2025-26 Post Mortem and Looking Ahead to 2026-27

[Zippy87]

Another fun season in the books which saw Akron make history as the first team to win three straight MAC Tournament titles. 

 

Now comes a pivotal offseason for the program. Does Groce stay? Which players stay/go? Can Akron rebuild on the fly and contend again next year?

 

 

 

 

[clarkwgriswold]

You beat me to it @Zippy87!

 

I think the big school vultures may come for Evan and Sharron.  I have to hope that the way the Zips have treated the Mahaffeys this season will get him to stay.  Sharron will be a junior and has been shown a lot of love and you have to hope that sways him.  They're certainly the top returners (with Bowen if he gets another year).

 

As for exits, I don't see a role going forward for Briscoe.  I could also see Oggie being disenchanted with his role and moving on.  Cody Head and the red-shirt freshman should contribute next year.

 

Groce had a negative big school experience and I have to hope his very positive experience here and  being the king of his kingdom is enough for him to resist approaches from other schools.

 

They'll contend.  They have the best staff and the best financial support in the MAC.  Those alone will keep them in the mix.

[LZIp]

I definitely think Sharron and Eric have the capability of getting offers, but would be shocked if they get something we can’t compete with. They are primed to be focal points of the team next year and we’re just role players this season. Good at times, ok at other times. The time to be concerned about them will be after next season IMO.

 

I have high hopes for Oggie and hope he doesn’t leave. To me he looked the part in his limited playing time. Probably time for Briscoe to move on.

[Let'sGoZips94]

Everything hinges on if Groce stays or leaves. Assuming he stays, Sharron and Eric are the obvious top retention targets. 

 

What's unique is Groce & Co. will essentially have a blank slate to work with. If Eric and Sharron return, that doesn't lock the program into any specific style of play. If they want to return to a slower style, they can get Portal guys to fit. If they want to maintain a faster style, they can get Portal guys to fit. It's a very malleable roster right now and that's exciting. 

[Zippy87]

25 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

Everything hinges on if Groce stays or leaves. Assuming he stays, Sharron and Eric are the obvious top retention targets. 

 

What's unique is Groce & Co. will essentially have a blank slate to work with. If Eric and Sharron return, that doesn't lock the program into any specific style of play. If they want to return to a slower style, they can get Portal guys to fit. If they want to maintain a faster style, they can get Portal guys to fit. It's a very malleable roster right now and that's exciting. 

 

What is interesting is that Groce seems to prefer the fast pace style, but our closest shot at winning an NCAA Tournament game was playing at a slower pace - the final score of the UCLA game was 57-53. But maybe that was our closest shot because we had a future NBA player on the roster. 

[Westie]

In the postgame yesterday, the radio guys said they may petition for one more year for Bowen. I didn’t realize that might be a thing.

[clarkwgriswold]

19 minutes ago, Westie said:

In the postgame yesterday, the radio guys said they may petition for one more year for Bowen. I didn’t realize that might be a thing.

 

He had a year at OSU where he played 17 minutes.  That's the year they're trying to get disregarded.

[AkronAlumnus]

23 minutes ago, Westie said:

In the postgame yesterday, the radio guys said they may petition for one more year for Bowen. I didn’t realize that might be a thing.

Huge, if so!! 

[1981 grad]

I would like to see Bowen return to see if he could develop other parts of this game besides 3 pointers, driving to the hoop, rebounding, jumper.  I thought his defense got better as the season progressed.

[kreed5120]

1 hour ago, LZIp said:

I definitely think Sharron and Eric have the capability of getting offers, but would be shocked if they get something we can’t compete with. They are primed to be focal points of the team next year and we’re just role players this season. Good at times, ok at other times. The time to be concerned about them will be after next season IMO.

 

I have high hopes for Oggie and hope he doesn’t leave. To me he looked the part in his limited playing time. Probably time for Briscoe to move on.

 

This is kind of my thoughts as well. Eric might draw a little more attention than one might expect because of his size and ability to guard multiple positions. I feel of the two he's the one more likely to be lost because someone desperate comes in last minute and offers him something absurd that we can't match.

Edited 3 hours ago by kreed5120

[ZipForNow]

2 minutes ago, 1981 grad said:

I would like to see Bowen return to see if he could develop other parts of this game besides 3 pointers, driving to the hoop, rebounding, jumper.  I thought his defense got better as the season progressed.

I agree. He also got better at making back cuts when the opponent would try to deny him the ball on the perimeter.

[Illini Zip]

I know money talks, but I would be very surprised if the Mahaffey family as a whole isn’t bought in and invested in the Akron project. 

