Offseason Review: Can Akron Dominate the MAC Again?

After a record-breaking year, Akron reloads with Tavari Johnson and key transfers to chase another MAC title in 2025-26.

The Akron Zips have become one of the most consistent programs in college basketball over the last twenty years. Since 2006, the Zips have finished with less than twenty wins just three times. One of which was a COVID-shortened season in 2020-2021 where they still finished 15-8.

Last season, head coach John Groce led the Zips to their best record in program history as they finished 28-7 and 17-1 in the MAC. Led by two Johnsons in Tavari and Nate, Akron emerged as one of the best offensive teams in the country. They finished the season with a remarkable 54-9% effective field goal percentage, which was 34th in the country. They were 50th in three-point percentage, 41st in two-point percentage, and 71st overall in offensive efficiency.

With some notable departures from the roster, Groce has managed to bring back some key players in an era that continues to be difficult for non-power conference programs to retain talent. While Akron does feature a strong NIL backing, it’s hard to return the likes of Tavari Johnson and others.

Let’s take a look at what Groce has in store for the Akron Zips in the 2025-2026 season.

Photo: MAC

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Roster Turnover

The Zips have lost the following players:

• Nate Johnson (Senior) - Kansas State

  • 14 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.7 assists

• James Okonkwo (Senior) - Utah

  • 6.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1 block

• Josiah Harris (Senior) - Cleveland State

  • 8.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2 assists

• Seth Wilson (Ineligible)

  • 6.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists

• Isaiah Gray (Ineligible)

  • 9.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals

After announcing that he would return to the Zips for next season, star guard Nate Johnson decided to enter the transfer portal where he would end up committing to Kansas State. It was a tough break for Akron fans as it seemed like they return most of their talent while picking up additional pieces to take yet another step forward. Johnson led the Zips with 14 points per game last season while shooting 43.9% from the floor overall and 30.1% from beyond the arc. He featured a remarkable 28.3% assist rate while was 105th in the country while sporting a 53.8% effective field goal percentage. He’ll look to get one step closer to the NBA if he can provide a similar level of efficiency for Kansas State this season.

James Okonkwo is headed to Utah after a strong season at Akron. He’s bounced around as he spent his first two seasons with West Virginia, then North Carolina, and last year with Akron. He shot 59.3% from the floor and he was a monster on the glass. He averaged 7.2 rebounds per game in just 18.2 minutes on average with 2.7 of those being offensive boards. The 6’8 senior also blocked one shot per game. In conference he finished with a 5.4% block rate which was fourth in the MAC, while also shooting 60% from inside the arc.

Josiah Harris spent his first two seasons with West Virginia before transferring to Akron last year, and now he is headed to Cleveland State. The 6’7 senior appeared in just six games before going out with an injury and Akron fans will be left with a “what if”. He looked great in those six games, including 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal against Arkansas State, and 16 points against Saint Mary’s.

Seth Wilson and Isaiah Gray both ran out of eligibility. Gray became a fan favorite last season after spending the last three seasons with Cornell. He started in all 35 games and shot 50.4% overall and 36.5% from deep. He was a “do-it-all” kind of player as he continuously hustled and stuffed stat sheets. Wilson was another West Virginia transfer that came into Akron. He started in 22 games and shot 40% from the floor and 35% from deep. He provided some huge games from beyond the arc including knocking down six threes against Central Michigan and five against Bowling Green in the MAC Tournament.

Returning Players

The Akron Zips have the following players returning to their roster next season:

• Shammah Scott (Senior)

  • 9.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists

• Tavari Johnson (Senior)

  • 13 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists

• Amani Lyles (Senior)

  • 7.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2 assists

• Bowen Hardman (Senior)

  • 6.6 points, 1 rebound

• Sharron Young (Sophomore)

  • 7.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1 steal

• Eric Mahaffey (Redshirt Freshman)

  • DNP

• Marvin Musiime-Kamali (Redshirt Sophomore)

  • 1.9 points, 2.5 rebounds

• Richard Brisco (Redshirt Sophomore)

  • DNP

Akron has some huge players returning next season, highlighted by star Tavari Johnson. Similar to Nate Johnson, Tavari had initially stated that he’d be returning to Akron, but then entered the portal. Ultimately, he stuck to his word and withdrew. He was instrumental last season and will be the go-to player this year. He shot 39.9% from deep last season, while also shooting an even 50% overall. He featured a strong 28.3% assist rate and it go even better in the MAC with 30.1% which was third best in the conference. There’s not much to say other than Akron fans are thrilled to have Johnson returning and he’ll certainly be the team’s leading scorer this season with his prolific ability to knock down outside shots and finish around the rim, while still commanding his team as a primary ball-handler.

