Akok Akok

[djct1999]

It was reported that Tom Moore was there tonight and Hurley and Kimani will be there tomorrow for Mitchell and Bouknight

Akok played today, right? Was he there specifically for Akok?

 

[BackAftaThis]

Akok played today, right? Was he there specifically for Akok?

Akok did play tonight. Coach Moore has been the lead recruiter on Akok and by accounts I’ve read Akok is very fond of him. Makes perfect sense to me that’s why he was there

 

[M T Pockets]

I went to the games yesterday and can confirm that Tom Moore was there. Akok didn’t look like himself, he was limping around and favoring his right leg the entire game/warm ups. He didn’t have a great stats night, but he is a strong presence inside altering shots/getting high rebounds. He has a reallly nice shooting touch from the outside. Didn’t play a lot of minutes because of his injury/ PSA’s depth.

OT: Trey Mitchell really surprised me, big wide framed kid who has very good fundamentals for rebounding. Also hit multiple 3 pointers, has a very nice shot.

 

[bendm]

"I think it’s a very slim chance he does that,” Espinosa told the Register. “I think he could, but very slim. Physically, I think he’ll even struggle next year in college. Physically, he needs to get stronger. That’s his biggest weakness. We’ll see.”

- Akok's coach on the NBA.

 

[Huskyforlife]

I went to the games yesterday and can confirm that Tom Moore was there. Akok didn’t look like himself, he was limping around and favoring his right leg the entire game/warm ups. He didn’t have a great stats night, but he is a strong presence inside altering shots/getting high rebounds. He has a reallly nice shooting touch from the outside. Didn’t play a lot of minutes because of his injury/ PSA’s depth.

OT: Trey Mitchell really surprised me, big wide framed kid who has very good fundamentals for rebounding. Also hit multiple 3 pointers, has a very nice shot.

Obviously Kofi is the big fish, but Tre is a worthy backup plan. He's always reminded me of one of those mega producers at the college level. Would love to bring them aboard.

 

[nomar]

"I think it’s a very slim chance he does that,” Espinosa told the Register. “I think he could, but very slim. Physically, I think he’ll even struggle next year in college. Physically, he needs to get stronger. That’s his biggest weakness. We’ll see.”

- Akok's coach on the NBA.

His biggest weakness is weakness

 

[Tyler2Rings]

You can tell this coach Espinosa really wants him to go to UConn. It's good to know DH has such a strong relationship. Should pay dividends down the road even if Akok makes other plans

 

[Mokum]

Akok is not ready for NBA. I hope he can be convinced of that. If he chooses college I’m pretty confident it will be Uconn. Other wise it’s years of D league.

 

[djct1999]

Akok is not ready for NBA. I hope he can be convinced of that. If he chooses college I’m pretty confident it will be Uconn. Other wise it’s years of D league.

As a UConn fan, this is a very easy comment to make. Of course, physically he is not ready for the NBA. I am not sure if there is a single person that would say otherwise. But I don't know anything about Akok or his family off the court. There could be other reasons behind this temptation. If thats the case, good for him. I will never fault anyone who leaves early with a first round guarantee. If you can cash one of those checks, you do it. The risk/reward is to great. Again, see Hamidou Diallo. Financially, he would have been better off never playing in college. If the criticism is that Akok is too weak, odds are people will say the same thing next winter. Then what? Sure, as a UConn fan it would be great to think he will be in Storrs for 3 years. Its easy for us to think that. But what would you do if you were in his situation? As a fan, its easy to look at this in a vacuum. I will be pissed if we lose him to another school. But if he is confident that he will get first round money, he should go.

 

[Danzz]

I am done with recruiting. The saga of these top 50 kids is worse than the worst soap opera. If they come, great, if not, at least I know we now have a coach who can coach up whoever wants to be here.

You have no idea how many times I've said the same thing but recruiting keeps dragging you back in. You are infected and there is no cure.

 

[tcf15]

 

[Bost4]

You have no idea how many times I've said the same thing but recruiting keeps dragging you back in. You are infected and there is no cure.

 

[crazyUCfan23]

this was probably already answered somewhere, but how is Akok eligible for this draft? Wouldn't he have to go to G-league for a year and then get drafted?

 

[BlueMAB]

this was probably already answered somewhere, but how is Akok eligible for this draft? Wouldn't he have to go to G-league for a year and then get drafted?

He is a year removed from HS (he's a post-grad) and he's old enough (19 I believe).

