Team: Akron

Conference: MAC

A go-ahead layup by Nate Johnson with 2.3 seconds remaining secured Akron the MAC tournament championship and a thrilling 76-74 victory over Miami (OH). The top-seeded Zips, who won the outright regular-season crown, erased an 18-point deficit to the second-seeded RedHawks.

Akron returns the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season and third time in eight seasons under coach John Groce. Akron (27-6) is one of the hottest teams of the country, losing just once since the calendar flipped to 2025.