Akok article from The Day

[UConnKev]

Akok healthy again and looking to give Huskies lift this winter

Akok Akok has frequently fielded questions about his health during a long and challenging recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon. His response has varied depending on his condition. On Tuesday, Akok...

www.theday.com

 

[UConnKev]

He's in a good place right now.
A much-needed and long overdue trip home to Manchester, N.H., in May, visiting family and friends, did wonders for Akok. He spent quality time with his father and worked out with friends.
During pick-ups games, Akok says he realized he had reached the 100 percent level health-wise.
Vin Pastore, who's known Akok for about 10 years and served as his Mass Rivals AAU coach, agrees with that assessment. He worked with Akok last month in New Hampshire.
"He's back to where he was," Pastore said Wednesday. "He's as athletic as he ever was. He's in a good spot right now."

 

[rollskies]

Hoping he has a good season. Such an easy person to root for

 

[LIuconn]

Such a tough injury to come back from. Not long ago they were career enders

 

[uchusky32]

If 100% healthy both physically and mentally he could be the outside shooting we need. Spread the floor. Needs to get shoots up now. Sanago and a healthy Akok protecting the rim gotta be top 10 in nation in blocks.

 

[Umami Zen]

No one on this team I'm rooting harder for.. Predicting he'll have a monster year. X factor along with AJ for a long Tournament run

 

[Fatroony5]

I’ll never forget that play during the Memphis game and watching him come back to the sideline in tears cheering on his teammates. Weirdly, it was that play and game that I felt UConn turned a corner. He’s as much a part of this rebuild/turnaround as anyone. Rooting hard for him for this season and beyond.

 

[ucawn]

He can just take over chunks of games. Needs to limit the time he “disappears” on the court. Akok, Cole, and Whaley are huge energy players who play with passion and emotion. Those are the guys who need to be leaders this year.

 

[gtcam]

I really hope he comes back 100% and stays healthy. He needs to feel 100% to give the effort he needs to make a difference. We all know about his pre-injury athleticism. He needs to get his offense up to a consistent level in order to look at playing at the next level
It is great to hear all these positive stories.

 

[LIuconn]

Hurley needed him as a freshman, as a recruit and on the court. Now he doesn’t. Will be interesting to see how he’s treated with the influx of talent

 

[glastonbury50]

He's in a good place right now.
A much-needed and long overdue trip home to Manchester, N.H., in May, visiting family and friends, did wonders for Akok. He spent quality time with his father and worked out with friends.
During pick-ups games, Akok says he realized he had reached the 100 percent level health-wise.
Vin Pastore, who's known Akok for about 10 years and served as his Mass Rivals AAU coach, agrees with that assessment. He worked with Akok last month in New Hampshire.
"He's back to where he was," Pastore said Wednesday. "He's as athletic as he ever was. He's in a good spot right now."

Rooting hard for akok. Not sure pickup ball is really the best idea at this point though...

 

[444JR]

Hurley needed him as a freshman, as a recruit and on the court. Now he doesn’t. Will be interesting to see how he’s treated with the influx of talent

The front court competition is going to be fierce.

Sanogo
Whaley
Akok
Samson
Springs

Cauldron of intensity. If Akok forces his way ahead of either Whaley or Sanogo we should be so good. So much versatility among these bigs.

 

[huskyinfl]

Hopefully he bulked up. He's like one of the skinny players from ice hockey on nes.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

If 100% healthy both physically and mentally he could be the outside shooting we need. Spread the floor. Needs to get shoots up now. Sanago and a healthy Akok protecting the rim gotta be top 10 in nation in blocks.

Whaley’s a decent shot blocker also.

 

[Deleted at users request]

A frontcourt of Whaley and Akok would be a nightmare for teams defensively. Both can stretch the floor too. Throw in AJ and that's just suffocating.

 

[businesslawyer]

An impossible piece to know what to expect from next year;. Before the injury, Akok was ridiculous as a shot blocker and running the court, showed NBA potential, BUT the facts are he was not good enough offensively (yet) and inarguably the team got better when he was replaced by Whaley in the lineup. So if he’s fully back from the injury both physically and mentally, how good will he be on offense? Unimproved from before the injury? Or did he develop his shot and understanding after his physical recovery to start next year as a better version of the player who got hurt? Because if he’s not better than he was, he will be a good rotation option up front but he’s not pushing Sanogo or IW off the floor at crunch time.

 

[jibsey]

The kid has tremendous skill and potential if he can stay out there but his skinny legs worry me. It don’t take much to get A leg or foot injury to knock him out like 18 months ago.

 

[husky429]

A frontcourt of Whaley and Akok would be a nightmare for teams defensively. Both can stretch the floor too. Throw in AJ and that's just suffocating.

