Baylor NBA Draft Hopeful James Akinjo Invited to G League Elite Camp
Baylor Bears guard James Akinjo has received an invite to the NBA's G League Elite Camp ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft, per a release from the G League last Monday. The event will take place May 16-17 in Chicago.
Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY
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Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY
The 6-1, 190-pound Oakland native declared for the draft on March 30, but said he would continue working toward a degree at Baylor in an official statement:
After talking it over with my family, I've decided to pursue my dream and enter the NBA Draft. Thank you to the Baylor coaching staff for welcoming me into the program, to my teammates for helping me get better every day, and to the Baylor Family for your support this past year. I plan to hire an agent, but will continue working toward earning a Baylor degree.
Akinjo, a two-time transfer who spent two years at Georgetown and one at Arizona before arriving to Baylor last offseason, started all 32 games he appeared in and averaged 13.5 points, 5.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.0 steals on 38.3 percent shooting this season.
He was named to the All-Big 12 First Team and AP All-American Third Team while being a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, an annual award given to the nation's top collegiate point guard.
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Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY
Though Akinjo wasn't with the team for the 2021 title run, the Bears held similar expectations throughout this season before earning the No. 1 in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament in March.
After winning their first-round matchup in dominant 85-49 fashion against No. 16 Norfolk State, the Bears' season would come to an abrupt end in the second round at the hands of eventual national runners-ups North Carolina in a 93-86 overtime loss.
Akinjo helped spark Baylor back from a 25-point deficit against the eighth-seeded Tar Heels before tying the game at 80-all following an and-one layup and free throw with 15 seconds remaining in regulation. He finished the game with 20 points, four rebounds, five assists, and three steals on 6-20 from the field.
The G League Elite Camp provides a chance for a handful of draft hopefuls to showcase their skills despite not receiving an invite to the NBA Combine.
Akinjo faces an uphill battle to be selected in the draft on Thursday, June 23, but will look to join Baylor teammates Kendall Brown and Jeremy Sochan as draftees. Regardless, he'll certainly be a lock for an NBA Summer League roster spot, which means another chance to catch the eye of a team willing to take a chance on him.
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