James Akinjo

[MSGSeven]

A month or so ago seemed like just about the darkest time in UConn basketball that I can remember. Now we have Sid on board and might get commitments from Akinjo and Carrigan soon? I'm managing my expectations but if that all comes to pass it will be truly incredible seeing how things were trending. What changed?

Nothings changed Ollie's always been able to recruit people were overreacting and that's putting it mildly.

 

[superjohn]

Hypothetically if we land Akinjo and Carrigan this weekend then there's no more open scholarships for next year I believe. While I understand Adams and/or Larrier may leave and there's always a possibility of transfers you can't give what you currently don't have so how do we continue to recruit Carey?

Not how it works.

 

[WrenchFan69]

Hypothetically if we land Akinjo and Carrigan this weekend then there's no more open scholarships for next year I believe. While I understand Adams and/or Larrier may leave and there's always a possibility of transfers you can't give what you currently don't have so how do we continue to recruit Carey?

At one point this offseason WKU had 3 more players signed to NLIs than they had "scholarships available." These things work themselves out. The coaches know Larrier is leaving so they'll certainly use that scholarship. If they know Jalen is leaving they'll use that one too.

 

[Wordbomar]

Hypothetically if we land Akinjo and Carrigan this weekend then there's no more open scholarships for next year I believe. While I understand Adams and/or Larrier may leave and there's always a possibility of transfers you can't give what you currently don't have so how do we continue to recruit Carey?

You can sign more than the scholly allotment for the next year as long as by the summer semester you have it down to 13. I believe that's how Kentucky and Duke do it every year

 

[HuskyBballFan]

Nothings changed Ollie's always been able to recruit people were overreacting and that's putting it mildly.

Let's be real. The 2017 class (including transfer season) was disappointing by any measure and a week ago we had zero 2018 commitments (I'm counting Wilson now) and had recently been beaten out for a top-100 kid by Rutgers.

Seems like the 2018 class may be much better, which is sorely needed. But let's not act like there's been much good news on the recruiting front in the last year or so.

 

[MSGSeven]

You can sign more than the scholly allotment for the next year as long as by the summer semester you have it down to 13. I believe that's how Kentucky and Duke do it every year

Then I would hope a player would leave on their own accord rather than being pushed out the door cause I don't believe in that National Championships or not.

 

[Nebraskan18]

If Akinjo and Carrigan both commit this weekend, i will move to CT and buy season tickets 2018

 

[MSGSeven]

Let's be real. The 2017 class (including transfer season) was disappointing by any measure and a week ago we had zero 2018 commitments (I'm counting Wilson now) and had recently been beaten out for a top-100 kid by Rutgers.

Seems like the 2018 class may be much better, which is sorely needed. But let's not act like there's been much good news on the recruiting front in the last year or so.

How was the 2017 class disappointing we haven't even seen any of these new guys play? Wilson might be able to play this year but him originally committing to SJU was a blessing in disguise because it gave us Williams and Wilson. Missing on Mathis will get us another talented player most likely of equal or greater value.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Momentum shifts so swiftly in the sport of basketball

Basketball isn't the only sport with momentum shifts.

 

[Kembacity]

Then I would hope a player would leave on their own accord rather than being pushed out the door cause I don't believe in that National Championships or not.

I think if we have enough guys signed that it ends up being too many, there's someone on the roster who will see themselves buried and not getting enough minutes, who will want to transfer without any pressure. Judging by the way transferring has gone lately, it'll probably happen even if we don't have more guys than scholarships

 

[EBonz30]

Another crystal ball

 

[scotty0330]

I see Iggy is visiting Michigan this week. Has this reached a next level or are we still in play with him?

 

[UConnSwag11]

I see Iggy is visiting Michigan this week. Has this reached a next level or are we still in play with him?

Next

 

[UConnStats]

On the eve of his UConn visit, Akinjo's composite ranking got bumped to 4* (#105). That should continue to rise as well when 247 gives him a bump.

 

[Candyman]

Just watched all his videos and its rare that a right-handed player likes to drive left. Very quick release and great handle with both hands. His ranking is way too low. Peach Jam is one of the best tournys and to be MVP shows you something. Will be a top 75 player when its all said and done. Better than the kid we lost to Rutgers.

 

[UConnStats]

Just watched all his videos and its rare that a right-handed player likes to drive left. Very quick release and great handle with both hands. His ranking is way too low. Peach Jam is one of the best tournys and to be MVP shows you something. Will be a top 75 player when its all said and done. Better than the kid we lost to Rutgers.

Pros: Great passer, good 3 point shooter, fast, and tight handle with both hands.

Cons: Small, not a great leaper, shot selection (way too many contested mid range shots and floaters)

He and Mathis are apples and oranges though. Mathis is a very good player too, probably underranked given his scoring ability and efficiency he showed on the Adidas circuit.

 

[Wordbomar]

Love this kids game, but still think if we land him we still push hard for Carey. No question Carey has to be priority number 1 right now

 

[pj]

Pros: Great passer, good 3 point shooter, fast, and tight handle with both hands.

Cons: Small, not a great leaper, shot selection (way too many contested mid range shots and floaters)

He and Mathis are apples and oranges though. Mathis is a very good player too, probably underranked given his scoring ability and efficiency he showed on the Adidas circuit.

You need the creative players first. Akinjo's size may impact his NBA potential but it won't stop him from being a great college player. He can learn shot selection, he has a good attitude. Nothing against Mathis, he's a great player too, but we can get by with Christian Vital in that role for a while. Akinjo (or Carey, or both) is critical.

