In a move that might signal behind-the-scenes efforts to start the Pac-12 basketball season before January, Arizona announced Tuesday that guard James Akinjo has been granted immediate eligibility this season.
Akinjo transferred from Georgetown between semesters last season. His eligibility issue became moot when the Pac-12 announced last month that all sports competition would be postponed until at least January. Conventional transfers need only sit out a full “year-in-residence” at a new school, so Akinjo would have been eligible at the end of the fall semester in December.
James Akinjo
However, getting a waiver in hand now for Akinjo and announcing it means Arizona is free of any issues in case the league walks back its pronouncement.
Colorado coach Tad Boyle told the Star last month he hoped the Pac-12 would consider allowing November or December games if they could be played safely, and the San Jose Mercury News reported last week that the conference will reconsider the basketball season start if circumstances improve on its campuses and within the NCAA.
Pac-12 basketball coaches did not know of the conference’s blanket no-sports-until-January pronouncement before it was made on Aug. 11, and multiple coaches have told the Star that there are conversations about possibly playing earlier, especially if there are advances in testing.
Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior VP for basketball, said last month he was considering start dates ranging from Nov. 10-Dec. 4, and there’s little doubt that Pac-12 coaches won’t want to be left behind if other teams are playing.
Meanwhile, the waiver means the Wildcats can evaluate Akinjo fully on the court this fall instead of having to provisionally formulate an early rotation without him in case the Pac-12 pivots back to November or early December.
Akinjo is expected to start or at least play a major role in the backcourt, although the Wildcats have a number of other well-qualified point or combo guards, including returnee Jemarl Baker, grad transfer Terrell Brown and Estonian freshman Kerr Kriisa.
Akinjo “is an impact player and a fierce competitor,” UA coach Sean Miller said in a statement, “and his experience will be invaluable for us this year as we welcome so many young players to our program.”
The Big East’s freshman of the year in 2018-19, when he averaged 13.4 points and 5.2 assists per game, Akinjo played in seven games for the Hoyas last season before transferring amid Georgetown’s offcourt controversy.
Although the NCAA has been more liberal in granting waiver requests recently, Akinjo’s successful waiver also might indicate that Georgetown’s issues created problems for him that he had nothing to do with.
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 “the allegations do not involve James Akinjo.” The two other players facing the restraining orders, Alexander and Gardner, later announced plans to transfer.
Waivers for immediate eligibility are typically weighed heavily on what happened at a previous school, and whether any adversity was out of the player’s control. Baker received an immediate waiver to play immediately for the Wildcats last season after dealing with knee issues at Kentucky.
In a UA video statement released Tuesday, Akinjo thanked God, his family, compliance officials, his coaches, teammates and the NCAA for helping him.
“It’s been a long process,” he said, “and I’m just ready to get on with my teammates from the jump.”
