Akok on NBA plans

[The Viking]

Playing in the 2nd semester will likely be a good wake-up call for him in terms of seeing how far he has to go and will likely lock him into a 2019 season with us. He will be facing better competition than he ever has and will likely get his butt kicked for a little while...with some positive stuff along the way as well.

 

[Stainmaster]

Someone really needs to smack this kid with the reality stick. He is not an elite NBA level talent. If he leaves for the NBA he will be a 2nd rounder and likely never heard from again. The road to the NBA is littered with guys like him who never made it. He needs to build his body and develop his skill for at least a year to have any hope of being even a first rounder. If he's not sure he wants to be in college next year he really should just stay home and workout in prep for the draft. Why waste your time coming here at all?

I'm very glad you're not on the staff.

 

[jibsey]

Someone really needs to smack this kid with the reality stick. He is not an elite NBA level talent. If he leaves for the NBA he will be a 2nd rounder and likely never heard from again. The road to the NBA is littered with guys like him who never made it. He needs to build his body and develop his skill for at least a year to have any hope of being even a first rounder. If he's not sure he wants to be in college next year he really should just stay home and workout in prep for the draft. Why waste your time coming here at all?

This is it in a nutshell. I realize the world has changed but someone needs to sit these kids down and show them that Ray Allen and Richard Hamilton had 3 year college careers, got themselves ready and excelled in the NBA. Hurley can prep him to make lots of money with a stronger NBA body. He needs 2 years in Storrs.

 

[dannyHAM]

Realistically I think he practices / hits the weight room for the second semester and then gives us a year for the 2019 season. At the end of the day who knows what'll happen. I feel like we have a different answer every single day to this whole dilemma. Just need to let it play out at this point.

 

[husky429]

This is it in a nutshell. I realize the world has changed but someone needs to sit these kids down and show them that Ray Allen and Richard Hamilton had 3 year college careers, got themselves ready and excelled in the NBA. Hurley can prep him to make lots of money with a stronger NBA body. He needs 2 years in Storrs.

That was 20 years ago. Both those guys would have been gone.

And guards have always spent more time in college.

He may need 2 years in storrs. But 1 decent+ yesr may get him drafted in round 1. In which case he should be leaving.

 

[kemba]

This is it in a nutshell. I realize the world has changed but someone needs to sit these kids down and show them that Ray Allen and Richard Hamilton had 3 year college careers, got themselves ready and excelled in the NBA. Hurley can prep him to make lots of money with a stronger NBA body. He needs 2 years in Storrs.

And there's even more guys in today's NBA with a different story than those 2 that have been successful. Nothing wrong with him keeping his options open and seeing what his NBA prospects are now. If you are right, which I'd agree with too, he'll be here.

 

[navery12]

Half of this board is not ready to have NBA caliber kids on this roster. Potential NBA talk for UConn players is a good thing and hopeful something we’ll get used to

 

[yukonfan4]

if he wanted to get drafted this summer shouldn't he have stayed in high school where NBA scouts could actually, like, watch him play basketball!?!?
now he's gonna be hidden away at uconn practices all spring where he's safe and sound.

 

[TheChamps990411]

I'm very glad you're not on the staff.

Thanks for adding nothing to the conversation.

 

[Stainmaster]

Thanks for adding nothing to the conversation.

I added much more than you did.

 

[TheChamps990411]

I added much more than you did.

Good for you. We done? Feel better now? Or do you need to keep making snarky comments to feel better about yourself?

 

[Stainmaster]

Good for you. We done? Feel better now? Or do you need to keep making snarky comments to feel better about yourself?

I’d feel better if you cut down on saying dumb crap about our recruits and their attitudes.

 

[superjohn]

Half of this board is not ready to have NBA caliber kids on this roster. Potential NBA talk for UConn players is a good thing and hopeful something we’ll get used to

I swear some of this board wants a 13 man roster made up of Chritian Vital's. I've seen people post about us being too deep and worried players like Whaley will be upset about a lack of playing time. I've seen posts saying we can't get Kofi because we got Akok even though they play different positions and their games perfectly compliment each others.

There has been a lot of these types of posts, I get that we haven't had much talent the last couple of years but it's like a segment of the fanbase forget we used to be awesome and had a bunch of bigtime players.

 

[DePriestD]

Strategy of not playing worked for Thon Maker. But Maker lit it up more at prep level.

 

[businesslawyer]

Half of this board is not ready to have NBA caliber kids on this roster. Potential NBA talk for UConn players is a good thing and hopeful something we’ll get used to

Yes. Great post. UCOnn fans aren't ready for NBA caliber kids -- not like we've ever had any.,

 

[Jaydumo20]

I swear some of this board wants a 13 man roster made up of Chritian Vital's. I've seen people post about us being too deep and worried players like Whaley will be upset about a lack of playing time. I've seen posts saying we can't get Kofi because we got Akok even though they play different positions and their games perfectly compliment each others.

There has been a lot of these types of posts, I get that we haven't had much talent the last couple of years but it's like a segment of the fanbase forget we used to be awesome and had a bunch of bigtime players.

Good call. I remember when Hilton Armstrong was kind of an afterthought on a great team and he got drafted.

 

[businesslawyer]

Half of this board is not ready to have NBA caliber kids on this roster. Potential NBA talk for UConn players is a good thing and hopeful something we’ll get used to

I swear some of this board wants a 13 man roster made up of Chritian Vital's. I've seen people post about us being too deep and worried players like Whaley will be upset about a lack of playing time. I've seen posts saying we can't get Kofi because we got Akok even though they play different positions and their games perfectly compliment each others.

