Bear Down Wildcats

I think each stud deserves his own thread....some people find it easier to get / refer to intel on these guys in their threads. Welcome to Arizona Emmanuel and also to the incoming Class of '17.

Below is a good analysis from rgdeuce on his game:

rgdeuce wrote:

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:

rgdeuce wrote:Been watching Akot videos tonight. Wow.

In what way? In the Dillon Brooks (sadly Ray Smith) matchup at the 4 nightmare?

I only needed the first one to see that he oozes NBA potential. I think the Iguodala comparison is more than fair. No, I think of it the other way - the guy you can stick on a 1-4 and he's going to do the job defensively ala Rondae. His shooting mechanics need work but it still looked like he has good touch on his outside shot. So likely none of the offensive issues Rondae had stemming from his lack of any outside shot. He attacks the same way Rondae did, kind of head down and go, but he still seems to see the open man. His passing and court vision really are nuts for a 3. The passing stood out the most to me. Unselfish but can be assertive when needed. At times it felt like watching Kyle Anderson with a motor.

He's going to be another fearless type of player like an Alkins or Parrom. I saw multiple clips of him going straight into dudes' chests on contested finishes off his own drive. He's probably going to scare the shit out of most college players after two years w our strength program. Going to be a fan favorite.

This is a good excerpt from PennZona20 from another thread on Akot:

".......I honestly think Akot plans on going pro after the 18-19 season (that is always subject to change if he's not as good as he thinks he is and needs more years to develop) and instead of being done after one year in 18 he wants to jumpstart his development which will happen much faster w two years in college. I think the plan is to be a role player this year, a leader in 18, and first round pick in 19. I honestly think the reason he waited was 1) to make sure we had enough ships , and 2) to make sure Cam Johnson didn't commit since Cam would fill that role of a wing 6'8 guy who can side down to the 4 in a small lineup. Once the Rawle domino fell neither BB or CJ were going to come here to be guys off bench so that left Akot a clear spot to get 8-10 minutes a game off the bench as the guy Cam Johnson could have been on D.

It works out great for UA cuz we get Akot now for a minimum and likely 2 years instead of probable 1 and he's willing to accept his role as a role player in year 1. And he will likely have some moments this year to help the team..... "

Well he is the same age as all the other class of 17 guys so he doesn't have to stay for 2018-19, but he could

TheGreatCatsby wrote:What did intrigue me about Akot was his size, and that Miller mentioned he possibly could be a point guard in the nba...so he'll be giving that a shot here I'm sure, maybe he'll be a sleeper great point who knows. Otherwise, not bad he'll be out on the wings with Jeter next year.

CSM mentioning his passing / PG skills have me really intrigued! As mentioned in the Let's Talk '17 thread, I wonder if he's another Luke Walton Point Forward type?

I have been watching a lot of Akot's games since he reclassified. At least 5-6 full games (a lot of his games are on YouTube for whatever reason). One against Chino Hills, one against Duval's HS team, one against Brian Bowen's HS team. All of those games his team loss pretty badly. And a couple of games against teams with no players I knew. I give y'all my scouting report from those games.

The first thing that sticks out is his passing. I would say it is his best attribute. The most impressive being the PnR pass where the weak side defender starts creeping to help on the PnR and he hits them for an open three or a chance to attack the closeout, ala Harden or Lebron. He also is unselfish so he will pass the ball ahead, which is always fantastic. And he is pretty good at driving and kicking to three. His on ball defense is pretty good. He guarded Bowen a lot with success, even tho Bowen seemed a decent amount bigger than him. He picks on players smaller than him in the post, which would be good if can get backup PG minutes. He can pass out or get easy buckets if a team puts a smaller guard on him.

Now some cons. His off ball defense was bad. Losing sight of his man a lot and had trouble maneuvering off ball screens. He never boxes out, he stands around too much in general but especially when rebounding. He is way too jumper reliant. Doesn't seem to like to get to the basket unless it is in transition or from posting up. I can't really tell if he is a good shooter or not, didn't look up his percentages but didn't shoot too well in the games I watched. Last one, he turns the ball over carelessly too much in ways you wouldn't expect from a high level recruit. Like he is driving and gets bumped and the ball bounces off his leg out of bounds. Or he can't handle a pass and loses it. Or a guy is wide open for three off his drive and he sends the ball into the stands because he overthrew it by a couple of feet. If you just gathered his lowlights you would think he is incredibly uncoordinated. Its weird.

He is probably the most I ever watched a player that was coming into Zona, idk why. I think it was because of the PG remarks Miller made of him that made him intriguing to me.

SunnyAZ, great breakdown.

