| Akron Zips | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | ||||
| University | University of Akron | |||
| Athletic director | Charles Guthrie | |||
| Head coach | John Groce (7th 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 | ||||
| NCAA tournament Final Four | ||||
| NCAA Division II 1964, 1966, 1972 | ||||
| NCAA tournament Elite Eight | ||||
| NCAA Division II 1964, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975 | ||||
| NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| NCAA Division II 1958, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1972, 1975 | ||||
| NCAA tournament appearances | ||||
| NCAA Division II 1958, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1975 NCAA Division I 1986, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2022, 2024 | ||||
| Conference tournament champions | ||||
| OAC: 1959, 1964, 1965, 1966 OVC: 1986 MAC: 2009, 2011, 2013, 2022, 2024 | ||||
| Conference regular season champions | ||||
| OAC: 1934, 1945, 1946, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1965, 1966 OVC: 1986 MAC: 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020 | ||||
| Conference division season champions | ||||
| 1998, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020 | ||||
The Akron Zips men's basketball team represents the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The team currently competes in the Mid-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 the Ohio Valley Conference and the Mid-Continent Conference. They had played in NCAA Division II into the mid 1970s, where they reached the National Championship Game twice, both of which they lost.
In 2008, the Zips officially announced they had signed a three-year partnership to be outfitted by the LeBron James line by Nike. They are now the only team with a LJ23/Nike contract. Nike has released several Zips themed versions of LeBron's shoes. Some are available to the public, while others are exclusively for the members of the basketball team.[2]
The team first played in the NCAA Division I tournament in 1986 when Bob Huggins was its coach. The Zips won their first MAC East division title in 1998. In 2006, the Zips received an invitation to the NIT and won their first post season game at Temple 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 the Miami RedHawks. The loss cost them the MAC's automatic berth and they were subsequently not selected for either the 2007 NCAA tournament or NIT, 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 the 2008 National Invitation Tournament.
- ^ The University of Akron Department of Athletics Brand Guide (PDF). June 19, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- ^ http://www.gozips.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10800&ATCLID=1481389[permanent dead link]