The Akron Zips men's basketball team represents the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference East division. The Zips are currently coached by John Groce. Prior to becoming members of the MAC in 1992, the Zips were members of the Ohio Valley Conference and the Mid-Continent Conference.
In 2008, the Zips officially announced they had signed a three-year partnership to be outfitted by the LeBron James line by Nike. They are now the only team with a LJ23/Nike contract. Nike has released several Zips themed versions of LeBron's shoes. Some are available to the public, while others are exclusively for the members of the basketball team.
The team first played in the NCAA Tournament in 1986 when Bob Huggins was their coach. The Zips won t...