None of the cons shock me. Getting lazy away from the ball is a major HS thing with good prospects, but if there's an area Miller excels, it is teaching off ball diligence in the pack line. Relying on physical gifts in the open floor and not having a refined half court game is also a classic HS thing.

The nice part about Akot is that we don't need him to be ready right away. Rawle and Zo are, so Akot can learn and not need to press/be pressed into service. He doesn't have to force things offensively because he doesn't ever need to be more than a third option at best, if not 4th ot 5th when he is ut there.

He has a lot of natural gifts and I think he's in a great situation to realize them. Being willing to come with Zo and Rawle on board is also a big plus in my book.

Always hard to get a good read on a guy when watching HS tape, especially when he's by far and away his team's best and most important player. That typically translates to garbage defense, because they can't afford him to get into foul trouble, and numerous other crap play because he has to force things too much. Fwiw I watched his game against Bowen as well and my take from that game was a high level prospect who is very raw still, although I do agree that his passing is way ahead. From what I understand his shooting from deep has improved greatly since that game, which is shown in his stats from AAU this spring.

Long story short he's not a one and done, although his ceiling is that of a lottery pick for sure. I'm sure he'll get there and getting the year head start will only help. I wouldn't expect him to log much if any time at PG during his time here barring injuries regardless of how good his passing is and I think next year in big games Miller will obviously play Rawle/Zo as much as possible, which means he'll use Akot for their breathers if he needs defense and he'll use Randolph if he needs offense.

ChooChooCat wrote:Always hard to get a good read on a guy when watching HS tape, especially when he's by far and away his team's best and most important player. That typically translates to garbage defense, because they can't afford him to get into foul trouble, and numerous other crap play because he has to force things too much. Fwiw I watched his game against Bowen as well and my take from that game was a high level prospect who is very raw still, although I do agree that his passing is way ahead. From what I understand his shooting from deep has improved greatly since that game, which is shown in his stats from AAU this spring.

Long story short he's not a one and done, although his ceiling is that of a lottery pick for sure. I'm sure he'll get there and getting the year head start will only help. I wouldn't expect him to log much if any time at PG during his time here barring injuries regardless of how good his passing is and I think next year in big games Miller will obviously play Rawle/Zo as much as possible, which means he'll use Akot for their breathers if he needs defense and he'll use Randolph if he needs offense.

Point forward is always ok too. The motion offense benefits from multiple distributors in my opinion.

He's the way I like it (I hope). He's a one and done only if things go really well. That is always a possibilty, and frankly, a happy possibility.

As I've posted in other threads, if Akot is ready, I could see him playing a bit at the 4 in a smaller, defensive oriented lineup. We have some potential room there with the loss of Comanche, and Akot is big enough that if he fills out (which again, I think is likely) he can be a legit option at the 4 for an alternative lineup.

Spaceman Spiff wrote:

ChooChooCat wrote:Always hard to get a good read on a guy when watching HS tape, especially when he's by far and away his team's best and most important player. That typically translates to garbage defense, because they can't afford him to get into foul trouble, and numerous other crap play because he has to force things too much. Fwiw I watched his game against Bowen as well and my take from that game was a high level prospect who is very raw still, although I do agree that his passing is way ahead. From what I understand his shooting from deep has improved greatly since that game, which is shown in his stats from AAU this spring.

Long story short he's not a one and done, although his ceiling is that of a lottery pick for sure. I'm sure he'll get there and getting the year head start will only help. I wouldn't expect him to log much if any time at PG during his time here barring injuries regardless of how good his passing is and I think next year in big games Miller will obviously play Rawle/Zo as much as possible, which means he'll use Akot for their breathers if he needs defense and he'll use Randolph if he needs offense.

Point forward is always ok too. The motion offense benefits from multiple distributors in my opinion.

He's the way I like it (I hope). He's a one and done only if things go really well. That is always a possibilty, and frankly, a happy possibility.

As I've posted in other threads, if Akot is ready, I could see him playing a bit at the 4 in a smaller, defensive oriented lineup. We have some potential room there with the loss of Comanche, and Akot is big enough that if he fills out (which again, I think is likely) he can be a legit option at the 4 for an alternative lineup.

Oh yeah I absolutely see him at the point forward spot, which will come in handy against a zone. If you can't outshoot the zone then you need that guy in the middle of the zone who can make things happen and that's exactly what he is.

I'd put down hard money that Akot is here for two years personally, with the caveat if an injury occurs then my bet is null and void lol.

I agree completely on Akot at the 4 in small lineups. That seems very likely to happen at some point.

