Will Akok ever be as good as his freshman year?
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HuskyHawk
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Hurley talks about playing 4 out, which is with all of those 4 facing the basket. It's not an issue. Strength isn't an issue either, he put on a lot of muscle during rehab. The below is from 2020, there was a whole thread about guys getting stronger.
He can absolutely be better than he was as a freshman. His shooting has improved, he's stronger and if not asked to play the 5 his defense will be a positive. His speed and shot blocking are a huge asset to our transition game. He's really an ideal fit for what Hurley says he is looking to do. He doesn't have a great first step, but it's better than some here say. He's also great catching the ball and dunking on cuts, which the new offense should use a lot more of.
RipCity
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If he isn’t a threat to score inside it makes him one dimensional and easier to defend. Just because we have Sanogo doesn’t mean nobody else should be able to score inside the arc.
If you don’t think strength is an issue I don’t know what to tell you. He got absolutely bullied and killed 1v1 inside all year long. The only thing he did defensively was block shots as weak side help.
If these two things “weren’t issues” Akok would have been playing real minutes this year, but he couldn’t get on the floor.
Fingers crossed for him this year. I hope he, Karaban, and Johnson really push each other for PT at PF.
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The NBA with his body type was iffy.
He would have had to increase his handle and more importantly his shooting which was his biggest draw back as a freshman. You literally could give him the corner 3. He was never going to be anything other than a 3-or stretch 4 so those skills were a must. Using his length and explosiveness to harass shooters on the perimeter.
I’m not sure if.what he has lost in explosiveness is 100% physical there is a mental component to committing you body totally. , Instincts kick in similar to being once burned. If you remember after Jalen Adams ankle sprain it appeared he lost elevation on his jumper. If your body associates an action jumping with pain landing. subconsciously you could lose something in elevation. If that’s the case with Akok its something he can get over with time and repetition. I hope that’s the case. He is going to be 23 this year so I’m not 100% sure he will return
HuskyHawk
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Most scoring inside the paint isn't back to the basket. No matter who plays the 4 at UConn, they aren't going to be posted up inside. Whaley wasn't any good at that either. They will score on cuts, offensive boards, alley oops, midrange jumpers and outside shots. All things he does well.
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the Q
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Advanced analytics liked him quite a bit since he was an efficient shooter and weak side defender.
There is always a role for guys who can do those things, especially when they protect the rim as well.
Doubt he ever hits what his ceiling looked like pre Injury. But he is a key contributor on a good team, just need more volume out of him.
There is always a role for guys who can do those things, especially when they protect the rim as well.
Doubt he ever hits what his ceiling looked like pre Injury. But he is a key contributor on a good team, just need more volume out of him.
the Q
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He will also shoot more of the open 3s the offense created for Whaley….who was a very reluctant shooter
Analytics are wonky when you play less than 25% of a team's minutes and shoot an unrealistic 3pt% on a small sample.
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Studies show that 20-30% of players never return to pre-Achilles tear form. It's a rougher injury than an ACL tear. 10-15% of those who tear their ACL don't return to former performance.
the Q
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Yes.
I’m not saying that he can keep up what he did if his pt goes up by 3x
But it does say he was pretty good when deployed and there’s a reason to think he is at least a reasonable contributor
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I think you guys over rate his first year. I know, the boneyard over rates somebody, never! But then he had an absolutely devastating injury. Some people never walk normally again after that injury. So seeing him struggle to become a true high d1 player again is not to shocking.
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Strength is absolutely an issue. My dad looks like he has biceps if you take a picture of him mid-curl.
HuskyHawk
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It was an issue because he was too often guarding centers. Hurley insisted on using him as a backup 5 early in the year. You think he’s weaker than Polley? No chance. I think he could mostly use some lower body strength to hold ground on bumps.
BGesus4
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The thing that made it toughest to keep on the court was his inability to battle inside with other bigs.
He’s a more than serviceable 3 pt threat and shot blocker as a stretch 4.
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Yep, and his strength issue is more about his base and his legs than his upper body.
