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Cleveland, OH

Akron, Miami men’s basketball coaches connected by more than meeting in MAC tourney final

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Akron, Miami men’s basketball coaches connected by more than meeting in MAC tourney final


CLEVELAND, Ohio — As usual, the MAC men’s basketball tournament has been filled with close games and emotions flaring, all in the name of winning.

No. 1 seed Akron took care of business in Friday’s semifinal win over No. 4 Toledo, and No. 2 Miami did the same in the nightcap game over No. 3 Kent State.

The Zips (27-6) and RedHawks (25-8) face off in Saturday’s MAC championship game, with an NCAA Tournament berth on the line.

Akron head coach John Groce is looking to win his fifth career MAC tournament crown, and Miami’s Travis Steele is still searching for his first.

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However, there’s also family bragging rights at stake among the coaches.

That’s right.

Through their mother, Barbara Steele, the head coaches are half-brothers. Natives of Danville, Indiana, there’s a 10-year age gap in between the two.

Groce, the older brother, played at Taylor University in the early 1990s before joining the coaching staff as an assistant.

After Taylor, Groce joined Herb Sendek’s staff at NC State in the late 1990s. Steele was a high school basketball player, but recalled on The Field Of 68: After Dark the time he spent with Groce.

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“I would spend the summers a lot with him, go to camp (and) he was kind enough to work me out. And I would just kind of sit around and got exposed to college basketball at a really young age,” Steele said. “I knew I wanted to do what I wanted to do at an early age, due to him.

Steele showed a desire to get into coaching, and Groce would help him along the way.

Going into the millennium, the brothers were now at Butler.

Groce joined Thad Matta’s staff as an assistant for the 2000-01 season, while Steele was a student manager for the Bulldogs.

Matta then went to Xavier for three seasons, and Groce followed him. During this time, Steele finished his bachelor’s degree at Butler, and was an assistant for nearby Ben Davis High School.

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Ahead of the 2004-05 season, Groce followed Matta again to Ohio State, then Steele did the same and joined the Buckeyes as a graduate assistant.

That was the last time the brothers were on the same coaching staff, as Steele moved onto Wabash Valley Community College after the season concluded.

But he’ll always credit Groce with helping him find his passion in coaching.

“(I) kind of always wanted to follow in (Groce’s) footsteps in a lot of ways and he’s a big reason why I’m where I am today,” Steele said. “I wouldn’t be here without him, there’s no doubt about it.”

Groce and Steele aren’t the only set of brothers that are head coaches within the Division I college basketball scene.

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You have Dan Hurley, head coach of the defending champion UConn Huskies, who’s the younger brother of Arizona State’s Bobby Hurley.

There’s also Scott Drew, who won it all with Baylor in 2021, and is the older brother of Grand Canyon’s Bryce Drew. And Sean Miller of Xavier and older brother of Rhode Island’s Archie Miller.

Though, it hits different that your brother’s squad is all that sits in the way of making the NCAA Tournament.

The Zips and RedHawks met once in the regular season, with Akron winning the January meeting by 27 points.

Now, the brothers meet with a ticket to the big dance on the line, and bragging rights for the next big family dinner.

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Cleveland, OH

Cleveland police arrest suspect in involuntary manslaughter investigation, find fentanyl and PCP

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Cleveland police arrest suspect in involuntary manslaughter investigation, find fentanyl and PCP


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Cleveland Division of Police worked with multiple agencies to arrest a man in an investigation into involuntary manslaughter and found drugs during a police search Wednesday.

The Cleveland Division of Police Narcotics Unit worked with the U.S. Marshals Task Force to arrest 33-year-old James Williams as part of the division’s Violent Crime Reduction efforts.

Williams was taken into custody in the Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood in Cleveland’s Fourth District Wednesday.

He was previously wanted on an involuntary manslaughter investigation warrant in connection with three fatal drug overdoses, police say.

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In November 2025, Williams was identified by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office as one of 37 suspects in a large-scale drug trafficking organization.

Police say that during the investigation into Williams, they seized thousands of grams of illegal narcotics.

After Williams’ arrest, the Narcotics Unit executed a search of his home.