ChooChooCat wrote:

Spaceman Spiff wrote:

ChooChooCat wrote:Always hard to get a good read on a guy when watching HS tape, especially when he's by far and away his team's best and most important player. That typically translates to garbage defense, because they can't afford him to get into foul trouble, and numerous other crap play because he has to force things too much. Fwiw I watched his game against Bowen as well and my take from that game was a high level prospect who is very raw still, although I do agree that his passing is way ahead. From what I understand his shooting from deep has improved greatly since that game, which is shown in his stats from AAU this spring.

Long story short he's not a one and done, although his ceiling is that of a lottery pick for sure. I'm sure he'll get there and getting the year head start will only help. I wouldn't expect him to log much if any time at PG during his time here barring injuries regardless of how good his passing is and I think next year in big games Miller will obviously play Rawle/Zo as much as possible, which means he'll use Akot for their breathers if he needs defense and he'll use Randolph if he needs offense.

Point forward is always ok too. The motion offense benefits from multiple distributors in my opinion.

He's the way I like it (I hope). He's a one and done only if things go really well. That is always a possibilty, and frankly, a happy possibility.

As I've posted in other threads, if Akot is ready, I could see him playing a bit at the 4 in a smaller, defensive oriented lineup. We have some potential room there with the loss of Comanche, and Akot is big enough that if he fills out (which again, I think is likely) he can be a legit option at the 4 for an alternative lineup.

Oh yeah I absolutely see him at the point forward spot, which will come in handy against a zone. If you can't outshoot the zone then you need that guy in the middle of the zone who can make things happen and that's exactly what he is.

I'd put down hard money that Akot is here for two years personally, with the caveat if an injury occurs then my bet is null and void lol.

I agree completely on Akot at the 4 in small lineups. That seems very likely to happen at some point.

Yeah, I see one of Akot's primary uses is as a tool for lineup flexibility. Put him at the 3 along with Dusan and Ayton to go big. Put him at the 4 to go small and quick. Want to go super big? Put him at the 2 and let Lee play the 3 (I don't see that being utilized frequently).

Akot has a better chance to be here for 3 years than he does for 1.

PennZona20 wrote:Akot has a better chance to be here for 3 years than he does for 1.

This was said a while ago, but certainly seems like it'll be false, Givony & Draft Express already has him as #24 best prospect.

Legit chance he could bolt after 1, hopefully after 2.

Anyway he's crazy good so far.

NYCat wrote:

PennZona20 wrote:Akot has a better chance to be here for 3 years than he does for 1.

This was said a while ago, but certainly seems like it'll be false, Givony & Draft Express already has him as #24 best prospect.

Legit chance he could bolt after 1, hopefully after 2.

Anyway he's crazy good so far.

His defense would already seem to be NBA-worthy.

Chicat wrote: His defense would already seem to be NBA-worthy.

and he shoots it way better than i anticipated

certainly our most important "recruit" for next year. Hope we can keep him for 2

nm

97cats wrote:

Chicat wrote: His defense would already seem to be NBA-worthy.

and he shoots it way better than i anticipated

Agree. No wonder Coach Larry K is ticked.

Love Akot"s game. Last night adds to my feeling about his terrific prospects. Six pts, 7 boards, 4 dimes, and two blocks in 33 minutes.

Thirty three minutes----nearly max time and the same as Zo----says Coach wants to see as much as he can in our last exhibition game. What he saw was smart, relentless movement on both O and D and a game maturity we have no right to see in a guy his age. Just too bloody court smart---he sees every opportunity, witness his passing. Extraordinary court vision with no lapses.

I take back my previous comments about Akot as our potential PG. Not that he doesn't have the clear potential---it's that we can't afford to not have him using his ability to lock down key opposition in up to 4 different positions.

Anyone willing to bet Kerr isn't already thinking about how he can scheme getting Kerr in a future GSW draft?

EOCT wrote:Love Akot"s game. Last night adds to my feeling about his terrific prospects. Six pts, 7 boards, 4 dimes, and two blocks in 33 minutes.

Thirty three minutes----nearly max time and the same as Zo----says Coach wants to see as much as he can in our last exhibition game. What he saw was smart, relentless movement on both O and D and a game maturity we have no right to see in a guy his age. Just too bloody court smart---he sees every opportunity, witness his passing. Extraordinary court vision with no lapses.

I take back my previous comments about Akot as our potential PG. Not that he doesn't have the clear potential---it's that we can't afford to not have him using his ability to lock down key opposition in up to 4 different positions.

Anyone willing to bet Kerr isn't already thinking about how he can scheme getting Kerr in a future GSW draft?

Ditto this.

Akot much better expected. Vision, passing, defense improving, and shooting.
Young guys are good.

