Arizona Basketball: James Akinjo to test the NBA Draft waters

Following a solid junior campaign, star Arizona Basketball guard James Akinjo is going to test the waters of the 2021 NBA Draft. 

It has been a busy off-season for the Arizona Basketball team thus far, after the 2020-21 season came to an unfortunate and abrupt end, there has been a lot of movement with the roster, most notably with junior guard, James Akinjo.

Making news via social media on Wednesday afternoon, it was announced that Akinjo will be declaring for the NBA Draft for 2021. However, the thing to note here is that he will keep the door open and maintain his eligibility in case he ultimately decides to return and come back to school.

Arizona Wildcats

A former transfer from Georgetown, James came to Tucson with a big game and even bigger opportunity, and it didn’t take long for the Oakland area native to come right in and hit the ground running.

In a year that saw plenty of ups and downs that was ultimately marred by the Wildcats imposing a one-year post-season ban, Akinjo was one of the sturdy and bright spots on the team.

Appearing and starting in all 26 games for the Wildcats, Akinjo finished the year averaging 15.6 points, 5.4 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game. All en route to helping guide the Wildcats to a 17-9 (11-9) record.

So naturally, after a year like that and the Wildcats’ future clouded in uncertainty, Arizona Basketball guard James Akinjo would be exploring all his options.

The unfortunate thing for Arizona is that a lot of their success for next year hinges on whether Akinjo will be coming back. He was the engine that essentially drove Arizona this past year, and if he were to return, the Wildcats could have a special group.

At this point, there is a possibility he could return since Akinjo isn’t receiving any draft grades. The 2021 NBA Draft is currently set for July 29, and he has until about the end of June to decide whether he’s coming back or not. Either way, we wish him luck in his decision!