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I think, candidly, you spent the season feeling like Akok was displaced by Polley, you have an outsized affection for Akok, and it led you to say some things that aren’t true.
For example, there is no empirical evidence to suggest that Akok had a better handle or was a better passer than Polley yet you must have said it as if it was conventional wisdom a dozen times. I doubt Akok has put the ball on the floor more than twice in two years.
I like Akok and really hope he returns to being more than 3 minutes off the bench every couple weeks - it will be a real shame if we’ve seen the best of him - but no, I don’t think he is particularly strong. I don’t mean this as a personal attack. I just think you took a lot of underserved shots at Polley all season because your guy wasn’t playing.
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Akok should be getting a decent chunk of polleys minutes at the 4 if he stays healthy.
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HuskyHawk
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Nah. Not really. I think Polley is possibly the worst defender I’ve seen in 35+ years of watching UConn basketball, among guys who actually played. Also the worst rebounder relative to height. As for passing, he had the lowest assist per 40 of anybody but Johnson. I don’t think either are good ball handlers. Akok out rebounded Polley by 20 in under half the minutes.
My complaint this year was mostly about Whaley, who I do like a lot, playing with Sanogo and the problems that caused. The metrics show that Akok was a + defender not a liability. I would also have liked to see Samson play more at the 4. I bring up Polley only because he was played at the 4 and yet people said Akok didn’t play due to his defense, which was much better than Polley’s. I recall Akok blocking 3 shots in like two minutes and then never getting in again. It was irrational. Hurley has some blind spots as a coach.
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i agree - if akok can take some or most of whaley's minutes, that might be great news and a near perfect fit.
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Interesting data. Can you provide the citation?
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I highly recommend you go back and watch some of Akok’s minutes from this season. The weak side blocks are nice but focus on his actual man-defense and how he played through screens. It was bad, there’s no way around it. That doesn’t mean he can’t improve but he got abused on defense and that is absolutely the reason he got so few minutes.Nah. Not really. I think Polley is possibly the worst defender I’ve seen in 35+ years of watching UConn basketball, among guys who actually played. Also the worst rebounder relative to height. As for passing, he had the lowest assist per 40 of anybody but Johnson. I don’t think either are good ball handlers. Akok out rebounded Polley by 20 in under half the minutes.
My complaint this year was mostly about Whaley, who I do like a lot, playing with Sanogo and the problems that caused. The metrics show that Akok was a + defender not a liability. I would also have liked to see Samson play more at the 4. I bring up Polley only because he was played at the 4 and yet people said Akok didn’t play due to his defense, which was much better than Polley’s. I recall Akok blocking 3 shots in like two minutes and then never getting in again. It was irrational. Hurley has some blind spots as a coach.
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I was there. We had a big second half comeback but of course fell short. After that loss I had real doubts about the rest of the season.
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Huskyforlife
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We’re all rooting for Akok to succeed after what happened his freshman year. But idk what his fans were watching this year that have them so convinced he was shafted for minutes. He didn’t look good at all when he was out there.
With that being said, I won’t be shocked if Akok, 2 years removed from surgery, and very knowledgeable with what we do on defense, has the edge over Samson and Karaban to start the season. If he keeps shooting around 40%, and plays good(not even elite) defense, I think he’ll hold down the spot. We shouldn’t need our 4 to play make, unless our perimeter guys are bad.
With that being said, I won’t be shocked if Akok, 2 years removed from surgery, and very knowledgeable with what we do on defense, has the edge over Samson and Karaban to start the season. If he keeps shooting around 40%, and plays good(not even elite) defense, I think he’ll hold down the spot. We shouldn’t need our 4 to play make, unless our perimeter guys are bad.
I see a potential portal if he can't earn more minutes. A shame about the injury. He and Jackson together and healthy would have been fun to watch.
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Hopefully, it happens, we've seen it before. He's going to get his chance, and he doesn't have to be the best player on the court
10-12 plus 4-5 would be awesome. OK, maybe only 3-4 boards
10-12 plus 4-5 would be awesome. OK, maybe only 3-4 boards