[clarkwgriswold]

53 minutes ago, Zippy87 said:

 

What is interesting is that Groce seems to prefer the fast pace style, but our closest shot at winning an NCAA Tournament game was playing at a slower pace - the final score of the UCLA game was 57-53. But maybe that was our closest shot because we had a future NBA player on the roster. 

 

I think the Zips went to the fast pace offense based upon the roster.  When they had a dominant post player in Enrique things were slower as the offense went through the post.  Once Enrique was gone, Groce realized a transition to the faster paced offense was in order.  We can all remember how ugly things were at first after the switch.  Okonkwo was brought in on the assumption the offense was going to be the same and his departure made no one close to the program lose sleep because of the changes that had been made.   Groce will always adapt to his talent rather than try to adapt his talent to a specific scheme.

[exit322]

2 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

Groce will always adapt to his talent rather than try to adapt his talent to a specific scheme.

 

And that's, frankly, why I have no worries this team will reach its ceiling more often than not.  Groce gets the most out of these Zips teams.

[clarkwgriswold]

3 minutes ago, Illini Zip said:

I know money talks, but I would be very surprised if the Mahaffey family as a whole isn’t bought in and invested in the Akron project. 

I had a chance to talk to the Mahaffeys' mom before the PCCC tournament game.  She and the whole family were there in UA/Mahaffey gear.   I told her how much we enjoyed having her kids and what a fine job they did in raising them.  I spoke to both of them at the Tip-off Reception and could not have been more impressed.   She indicated they couldn't be happier.  Here's hoping that carries over to transfer "silly season."

[Illini Zip]

We have addressed the need to figure out the  center position one way or another with another portal acquisition likely. But I would also like to bring in another lead guard for a single season to give veteran leadership like Evan did for us. But in this case to help out Young and redshirt freshman Tai Perkins in the backcourt. Also, I think Oggie witnessed enough winning this year to be hooked and is hungry to take on the off-season. 

[ZipForNow]

9 minutes ago, Illini Zip said:

I know money talks, but I would be very surprised if the Mahaffey family as a whole isn’t bought in and invested in the Akron project. 

Beyond the immediate money, there is the ecosystem: play professionally somewhere, Bud invests it, grow your nest egg, have a good life after your playing days. I wonder whether that is ever part of the deliberations.

[clarkwgriswold]

4 minutes ago, Illini Zip said:

We have addressed the need to figure out the  center position one way or another with another portal acquisition likely. But I would also like to bring in another lead guard for a single season to give veteran leadership like Evan did for us. But in this case to help out Young and redshirt freshman Tai Perkins in the backcourt. Also, I think Oggie witnessed enough winning this year to be hooked and is hungry to take on the off-season. 

I think Cody Head will help at guard and I have it on good authority that he will be back.

[Illini Zip]

2 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

I think Cody Head will help at guard and I have it on good authority that he will be back.

💯

[ZippyRulz]

1 hour ago, Westie said:

In the postgame yesterday, the radio guys said they may petition for one more year for Bowen. I didn’t realize that might be a thing.

 

On the big stage, Hardman played 21 minutes and went 0-2 with 1 rebound and 0 assists.

Edited 2 hours ago by ZippyRulz

[clarkwgriswold]

Bowen is a good kid and a great shooter but he's pretty much one dimensional.  To his credit he was better on defense this year.  If he comes set and square to the basket he's deadly on his shot, but teams have figured him out to some extent and set up their defense so that he seldom gets loose.  

[Zippy87]

26 minutes ago, ZippyRulz said:

 

On the big stage, Hardman played 21 minutes and went 0-2 with 1 rebound and 0 assists.

 

Tavari had 4 points on 2-10 shooting. I don't think we should judge the value of any of these players based on yesterday alone. 

[kreed5120]

I thought I saw Texas Tech was something like 28th in 3-pt defense coming into the game. They did a really great job of contesting and running us off the line. If you eliminate the broken plays where we got a look off transition or offensive rebound before defense could get set, I think only Lyles and Evan were the ones consistently getting open looks. Evan wisely passed up most those looks. That was probably by design as Texas Tech could live with either shooting them.

 

Scott hit some, but given his logo range it becomes a bit more challenging to limit him.

Edited 1 hour ago by kreed5120

[Zippy87]

Let's assume Brisco leaves but everyone else returns, that gives you three rosters spots to bring in talent. My dream offseason brings in three impact players:

 

1) Center/post

2) Stretch 4

3) Scoring guard 

 

 

C-Transfer/Barre

F-Transfer/Stankovic/MMK

W-Mahaffey/Henderson/Halligan

G-Transfer/Head

G-Young/Perkins

 

 

 

[ZippyRulz]

We'll get some good replacement players but they won't be NCAAT winning players because ceiling.