Shammah Scott is also returning which provides some important experience. He shot 45% from the floor last season and 38.7% from beyond the arc. He’s spent the last two seasons with Akron and he’s continuously improved to now where he’ll appear to be the second option on offense behind Tavari. The 6’2 guard can play as a secondary ball handler as he finished with a 19.2% assist rate in the MAC, which put him at 15th. In conference, he was lights out from deep, shooting 42.9% which was third in the MAC. Scott also plays some strong on-ball defense that improved over the course of the season. Over his last six games in the MAC, he averaged 1.5 steals per game.

Amani Lyles has grown a lot over his last three seasons with Akron and he’s poised to take another step forward with his production. Lyles appeared in 34 games, starting in four while averaging 18.1 minutes per game. The 6’7 forward shot 56.8% overall and 31.7% from deep on 1.9 attempts per game. He’s strong on the defensive end as he racked up 5.2 rebounds (two of which were offensive) and 1.2 blocks per game while limiting his fouls to just 2.4 per game. In conference, he was incredible on offense as he shot a ridiculous 76.9% from inside the arc which was first in the MAC. His 8.2% block rate was 3rd in the MAC, while he ranked 133rd in the country in offensive rebounding percentage with 11.6% and 257th in defensive rebounding percentage with 257th. I believe Lyles is ready to bust out and he should have a prime opportunity to do so in the coming season.

Bowen Hardman played an important rotation role last season as he appeared in 35 games, starting in three. He shot 43.3% overall and 39.8% from beyond the arc on 4.7 attempts per game. The 6’3 guard shoots mostly threes as he took 180 shots in which 166 were from beyond the arc. Hardman started his career at Ohio State, but after two seasons transferred to Akron last season. He’ll once again provide the Zips with some lights out shooting off the bench this season.

Sharron Young is a blooming star in the making. Young made the All-MAC freshman team last season after appearing in 35 games, averaging 16 minutes per contest. He shot 46% overall and 39.8% from three-point on 3.2 attempts per game. He was sharp from the free throw line, shooting 81.6%. He flashed some signs of his ball handling and defensive skills as well as he featured a 1.7 to 1.2 assist to turnover ratio and averaged one steal per game. The 6’0 guard featured an 18.5% assist rate in conference-play which was 17th best in the MAC and his 3% steal rate was 6th in conference. His 40% three-point shooting in conference was the ninth best. Young is a bit undersized, but he has next-level talent and he’ll be looking to start making a name for himself this season.

Marvin Musiime-Kamali appeared in 32 games as a freshman last season and started in four while averaging 8.2 minutes. He finished the season shooting 69% from the floor, while attempting no three-point shots. The 6’6 guard is a defensive minded player as he averaged just 1.9 points, but 2.5 rebounds, in which one was offensive. There’s some raw talent here that still needs some refining, but with the roster’s construction I think he’s going to get a chance to earn some key minutes as Akron lacks depth with height.

Lastly, Eric Mahaffey & Richard Brisco did not appear in a game last season as both redshirted. Akron was Mahaffey’s only offer coming out of high school, but Brisco had quite a few including: St. Bonaventure, George Washington, Nebraska, TCU, and more. This team is pretty small, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Brisco get some minutes as he stands in at 6’8. For Mahaffey, I think it’ll be tough for him to break through this deep backcourt.

Roster Additions

Akron is bringing in the following players from the transfer portal and the high school ranks:

• Evan Mahaffey (Senior) - Ohio State

  • 3.6 points, 3.1 rebounds

• Chabi Barre (Senior) - Duquense

  • 4.1 points, 3.5 rebounds

• Cody Head (Junior) - Arkansas State

  • 2.5 points, 0.8 assists

• Tai Perkins (Freshman)

• Josh Henderson (Freshman)

Evan Mahaffey started his career out at Penn State as a freshman where he appeared in 34 games and averaged 2.8 points and 1.7 rebounds. He transferred to Ohio State where he spent the last two years. In his sophomore season, he started in 35 games where he averaged 4.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and one steal per game. Last year, he moved to a rotational role off the bench, but still averaged 3.6 points and 3.1 rebounds. He’s not a three point threat at all as he is just 7-31 from deep on his career. At 6’6, he is a defensive minded player that had play some strong on ball defense and he featured a 5.6% block rate. He’s also strong in the paint, shooting 67.6% which was 40th in the nation. Given, he was just 48-71, so he wasn’t shooting with a high volume, but he’s clearly a presence inside the arc. He’ll be joining his brother Eric who joined the Zips last season, but sat out with a medical redshirt.

