Entering the home stretch of conference play, the Massachusetts men’s basketball team will head to Akron on Friday aiming to steal a win from one of the Mid-American Conference’s premier programs.
For the Minutemen (15-10, 6-6 MAC), to say that competing with the Zips (19-5, 10-1 MAC) will be an uphill battle may turn out to be an understatement. Akron head coach John Groce’s squad is the most daunting opponent on paper that the Minutemen will face this year. Akron is a March-ready mid-major powerhouse ranked No. 64 nationally on both KenPom and Bart Torvik – at least 15 spots ahead of undefeated Miami (Ohio) on both sites and more than 100 spots ahead of UMass.
The Zips have dominated the MAC in recent years, earning three of the conference’s past four tournament bids. The program has lost only two conference games since March 9, 2024, racking up an extraordinary 30-2 MAC record over that period. They’ve won those contests by an average margin of 13.2 points. For the Minutemen to find a path to the NCAA Tournament this season, they will likely have to go through Akron.
Groce’s teams often succeed on the backs of high-octane offenses, and his 2025-26 group is no exception. The Zips play with pace, space and a green light from deep; while UMass hasn’t attempted more than 26 threes in a game this season, Akron routinely launches 35, 40 or even 50.
“We play a modern, NBA-style offense with a lot of freedom,” Groce said. “With that comes responsibility, ball movement, pace, speed, sharing the ball and our guys have bought into it.”
Friday’s outcome may hinge on the stylistic clash between the Zips’ pass-centric, equal-opportunity attack and head coach Frank Martin’s ball denial defense.
Akron’s offense thrives off of quick passing and constant cutting in order to create open looks. In theory, Martin’s ball-line scheme is designed to disrupt that rhythm, denying perimeter passes and forcing offenses out of their comfort zone.
The Minutemen have struggled all year against elite perimeter threats. They’ve given up career-high scoring nights to their opponents’ leading scorer on six different occasions this season. UMass also often fails to contain ball handlers off the drive, resorting to fouling or giving up easy looks at the rim.
Against the Zips, there’s little margin for error. Akron ranks No. 9 nationally in effective field goal percentage, shooting 60% inside the arc and 38% from range. Even more concerning for foul-heavy UMass is the Zips’ excellent free-throw rate, currently good for No. 56 in the country at 76%.
In terms of personnel, containing senior Tavari Johnson will be at the top of the list of priorities for Martin’s squad. The waterbug point guard holds the keys to the Zips’ offense, and he uses them to the tune of 20.4 points and 5.2 assists a night.
Johnson’s speed, change of pace and shot-making are uncanny; at 5-foot-11, he shoots an efficient 53.4% from the field, to go along with 37% from 3-point range and 89% from the free throw line. His matchup with Danny Carbuccia, who has displayed solid defensive instincts when guarding top scorers such as Buffalo’s Daniel Freitag, should be one to watch.
There is one roadmap to beating Akron, if its losses this season are any indication: turning the game into a shootout. Though the Zips often bury teams behind pace and three-point shooting, they’ve been vulnerable to teams that can counter with the same tactics.
In Akron’s last contest, Troy defeated them through a 14-for-27 3-point night. In another loss to Murray State on Dec. 13, the Zips conceded 18 threes. The Minutemen have the pace, at No. 33 in the country, to compete, and with Marcus Banks Jr. and K’Jei Parker they have players capable of shooting in volume.
UMass’ other main tool to register an upset win is, as usual, its rebounding. Akron fields a relatively small roster, playing only two players taller than 6-foot-4 in its normal rotation and none taller than 6-foot-7.
While this gives the Zips an advantage in quickness, it also leaves an opportunity for the bruising Minutemen frontcourt to make its presence known in the interior. If UMass leaves Akron on Friday night with a win, expect to see Daniel Hankins-Sanford and Leonardo Bettiol heavily involved, pulling down offensive rebounds and getting high-percentage looks at the rim.
The Minutemen will put their hopes to the test on Friday, Feb. 13 at the James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron. The game will tip off at 9 p.m. and will be available to watch live on CBS Sports Network.
Coleman Smith-Rakoff can be reached at [email protected]
