Arizona's Miller: Transfer James Akinjo is PG 'you love to have'

Miller likes players who won Big East Freshman of the Year honors

Arizona officially added Georgetown transfer James Akinjo on Tuesday.

This is a nice get for coach Sean Miller, who recruited Akinjo out of high school and now gets the guard on the bounce-back. He played in seven games for the Hoyas this season, averaging 13.4 points and 4.4 assists after earning Big East Freshman of the Year honors last season.

"We're really eager to get James here," Miller said.

"I'm very familiar with another Big East Freshman of the Year. He was an amazing player at Pitt -- me. So I have a lot of respect for Big East freshmen of the year. I'm kidding. But I'm not kidding. He's the Big East Freshman of the Year. They don't give that award out because of anything other than he earned it."

Akinjo, from Oakland, Calif., will join the team next week before the start of the spring semester and is expected to be eligible after the first semester of the 2020-2021 season -- so mid-December -- unless the school applies for and receives a waiver for immediate eligibility at the start of next season.

"When it came to us that he was going to transfer and enter the portal, certainly we had an interest in him but especially with the need that we have," Miller said. "We're going to lose Nico."

Given that freshman point guard Nico Mannion is all but off to the NBA after this season, Akinjo -- who averaged 13.4 points and 5.2 assists last season -- can compete for the point guard role with current sophomore Jamarl Baker … and whoever else Miller adds to a recruiting class that otherwise only includes versatile four-star wing Dalen Terry.

"James is that point guard you love to have. He's tough. He can score. He can get his own shot," Miller said. "But his style of play, he can do both. He can score and he can also facilitate and be a good playmaker."

Also, Nevada transfer forward Jordan Brown is with the team this season and will be eligible at the start of next season.

On Tuesday, Arizona also offered a scholarship to 2021 four-star big man Alex Tchikou.