By Lamont Burroughs

2 22 2025

OHIO GAME NOTES

https://ohiobobcats.com/documents/2025/2/20/022225_Ohio_Akron_Notes.pdf

AKRON GAME NOTES

https://ohiobobcats.com/documents/2025/2/21/Game_27_at_Ohio.pdf

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ATHENS, Ohio — The Ohio men’s basketball team (14-12, 8-5 MAC) is back in Athens on Saturday, Feb. 22 for a battle with MAC-leading Akron (21-5, 13-0 MAC). Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET inside the Convocation Center. The game can be seen on ESPN2 where Eric Rothman and Mark Wise will have the call.

The Bobcats’ matchup can also be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield, presented by Holzer Health System. Jason Toy begins his first season on the mic for the Bobcats, and will be joined by Ohio alum Rob Cornelius, who has been a part of the broadcasts for two decades. WXTQ (Power 105) in Athens returns as the 11-station net- work’s flagship.

STORYLINES
• This is the 95th all-time meeting between Ohio and Akron
• Akron leads the all-time series, 50-44.
• Ohio and Akron met on Jan. 17 in Akron, with Ohio falling, 92-80
• Ohio and Akron met three times last season, with Akron taking two out of three meetings.
• Akron took the first meeting at Akron, with Ohio taking the second matchup in Athens. Akron then went on to defeat the Bobcats in the MAC Semifinals.
• Ohio is 14-20 against Akron since 2009-10, while the Bob- cats are 4-8 against The Zips under Jeff Boals.
• Ohio has registered an impressive 576-184 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.
• This season the Bobcats are 10-2 in the Convo.
• Ohio is 71-16 in the Convo under Boals in the last six seasons.
• Junior guard Jackson Paveletzke is 48 points away from 1,000 in his career.
• Graduate Student guard Shereef Mitchell is 70 points away from 1,000 for his career.
• On Feb. 18 against CMU, Jackson Paveletzke scored 22 points and had six rebounds, while AJ Brown added 20 points and seven rebounds, with Shereef Mitchell adding 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
• At Kent State on Feb. 14, graduate student guard Shereef Mitchell was stellar, leading the Bobcats with 25 points, going 9-of-14 from the field and hitting a career-high four three pointers.
• Against Toledo on Jan. 28, AJ Brown and Jackson Paveletzke both scored 22 points, with Brown recording a career-high with eight rebounds.
• Junior guard Jackson Paveletzke scored a career-high 28 points at EMU on Jan. 21.
• Graduate student guard Shereef Mitchell, in his first start since Nov. 9, scored a career-high 27 points on Jan. 17 at Akron.
• AJ Clayton scored his 1,000the career point on Jan. 11 against NIU.
• Senior forward AJ Clayton had a 31-point performance on Jan. 11 against NIU. Clayton hit a career-high nine threes in the victory.
• The Bobcats currently rank 168th in the Feb. 20 NET Rankings.

SCOUTING AKRON
Akron enters the matchup with the Bobcats with a 21-5 record, a 13-0 mark in MAC play and are currently on a 14-game winning streak, the longest in the nation. The Zips are coming off a victory Tuesday night against Northern Illinois.

Akron averages 84.2 points a game, while shooting .468 from the field, .362 from three and .749 from the line, while opponents are averaging 73.4 points per game, while shooting .418 from the field, .309 from three and .716 from the line.

Akron averages 39.7 rebounds, 18.8 assists, 7.8 steals and 3.7 blocks a game, while forcing 13.0 turnovers a game. Meanwhile, Akron opponents average 35.3 re bounds, 11.8 assists, 7.4 steals and 2.5 blocks a game, while forcing the Zips to turn the ball over an average of 12.5 times a contest.

Individually, Nate Johnson leads Akron with 14.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, while shooting .462 from the field and .780 from the line. Tavari Johnson adds 12.6 points and 2.0 boards a contest, while Isaiah Gray adds 9.9 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting .492 from the field and .389 from three.

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio is currently 14-12 overall and 8-5 in MAC play after defeating Central Michigan, 84-82 at home Tuesday night.

Ohio is averaging 79.8 points per game, while shooting .471 from the field, .361 from three and .768 from the line, while opponents are averaging 75.6 points per game, while shooting .450 from the field, .382 from three and .687 from the line.

Ohio is averaging 33.5 rebounds, 14.4 assists, 3.2 blocks and 7.0 steals per game, while forcing 12.9 turnovers a contest. Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 35.3 rebounds, 13.2 assists, 2.9 blocks and 6.8 steals per game, while forcing Ohio to turn the ball over 11.2 times a game.

Individually, AJ Clayton averages 14.3 points and 5.4 rebounds a game, while shooting .463 from the field, .372 from three and .823 from the line. AJ Brown averages 13.2 points a game, while shooting .476 from the field, .387 from three and .862 from the line, while Jackson Paveletzke adds 13.2 points, 5.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, while shooting .504 from the field. Shereef Mitchell adds 12.9 points, while shooting .474 from the field and .450 from three,while Elmore James averages 7.7 points, while shooting .865 from the line.

ALL TIME VS. AKRON
This is the 95th all-time meeting between Ohio and Akron

Akron leads the all-time series, 50-44.

Ohio and Akron met on Jan. 17 in Akron, with Ohio falling, 92-80

Ohio and Akron met three times last season, with Akron taking two out of three meetings.

Akron took the first meeting at Akron, with Ohio taking the second matchup in Athens. Akron then went on to defeat the Bobcats in the MAC Semifinals.

Ohio is 14-20 against Akron since 2009-10, while the Bobcats are 4-8 against The Zips under Jeff Boals.

PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Ohio has registered an impressive 576-184 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.

Ohio finished 14-2 in the Convo last season.

Ohio is 71-16 in the Convo under Boals in the last six seasons.

Ohio is currently 10-2 in the Convo this season.

REEF AND PAV HUNT FOR 1,000
Junior guard Jackson Paveletzke is currently 48 points away from 1,000 for his career, sitting at 952 entering Tuesday’s matchup.

Graduate student guard Shereef Mitchell is currently 70 points away from 1,000, currently sitting at 930.

OHIO IN NET
The Bobcats currently rank 168th in the Feb. 20 NET Rankings.

Ohio is the fourth-highest MAC team behind Kent State, Akron, and Miami.

OHIO IN NCAA
Currently Ohio ranks 117th in the nation in forced turnovers per game. The Bobcats are also 12th in fastbreak points and 60th in field goal percentage.

Ohio also ranks 56th in effective field goal percentage, 49th in scoring offense, 35th in free throw percentage and 97th in free throws made per game.

Ohio also ranks 91st in turnover margin.

Meanwhile, Jackson Paveletzke ranks 51st in assists per game and 48th in assists.

AJ Brown ranks 70th in free throws percentage.

AJ Clayton ranks 100th in blocks and 60th in blocks per game.

BOBCATS IN THE MAC
Jackson Paveletzke is third in assists and fourth in assist/turnover ratio.

AJ Brown ranks fifth in free throw percentage.

AJ Clayton is first in blocks, sixth in three-point field goals per game and 12th in scoring and 10th in free throw percentage.

Jackson Paveletzke is 10th in field goal percentage.

WHAT A NIGHT AGAINST CMU
On Feb. 18 against CMU, Jackson Paveletzke scored 22 points and had six rebounds, while AJ Brown added 20 points and seven rebounds, with Shereef Mitchell adding 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

UP NEXT
Ohio heads back on the road on Tuesday, Feb. 25 when the Bobcats head to Kalamazoo, Mich. to take on Western Michigan. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN+.

#OUohyeah 

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