 

[crazyUCfan23]

He is a year removed from HS (he's a post-grad) and he's old enough (19 I believe).

gotcha, thanks.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

As a UConn fan, this is a very easy comment to make. Of course, physically he is not ready for the NBA. I am not sure if there is a single person that would say otherwise. But I don't know anything about Akok or his family off the court. There could be other reasons behind this temptation. If thats the case, good for him. I will never fault anyone who leaves early with a first round guarantee. If you can cash one of those checks, you do it. The risk/reward is to great. Again, see Hamidou Diallo. Financially, he would have been better off never playing in college. If the criticism is that Akok is too weak, odds are people will say the same thing next winter. Then what? Sure, as a UConn fan it would be great to think he will be in Storrs for 3 years. Its easy for us to think that. But what would you do if you were in his situation? As a fan, its easy to look at this in a vacuum. I will be pissed if we lose him to another school. But if he is confident that he will get first round money, he should go.

Your points about Akok's family situation are completely true. None of us know what his motives are there and we shouldn't look down on a kid who tries to do his best to support his family.

That said, there is ample evidence to show undersized kids who spend a year in college come out after one year in much better physical condition, especially someone who is 19 going on 20 instead of a year before. So the odds that scouts will say the same thing about him next year aren't likely.

In college he'll have a full spring/summer prior to school starting of weight training, a full schedule of in-season training all in addition to practices and all that occurs in-season. All of that while having the ability to be on a strictly regimented nutrition program. In high school and prep school, most don't have that level of structure with strength and nutrition programs. It's not at all unreasonable for a kid to put on 20 pounds of pure muscle (and more of pure body mass) in one college year, which would be significantly beneficial to him in the pros.

 

[djct1999]

Your points about Akok's family situation are completely true. None of us know what his motives are there and we shouldn't look down on a kid who tries to do his best to support his family.

That said, there is ample evidence to show undersized kids who spend a year in college come out after one year in much better physical condition, especially someone who is 19 going on 20 instead of a year before. So the odds that scouts will say the same thing about him next year aren't likely.

In college he'll have a full spring/summer prior to school starting of weight training, a full schedule of in-season training all in addition to practices and all that occurs in-season. All of that while having the ability to be on a strictly regimented nutrition program. In high school and prep school, most don't have that level of structure with strength and nutrition programs. It's not at all unreasonable for a kid to put on 20 pounds of pure muscle (and more of pure body mass) in one college year, which would be significantly beneficial to him in the pros.

Simply playing devil's advocate here but sometimes, for a guy like Akok, a smaller sample size may actually help him. What if plays in college and underwhelms? He can go from being drafted in the first round on pure potential to the second round with non-guaranteed money. Now the uphill climb becomes a lot steeper. Listen, I also agree and want him to come to college. But if he chooses to go pro, presumably with a mid-late first round guarantee, it may just be in his best interests. Whether we agree or don't.

 

[tcf15]

 

[Minicoop69]

Were those his only points from the games this past weekend? I don't he had that many in total.

 

[BackAftaThis]

Drawing scouts and impressing scouts once there are two different things. Also wasn’t Jalen Lecque there as well? By all accounts he’s much more likely to declare.

 

[cowboysnation]

Next years draft class is stacked. Hard to see him getting a chance in the first round. The potential is there and I can definitely see Hurley turn this kid into a first rounder

 

[krinklecut]

Whether he's actually considering about going or not, this has been a great PR strategy. He's attracted national attention, possible unwarrantedly so, which definitely helps draft stock.

If he ends up coming to us this will help us. "High Schooler skips draft to attend UConn."

 

[businesslawyer]

Whether he's actually considering about going or not, this has been a great PR strategy. He's attracted national attention, possible unwarrantedly so, which definitely helps draft stock.

If he ends up coming to us this will help us. "High Schooler skips draft to attend UConn."

Improves draft stock? LMAO. It may get him more attention on the internet, but the thought that NBA scouts and executives are making draft decisions on someone having gone out of their way to get some internet publicity is beyond ridiculous.

 

[jimva]

Some of the negative/questioning comments about Akok surprise me. He is a consensus top 50 player right? What am I missing?

 

[BackAftaThis]

Some of the negative/questioning comments about Akok surprise me. He is a consensus top 50 player right? What am I missing?

I think it’s more of there’s a difference between being a consensus top 50 college recruit and a first round NBA prospect.