After Utahβs Alfonso Plummer beat him out Monday, Arizona guard James Akinjo still has yet to pick up a Pac-12 Player of the Week award. But he appears on pace for a more important award at the end of the season.
Akinjoβs production and importance in Arizonaβs 13-4 season so far suggest he could become one of the 10 players named to the Pac-12βs first all-conference team next month.
After scoring 20 points with eight assists and no turnovers during Arizonaβs 71-50 win over Cal on Saturday, Akinjo continued to rank highly in many key statistical categories in Pac-12 games.
Heβs first in assists (6.64), eighth in scoring (15.0), fourth in steals (1.64), seventh in assist-turnover ratio (2.6-1) and 13th in 3-point percentage (40.4).
Akinjo also ranks No. 68 nationally in the Kenpom-calculated assist rate, getting credited for the assist on his teammatesβ baskets 31.1% of the time when heβs on the floor.
He recorded one of his flashiest assists Saturday, dropping a behind-the-back pass to Azoulas Tubelis while running full speed in the lane and into burly Cal guard Matt Bradley.
βI thought it was the best game heβs played at Arizona,β UA coach Sean Miller said of Akinjo on Saturday. βEight assists and zero turnovers. He had some really great passes where he found his teammates, controlled the game, played very good defense. I think James is becoming an all-conference player.β
Akinjo said Saturday he wasnβt sure if the win over Cal was his best game but said he was just continuing to work on things, crediting his teammates for βmaking it real easy for me out there.β
The way Akinjo explained it, the rest of the Wildcats helped him get back on a roll offensively after he shot 0 for 9 against USC on Jan. 7. Since then, Akinjo has made 48.3% of his 3-pointers, including a 5 for 9 effort from long range that helped lead to Arizonaβs 84-82 win at ASU on Jan. 21.
βIβm shooting the same, but sometimes throughout the season as you go on shots just donβt go in,β Akinjo said. βMy coaches and teammates continue to give me the same confidence Iβve always had. I just stick with the same shot every time, same rhythm. Iβm real confident on my shot.β
Akinjo has also been a durable player.
While missing no games to injury, Akinjo has averaged 34.9 minutes a game and averaged 36.7 over the three games prior to UAβs lopsided win over Cal, during which wing Bennedict Mathurin was limited because of an ankle sprain.
The Wildcats might not have to lean as heavily on Akinjo this week, with Mathurin over a week removed from his ankle injury while freshman combo guard Kerr Kriisa is expected to become eligible on Thursday at Utah.
But thereβs no doubt Akinjo will still be central to everything the Wildcats do.
βWith the way our team is, the way the Pac-12 is, if weβre not at our best, weβre not going to be very good,β Miller said after Saturdayβs game. βBut on the contrary, when we are really playing together as a team, playing both sides, I believe that we have the ability to beat any team on our schedule.
β(Saturday) was one of our best performances and I thought James led the way.β
Plummer, OβConnell take Pac-12 honors
Plummer was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week after leading Utah to a dramatic comeback win from a 19-point deficit last Saturday at Utah. Plumer scored all of his 23 points in the final 15 minutes, while shooting 8 of 13 from the field and 4 of 6 from 3-point range.
Meanwhile, Stanford freshman guard Michael OβConnell was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week after averaging 13.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 rebounds with a 7-1 assist-turnover ratio between the Cardinalβs win at UA and loss at ASU. OβConnell had 14 points, four assists and no turnovers in Stanfordβs 73-64 win over UA last Thursday.
Arizona nominated Akinjo for the Pac-12 Player of the Week award and forward Azuolas Tubelis for the Freshman of the Week award after he averaged 10.7 points and 7.3 rebounds in UAβs three games last week.
UA offers Oklahoma guard
Arizona has offered a scholarship to class of 2022 Oklahoma point guard Adante Holiman.
A 5-foot-9, 160-pound guard, Holiman indicated on Twitter that UA assistant coach Jason Terry has been involved in his recruitment.
Holiman isnβt ranked by 247 or in its composite rankings, though 2022 rankings have been subject to the lack of club ball last summer and, in many cases, a lack of high school basketball this winter.
Bruins only league team ranked in Top 25
UCLA remained the only Pac-12 team in the Associated Press Top 25 at No. 21, though USC generated the 27th most overall points in this weekβs voting.
Colorado received the 28th-most points last week but its loss to Utah sent the Buffaloes to 36th overall.
