Baylor MBB Signs All-Pac 12 Guard Akinjo

[Kaye, David]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – April 28, 2021

Baylor MBB Signs All-Pac 12 Guard Akinjo
Guard will join Bears with two years of remaining eligibility
For more information contact: David Kaye, 254-709-5147, David_Kaye at baylor.edu<mailto:David_Kaye at baylor.edu>

WACO, Texas – Baylor men’s basketball has signed guard James Akinjo to a Financial Aid Contract, head coach Scott Drew announced Wednesday.

Akinjo, a 6-foot-1 transfer from Arizona, will have two years of remaining eligibility when he joins the Bears this summer. He has played 66 games and made 65 starts over three collegiate seasons, spending his first two years at Georgetown before playing at Arizona during the 2020-21 season.

“James brings a wealth of experience at the high-major level and is a proven all-conference performer,” Drew said. “He’s an extremely hard worker who is a tremendous culture fit. We can’t wait to get him on campus and into our program this summer.”

Akinjo started all 26 games for Arizona during the 2020-21 season, earning All-Pac 12 First Team honors after leading the Wildcats to a 17-9 record. He ranked second in the Pac-12 in assists per game (5.4), 11th in points per game (15.6), seventh in 3-point percentage (.408), fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.0), fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.35), ninth in free throw percentage (.819), seventh in steals per game (1.4) and third in minutes per game (34.9).

An Oakland, Calif., native, Akinjo led the Pac-12 with 5.9 assists per game and 35.6 minutes per game in conference play, and he posted seven games with 20+ points in league play, tied for fifth-most in the conference. He scored 22 points and added eight assists in a win over Colorado in his Pac-12 debut, posted 25 points and eight assists against eventual Final Four team UCLA, led the Wildcats to an 84-82 win at Arizona State with 24 points, recorded 20 points in a win over California, scored 21 points in the rematch against UCLA, had 20 points and seven assists in a win against Elite Eight team USC and posted a career-high 26 points with seven assists in a 75-74 win over Washington.

Akinjo played in all 33 games for Georgetown as a true freshman during the 2018-19 season, leading the Hoyas to a 19-13 record in his 32 starts. He was named 2019 Big East Freshman of the Year and selected to the Big East All-Freshman Team after averaging 13.4 points and a team-high 5.2 assists per game. He started the first seven games of his 2019-20 sophomore season before electing to mid-year transfer to Arizona, where he sat out the remainder of the season.

Akinjo is a career .382 shooter from 3-point range, making 113-of-296 attempts across 66 games, and he’s posted a career .815 free throw percentage, converting on 264-of-324 attempts from the charity stripe. He’s added 5.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game, while posting a 1.97 career assist-to-turnover ratio. He’s also scored in double-figures 49 times during his collegiate career, including 12 games with 20+ points.

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www.BaylorBears.com




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David Kaye | Assistant AD for Communications
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-709-5147

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