There has been a lot of these types of posts, I get that we haven't had much talent the last couple of years but it's like a segment of the fanbase forget we used to be awesome and had a bunch of bigtime players.

No. That's ridiculous. People don't want a roster of Christian
Vital level players. On the other hand, people think many are vastly overestimating the positive effects this kid is likely to have on the program given his clear desire to get money as soon as humanly possible and how far his body is from being ready to be an impact player at the college player. Hint -- Andre Drummond had little positive effect on our program and was 1000 times more ready to play professional basketball when he came here then this kid.

Glad we got Akok. Don't doubt that he has both NBA and impact college potential. But do I think he's as likely to help UConn over his career here as much as either a Achiuwa or a Cockburn would be? Not even close.

Are you really sure he's likely to have more of an impact here before leaving than our one Christian Vital?

 

[ZenConn]

If Akok wants to be drafted as a lottery pick in a few years, he better hurry up and get Kofi in a Husky uniform.

 

[Huskyforlife]

No. That's ridiculous. People don't want a roster of Christian
Vital level players. On the other hand, people think many are vastly overestimating the positive effects this kid is likely to have on the program given his clear desire to get money as soon as humanly possible and how far his body is from being ready to be an impact player at the college player. Hint -- Andre Drummond had little positive effect on our program and was 1000 times more ready to play professional basketball when he came here then this kid.

Glad we got Akok. Don't doubt that he has both NBA and impact college potential. But do I think he's as likely to help UConn over his career here as much as either a Achiuwa or a Cockburn would be? Not even close.

Are you really sure he's likely to have more of an impact here before leaving than our one Christian Vital?

If Akok played starting minuets for us, I'd bet on him having more of an impact than Vital, he's just a lot more talented, and its not like he's that under weight. Pretty sure Wilson and Polley are lighter than him.

 

[superjohn]

Yes. Great post. UCOnn fans aren't ready for


No. That's ridiculous. People don't want a roster of Christian
Vital level players. On the other hand, people think many are vastly overestimating the positive effects this kid is likely to have on the program given his clear desire to get money as soon as humanly possible and how far his body is from being ready to be an impact player at the college player. Hint -- Andre Drummond had little positive effect on our program and was 1000 times more ready to play professional basketball when he came here then this kid.

Glad we got Akok. Don't doubt that he has both NBA and impact college potential. But do I think he's as likely to help UConn over his career here as either a Achiuwa or a Cockburn would be? Not even close.

Are you really sure he's likely to have more of an impact here before leaving than our one Christian Vital?

Yikes, you don't seem to get it. I'm not making that up, people have literally said they want a team full of Christian Vital's. Also, Akok is totally independent of Achiuwa and Cockburn and I haven't even seen anyone say he would have more of an impact than them.

The point is we need a major talent upgrade and Akok is a part of that. A team of Vital's is not a team that ever plays postseason ball. Nice kid, plays hard but he is a 7th or 8th man on any team that wants to do damage in the tournament.

 

[superjohn]

If Akok played starting minuets for us, I'd bet on him having more of an impact than Vital, he's just a lot more talented, and its not like he's that under weight. Pretty sure Wilson and Polley are lighter than him.

Akok is thin but he has a good frame and is bulking up and gaining strength pretty quickly. This is a kid who only started playing a few years ago and had no body to speak of when he started, his rise has been rapid.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Akok is thin but he has a good frame and is bulking up and gaining strength pretty quickly. This is a kid who only started playing a few years ago and had no body to speak of when he started, his rise has been rapid.

I just watchec his most recent highlight videos, and just based on those he's bigger than Polley, Wilson, and Whaley. Which I know isn't some impressive feat, but it kinda puts in perspective that his body is more than ready to play at this level, and he's still improving it. Another thing to remember is he should've been playing college ball the first semester of the year, since he was doing a post grad.

 

[navery12]

No. That's ridiculous. People don't want a roster of Christian
Vital level players. On the other hand, people think many are vastly overestimating the positive effects this kid is likely to have on the program given his clear desire to get money as soon as humanly possible and how far his body is from being ready to be an impact player at the college player. Hint -- Andre Drummond had little positive effect on our program and was 1000 times more ready to play professional basketball when he came here then this kid.

Glad we got Akok. Don't doubt that he has both NBA and impact college potential. But do I think he's as likely to help UConn over his career here as much as either a Achiuwa or a Cockburn would be? Not even close.

Are you really sure he's likely to have more of an impact here before leaving than our one Christian Vital?

That's a straw man argument, and not at all relevant. Nobody is talking about the impact of Akok vs Kofi/Precius. I'm not even really talking about the people who question the level of impact he'll have here, as much as I disagree with them.

I'm talking about people who want us to avoid recruits who flirt with the NBA and view that as a bad thing. If we're going to return to bring a prominent program we're going to have recruits/players considering that every year. And that's a good thing

 

[Scrutineer]

Half of this board is not ready to have NBA caliber kids on this roster. Potential NBA talk for UConn players is a good thing and hopeful something we’ll get used to

Then there's Deandre Daniels and Daniel Hamilton.
We'll never know if another year would have better prepared them for the NBA or if they would have improved much with Ollie as coach, but Calhoun used to get great reads from his NBA contacts on who was ready and who was not and the players were better for it.

 

[Scrutineer]

I swear some of this board wants a 13 man roster made up of Chritian Vital's. I've seen people post about us being too deep and worried players like Whaley will be upset about a lack of playing time. I've seen posts saying we can't get Kofi because we got Akok even though they play different positions and their games perfectly compliment each others.

There has been a lot of these types of posts, I get that we haven't had much talent the last couple of years but it's like a segment of the fanbase forget we used to be awesome and had a bunch of bigtime players.

Remind them of the 2004 roster.