With the First Four in the books, and the first full day of NCAA Tournament action less than 24 hours away, we’re previewing the No. 4 Arizona Wildcats’ first test on the road to a Final Four, the No. 13 Akron Zips.
Who are the Akron Zips?
Akron (28-6, 17-1) is playing in its third NCAA Tournament in the last four years, and is the back-to-back MAC Tournament Champion. The Zips also took home the MAC regular season title, winning the league by three games.
Their leading scorer is guard Nate Johnson, the MAC Player and Defensive Player of the Year, who averages 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in 30 minutes. The Zips’ point guard Tavari Johnson can also be disruptive on the offensive side of the ball, averaging 13.0 points and 3.9 assists, while shooting 46.1 percent from the field, including 39.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Akron by the Numbers:
With an adjusted tempo of 71.4 possessions per game, per KenPom, Akron is currently the 13th-fastest playing team in the country. The Zips are rated 66th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 181st in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Akron averaged 84.6 points per game, while shooting 47.3 percent from the field, including 36.4 percent from the perimeter, averaging 10.9 triples per game. Defensively, the Zips average 38.8 rebounds per game.
Previewing the matchup between Arizona and Akron:
There are a couple of things, both good and bad, that stand out about the Zips. First is the tempo. For most teams, that would present a challenge, but this Arizona team likes to run almost a quickly as Akron does. The Wildcats are also a height mismatch for the Zips at just about every position, with Akron’s tallest player measuring in at 6-foot-8 (Henri Veesaar is listed at 7-foot-0). Arizona’s size and athleticism also give it a favorable matchup with Nate Johnson, who will have to face off against the tandem of KJ Lewis and Carter Bryant, as well as Tavari Johnson matching up against Caleb Love and Jaden Bradley.
Defensively, the Zips are slow. In their comeback win over Miami OH for the MAC Tournament title, the Zips repeatedly missed rotations and gave up open shots, trailing by as many as 18 at one point in the game. If Arizona’s Caleb Love and Anthony Dell’Orso can bury some shots early, it could make for a comfortable game for the Wildcats.
On the flip side, Akron’s 3-point shooting and resiliency are noteworthy. As mentioned, the Zips can light it up from deep, averaging nearly 30 three-point shot attempts. Arizona has struggled to defend the three this season, so it will have to rely on its size to win the rebounding battle on both ends, and score efficiently in the paint. On their resilience, while the Zips trailed the RedHawks by 18 points in the MAC Tournament Championship game less than a week ago, there’s a reason Miami OH is not facing Arizona instead. Quality shots and a veteran presence, coupled with that fast tempo, allowed Akron to rally back.
All in all, this should be a high-scoring affair, but the Wildcats’ size on both ends of the floor should help them advance to the 2nd Round against either No. 5 Oregon or No. 12 Liberty.