After it appeared the Akron men’s basketball team team would have its core players back for another run at the NCAA Tournament, the Zips could be poised to lose the league player of the year just days after another starter left through the transfer portal.
Akron Zips star Nate Johnson is reportedly entering the transfer portal, according to multiple college basketball writers on Twitter, including Jeff Borzello of ESPN, Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 and John Fanta of Fox and NBC Sports.
Johnson has one year of eligibility remaining after leading Akron to Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament championships, and to the NCAA Tournament in 2025.
Johnson, a 6-foot-3 junior guard, was named MAC Player of the Year after he averaged 14.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists this past season.
Johnson was a redshirt who did not play during Akron’s run to a MAC Tournament title and an NCAA appearance in 2022. Johnson starred on Akron’s 2024 and 2025 teams that won MAC Tournament championships and played in the NCAA Tournament.
On April 13, Akron starting forward James Okonkwo announced he was transferring to Utah.
It’s quite a reversal from the days after Akron’s season ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with a 93-65 loss to No. 4 Arizona on March 21 in Seattle. At that point several key Zips players told the Beacon Journal they planned to return to UA next season. Within a few days, 11 players said they were coming back to Akron.
Nate Ulrich contributed to this story.
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