Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies

MU takes on MAC-leading Akron

D06616 Men's Bball v CMU
D06616 Men's Bball v CMU

By Ben Molnar, The Miami Student

The RedHawks take on the Mid-American Conference leader Akron University on Tuesday evening at Millett Hall. The Zips have dropped two of their last three games, both of which were road games. Akron is 21-6 (10-4 MAC) on the season, and Miami is 9-18 (3-11 MAC).

Junior Isaiah Johnson is the team's leading scorer, averaging 13.3 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game. Sophomore Antino Jackson, senior Reggie McAdams and sophomore Noah Robotham average 11.9 points per game, 10.6 points a game and 10.4 points per game, respectively.

Tuesday's game is the 56th all-time meeting between the two schools, and Akron leads the series 28-27. The Red and White are 19-10 against Akron at home.

The RedHawks have lost three consecutive games and Coach John Cooper knows the road ahead isn't going to get easier.

"It certainly doesn't get easier, this is a gauntlet that we have going down the stretch, starting with Akron," Cooper said. "I think they've probably been the most consistent team throughout conference play this year."

Cooper also noted Akron's depth.

"They're coming off a couple losses, but they're a team that I think what separates them - or makes them different, I should say - is when they go to the bench, they literally still have five guys that are capable of getting twenty points," Cooper said. "You know, they have Isaiah Johnson, you have Forsythe, you have Robotham, and Jackson, you have Kretzer, you have McAdams - well, I could keep going. All of those players, every single one of them, can give you twenty points on a night, and that's what makes them hard to guard, and the thing is, they're unbelievably unselfish as a group. They pass the ball, they move it."

Miami has the leadership in senior guards Eric Washington and Geovonie McKnight, who are averaging 13.9 and 12 points per game, respectively. The two also lead the team in steals, at 35 and 28 on the season, respectively.

Tipoff is 7 p.m. Tuesday at Millett Hall.

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter