The Akron Zips earned their way into the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four seasons by steamrolling through the Mid-American Conference, going 17-1 in league play and then rallying from down 18 points in the conference tournament final.
With an adjusted tempo of 71.4 possessions per 40 minutes, Akron plays at one of the fastest paces in the country, which is why the over/under for this game is in the 160s. That could play right into Arizona’s hands, since it likes to run as well, but the Zips are also a strong perimeter shooting team and that has been the Wildcats’ Achilles heel on defense.
To better understand the Zips, we asked Nick Lorensen of SB Nation’s Mid-Major Madness for some insight and a score prediction. Below are his fluent answers to our inarticulate questions:
AZ Desert Swarm: Akron enters the NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the country, winning 21 of its last 22 games. What made the Zips so unbeatable during that stretch?
Mid-Major Madness: “Offense and experience. The Zips have scored 100+ points five times this season, and are one of the fastest and most efficient offenses in the country. Eight of the nine players in their rotation are upperclassmen and that always translates as well.”
Nine players averaged at least 15 minutes per game this season and senior guard Nate Johnson was the only one to regularly log 30 or more. What makes it possible for the Zips to interchange pieces so easily?
“They have dudes who have played at a high level and can do different things. Many people called them the ‘West Virginia Farm Team’ over the summer because of the couple of dudes they got from both WVU and Bob Huggins disciples, so that helps. But, if you look at Akron’s KenPom page, nearly everyone in the rotation ranks nationally in something and that bodes well.”
The Zips take more than 45 percent of their shots from 3-point range but also shoot really well from inside the arc. How would you describe their shot selection?
“A team that is looking to shoot open threes first. They have an explosive offense that can get them back into the game in a matter of minutes, see the game versus Kent State (on Feb. 28). They were down eight in the final couple of minutes and ended up winning by five.”
KenPom ranks Akron’s roster as the 4th-smallest in the country, with most of the contributors no taller than 6-foot-3. How will it be able to match up with Arizona’s rotation where everyone is at least 6-3?
“Not good. Akron has been a program that has struggled with size the last couple of seasons. It caused fits for them last season in a first-round game against a tall Creighton team, losing by 17.”
John Groce parlayed a Sweet 16 run with Ohio into a bigger job at Illinois, which didn’t pan out, but after a few years establishing Akron’s program this is the third NCAAA bid in the last four seasons. Why has he been more successful at the mid-major level?
“His defense has been able to dominate MAC basketball. It struggled at Illinois, but by no stretch of the imagination was he bad in Champaign.”
Prediction time. Does Arizona avoid another shocking first-round exit, like it had two years ago against Princeton, and handle Akron, or do the Zips become the third MAC school to knock out the Wildcats in the NCAA tourney? Give us a score prediction.
“I feel like it will be a fairly high-scoring game, but one that Arizona wins at ease. Give me the Wildcats by a final score of 88-70.”