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Home International Akron basketball will benefit if Buddy Hammer Jr. can harness fire. Opinion

Akron basketball will benefit if Buddy Hammer Jr. can harness fire. Opinion

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In one fell swoop, the University of Akron‘s Buddy Hammer Jr. received a massive compliment and a decent dose of discipline from Zips men’s basketball coach Dustin Ford on Saturday, Nov. 14.

“I made up my mind I was willing to lose the game to hopefully teach him a lesson for down the road,” Ford said.

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Ford benched Hammer after the senior forward drew a technical foul with 12:24 left in the second half against Tulane. Hammer had been dominating for the Zips, but Ford never put him back in the game. Hammer’s foul and subsequent technical gave Tulane four foul shots, sparking the Green Wave’s 14-0 run and rally from an 11-point deficit.

In the end, Akron defeated Tulane 65-63, allowing Hammer to learn and Ford to hold a standout player accountable as the Zips (3-0) extended their winning streak at Rhodes Arena to 33 games.

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University of Akron vs Tulane University men’s basketball game photos

Tulane University men’s basketball head coach Ron Hunter applauds as players take the floor for pregame warmups against Akron, Nov. 14, 2026, at Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio.

(Andrew Dolph, Akron Beacon Journal)

Akron wing Evan Mahaffey made the game-winning layup with 55.5 seconds remaining. Tulane guard KJ Greene drove for a layup of his own in the final seconds, yet his attempt missed. Akron’s scoring leader with 17 points, guard Ty Pence secured the final rebound just before the buzzer.

Hammer could let out a sigh of relief. During a postgame news conference, he broached the subject of his punishment before anyone asked about it.

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“I made a big mistake tonight. I let my team down in that moment,” Hammer said.

So what exactly did Hammer do to lose playing time against Tulane (2-2)?

More Zips sports: Akron men’s basketball recap. Zips win thriller vs. Tulane

Akron Zips forward Buddy Hammer Jr. (4) reacts to fouling out during the second half of a game against Tulane, Nov. 14, 2026, at Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio.

Akron Zips forward Buddy Hammer Jr. (4) reacts to fouling out during the second half of a game against Tulane, Nov. 14, 2026, at Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio.

Hammer appeared to have ideal defensive position when the officials whistled him for a foul as he guarded Greene on another drive earlier in the second half. Hammer appeared to be frustrated with the call. He got his right hand on the ball, bouncing it hard off the floor and high into the air. Four successful free throws ensued.

“I just thought I had good position,” Hammer said. “It really wasn’t I was mad at the ref or nothing like that. I just made a simple mistake, and I seen the ball, so I slapped it just for the heck of it. But it wasn’t nothing. I wasn’t real mad or nothing like that. And I told coach that, but in the moment and me doing that, it doesn’t show how I was feeling.

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“Making that mistake, I know I just got to bounce back from that and learn from that because I can’t be letting my team down like that, especially in tough moments. It was a four-point possession right there, so I can’t be doing that and giving the team free throws and free points. We can’t be doing that. We’ve just got to make sure we [maintain] mental toughness and being able to move on to the next play. OK, he called the foul. Let’s keep going now.”

Akron Zips forward Buddy Hammer Jr. (4) hits a slam dunk against Tulane, Nov. 14, 2026, at Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio.

Akron Zips forward Buddy Hammer Jr. (4) hits a slam dunk against Tulane, Nov. 14, 2026, at Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio.

On the surface, the penalty Hammer received from Ford seemed to be too harsh for smacking the ball. But Ford pointed out Hammer also picked up a technical earlier in the week during a 112-64 victory over Muskingum. There was a pattern by the player and a method to the first-year college head coach’s madness.

“He plays with emotion and passion, and I coach with emotion and passion,” Ford said. “I’m probably going to lose my mind at times, too. But you can’t get a technical foul in that juncture. He’s had that issue, and I want to get that cleaned up, but I also don’t want the kid beating himself up.

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“There are going to be some games with a lot more emotion than there was in there [against Tulane]. He’s got to be able to channel that [emotion] because he’s a smart kid.”

When teams essentially start over every season during an era of college sports shaped by name, image and likeness deals and the NCAA transfer portal, how is a coach supposed to establish a culture? Give Ford credit for trying, even though he took a risk as part of the big-picture mission.

Akron Zips forward Buddy Hammer Jr. (4) shoots a free throw in a game against Tulane University, Nov. 14, 2026, at Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio.

Akron Zips forward Buddy Hammer Jr. (4) shoots a free throw in a game against Tulane University, Nov. 14, 2026, at Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio.

A transfer from the University of North Texas, Hammer compiled 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field (0 of 1 on 3-pointers), six rebounds, two assists and two steals in 17 minutes off the bench. His motor is relentless, and Akron had firm control when he was in the game. Without Hammer, the Zips found themselves in jeopardy of losing for the first time at home since March 5, 2024.

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“With about five minutes to go, I started second-guessing myself, and the [assistant] coaches were in my ear [about benching Hammer], but I tried to stick to it,” Ford conceded.

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This is how Ford complimented Hammer through actions, not words: The coach would not have gone through the trouble of making an example of the player during a game unless the coach had significant plans for the player this season.

Hammer’s elite level of energy and hustle is unmatched among Zips players since UA legend Enrique Freeman entered the NBA and NBA G League. In a span of 21 seconds in the first half, Hammer dived for a loose ball, almost inadvertently causing an official to wipe out near Akron’s bench, and took a charge from Tulane forward Joah Chappelle.

Muskingum's Brett Devault (24) passes the ball as Akron's Buddy Hammer Jr. (4) defends during the University Akron Zips men's basketball home opener at the James A. Rhodes Arena on November 9, 2026.

Muskingum’s Brett Devault (24) passes the ball as Akron’s Buddy Hammer Jr. (4) defends during the University Akron Zips men’s basketball home opener at the James A. Rhodes Arena on November 9, 2026.

Hammer has Zips fan favorite and Mid-American Conference Sixth Man of the Year candidacy written all over him.

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“If I could get on NBA Live and craft a player, I’d want [one like Hammer],” Ford said. “[He] just plays hard. And I think if we can keep him out of foul trouble and keep him from some things like that [technical], he’s a guy that could be a double-double guy. No doubt about it, and then he could be extremely efficient while he’s doing it.”

Akron forward Halil “Chabi” Barre, who had five points and a game-high 10 rebounds, injected some humor into the situation when he was asked to describe what Hammer has brought to the Zips.

“Technical fouls,” Barre said with a smile, causing Hammer to laugh while sitting next to him.

Barre continued, “He’s probably one of the toughest guys on the team. He brings huge energy on both sides of the court and obviously rebounding.”

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As Akron seeks its fourth consecutive MAC Tournament title, the team will need Hammer on the court to reach its potential this season. UA wears a gigantic target on its back, and showdowns against Kent State, Miami and Toledo, among others, are sure to be intense.

If Hammer were better equipped to harness his competitive fire in those moments, he and Ford would be able to look back at Akron versus Tulane as a turning point.

Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron basketball will benefit if Buddy Hammer Jr. can harness fire. Opinion

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com

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