Does anyone know what’s really going on with Akok?

[CONN78SEJ]

Does anyone know what’s really going on with Akok? Seriously, what kind of crap is this? There’s never been so little information about a player than I can ever remember about a UCONN player. Is he dressed? Is he done for the year? Is it mental? Is it the heel? He’s the second best player on the club, a definitive game changer as we know, but he needs to be on the floor for 30+ minutes a game. If he’s done someone please let me go into full piss & moan mode. He’s looked dominant on just the few plays he’s been in there this season. I’m watching this turnover torture now, thinking where is he? Even the announcers rarely mention him. Ok ready to know my dear suffering Husky faithful. Oh one comment, I haven’t seen such carelessness with the rockin years. My apologies for the agitated state. Go Huskies! #inprayermode

I’ve had two torn Achilles, one on each foot. With each one, after a year I was cleared for strenuous exercise but continued to experience pain from adhesions for another 6 months. Eventually I broke through the adhesions and the pain disappeared. So for a top athlete figure 18 months. It’s important to begin exercising after a year or the pain might become permanent, and you’ll never recover 100% of your leg strength.

 

[CL82]

Exactly, that's why I hope this is the last of the Akok threads after every game asking where he is

Why have you seen him?

 

[businesslawyer]

When we make it to the National Championship game he’s going to pull a Willis Reed, come out of the tunnel, limp onto the court and put up 20 points, 10 boards, and a last second block at the rim on Cade Cunningham as UConn notches #5.

For those of you too young to have seen it, the "Willis Reed game" is part urban legion. Reed limped onto the court, hit too lightly guarded jumpers from the foul line extended, and did little more the rest of the game than keep himself on the court. If the world was fair the game would be referred to as the Walt Frazier game, because Frazier played about a good a game 7 as a human being could play.

Having said that, I'll take Akok getting to a championship game any way it happens.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Neither Hurley nor Akok owe any explanation to anyone on Akok's injury. Akok is a 21 year old that experienced the worst injury a high level athlete can have. Give him some space.

 

[superjohn]

A ruptured achilles used to end athletes careers, it doesn't anymore but it takes a lot of time. Durant and Wall are back to what they were before but it took time, Akok will be fully ready by summer and will be starting pf for UConn next year and a major part of what they do.

 

[UKemba15]

When we make it to the National Championship game he’s going to pull a Willis Reed, come out of the tunnel, limp onto the court and put up 20 points, 10 boards, and a last second block at the rim on Cade Cunningham as UConn notches #5.

And then Bouk will get drafted ahead of Cunningham. I’m liking this narrative!

 

[HooperScooper]

please start a one post thread explaining this and pin it to the top of the forum for pete's sake. honestly if there is one important thing to know about the season this was it.

I would except there is one question that I don't think the NCAA has answered yet. How do the potential extra scholarships get treated? Is it only next year that the guys staying for a 5th year wouldn't count against the 13 scholarships? Or does that go for the next 4 years until everyone taking their 5th year is gone? Or is it some kind of sliding scale down for the next 4 years? I don't believe the NCAA has come out with anything on that yet. I could be wrong.

 

[navery12]

I would except there is one question that I don't think the NCAA has answered yet. How do the potential extra scholarships get treated? Is it only next year that the guys staying for a 5th year wouldn't count against the 13 scholarships? Or does that go for the next 4 years until everyone taking their 5th year is gone? Or is it some kind of sliding scale down for the next 4 years? I don't believe the NCAA has come out with anything on that yet. I could be wrong.

I don't know if there's been an official announcement or if I made it up, but I think I remember seeing that it only applies the 1 year for seniors and anyone after that counts against the 13 scholarship limit

 

[MuchoDogYears]

For those of you too young to have seen it, the "Willis Reed game" is part urban legion. Reed limped onto the court, hit too lightly guarded jumpers from the foul line extended, and did little more the rest of the game than keep himself on the court. If the world was fair the game would be referred to as the Walt Frazier game, because Frazier played about a good a game 7 as a human being could play.

Having said that, I'll take Akok getting to a championship game any way it happens.

Walt Frazier was all-world that game. If I remember rightly, the Lakers had Wilt Chamberlain and the Knicks had no one at backup center. There was little chance that Willis Reed could play and if he did he’d be ineffective. Reed looks horrible in warmups. He limps out of the tunnel a minute before the game starts to a massive roar. He hits his first two shots, 12 footers, and MSG is crazy loud. The Lakers were totally discombobulated at what was going on. Then, as you said, Clyde took over the game. Classic.

 

[MexicoHusky]

you know that's what I thought but the answer to your question is all the women I've been sending dikpicks to...

/s

They are all liars. They love it

 

[husky8273]

When we make it to the National Championship game he’s going to pull a Willis Reed, come out of the tunnel, limp onto the court and put up 20 points, 10 boards, and a last second block at the rim on Cade Cunningham as UConn notches #5.

Willis made his first 2 shots, his only points in 27 minutes. The Garden rocked when he appeared. Clyde did the rest.

 

[HooperScooper]

I don't know if there's been an official announcement or if I made it up, but I think I remember seeing that it only applies the 1 year for seniors and anyone after that counts against the 13 scholarship limit

Not sure if they did but I do remember someone on here suggested this as a solution and it does make sense.

 

[HooperScooper]

I don't know if there's been an official announcement or if I made it up, but I think I remember seeing that it only applies the 1 year for seniors and anyone after that counts against the 13 scholarship limit

You may be right. Here's an article today from ESPN+ about roster management for next season. Doesn't say anything about what they're doing past next season.