 

[LStudfellow]

Just watched all his videos and its rare that a right-handed player likes to drive left. Very quick release and great handle with both hands. His ranking is way too low. Peach Jam is one of the best tournys and to be MVP shows you something. Will be a top 75 player when its all said and done. Better than the kid we lost to Rutgers.

As someone who has followed recruiting admittedly too closely for the last 25 to 30 years since my time as an undergrad - I used to buy the recruiting magazines in late summer/early autumn before there was the internet back in the early and mid 1990's... and then I remember waiting minutes for that old UConn newsletter (I forget the name of it) to load on my desktop some 20 years ago in the late 1990's - I see that some people still get way too caught up in a recruit's ranking.

... and I do not mean this as a direct shot at you, Candyman by quoting your post. Just that I see this in so many recruiting threads, and I think it is time to share some good information on recruiting for everyone:

Without question, recruiting rankings are an inexact, and often inaccurate "science".

- the most accurate rankings are almost always the Top 10 guys in any one class. Even the guys in the teens and 20's can often be wrong and significantly off.
- below the Top 25... You can almost take guys after that and bunch them in groups of 25 to 50... and even then the rankings are often about what a guy did in a game or two while playing in front of a particular recruiting analyst / reporter.
PERFECT EXAMPLE: Steve Enoch outplayed Top 15 (# 11 and 15 composite in 247Sport's 2015 rankings) overall big man Stephen Zimmerman in an AAU game in the summer of 2014, and it was witnessed by several of the prominent recruiting analysts. As a result, Enoch shot up from a little-known borderline 3-star recruit to a 4-star recruit Top 100 (#47 in the composite rankings) by the time the final rankings were released. And although Steve's potential remains high, his sustained play and results during actual games, both in high school at Norwalk and St. Thomas More, and while here at UConn, rarely if ever equaled what he did on that one day against Zimmerman. It should also be noted that Zimmerman's results in college (UNLV) have illustrated that he was seriously over-ranked by the recruiting analysts, as well.

- recruiting analysts tend to weigh physical attributes (height, athleticism) much more strongly than a recruit's desire, or even actual production. Every year there are many, many guys who because of their size and athleticism get ranked higher than other guys who are just flat out better basketball players, particularly for the college game. The examples are way too many to recount, but a few of the most glaring recent ones include Shabazz Napier, Bonzi Wells and yes, Christian Vital. If Akinjo were 2 inches taller, for example, he would already by a Top 50 recruit. The recruiting analysts often under-value the size of a player's heart and actual skills on the basketball court.
- recruiting analysts are also significantly biased by the AAU circuits. Guys they do not see as much or at all due to injury or some other factor are almost always under-ranked - usually significantly.
- lastly, I have also seen a bias exists with certain analysts who shall remain nameless toward the most well-known programs. When Duke, Kentucky, UNC or Kansas gets involved with a recruit, they tend to rise significantly in the rankings, if they are not near the top already. Watch for that with future recruits.

MOST ACCURATE WAY TO MEASURE A RECRUIT'S TRUE VALUE: Look at the schools that we are competing against for a recruit. Although this is also inexact, it is much more accurate than the actual recruiting rankings. These coaches jobs and livelihoods depend upon them being able to project a player's production during his college years. And as we already know, many of them are great at it... Jim Calhoun was a master at this, as are guys like Rick Pitino and Tom Izzo.
PERFECT EXAMPLE: Christian Vital's final ranking by the recruiting composite was a pedestrian mid to low 3-star #229 - but we had to beat out Louisville/Rick Pitino, Marquette, Alabama (Avery Johnson) and other top competitors for his services after his de-commitment from UNLV. Always take the coach's rankings over the recruiting analysts when trying to decide how good a recruit is, and can be at the college level.

The two big reasons to conclude that both James Akinjo and Dimon Carrigan are both SIGNIFICANTLY under-ranked in the recruiting services' rankings:

1. Production: Akinjo won the Peach Jam MVP, and just scored 42 points in the championship game of the Nor Cal Clash by scoring 42 points... and some still have him outside of the Top 100? That is a freaking joke. This guy has proved he is one of the top 10 point guards in this class. Period. Same thing for Carrigan. The guy had a monster summer and is already regarded the best shot blocker in this class, along with one of the top rebounders. Easily a Top 50 guy.

2. Who is recruiting these guys: P5's and top schools from other conferences abound. For Carrigan his list includes Syracuse, Miami Fla., Clemson, Texas and Wichita St. Akinjo's list includes California, Indiana, Maryland and Iowa State. Enough said, for both.

Whenever and wherever you can, use these two points to figure out how good a recruit really is... because in the long run, the rankings do not mean anything. Their actual production means everything.

BOTTOM LINE: Both Akinjo and Carrigan are Top 50 to Top 75 (at lowest) recruits and will most likely be in the Top 50 or even higher for actual production during their college careers. If we get both of them, even without Carey or Nembhard, we will be very happy in the years to come with this recruiting class.

 

[HawkHusky]

Which Boneyarders will be stalking Akinjo this weekend? Thank you for your service.

 

[Storrs South]

 

[huskiesnyc]

I'm guessing that's his dad's twitter handle?

 

[HawkHusky]

Parents finally love us!!!

 

[Storrs South]

I'm guessing that's his dad's twitter handle?

Uncle

 

[HawkHusky]

Families finally love us!!!