Two teams with strong offensive profiles meet when (13) Akron faces (4) Arizona on Friday at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle as part of the East Regional. It is the first-ever meeting between the two.
Akron (28-6) is competing in the NCAA tournament for the seventh time, with the most recent appearance in 2022.
The Zips earned the automatic NCAA bid with a 76-74 win over Miami (OH) in the Mid-American Conference tournament championship. Nate Johnson, a 6-foot-3 redshirt junior, won the game on a buzzer-beating layup. Johnson, who scored 22 points in the championship game, was an all-tournament selection, while Akron’s 5-foot-11 junior Tavari Johnson was named the tournament MVP after averaging 14.6 points in three games.
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Nate Johnson became the first player in Akron history to be named both the MAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. Akron’s leading scorer, Nate is averaging 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.7 steals. He is shooting .306 from three-point range and .797 from the foul line.
Tavari Johnson averages 13 points and 3.9 assists. Both Nate and Tavari Johnson were first-team all-MAC selections. Senior guard Isaiah Gray (9.6 PPG) was a third-team selection.
The leading rebounder is 6-foot-8 senior James Okonkwo (7.3). Okonkwo also averages 7.0 points.
This is a balanced Akron attack taking on Arizona, with 10 players averaging between six and 14 points with the 10 averaging between 18 and 30 minutes per game.
Akron coach John Groce was named the MAC Coach of the Year after guiding the Zips to the regular-season MAC title with a 17-1 record, three games ahead of second-place Miami (OH).
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Arizona (22-11) lost to Houston, 72-64, in the Big 12 tournament championship game. Head coach Tommy Lloyd has guided the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament in each of his four seasons.
Fifth-year guard Caleb Love, who played in the 2022 NCAA title game with North Carolina when the Tar Heels lost 72-69 to Kansas, is averaging a team-leading 16.6 points. The 6-foot-4 Love shoots .323 from three-point range and .885 from the foul line. He also averages 3.4 assists. He was a first-team All-Big 12 selection.
Love will look to bounce back from a subpar Big 12 title game performance when scored 19 points in 39 minutes, but shot 7 for 19 from the field, including 2 of 9 from deep.
Arizona’s other key players are 6-3 junior Jaden Bradley (11.8 ppg., 3.6 apg.), 6-4 sophomore KJ Lewis (10.9 ppg.), 7-0 redshirt sophomore Henri Veesaar (9.5 ppg., 5.0 rpg., 1.1 blocks), 6-6 fifth-year Trey Townsend (8.3 ppg.), 6-8 junior Tobe Awaka (8.2 ppg., 7.8 rpg.) and 6-6 junior Anthony Dell’Orso (7.1 ppg., .404 three-point percentage).
Awaka and Veesaar were honorable mention All-Big 12 selections.
Akron vs. Arizona Odds
Arizona is a 14.5-point college basketball betting favorite vs. Akron on BetMGM with the Over/Under at 166.5 points.
The moneyline for Arizona is -1200 and +725 for Akron.
Akron vs. Arizona Channel
The game between Akron and Arizona will be on truTV.
Friday’s tipoff is expected shortly after 7:30 p.m. ET.
Akron vs. Arizona Prediction
I like Arizona laying the points. While Akron has enjoyed a great season, the Zips haven’t played the type of competition that the Wildcats did.
Arizona’s NCAA Net Ranking is 12. The Wildcats were 10-11 in Quad 1 games. Akron’s Net Ranking is 91, with a 0-1 record in Quad 1 games.
A key for Arizona will be stopping an explosive Akron offense. The Zips are averaging 84.6 points per game, which ranks No. 8 nationally. Akron allows 74.5 points per game.
Arizona averages 81.7 points, which is 21st nationally, and it allows 72.4 PPG.
The Zips shoot .364 from three-point range and allow teams a .314 clip. Arizona shoots .324 and allows a .336 percentage. Arizona is an excellent free-throw shooting team (.784), which is 15th nationally, while Akron shoots .753 from the foul line, which is 66th.
The teams are close in rebounding, with Arizona averaging 39.6 and Akron 38.8.
Statistically, the teams are close in a lot of areas, but Arizona’s quality of competition that the Wildcats faced this year should prove to be the difference.