Taking every senior back won't be a huge deal for power conference programs, at least from a roster management standpoint. The NCAA isn't counting returning seniors against the 13-scholarship limit next year, so some teams could carry 16 or more scholarship players on their rosters. But the financial aspect of that reality is going to be a factor for smaller programs. If five seniors decide to come back and leave a program four scholarships over the usual limit, that could cost an extra $200,000.

"The problem is we have to pay for them out of our budget," one mid-major assistant said. "That's going to be an issue for a lot of low- and mid-majors. It's hard on budgets."

Why college basketball's 'free year' is going to make for some difficult conversations

This year's seniors can return to college basketball next season, but is that what players and coaches really want?

www.espn.com

 

[tzznandrew]

You may be right. Here's an article today from ESPN+ about roster management for next season. Doesn't say anything about what they're doing past next season.

Taking every senior back won't be a huge deal for power conference programs, at least from a roster management standpoint. The NCAA isn't counting returning seniors against the 13-scholarship limit next year, so some teams could carry 16 or more scholarship players on their rosters. But the financial aspect of that reality is going to be a factor for smaller programs. If five seniors decide to come back and leave a program four scholarships over the usual limit, that could cost an extra $200,000.

"The problem is we have to pay for them out of our budget," one mid-major assistant said. "That's going to be an issue for a lot of low- and mid-majors. It's hard on budgets."

Why college basketball's 'free year' is going to make for some difficult conversations

This year's seniors can return to college basketball next season, but is that what players and coaches really want?

www.espn.com

It doesn't cost a college anywhere close to the price-tag per kid, and it's not like the scholarship seniors need to take a position from incoming students. They can just admit 4 more kids and it wouldn't change anything.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

You may be right. Here's an article today from ESPN+ about roster management for next season. Doesn't say anything about what they're doing past next season.

Taking every senior back won't be a huge deal for power conference programs, at least from a roster management standpoint. The NCAA isn't counting returning seniors against the 13-scholarship limit next year, so some teams could carry 16 or more scholarship players on their rosters. But the financial aspect of that reality is going to be a factor for smaller programs. If five seniors decide to come back and leave a program four scholarships over the usual limit, that could cost an extra $200,000.

"The problem is we have to pay for them out of our budget," one mid-major assistant said. "That's going to be an issue for a lot of low- and mid-majors. It's hard on budgets."

Why college basketball's 'free year' is going to make for some difficult conversations

This year's seniors can return to college basketball next season, but is that what players and coaches really want?

www.espn.com

I think this will solve itself. Most seniors will not be coming back. Most 22 year old kids will want to move on with their lives, especially if they are not clear cut starters the next season. Why would a 22 year old kid come back for all that practice time and work just to play 5-10 mpg? Even a lot of the starters will move on. The same thing happens with 5th year seniors in football that redshirted their freshman year. How many of them actually return?

 

[UCSouth]

For those of you too young to have seen it, the "Willis Reed game" is part urban legion. Reed limped onto the court, hit too lightly guarded jumpers from the foul line extended, and did little more the rest of the game than keep himself on the court. If the world was fair the game would be referred to as the Walt Frazier game, because Frazier played about a good a game 7 as a human being could play.

Having said that, I'll take Akok getting to a championship game any way it happens.

I think that the second part of that sarcastic post was the fact that Oklahoma State is banned from the Tournament this year.

 

[navery12]

I think that the second part of that sarcastic post was the fact that Oklahoma State is banned from the Tournament this year.

Not officially yet, they're appealing the ban and from the way people talk on Twitter it seems like they may win the appeal

 

[UconnU]

Staff believes that he will make a full recovery but it won’t be until the 18 month mark. This was really a terrible injury for a player like him because his edge is his quick leaping ability and that’s all Achilles.

 

[HuskyHawk]

For those of you too young to have seen it, the "Willis Reed game" is part urban legion. Reed limped onto the court, hit too lightly guarded jumpers from the foul line extended, and did little more the rest of the game than keep himself on the court. If the world was fair the game would be referred to as the Walt Frazier game, because Frazier played about a good a game 7 as a human being could play.

Having said that, I'll take Akok getting to a championship game any way it happens.

Didn't know the extra detail actually. That's less fun. The only comparable I witnessed was Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series. That was amazing. Guy can barely walk, facing the best closer in the game.

 

[Mooch82]

Not sure if they did but I do remember someone on here suggested this as a solution and it does make sense.

Correct. They couldn't have these guys count against the scholarship limit next year as teams had already taken commitments from players based on their seniors graduating, and obviously they weren't going to make teams retract those offers/null LOI's, etc. But teams should have time to adjust for the 2022 class and beyond as there weren't too many guys committed in that class when the ruling went down. So if RJ Cole wants to come back in 22-23, for instance, he'd count against the 13 scholarship limit.

 

[jibsey]

I’ve had two torn Achilles, one on each foot. With each one, after a year I was cleared for strenuous exercise but continued to experience pain from adhesions for another 6 months. Eventually I broke through the adhesions and the pain disappeared. So for a top athlete figure 18 months. It’s important to begin exercising after a year or the pain might become permanent, and you’ll never recover 100% of your leg strength.

Thanks, that’s a good perspective on this from someone who went through it. We often expect these athletes to heal faster than possible.

 

[glastonbury50]

I think this will solve itself. Most seniors will not be coming back. Most 22 year old kids will want to move on with their lives, especially if they are not clear cut starters the next season. Why would a 22 year old kid come back for all that practice time and work just to play 5-10 mpg? Even a lot of the starters will move on. The same thing happens with 5th year seniors in football that redshirted their freshman year. How many of them actually return?

I would.