Chabi (Halil) Barre averaged 4.1 points, 3.5 rebounds across 18 games last season. He shot a remarkable 72.5% from the floor and cleaned up 1.6 offensive boards per game, while also racking up 1.2 blocks. In the 18 games, he finished with a strong 12.7% block percentage, a 20.6% defensive rebounding percentage, and a 16% offensive rebounding percentage. At 6’9, Barre will provide the Zips with some much needed height and help on the defensive end after the departure of Okonkwo.

Cody Head is an underrated pickup that I’m excited to see land at Akron. The 6’2 incoming junior spent his freshman season at Lipscomb where he averaged 8.1 points with 2.5 rebounds while shooting 53.2% from the floor and 35.2% from deep on 1.7 attempts per game. Last season, he didn’t see the same role on a deep and talented Arkansas State team, but I’d expect to see him slot into an important role for the Zips this season. During that freshman season, he shot 57.7% from inside the arc which was 318th in the country and he also featured an 11.6% turnover rate while finishing with a 5.9% assist rate. He provides some important experience and will help the Zips with the trend of moving towards quick slashers.

Josh Henderson is a 6’4 shooting guard out of Westerville, Ohio that had a ton of options from other programs including: Marshall, Eastern Kentucky, Youngstown State, Xavier, Bowling Green, Ohio, and more. He’s a prolific scorer, you can check out some highlights on his Hudl account here. He led his team to their first district title since 2021 after dropping 35 points on 13/14 shooting. He’ll provide the Zips with some solid offense in the rotation in year one of his collegiate career.

Tai Perkins is another incoming freshman from Westerville, Ohio. The 6’0 guard had just one offer from Akron, but don’t let that overshadow his natural ability to handle the ball and score. He dropped 35 points in Westerville North’s regional final victory and he dropped 32 points on eight three pointers previously. You can check out this video from his Hudl account to show just how quick he is. I wouldn’t be shocked if he redshirt in year one given Akron has Shammah Scott, Tavari Johnson, and Sharron Young, but Perkins will be a nice long-term prospect as long as he stays with the Zips.

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Expectations

There is so much to like about the potential of this Akron team, even with the departure of Nate Johnson. With Tavari Johnson, Shammah Scott, Sharron Young, and Amani Lyles coming back to lead the way, John Groce has added some key pieces to fit into the puzzle of a team that on paper should be at the top of the MAC once again.

If I were to take a stab at what a starting lineup could look like on opening day, I’d imagine something like this:

• Tavari Johnson

• Shammah Scott/Sharron Young

• Evan Mahaffey

• Amani Lyles

• Chabi Barre

This roster construction is interesting because the Zips are going to be running without a lot of height depth. Lyles is 6’7, Barre is 6’9, and Brisco is 6’8. That’s it. We’ll be seeing a predominately small-ball lineup for Akron this season, which is fine, but it poses some interesting questions into what will the rotations look like.

In my proposed starting lineup, there is no doubt that Tavari Johnson is your starting point guard. Next you’ll want one of either Scott or Young to be your secondary guard with the other being the first guard in to provide relief with ball-handling. Then that’s when the rest of the lineup could be up in the air. From a height perspective, you only have three players so if Groce wants to run a really small lineup then you could move one of Lyles or Barre out of the starting lineup and have them come off the bench alongside Brisco. If you move a player out, you could slide in Marvin Musiime-Kamali as he’s 6’6 to team up with Evan Mahaffey. Musiime-Kamali is a defensive minded guard, while Mahaffey is a slasher on offense, so it could pose an interesting one-two punch.

Your main players off the bench would be one of Young or Scott, then Cody Head, Bowen Hardman, and Richard Brisco. You need Brisco despite his lack of collegiate experience because you need his height. Cody Head and Hardman will team up with one of Scott or Young to provide a lethal offense in the second rotation. Essentially, Akron is going to be able to run teams into the ground because you have talented guards in the starting lineup and equally as talented guards in the secondary. As mentioned, Marvin Musiime-Kamali should see an opportunity to earn a key role as well as he’s a strong defensive player.

Last year, Akron averaged 84 points per game (8th in the country) and they scored 100+ five times. We are going to see the same thing this coming season as this is an offense-first team. Last year they gave up 75.1 points per game which was the team’s highest season average since 2003 when they finished 14-14. I believe we could see the points allowed tick upward a bit as Okonkwo, Nate Johnson, and Isaiah Gray were all three strong defenders. There is plenty of defensive talent on this team, but a small increase wouldn’t shock me.

Overall, I believe this team could win 25+ games yet again and sit at the top of the MAC at the end of the season. We could be looking at a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance for the Akron Zips.