Akron returns to March Madness after retooling offense around 3-point shooting
Akron guard Seth Wilson (14) and Nate Johnson (34) celebrate after Akron defeated Miami (Ohio) in an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Mid-American Conference tournament, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Sue Ogrocki]
SEATTLE (AP) — Akron coach John Groce didn’t even wait for last season to end before he started talking about changing his team’s approach on offense. The Zips had made the NCAA Tournament twice in three seasons while focusing on the post, but they lost most of their big men to graduation while bringing back four experienced guards. So Groce started telling his players he wanted them to shoot 30 3-pointers per game. The Zips almost got there, averaging 29.8 3-point attempts while rolling to the Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament titles. They face Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
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