Arizona Basketball: Why Georgetown transfer James Akinjo would be a good fit
By David Rosen
Former Arizona Basketball target James Akinjo announced he is transferring from Georgetown and putting his name into the transfer portal.
While we still wait for another recruit to commit to Arizona Basketball for the 2020-21 season, there may be the hope of a new addition this season or possibly next. Sophomore point guard James Akinjo, who played two seasons for Georgetown this season announced he would be transferring. He is versatile at the point guard position and would be a great fit for Arizona.
In his freshman season with the Hoyas, Akinjo was the Big East Freshman of the Year. He averaged 13.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. In seven games played this season, he has averaged similar stats with 13.4 points per game, 3.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Akinjo was the starting point guard for the Hoyas and one of their leading contributors.
Out of high school, he was ranked a four-star recruit and one of the top point guards in the Class of 2019. In April of 2018, Akinjo made an official visit to Arizona. Fast forward to the present, he now may look at transferring to play for Arizona. The full circle of basketball!
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Listed at 6 foot and 180 pounds, he fits the perfect mold as a point guard in college basketball. Watching him play, Akinjo has the whole package. He’s got great handles, can create his own shot off the dribble, has a smooth looking shot from long distance and in the paint, has excellent court awareness and supreme passing abilities.
Sound familiar? It should. Nico Mannion displays all these qualities but at an elite level. Nothing to take away from Akinjo’s skill set, but Mannion is on a whole other level. That being said, the Hoya transfer would fit in perfectly into the Wildcat system as there would a big gap to fill next season.
Depending on next season, the Wildcat could just have one point guard returning in Brandon Williams. Akinjo would fit right into the rotation alongside Williams as a backup or slide into the one position or possibly come off the bench.
Head coach Sean Miller has been known to bring in elite point guards. Will Akinjo be the next one to join that list?
He is very crafty with the ball and reminds you a little bit of Allen Iverson in his ability to maneuver and finish in all sorts of ways on the offensive end. Akinjo’s style of play is exciting to watch and would be a great fit for Arizona Basketball. At Zona Zealots, we look forward to where he decides to play next. As always, Bear Down, Arizona!