Seattle, Washington — The No. 4 University of Arizona men’s basketball team (22-12, 14-6 in Big 12) is set to face No. 13 University of Akron (28-6, 17-1 in Mid-American) on Friday, March 21 at 4:35 p.m. in Climate Pledge Arena Seattle, Wash. This marks both program’s first game in the NCAA Tournament as well as their first time seeing each other to date.
Arizona finished its Big 12 Tournament run with a second place finish, losing to No. 1 University of Houston in the Conference Championship game. The Wildcats’ game against Akron will be a pivotal moment for Arizona’s future games in the tournament.
Akron players to watch
Akron is led by head coach John Groce. Groce led the team to their second consecutive MAC tournament championship win this season, overcoming teams like Miami University (Ohio), Bowling Green University and the University of Toledo. Groce has been the head coach since 2017, marking this as his eighth season with the program.
Amani Lyles, a 6-foot-7 junior forward, has been a crucial part of Akron in recent games. He averages 5.3 rebounds per game and 7.7 points per game. Lyles leads the team in blocks with 40 for the season so far. He shoots 57.6% from around the court and 32.3% from around the arc.
In Akron’s 76-74 win against Miami University (Ohio) in the MAC championship match on March 15, Lyles secured 14 rebounds, a game-high by more than double the next-highest amount. On top of rebounds, he secured 6 points, three assists and one block and steal.
Nate Johnson, a junior guard, leads the team in points this season with an average of 14 points per game. Against Miami University (Ohio), he had 22 points, a team-high. Johnson brought down an additional two rebounds and secured five assists. He shot 8-for-13 from inside and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line, proving himself dangerous off the dribble.
On top of leading the team in points, Nate Johnson averages five rebounds per game. He has had 118 assists this season and leads the team in steals with 60, an aggressive player on all areas of the court.
Tavari Johnson is yet another asset on Akron’s roster this season standing as a 5 foot 11 junior guard. He stands behind Johnson with a 13-point game average. Notably, he shoots 91.2% from the line and is a valuable player offensively. Johnson also leads the team with 133 assists this season. He shoots 39.2% from the arc.
In Akron’s win over Miami, Johnson had 15 points, going 3-for-4 from around the arc and 6-for-11 from inside. He brought down two rebounds and also contributed an assist, block and steal. Despite his height, Johnson is a big player on the court for Akron.
Wildcats to watch
Arizona is led by fourth-season head coach, Tommy Lloyd. Lloyd led the Wildcats to a second-place spot in the Big 12 championship versus No. 1 Houston on March 15. For the Wildcats’ first season in the Big 12 conference, Lloyd is leaving a lasting impression on Arizona’s basketball program.
KJ Lewis, a sophomore guard, has proved himself a valuable player in the postseason for the Wildcats. In Arizona’s Big 12 tournament victory over the University of Kansas on March 13, Lewis scored 19 points, a team-high alongside Henri Veesaar who had 19 as well. He brought down an additional five rebounds and made three assists. To top it all off, Lewis had four steals, a game-high.
Lewis is effective on all ends of the court, averaging 10.9 points per game and shooting 81.3% from the line, making him dangerous off the dribble. He averages 4.5 boards per game and has had 47 steals this season. Lewis’ aggressiveness is a major support to Arizona’s defense.
Jaden Bradley, a junior guard, is an essential leader for Arizona. With a team-high of 125 assists this season, he is arguably one of the best playmakers for the Wildcats. Bradley also contributes, on average, 11.8 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game.
In Arizona’s championship loss against the University of Houston on March 15, Bradley put up 14 points, brought down four boards and had two assists. He shot 5-for-11 from inside the paint and 1-for-3 from around the arc. At the line, Bradley shot 3-for-5. He proved to be a valuable player in several different categories during this game.
Tobe Awaka, a junior forward, had a game-high of nine rebounds against Houston and earned the Wildcats several more possession opportunities as well.
Caleb Love, a fifth-year guard for the Wildcats, has consistently led the team in points for the season, averaging 16.6 per game. Love has remained a dangerous threat from around the arc, making 86 of 266 three-point shots this season, earning a 32.3 shooting percentage from outside. Beneath the hoop, Love averaged 4.2 boards per game.
In the Wildcat’s match versus Houston, Love had another team-high of 19 points. He earned countless shooting opportunities, going 7-for-19 from inside and 2-for-9 from the arc. Love managed to earn chances at the line off of fouls too, going 3-for-3. Aside from offensive efforts, Love secured four defensive boards for Arizona.
Follow the Daily Wildcat on Instagram and Twitter/X
