Arizona had an extra reason to celebrate the new year on Wednesday, when Georgetown transfer James Akinjo posted in the first minutes of 2020 that he would become a Wildcat.
A point guard from Oakland who became the Big East Freshman of the Year last season, Akinjo posted an Instagram story at 12:05 a.m. in his local time zone (1:05 a.m. in Arizona) that he was committing to the UA. It contained several photos of him wearing a Wildcat uniform.
βHappy New Year,β Akinjo posted. βIβm 1000 percent committedβ¦ turn me up.β
Akinjo, a midseason transfer who already played seven games this season as a sophomore, will be eligible as a junior to play next December barring a successful NCAA waiver that could allow him to play earlier and/or reinstate his sophomore season.
Like sophomore forward Jordan Brown, who played last season at Nevada, Akinjo will join the Wildcats after initially spurning their recruiting efforts as a high school star.
Akinjo considered the Wildcats in the spring of 2018, when he was a star at Salesian Prep in Richmond, California, but chose Georgetown over Tennessee and Arizona. This time, he expressed interest in Gonzaga and Arizona, taking in the teamsβ Dec. 14 game at McKale Center.
Akinjoβs expected arrival in Tucson both gives the Wildcats a replacement for the expected loss of Nico Mannion next spring and provides Akinjo a chance to reboot a promising college career.
At the time of his Dec. 2 departure from Georgetown, Akinjo was the Hoyasβ second-leading scorer with the same 13.4 points-per-game average he had last season, but his shooting efficiency and assist rate dropped.
As a freshman, Akinjo shot 39.1% from 3-point range and had the nationβs 64th-best assist rate, recording an assist on 30.9 percent of teammatesβ baskets when he was on the floor. In seven games this season, he shot just 24.2% from 3 and 33.7% overall. His assist rate dropped to 25.5 and his assist-to-turnover ratio was under 2-1 (31 assists to 16 turnovers).
Akinjo took 12 more field goals and eight more 3s than any of his teammates over the Hoyasβ first seven games and was 4 for 15 overall from the field in his last game, a loss to UNC Greensboro β something Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim took issue with after the Hoyas beat Syracuse 89-79 on Dec. 14.
βThey got rid of a guy that wouldnβt pass the ball to anybody and just shot every time,β Boeheim said. βThatβs why theyβre good now.β
At the time of Akinjoβs departure, however, the Hoyas had multiple issues brewing behind the scenes.
Georgetown players Josh LeBlanc, Galen Alexander and Myron Gardner received restraining orders in September stemming from an allegation of sexual assault, harassment and a subsequent burglary. Hoyas coach Patrick Ewing announced on Dec. 2 that both Akinjo and LeBlanc were no longer on the team. A day later, Georgetown athletic director Lee Reed clarified to The Washington Post that βthe allegations do not involve James Akinjo.β The two other players facing the restraining orders, Alexander and Gardner, later announced plans to transfer.
Akinjoβs addition effectively gives the Wildcats a second player in their 2020 recruiting class, joining Phoenix Hillcrest Prep guard Dalen Terry. UA coach Sean Miller has said he expects to sign a total of about five players by the spring, when the team will lose four seniors and possibly multiple early pro departures.