Swiss army knife player you can stick in pretty much any lineup/rotation we can throw out there.

Huge in person...

Glue guy

Rawle and Emman both are that swiss army knife kind of player that can do it all.

Trier and Randolph both super gifted scorers.

Nice to have those two as back-ups to our star players.

It's impossible for me to square the first round projections of both Randolph and Akot (in various projections) with their expected roles behind Trier and Rawle.

Randolph is more pure scorer, but I like Akot's game more. He contributes in every facet at a good level. Brandy Randy is more offensively developed, but doesn't match Akot in D, court vision or on the glass.

YoDeFoe wrote:Rawle and Emman both are that swiss army knife kind of player that can do it all.

Trier and Randolph both super gifted scorers.

Nice to have those two as back-ups to our star players.

I like Emman. His full name evokes soft porn for Men of a Certain Age.

Help me out here, Merkin! EOCT?

Spaceman Spiff wrote:It's impossible for me to square the first round projections of both Randolph and Akot (in various projections) with their expected roles behind Trier and Rawle.

Randolph is more pure scorer, but I like Akot's game more. He contributes in every facet at a good level. Brandy Randy is more offensively developed, but doesn't match Akot in D, court vision or on the glass.

Not familiar with her work.

gumby wrote:

Spaceman Spiff wrote:It's impossible for me to square the first round projections of both Randolph and Akot (in various projections) with their expected roles behind Trier and Rawle.

Randolph is more pure scorer, but I like Akot's game more. He contributes in every facet at a good level. Brandy Randy is more offensively developed, but doesn't match Akot in D, court vision or on the glass.

Not familiar with her work.

It's my personal nickname for Randolph. I haven't really shared it with anyone and am shocked it hasn't caught on.

Keep it on the down low. Don't want to scare off Brandy Willie.

I know it’s early but someone please reassure me Akot will stay at least 2 years.....Very small sample size but this Dude oozes NBA potential....and we know how the NBA loves to rob the cradle...ughh.

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:I know it’s early but someone please reassure me Akot will stay at least 2 years.....Very small sample size but this Dude oozes NBA potential....and we know how the NBA loves to rob the cradle...ughh.

Relax. He's staying.

Signed, Grant Jerrett, Kobi Simmons and Chance Comanche

gumby wrote:

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:I know it’s early but someone please reassure me Akot will stay at least 2 years.....Very small sample size but this Dude oozes NBA potential....and we know how the NBA loves to rob the cradle...ughh.

Relax. He's staying.

Signed, Grant Jerrett, Kobi Simmons and Chance Comanche

Lol, thanks for the reassurance....I feel so much better now.

he's completely lost our there he's probably the most disappointing thing so far this season

his knees are apparently bothering him but that does not account for him being lost out there

Gotta be patient with EA. He’s not a one and done player. Hopefully he can get fully healthy at some point this season and make the most of his limited minutes. But with Rawle getting close, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Akot virtually disappear from the rotation. He’ll have to first prove he can outplay Smith.

Don't forget Akot was a 2018 commit who skipped his senior year of HS to play for the UA in 2017.

Knowing that he is a NBA prospect, and not likely a 4 year player, it's too bad he couldn't redshirt this season and heal up his knees.

Merkin wrote:Don't forget Akot was a 2018 commit who skipped his senior year of HS to play for the UA in 2017.

Knowing that he is a NBA prospect, and not likely a 4 year player, it's too bad he couldn't redshirt this season and heal up his knees.

He's 18 though and will turn 19 in March, the same as most college freshman. It's just the weird Canadian school schedule.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Emm ... kot-90626/" target="_blank

Marvin Bagley is also already 18

Akot is just too raw of at the moment,

Merkin wrote:Don't forget Akot was a 2018 commit who skipped his senior year of HS to play for the UA in 2017.

Knowing that he is a NBA prospect, and not likely a 4 year player, it's too bad he couldn't redshirt this season and heal up his knees.

If he's not a 4 year player, what's the point in red shirting him?

Alieberman wrote:

Merkin wrote:Don't forget Akot was a 2018 commit who skipped his senior year of HS to play for the UA in 2017.

Knowing that he is a NBA prospect, and not likely a 4 year player, it's too bad he couldn't redshirt this season and heal up his knees.

If he's not a 4 year player, what's the point in red shirting him?

“His knees will get better when he rests and this was an opportunity to give him some rest,” Miller said.

From Harvard Medical:

Here are some simple steps you can take to quell tendinitis pain. At the first sign of trouble:

limit activities that put stress on your knees

Merkin wrote:

Alieberman wrote:

Merkin wrote:Don't forget Akot was a 2018 commit who skipped his senior year of HS to play for the UA in 2017.

