sixteen | Mount St. Mary's Winston-Salem | W 98–72 L 80–88 |
| 1971 | First Round Regional Third Place | Cheyney Wooster | L 89–100 W 77–68 |
| 1972 | Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | Philadelphia U Youngstown State Southern Colorado Tennessee State Roanoke | W 54–52 W 87–71 W 92–77 W 71–69 (OT) L 72–84 |
| 1975 | Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | Eastern Illinois St. Joseph's (IN) Tennessee State | W 76–62 W 58–52 L 69–72 |
The Zips have appeared in sevenNational Invitation Tournaments. Their combined record is 3–7.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | NA | First Round | Illinois State | L 79–72 |
| 1989 | NA | First Round | Ohio State | L 81–70 |
| 2006 | #8 | Opening Round First Round | #7Temple #2Creighton | W 80–73 L 71–60 |
| 2008 | #6 | First Round Second Round | #3Florida State #2UMass | W 65–60 L 68–63 |
| 2012 | #5 | First Round | #4Northwestern | L 76–74 |
| 2016 | #6 | First Round | #3Ohio State | L 72–63OT |
| 2017 | #7 | First Round Second Round | #2Houston #6UT Arlington | W 78–75 L 85–69 |
Note: Beginning in 2006, the NIT began using a seeding and region system similar to what is used in the NCAA tournament.
The Zips have appeared in oneCollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Their record is 0–1.
| Year | Location | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Fort Wayne, IN | First Round | IPFW | L 97–91 |
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| All-America[9] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Year | Team |
| Len Paul | 1972 | 1st Team AP |
| Romeo Travis | 2007 | Honorable Mention |
| Isaiah Johnson | 2017 | Honorable Mention |
| Enrique Freeman | 2024 | Honorable Mention |
| Academic All-America | ||
| Nate Schindewolf | 2001 | Second Team |
These records are up to date as of the 2023-2024 season.[10]
Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocked shots |
The following former Akron players were selected in theNBA draft:
