Akok enrolls at UConn, but won't play this season
Storrs — Akok Akok has arrived on campus and enrolled at UConn for the spring semester.
A top 30 recruit, Akok will join the men's basketball team as a walk-on, but will only practice for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. The Huskies don't have a scholarship available.
The plan is for Akok, a versatile 6-foot-9 forward, to begin playing for the Huskies next season as a redshirt freshman and be on scholarship.
"We couldn't be more pleased to welcome Akok to our basketball family," coach Dan Hurley said in a release. "He is a quality young man and an exceptional student-athlete. His length, his athleticism and his overall skill set will help increase the talent level of the program."
Akok, who's from the Sudan, committed to UConn on Dec. 1.
He withdrew from Putnam Science Academy in November during his post-graduate year. He spent the previous two seasons there, helping Putnam capture the national prep school championship, and graduated last spring.
"I feel like Dan Hurley and UConn basketball was a great pick," Akok said while attending UConn's game against Arizona on Dec. 2 in Hartford. "I'm just ready to come in next month and work hard. I just want to overall get better at basketball. I've been playing high school basketball for a long time and I'm ready for the next step, which is college basketball."
At the time, Akok said that he hadn't ruled out testing the NBA Draft waters.
Hurley is looking forward to having Akok work out with the program and prepare for next season.
"Having Akok in practice every day will help him get acclimated to the college game as well as provide high-level competition for our players," Hurley said. "It's a win-win."
Hurley hopes to add another frontcourt player to a recruiting class that includes Akok, 6-4 guard James Bouknight and 6-2 guard Jalen Gaffney.
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