A frontcourt of those 3 would be brutal offensivsly. None is a proven shooter as it stands. If 1 or 2 can develop a shot (or Rese)... changes us bigtime. We're really going to need one of them to improve their shot to reach our potential

 

[Deleted at users request]

A frontcourt of those 3 would be brutal offensivsly. None is a proven shooter as it stands. If 1 or 2 can develop a shot (or Rese)... changes us bigtime. We're really going to need one of them to improve their shot to reach our potential

Definitely need Akok to improve his shot. I like the confidence he has in it currently though. Whaley seems to extend his range every year, let’s hope he does that again. The horse I keep beating with AJ is just be a scorer, not necessarily a 3 point shot maker. Would hate for him to be like Lonzo ball and be so worried about proving he can shoot that that turns into all he does.

 

[Huskyforlife]

A frontcourt of those 3 would be brutal offensivsly. None is a proven shooter as it stands. If 1 or 2 can develop a shot (or Rese)... changes us bigtime. We're really going to need one of them to improve their shot to reach our potential

You have to hope Andre develops into the primary playmaker next year. A lot to ask, but he's a talented kid, who seemingly is working the hardest of our group. This also takes away some of his spacing problems.

 

[UConnSwag11]

If 100% healthy both physically and mentally he could be the outside shooting we need. Spread the floor. Needs to get shoots up now. Sanago and a healthy Akok protecting the rim gotta be top 10 in nation in blocks.

I’d rather him post up and shoot over his defender. Occasionally shoot the three

 

[Sphinx]

Let us remember that Akok came to UConn advertised as a 3-point shooter. Here's part of the assessment that made him a 5-star recruit at 247Sports: " Offensively can stretch the floor with his jump shot and is capable of heating up from distance. He’s also a good shooter from mid-range." Could be that his two quick threes against Xavier last year were more indicative of his skill than his early season freshman tentativeness of the year before. To say that Akok needs to "develop" an offensive game would surprise many who saw the kid play at Putnam Academy.

 

[uchusky32]

I’d rather him post up and shoot over his defender. Occasionally shoot the three

Well hope he has added some weight/strength. Because he doesn't have the frame.to clear out space on the block.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Well hope he has added some weight/strength. Because he doesn't have the frame.to clear out space on the block.

Even by last year it was clear he had done that. He lifted while rehabbing, because there was nothing wrong with his upper body.

I love his energy and hustle and skill set. Hoping he comes out and shows what he can do.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Hurley needed him as a freshman, as a recruit and on the court. Now he doesn’t. Will be interesting to see how he’s treated with the influx of talent

Are you serious? This guy has the talent to be a first rounder possibly lottery pick. If hes healthy and is able to do everything he was able to do pre injury he could be our best player by the time March roles around. He can attack the basket, shoot the 3, score in the post, rebound, defend and block shots. This kid is a big time talent.

 

[Deleted at users request]

Are you serious? This guy has the talent to be a first rounder possibly lottery pick. If hes healthy and is able to do everything he was able to do pre injury he could be our best player by the time March roles around. He can attack the basket, shoot the 3, score in the post, rebound, defend and block shots. This kid is a big time talent.

Who would you say he starts over (seriously not sarcastically) our DPOY or emerging sophomore who’s our best low post presence? It’ll be a hard decision for Hurley to make because if Akok is back at 100%, I would want to get him as much time as possible too. Just hard to see sitting either of those guys.

 

[HuskyCLT]

Who would you say he starts over (seriously not sarcastically) our DPOY or emerging sophomore who’s our best low post presence? It’ll be a hard decision for Hurley to make because if Akok is back at 100%, I would want to get him as much time as possible too. Just hard to see sitting either of those guys.

I could see Akok playing together with either of those guys together on the court. A determining factor could be how well he can defend guys out to the perimeter… or if he’s together with Whaley which one of them stays low as they’re both great shot blockers.

But what he can do that Whaley and Sanogo can’t so far is stretch the floor with his 3pt shot. I think offensively that allows him to coexist with either guy.

 

[uconnfan68]

Whaley’s a decent shot blocker also.

Such a quick jumper, reminds of Emeka in that regard.

 

[navery12]

I could see Akok playing together with either of those guys together on the court. A determining factor could be how well he can defend guys out to the perimeter… or if he’s together with Whaley which one of them stays low as they’re both great shot blockers.

But what he can do that Whaley and Sanogo can’t so far is stretch the floor with his 3pt shot. I think offensively that allows him to coexist with either guy.

Akok is a shooting 26.5% from 3 for his career, Whaley is shooting 34.8%. Admittedly both are pretty small samples

 

[Deleted at users request]

I could see Akok playing together with either of those guys together on the court. A determining factor could be how well he can defend guys out to the perimeter… or if he’s together with Whaley which one of them stays low as they’re both great shot blockers.

But what he can do that Whaley and Sanogo can’t so far is stretch the floor with his 3pt shot. I think offensively that allows him to coexist with either guy.

I agree. I think Akok would be fine playing with either but it’d just be tough to determine who sits. Sanogo is one of our best offensive presences period, but Whaley just does more things for us. Like imagine Akok at 100% being somewhat of the pick and roll hedger Whaley is with both of them out there.

This team overall can be really exciting this upcoming year if guys just make that jump which is easier said than done.