After leaving West Virginia to create their own legacy, former Mountaineers James Okonkwo, Seth Wilson, and Josiah Harris have helped the Akron Zips make their seventh NCAA tournament.
After a mediocre junior season for the Mountaineers, Seth Wilson decided to take his talents to the mid-major level, hoping to be one of the leaders on a very talented Akron squad. So far this season, Wilson has averaged 6.3 points per game while shooting 40.3% from the floor, only averaging 18.8 minutes per game.
James Okonkwo, who is initially from England but went to high school in West Virginia, decided to take a different path after leaving the Mountaineers. He transferred to North Carolina before the 2023-2024 season, hoping to elevate his game and become a key piece of a national championship-contending team.
After being behind NBA prospects such as Armando Bacot, Okonkwo found himself only playing two minutes per game. He then transferred to Akron with his former teammate Seth Wilson for his senior season. Okonkwo finished the 2024-2025 season averaging seven points per game and shooting 59.9% from the field.
Josiah Harris was a key piece in Bob Huggins’s final year at WVU. After graduating in two years and the release of Huggins from West Virginia, Harris decided to transfer to Akron. He has been a key piece to the Zips’ success so far this season, averaging 8.7 points while playing 23 minutes a game.
The Zips finished with a 28-6 record (1st in the MAC) and defeated Miami OH by a score of 76-74 to win the conference tournament and make the NCAA tournament.
The three ex-Mountaineers have been key pieces to a very good Akron team that has a chance to turn some heads next week. The Zips will face Arizona in the first round of the tournament on Mar. 21 at 7:35 p.m. ET.
