Akok is back
With Akok back in action, even bigger things expected from surging UConn men
UConn takes on DePaul as Akok Akok eases back into the rotation.
Long months of rehab were put in the rearview mirror when Akok Akok checked into the game Saturday at Butler. The UConn men had their best shot-blocker back.
“It’s a special day. I’ve been waiting for this a long time,” Akok said. “There were a lot of nerves in the air. As soon as I got in the game and made that splash play, cut to the rim and dunked, that really started things off.”
Tyrese Martin left one for him, and the 6-foot-9 Akok threw it down, his only points in the game. Akok, coming back 11 months after rupturing an Achilles, got his feet wet, playing six minutes. He tried a 3-pointer later and missed. UConn won 72-60, and there’s much more to come. The Huskies will play another road game, at DePaul on Monday at 6 p.m., with James Bouknight’s status still up in the air.
“We’re playing really good to great defense,” coach Dan Hurley said Sunday after the Huskies arrived in Chicago. “The potential of adding him to the frontcourt, in terms of the way we play defense, try to take away the 3-point line and pressure people, he fits schematically into what we do. He’s one of those core building block guys we brought in here to build this program around, so we’re going to need more from him the rest of the way.”
Akok enrolled at UConn in January 2019 and got a head start on his freshman year. Last season, he averaged 28 minutes, 5.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks across 25 games. Akok just scratched the surface of his potential, as a combination rim protector and 3-point shooter, that had some talking about the NBA before he left Putnam Science.
Popular with teammates and coaches, there was genuine heartache when he injured the Achilles in a game against Memphis last Feb. 16, and the Huskies rallied for an emotional win. He immersed himself in
the rehab process after surgery, hoping to make it back sooner.
“He’s worked incredibly hard, incredibly diligently,” Hurley said. “He hasn’t been as patient as we’d have liked him to be at times. Me and him got into a couple of dust-ups about speeding up his timeline, but this is a guy with an incredible basketball future at this level and beyond.”
Now that Akok is back, Hurley will work him in slowly, but steadily.
“Welcoming Akok back was a nice lift for everyone,” Hurley said. “That’s a selfless guy. He loves to compete, gets a lot of joy out of basketball. We’ve got a real balancing act because we need him on the court more and grow his role more, but it’s a fine line in terms of fitting him into rotation. We’ll grow his role with every game.”
So at a time when the Huskies have momentum, they’ve added another difference-maker. Here are some takeaways from the win at Butler, plus a look ahead to DePaul:
Bouknight’s status
The Huskies didn’t have a full-scale practice with the quick turnaround, so Bouknight didn’t test his injured left elbow. Hurley said it will again be a game-time decision Monday. “We’ll see how he feels,” Hurley said. From what could be seen on TV, Bouknight didn’t move his left arm much while on the bench.
Adams appeal
Brendan Adams started in Bouknight’s place and “very quietly played a really, really good game,” Hurley said. The junior had nine points and three assists in 34 minutes, contributing solid defense. After a slow start, in part because of a summertime foot injury,
UConn forward Akok Akok, back after rupturing an Achilles 11 month ago, returned Saturday with a dunk against Butler. The Huskies expect bigger things now that he’s on the court.
AdamslooksmoreliketheAdamsoflastseason.
Quick turnaround
“After not being able to leave Storrs [for 10 months], now it feels like we’ve been on the road for a while,” Hurley said. The Huskies are playing their third consecutive road game. “Just a one day turnaround, we’ve got to play with that level of passion and energy, fiery, because that’s the type of team we are. We’ve got to play with that pop, so I’ll have these guys ready by [Monday] night.”
Rank and file