Big 12 Basketball: Top 10 point guards entering 2021-22 season

3. James Akinjo, Baylor

2020-2021 stats: 15.6 PPG, 5.4 APG, 40% 3P

With the trio of guards departing for the NBA, it was crucial to land guard help during the off-season. To assist sophomore LJ Cryer and Top-40 freshman Langston Love, Head Coach Scott Drew landed one of the best point guards in the portal in Arizona’s Akinjo.

This will be Akinjo’s third different university, after spending his first two seasons in Georgetown and his last stop being in Tucson.

Akinjo has averaged 14.3 points per game and 5.2 assists on 38.2% from beyond the arc over the past three seasons.

Akinjo’s offense is not a question and has high-upside as a defender in the Big 12. Akinjo is an 81% career free throw shooter and makes an impact on both ends of the floor. The biggest wildcard is his consistency inside the three-point line.

Akinjo shot 36% from inside the arc and struggles at times to finish near and at the rim. He has also been a high-volume shooter, an area he won’t have to worry about in Waco.

Although the Bears lose a lot of backcourt talent, they are re-loaded in other areas, with guard Adam Flagler, forward Matthew Mayer, and Johnathon Tchamwa-Tchatchoua all returning and receiving significant playing time last year.

Akinjo won’t be relied on to take 13-16 shots a night in order to win, with the abundance of weapons near him. Akinjo has an excellent overall game and is a good plug to fill and make Baylor a Top 10 nationally ranked team in College Basketball.