Ohio (11-9 overall, 5-3 Mid-American Conference) returned to The Convo Tuesday night and won a heated battle against Northern Illinois and will hope to carry some momentum into Friday night's contest against Akron (15-4 overall, 6-1 MAC).
The Zips have challenged Ohio over the past couple of seasons, winning five of the last eight games between the two programs, including a 65-62 victory in the conference tournament two years ago. Thankfully for the Bobcats, they will have one thing to fall back on: home court advantage. The last three wins they have over Akron have come in The Convo, a positive sign for Friday’s game.
Akron is led by head coach John Groce, who is in his ninth year with the Zips. Before taking the job in 2017, Groce had two other coaching tenures. First, with Ohio, where he led them to two conference title wins in four seasons. Later, he was hired by Illinois for four years, which included one trip to the NCAA Tournament, but his biggest successes have come with coaching the Zips.
While at Akron, Groce and the Zips have won two MAC regular season titles, three conference titles and three trips to the NCAA tournament. Akron has started this season well again and currently sits second in the MAC standings, while the Bobcats are in fourth place and look to shake things up with a win on Friday.
Ohio needed that win over the Huskies on Tuesday but still has some things to iron out before taking the floor Friday night. The big issue is fouls, especially technical fouls. The Bobcats need to play with emotion and energy, but these big slowdowns can have repercussions for team momentum, something the Zips will take full advantage of if they get the chance.
The Bobcats did a lot of things well against Northern Illinois. They forced 17 turnovers and turned them into 23 points of their own. They also shot the ball well from three-point range, a skill that has lacked a bit throughout the year but was a key piece to the win Tuesday. The final element of the win that needs to carry over for Ohio is a continued bench production, scoring 14 and giving the starters some much-needed rest.
Game Information
Location: The Convocation Center (Athens, Ohio)
Opponent: Akron
Time: Friday 8 p.m.
Where to Watch: ESPN U
Follow live stats here
Head Coach: John Groce (9th Season)
Projected Starters:
#00 Amani Lyles
#01 Shammah Scott
#05 Tavari Johnson
#12 Evan Mahaffey
#15 Bowen Hardman
Statistical Leaders:
Points: Johnson (20.1 per game)
Assists: Johnson (5.7 per game)
Rebounds: Lyles (7.5 per game)
Steals: Mahaffey (1.9 per game)
FG%: Chabi Barre (78.9%)
3-Point percentage: Lyles (43.8%)
Akron player to watch: Tavari Johnson
Johnson, a fourth-year player and second-year starter, has taken a huge jump in production this season. He leads them in both scoring and passing this season, but the skill that flies under the radar is game management. Groce leaves the ball in his hands in late-game situations, and his efficiency is a big reason why. He shoots 53.6% from the field, and on top of that, is a key factor in sealing wins, shooting 90.7% from the free-throw line.