Knowing that he is a NBA prospect, and not likely a 4 year player, it's too bad he couldn't redshirt this season and heal up his knees.

If he's not a 4 year player, what's the point in red shirting him?

“His knees will get better when he rests and this was an opportunity to give him some rest,” Miller said.

From Harvard Medical:

Here are some simple steps you can take to quell tendinitis pain. At the first sign of trouble:

limit activities that put stress on your knees

That doesn't seem like a redshirt. It seems like a guy you rest and hope he gets better. You don't need five years with him because he probably isn't here for more than 3 regardless.

Merkin wrote:Knowing that he is a NBA prospect, and not likely a 4 year player, it's too bad he couldn't redshirt this season and heal up his knees.

That sentence doesn't make sense. As an NBA prospect, he's not going to need four years of eligibility and therefore has no need to protect those years with a redshirt.

I'm glad to have him and to see him develop. Plenty of competition for back-up wing when Rawle returns and yet still plenty of time to step up.

Just semantics, just saying it wouldn't hurt to not play this year to heal up.

Merkin wrote:Just semantics, just saying it wouldn't hurt to not play this year to heal up.

Not redshirting him doesn't mean you have to play him. I think that's what most of us want. If he has health issues, let him sort them out and sit if necessary. A redshirt only helps if you want an extra year of eligibility, though, and no one expects Akot to use an extra year.

Akot's health should certainly be first. We've been responsible with players, from PJC's ankle last year to Rawle's foot this year.

Why is he playing at all if he has patellar tendinitis? He should be limited in practice and inactive in games. I remember he slipped while dribbling last night. Not worth putting him out there even with Rawle still out.

TatetheGreat wrote:Why is he playing at all if he has patellar tendinitis? He should be limited in practice and inactive in games. I remember he slipped while dribbling last night. Not worth putting him out there even with Rawle still out.

Trier slipped 3 or 4 times at least, and someone else did too (Randolph or Smith?). I'm still not convinced about all that talk about low-top sneakers being no different than high tops. I've noticed way more weird shit with this kind of stuff in the last 3-4 years. That extra freedom for range of movement allows for more awkward landings on the mid-sole/side of the sneakers? I dont know.

TatetheGreat wrote:Why is he playing at all if he has patellar tendinitis? He should be limited in practice and inactive in games. I remember he slipped while dribbling last night. Not worth putting him out there even with Rawle still out.

From what I understand Akot isn't even practicing or if he is it's very limited, so I have no idea why he's playing at all either.

The game is too fast for Akot right now.

Time and experience will allow for that to change, but right now, he just isn't going to play many minutes.

Hopefully 90% of his problems are his knees bothering him

But if it's chronic, what does that mean? Never gets better?

https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketbal ... ury-return" target="_blank

Miller said Emmanuel Akot is “making progress” in his bout with knee tendinitis. The freshman has played just 10 minutes in the last three games.

“He has to get both of his legs stronger,” Miller said. “It’s chronic. .. If you remember the Purdue game, he had one of his best games at Arizona against SMU where I thought his effort was great and he defended, but the next game, he wasn’t able to play. He could only play a couple minutes because he couldn’t run.

“So that’s certainly affected him, but he’s a young player with a bright future and it doesn’t mean he won’t play this year. We’re counting on all our guys but I think a big part for Emmanuel is continuing to grow and get better."

I'd like to know what the deal is with players slipping, too. Especially Trier.

He needs to get his quads and hammys bigger/stronger to off load stress on his acl pcl and patellar tendons if I'm reading that right.

Interesting comments from Hansen:

http://tucson.com/sports/greghansen/han ... n=share#11" target="_blank


One thing Miller said last week about the reduction in playing time for, among others, Emmanuel Akot and Dylan Smith, is that there’s no way to avoid it at a talent-blessed school like Arizona. “When nothing is given and you have to earn it, the cream will rise to the top,” Miller said. “Sometimes a guy panics, or their support system panics, and they run. But very seldom does a guy who runs make it.” In the Miller years at Arizona, those who have “run” include Craig Victor, Justin Simon, Angelo Chol and Grant Jerrett. None thrived since leaving. In Miller’s epic rant that followed the recent victory over Long Beach State, he used the term “babies” in referring to some who bailed out early at Arizona.

CalStateTempe wrote:He needs to get his quads and hammys bigger/stronger to off load stress on his acl pcl and patellar tendons if I'm reading that right.

Word is it's knee tendinitis. What exactly can be done for that?

Edit: Nevermind, I are dumb, didn't see you were literally responding to that very diagnosis. I am schmuck.