James Akinjo Commits to UConn

James Akinjo needed only one official visit to know where he wanted to play college basketball. After flying cross country to visit the UConn Huskies in Storrs, Conn. last Friday, the 6-foot point guard wasted no time committing to play for head coach Kevin Ollie next year, Paul Biancardi of ESPN reports.

Akinjo is announcing his commitment to UConn officially Monday afternoon at his school, Salesian, in California. He picked four-time national champion UConn over California, Iowa State, Maryland, and Virginia.

Ollie was the lead recruiter in landing Akinjo.

“Coach Ollie says to come play for a point guard,” Akinjo told Rivals.com in July. “A lot of great point guards have gone to UConn and they really get the most out of them. I love the system.”

The 113th-ranked player in the Class of 2018, Akinjo was a rapid riser this summer playing for the Oakland Soldiers. He averaged 18.7 points and 6.7 assists while shooting 46.3 percent on 3-pointers on the way to MVP honors at the Peach Jam, which the Soldiers won in July.

Depending on whether Sidney Wilson receives a waiver from the NCAA, Akinjo would be either the first or second member of the Huskies’ 2018 class, which has one spot remaining without any transfers or early draft departures.

Akinjo joins a UConn backcourt that already has two point guards in junior Jalen Adams and red-shirt sophomore Alterique Gilbert, who missed last season with a shoulder injury.

“Just being able to focus on basketball and school is big,” he told Rivals' Corey Evans. “Being surrounded with coaches that played my position before makes me feel really comfortable. I have a lot of trust in Coach Ollie.

“He knows what it feels like to play in the offense that he runs. He runs a pro-style offense and that is really huge. He understands what it takes to get to the next level.”