Georgetown Basketball: Breaking down the 2018 recruiting class

James Akinjo – Richmond, CA

Guard | 6-foot-0 | 180 lbs | No. 90 overall

Even though he is not the top-rated recruit joining the Big East this season, James Akinjo has a legitimate shot to be the most impactful newcomer. Arguably Georgetown’s biggest hole heading into this season was the lack of a true point guard and Akinjo should fill that role. Quite honestly, his play on the court could end up being just as important to the team as the improvement of Georgetown’s rising sophomore class. A top-100 recruit nationally, Akinjo has received plenty of hype from recruiting services over the last few years.

A strong scorer with a penchant for finding open teammates, Akinjo projects as the starting point guard for the Hoyas as a freshman. While this obviously puts a ton of responsibility on the shoulders of the first-year guard, it is the role that he will likely need to fill sooner rather than later. There will certainly be a learning curve that he will need to overcome early in the season but patience is key with a freshman guard leading the way. If he learns quickly, then Georgetown will be in great shape.

As a player, Akinjo is extremely dangerous with the ball in his hands. He has an outrageous first step and is tremendously controlled when finishing around the basket with either hand. Akinjo understands how to manage the pace of a game and can take over as a scorer when necessary. Furthermore, he is a sound playmaker both in transition and in halfcourt sets.

With these four players joining an already talented Georgetown basketball roster, it will be interesting to see how the team performs in Year 2 under head coach Patrick Ewing. Many bracketologists (myself included) see the Hoyas as a potential bubble team heading into this year and these youngsters will clearly be extremely important.