Arizona Basketball: Wildcats add Duke transfer Chase Jeter and Emmanuel Akot
The Arizona Wildcats got a big coup for the future of their program with the addition of big man Chase Jeter.
Chase Jeter finally came off the market as he committed to Arizona last week. The 6-foot-10 power forward was one of the best transfers on the market before signing with the Wildcats. He had spent the previous two seasons at Duke after being a five-star recruit in 2015. Jeter also considered California, Gonzaga, and UCLA per ESPN.
Jeter played sparingly during his freshman campaign in 2016-17. However, he saw extended minutes during the early part of this past season due to injuries to a couple of members of the Blue Devils’ frontcourt. Jeter scored in double figures in the season opener but that was the only time in 16 appearances. The Las Vegas native averaged 2.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks while shooting 50% from the field overall in 14.9 minutes a contest.
Jeter is a great pickup for the Wildcats, though he is ineligible to play this upcoming season due to NCAA’s transfer rules. He is an athletic shot-blocker who is excellent around the rim as well as good rebounder. His biggest issues are inconsistency and foul trouble, committing an average of 1.9 fouls last year. Jeter will have two years of eligibility left.
“I think we’re getting an excellent player,” head coach Sean Miller said. “Getting Chase was a big, big coup for us, as big as anything we were able to do this spring and we’re excited.”
Arizona finished with a 32-5 record in 2016-17 and reached the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in five years. The Wildcats lost four players from this past season’s club. Kadeem Allen graduated, while Lauri Markkanen, Chance Comanche, and Kobi Simmons are headed for the NBA draft. Markkanen will likely be selected in the top-20 picks in June’s draft. Simmons should be a second round selection. On the other hand, Comanche is a long shot to get drafted, though that doesn’t mean he won’t eventually get a shot in the NBA.
The good news for Miller and the Wildcats is that Allonzo Trier decided to return for his junior campaign. Rawle Alkins made the right decision in withdrawing from the NBA draft on Sunday. The Cats will also have Lipscomb transfer Talbott Denny, who received a sixth year of eligibility, and UNC Asheville Dylan Smith available.
Arizona should be pretty loaded in 2017-18. Not only do the Wildcats get another season from Trier and Alkins but also seniors Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Dusan Ristic return. In addition, Miller is bringing in ESPN’s fourth-best recruiting class. Five-star center DeAndre Ayton leads the newcomers.
Miller finalized his roster, which includes four walk-ons, on Monday as high school junior Emmanuel Akot was declared eligible to play immediately. It was previously thought the Wildcats may add another player.
Akot, from Calgary, Canada, was a five-star prospect in the class of 2018 before reclassifying. The 6-foot-7, 190-pound wing played at Wasatch Academy (Utah) where he averaged 16.5 points a game in 2016-17.
“I chose to reclass because I know I’m ready,” Akot said. “I want to get better and I know I will get pushed everyday at Arizona. I’ll be on a really good team too so this is a great opportunity for me.”
Akot is very versatile but raw. He is also extremely athletic as well as possesses great length which will allow him to guard multiple positions. The 18-year old is surely talented but does have a long way go in his development in order to be able to contribute.
I think he’s somebody that’s not afraid of competition,” Miller said. “He wants to come in here and compete and be a part of something that’s special.
“A lot of times that’s missed in all of this. If you surround yourself with a lot of great teammates and a high achievement type of program where you’re expected to win, and there’s a lot of players that have the same goals and dreams that you have, you have a tendency to get to the place that you want to get to.”
Quick preview of the 2018-19 season
As long as Miller is in Tucson, the Wildcats will be one of the top programs in the Pac-12. Miller is not only a fantastic X and O’s coach, he is a great recruiter. The 48-year-old coach is 220-66 in eight years with the Wildcats and 340-113 overall. Since 2013, he has nabbed 10 five-star recruits — not including Terrence Ferguson who decided to forego college.
Arizona will have to replace four seniors following the 2017-18 campaign. It is hard to imagine Trier not leaving for the NBA if he has a strong season. Alkins and Ayton, as well as perhaps incoming freshmen Brandon Randolph and Ira Lee, could possibly test the NBA waters. Thism means that Jeter should be a valuable contributor right away. Right now, the only other 2018 recruit that Miller has signed is power forward Shareef O’Neal.
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Arizona’s biggest issue in 2018 will be its backcourt, especially if Alkins and Trier decide to forgo their remaining eligibility. This is why top-60 recruits Brandon Williams (Encino, CA.), Cameron Reddish (Norristown, PA.) and Immanuel Quickley (Bel Air, MD) are atop of the team’s wish list. Williams and Quickley are point guards while Reddish is a small forward.