Men’s Basketball: Akok Akok Lists UConn In His Top Five

With recent commitments from guards Jalen Gaffney and James Bouknight, Dan Hurley and company have shored up the back court and are ready to focus on the Class of 2019 front-court recruits.

The top priority may very well be Akok Akok, a four-star power forward out of Putnam, Connecticut. Akok cut his list down to five schools, including Connecticut, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Providence and Syracuse.

Look familiar? Somewhere, the ghosts of the old Big East conference are smiling.

Akok is a rangy shooter with great rebounding instincts and tremendous athleticism, all in a 6-foot-10 frame. With an overall national ranking of 39 by ESPN, 35 by Rivals and 30 by 247 Sports, the July Live Period did wonders cementing Akok as one of the top forwards in the country.

He was already top 100 on most lists, but shot up the rankings even further following his summer showcase. Yet, through it all, UConn has continued to be in the mix. Rivals currently has UConn in first place with an 86 percent chance of landing him, per their ‘commitment forecast,’ while 247 Sports names Syracuse at 100 percent in their ‘Crystal Ball Prediction’.

All parties will have to show some patience, as Akok isn’t planning to make his final decision until next spring. He is proceeding with his official visits for each school, however, beginning in Providence this weekend and ending in Pittsburgh late October.

UConn is scheduled for October 12; a week after Georgetown and a week before Syracuse. This visit coincides with First Night, so there should be plenty of excitement around campus. There’s nothing like a ravenous group of UConn basketball fans to make a recruit feel like he belongs in Storrs.