Akok considering skipping NCAA, entering NBA Draft

[Matt1010]

Coulibaly is still from Mali, and if you wanna read that far into it- mail doesn't take 5 months to reach Africa either...

But either way, I was only half joking because there is no other backup plan for akok.

Idk why there's such an aversion to 3 star recruits. Jeremiah Francis just committed to UNC today and he's a 3 star!

Would getting Wahab and Coulibaly be the dream scenario everyone hoped for? Of course not, but 3 stars are still better than none.

Not that it matters but not sure why 247 composite has Wahab as a 3*. ESPN, 247 and Rivals all have him as a 4*.

 

[auror]

Oh I don't? Good one. I said he has potential and I am well aware that the NBA drafts on that. There are 60 players that are flat out better than him. I don't like rankings, but he is a top 40 recruit by most "experts"...and what about all the college and foreign guys who are proven and have potential? He has all the intangibles but isn't ready. I still think Kofi and Precious would be drafted ahead him at this point, they have loads of potential too.

Akok would go ahead of Kofi 100% of the time. It's not even ambiguous potential, he's specifically the exact type of guy the NBA currently covets and falls in love with. 7'1"+ wingpsan that protects the rim, guards multiple positions, and shoots 3's. See Thon Maker in the lottery despite being projected as a 2nd rounder. Recruiting rankings are not NBA draft projections. Doesn't mean he even goes in the 1st if he leaves now. I think he'd be better off coming to UConn, blocking a billion shots and hitting 3's, getting on a few more people's radar.

There's honestly very little place for Kofi in the NBA currently. He's not Shaq. He's not Dwight. He's not even Bam Adebayo. He's big but doesn't protect the rim all that well, can't create for others, and doesn't have range. There are 0 of those guys getting minutes in the NBA.

 

[Stinger92860]

He did?

Surprise!

 

[superjohn]

Akok would go ahead of Kofi 100% of the time. It's not even ambiguous potential, he's specifically the exact type of guy the NBA falls in love with. 7'1"+ wingpsan that protects the rim, guards multiple positions, and shoots 3's. See Thon Maker in the lottery despite being projected as a 2nd rounder. Recruiting rankings are not NBA draft projections. Doesn't mean he even goes in the 1st if he leaves now. I think he'd be better off coming to UConn, blocking a billion shots and hitting 3's, getting on a few more people's radar.

There's honestly very little place for Kofi in the NBA currently. He's not Shaq. He's not Dwight. He's not even Bam Adebayo. He's big but doesn't protect the rim all that well, can't create for others, and doesn't have range. There are 0 of those guys getting minutes in the NBA.

Akok is 6'9, nobody on the national scene knew who he was until recently. He's really good but all he really does at this point is block shots and catch and shoot. Thon Maker is 7'1, and has always had all the skills, he was known about by everyone since freshman year of high school and was considered the next great one getting early comparisons to Durant, Bosh, and Garnett.

 

[auror]

Akok is 6'9, nobody on the national scene knew who he was until recently. He's really good but all he really does at this point is block shots and catch and shoot. Thon Maker is 7'1, and has always had all the skills, he was known about by everyone since freshman year of high school and was considered the next great one getting early comparisons to Durant, Bosh, and Garnett.

Thon Maker didn't go in the 1st because he was known and had a mixtape. He went in the 1st because John Hammond (chief among others) is obsessed with wingspan. And mobile shooting + wingspan is the single most coveted thing in the NBA.

Jonathan Isaac didn't go in the mid lottery because he has "all the skills" either. He and Akok are essentially the same height/weight/wingspan. Isaac could defend multiple positions, protect the rim, and shoot the 3. Same with Akok. Isaac was recruited higher and was more polished, but they're both 5*s.

Akok blew up late and was in public school in NH for two years. Sure. His exposure is less than some. But he plays in the NEPSAC, was at the Top 100 camp, and showed out during AAU summer. There's a lot of his game on Synergy. Scouts know who he is. He won't go under-drafted due to that.

So if Isaac goes in the mid lottery and Akok is a B+ version of Isaac... there's definitely a chance if he impresses in workouts he could go late 1st. I don't think it is necessarily the most likely outcome if he does declare, and I think he'd be better served with a year at UConn. But it's certainly in the range of outcomes.

 

[CL82]

Guys who go straight to the pros miss out on the college experience. Kobe laments that from time to time.
Akok should go to UConn for a year, improve his game and his draft position, and get the college experience.

JMHO.

 

[UConnRock]

Akok is 6'9, nobody on the national scene knew who he was until recently. He's really good but all he really does at this point is block shots and catch and shoot. Thon Maker is 7'1, and has always had all the skills, he was known about by everyone since freshman year of high school and was considered the next great one getting early comparisons to Durant, Bosh, and Garnett.

And Thon is in his 3rd year getting 11 minutes per game and averaging 5 ppg. Thon's size, experience and skills were better than Akok's coming our of HS. The NBA game is tough. Simi Shittu is was leaps and bounds ahead of Akok. Shittu is also doing quite well at Vandy.

 

[huskyfan224]

It’s a crap shoot. Ater Majok got drafted 58 and avg 2 and 2 here. The reason I said Kofi would is because he is a specimen. He is super strong, 280-300lb, 6’11, and is developing (his jumper isn’t bad). He also rebounds the ball better than most. There is always a need for that in the league

 

[TheChamps990411]

With all this G league stuff being an option im surprised we arent hearing more kids looking for the pro option. itd be nice if he came her but if not, then next.

 

[intlzncster]

Don't know why this is so difficult for some to understand. We haven't really been sending kids to the pros in a while and now we have people worried about us getting kids who will be future pros. The better players leave earlier for the NBA and then you reaload with other great players.

Especially with 1 and done ending in the intermediate future. You want to be known as a school that puts kids in the pros.

 

[Paesano]

This kid is getting bad advice.

 

[the Q]

Don't know why this is so difficult for some to understand. We haven't really been sending kids to the pros in a while and now we have people worried about us getting kids who will be future pros. The better players leave earlier for the NBA and then you reaload with other great players.

And Gonzaga? They got some guys recently but no justification for the talent they got.