During the search, police say the unit found 83 grams of suspected cocaine, 76 grams of suspected fentanyl and 824 grams of suspected PCP.

During the search, police say the unit found 83 grams of suspected cocaine, 76 grams of suspected fentanyl and 824 grams of suspected PCP.(WOIO)

Investigators say they seized numerous items associated with drug manufacturing and distribution that contained suspected drug residue.

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Investigators say Williams was involved in distributing dangerous narcotics, including mixtures containing fentanyl and xylazine, a drug commonly used as a tranquilizer for animals.

Police say when xylazine is mixed with fentanyl, it can increase the risk of overdose and death.

Police said Narcan can reverse the opioid effects of fentanyl, but it cannot reverse the effects of xylazine, which makes those overdoses dangerous and in need of medical intervention.

“Every day, these men and women dedicate countless hours to complex investigations aimed at removing violent offenders, illegal firearms, and dangerous narcotics from our neighborhoods. We remain deeply concerned about the presence of Xylazine, a dangerous substance that does not respond to Narcan and is contributing to fatal overdoses,” Chief Dorothy Todd said. “We are grateful for the continued dedication of our local, state, and federal partners as we work together to reduce violent crime, disrupt criminal organizations, and keep Cleveland’s residents safe.”

Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.

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Cleveland, OH

Woman killed, several children injured in Ohio Turnpike crash in Lorain County

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Woman killed, several children injured in Ohio Turnpike crash in Lorain County


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A 28-year-old woman is dead, and three children are hospitalized following a one-car rollover accident in Elyria Township in the eastbound lanes of the Ohio Turnpike.

The crash happened around 11:54 a.m. at milepost 146.3.

During the investigation of the crash OSHP learned that the crash happened when the Toyota RAV4, driven by Najalee N. Rivera, drove off the right side of the road, struck a guardrail, and overturned.

The vehicle was also occupied by three children. A 7-year-old boy, a 8-year-old girl, and 4-year-old girl all from Lorain, they all suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported by LifeCare Ambulance to University Elyria Hospital.

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Rivera was not wearing a safety belt at the time of the crash, according to OSHP.

Two of the lanes were reopened about 4:15 p.m., according to a social media post from the Ohio Turnpike.

Check back with 19 News for the latest on this story.

Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.



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Cleveland, OH

LOOK: Remembering the Cavs championship win, victory parade 10 years later

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LOOK: Remembering the Cavs championship win, victory parade 10 years later


CLEVELAND (WJW) — Ten years ago, Cleveland experienced one of the most unforgettable moments in the city’s history.

The Cavaliers became the first-ever team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a championship. By winning the 2016 NBA Finals, they also ended a 52-year championship drought for Cleveland.

Mr. Cavalier, Austin Carr, said he still relishes that moment 10 years later.

“The odds we overcame to win that championship,” he said. “Not only did we have to win three straight games, but we also had to have the right things happen at the right moment in order to win it. And that just tells me how difficult it is … with ‘The Shot’, ‘The Block’, and the defensive move. All those. It was just meant to be.”

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The victory over the Golden State Warriors catapulted LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith and the rest of the crew into essential Northeast Ohio sainthood.

When Akron’s own James screamed the now-famous phrase, “Cleveland, this is for you!” following the game, a whole legion of Cleveland fans around the country wept and cheered along with him.

CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 22: Kyrie Irving #2, LeBron James #23 and J.R. Smith #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers look on during the Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 NBA Championship victory parade and rally on June 22, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)

When Smith refused to put a shirt on for what seemed like a whole summer in honor of the win, it felt right and proper.

Whenever the long-since traded Irving comes back to town, he’s remembered for his important 3-pointer at the end of Game 7 and not the way he left the team.

And the city made history again just a few days later, when more than 1.3 million people flooded downtown Cleveland for the championship parade. According to the Cavs, it remains the largest NBA championship parade ever.

The current Cavaliers (now in their Donovan Mitchell era) haven’t been back to the NBA Finals. They reached the conference finals this past spring for the first time since 2018. But a finals appearance has still eluded the wine and gold.



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