Georgia Tech Transfer Guard Akai Fleming Picks Cincinnati, 11th Addition This Cycle

Cincinnati nailed down another transfer commitment this week for their 11th addition to Jerrod Calhoun's first roster. On3's Joe Tipton reports Georgia Tech guard Akai Fleming is rolling with Cincinnati for his next college home.

The freshman holds three seasons of eligibility left at 6-foot-4, 184 pounds. He is coming off a strong opening season in college basketball, posting 10.4 points per game and 3.2 rebounds across 25.5 minutes per game.

Transfer Impact

Feb 28, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Akai Fleming (0) is introduced before a game against the Florida State Seminoles at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Fleming should be a strong rotation player for Calhoun to work with as Cincinnati's nice baseline size additions continue. He struggled a bit shooting from the field (39.4% overall), but took about half of his shots from outside and hit 32.9% of them.

He's another great free-throw shooter joining the roster (81.8%, 13th-best in the ACC last season), which is a strong indicator of improved shooting numbers to come as a sophomore and beyond. Cincinnati could realistically field multiple lineups where every player is a 75% or better free-throw shooter this season.

Fleming brings a pesky defensive attitude to the table, with some growth still to go there. He should be able to develop well in Calhoun's free-flowing system.

It's all part of the plan for Calhoun and general manager Corey Evans.

"I remember Corey when he was just getting into scouting and starting," Calhoun said at his opening press conference. "Corey is a prime example of getting in the business and understanding the sky's the limit, right? If you put your head down, you work, you get better, you try to grow. College basketball has changed, and I think you need a general manager. I think you need somebody outside the coaching staff who can negotiate those contracts. I think the general manager and the coach have to be on the same page ... The relationship has to be two-way. I'm not a yes guy.

"I like confrontation every once in a while in a coaching meeting, but we have to be very aligned on the style of play we're going to play, and more importantly, the character of the player. We're not going to compromise talent over character. That ain't going to work, I can tell you that. And you know, if we can get to the NCAA Tournament back-to-back years, doing it the way we are, with the resources we had, now, you add bigger resources, you get good evaluations, you implement the plan. We should not just want to get into the NCAA Tournament. We should be wanting to advance week by week and get back to a Final Four."

Check out highlights from Fleming below:

Georgia Tech freshman Akai Fleming has heard from the following programs per @SKPearlman of @VerusTeam

Louisville
USC
Georgetown
Gonzaga
Oregon
Dayton
& more

The former top-60 recruit averaged 10.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 32.9% 3FG. pic.twitter.com/5L4bvYgrtl
— Rising Ballers Network (@dylan_lutey) May 2, 2026

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