Baylor MBB’s Akinjo Named Sporting News All-American

[Roberts, Matt]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 7, 2022
Baylor MBB’s Akinjo Named Sporting News All-American
BU has a Sporting News All-American for third-straight season
For more information, contact: David Kaye, 254-709-5147, David_Kaye at baylor.edu<mailto:David_Kaye at baylor.edu>
WACO, Texas – Baylor senior James Akinjo has been named to the Sporting News All-America Third Team, the publication announced Monday. Akinjo becomes the seventh player in program history named to a Sporting News All-America team.
Akinjo joins Jared Butler (2020 & 2021), Davion Mitchell (2021), Johnathan Motley (2017), Tweety Carter (2010), Darryl Middleton (1988) and Michell Williams (1987) as Sporting News All-Americans.
The Sporting News All-America teams are among four the NCAA uses to determine consensus All-Americans, along with Associated Press, USBWA and NABC. The senior is the 19th different BU player to be named an All-American by at least one publication.
An Oakland, Calif., native, Akinjo leads the Big 12 in assists (5.8/game), ranks second in free-throw percentage (.827) and second in steals (2.0/game). He also ranks third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9) and ninth in scoring (13.3/game). Additionally, he has scored in double figures 20 times this season, topping the 20-point mark five times. On Sunday, he was named to the All-Big 12 First Team and the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team.
The Arizona transfer helped the Bears to a school-record 26 regular-season victories. Baylor is ranked No. 3 nationally and has been in the AP Top-10 for 47-consecutive polls. Baylor has topped the 25-win mark in each of the last three seasons and seven times in the last 13 years. Prior to 2010, Baylor reached the 25-win mark just once in the program’s first 103 seasons.
Akinjo and the No. 2 seed Bears open play at the 2022 Big 12 Championship with Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup against No. 7 seed Oklahoma at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. The winner of that game will face the winner of Thursday’s 8:30 p.m. quarterfinal between No. 3 seed Texas Tech and No. 6 seed Iowa State. That semifinal game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Friday, and the championship game is at 5 p.m. Saturday.
Follow @BaylorMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates throughout the year.
2022 SPORTING NEWS ALL-AMERICANS
First Team
Johnny Davis, Wisconsin
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
Ochai Agbaji, Kansas
Keegan Murray, Iowa
Kofi Cockburn, Illinois
Second Team
Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona
Jabari Smith, Auburn
Jaden Ivey, Purdue
Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
Drew Timme, Gonzaga
Third Team
James Akinjo, Baylor
EJ Liddell, Ohio State
JD Notae, Arkansas
Collin Gillespie, Villanova
Paolo Banchero, Duke

BAYLOR ALL-AMERICANS (All Publications*)
Hubert Kirkpatrick, 1938
Earl "Pete" Creasey, 1939
Jack Robinson, 1946
Jack Robinson, 1948
William Chatmon, 1971
Vinnie Johnson, 1978
Vinnie Johnson, 1979
Terry Teagle, 1980
Terry Teagle, 1981
Terry Teagle, 1982
Micheal Williams, 1987
Darryl Middleton, 1988
Micheal Williams, 1988
Curtis Jerrells, 2008
Ekpe Udoh, 2010
Tweety Carter, 2010
LaceDarius Dunn, 2010
Pierre Jackson, 2012
Perry Jones III, 2012
Rico Gathers, 2015
Johnathan Motley, 2017
Jared Butler<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=10360>, 2020
Jared Butler<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=10360>, 2021
Davion Mitchell<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=10364>, 2021
MaCio Teague<https://baylorbears.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=10367>, 2021
James Akinjo, 2022
* - includes Associated Press, Basketball Times, Converse Yearbook, Helms Foundation, NBC Sports, Newspaper Enterprise, Sporting News, UPI, USA Today, NCAA March Madness and Yahoo!

BAYLOR MBB 2021-22 SEASON HONORS
James Akinjo
All-America Third Team (Sporting News)
All-Big 12 First Team
Big 12 All-Newcomer team
Bob Cousy Award Finalist
Midseason All-America First Team (Sporting News)
Wooden Award Midseason Top 25
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Lute Olson Award Midseason Watch List
2021 Battle 4 Atlantis MVP
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Feb. 14)
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Jan. 10)
Big 12 Player of the Week (Jan. 3)

Kendall Brown
Big 12 All-Freshman Team
Julius Erving Award Top 10 Watch List
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Dec. 20)
2021 Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament Team

Scott Drew
Big 12 Coach of the Year (third-straight)
Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List

Adam Flagler
All-Big 12 Second Team
Big 12 Player of the Week (Jan. 10)
Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
Jerry West Award Top 10 Watch List
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List
Lute Olson Award Watch List

Matthew Mayer
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List

Mitchell Paul
Academic All-Big 12 First Team

Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua
Big 12 Defensive Player of The Year
Big 12 All-Defensive Team
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List
Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
www.BaylorBears.com<http://www.BaylorBears.com>


Matt Roberts | Associate Director of Athletic Communications (MGOLF/ WGOLF/ FOOTBALL/ MBB)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
O: 254-710-4206 | C: 254-709-2348

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