April 27, 2011
Akachi Okugo is the No. 24 ranked prospect in the class of 2012 according to NorCalPreps.com. The Jesuit High junior led his Marauders to a 22-10 record and the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I finals, while averaging 14 points and eight assists.
At 6-foot-1 and 165 pounds, Okugo is a national prospect that is being sought after by Denver, Nevada, Notre Dame, Oregon State, Pennsylvania, Portland, Princeton, UC Davis, Washington State, and Yale.
As a nationally recruited prospect, Okugo has some initial thoughts about these schools and their conferences.
Big East (Notre Dame): Okugo says, "Big East basketball is no joke. Every team is athletic and it is one of the best conferences in the country. Notre Dame is a school that had high interest in me as a sophomore, and will be at a lot of my AAU events this summer. It is a beautiful campus and I'd love to take an unofficial there, and hopefully an official in the near future. Coach Mike Brey is a great guy."
Big West (UC Davis): "The UC Davis coaching staff is very nice and they treat you with respect and tell you how you will fit into their program upfront."
Ivy League (Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale): "Ivy League is an up and coming league," said Okugo. "Princeton, Penn, and Cornell have been on me hard this past year. Princeton is a real good school and had a good year."
Mountain West (Nevada): Okugo says, "It is a very strong conference with teams like BYU, SDSU, New Mexico, and Nevada. Nevada has reached out to me a few times and is looking to come to a lot of my games this summer."
Pac-12 (Oregon State and Washington State): "It would be a dream of mine to play in the Pac-12. Every team has its good year and there is no drop off with any team. Anyone can beat anyone on a good night. Oregon State and Washington State have contacted me lately and I'll be attending Washington State's camp this summer."
WAC (Denver joins 2012): Okugo says, "Denver is a really good school academically, and their coaching staff has reached out to me through phone calls over the past year. So I am looking into that program."
West Coast Conference (Portland): Okugo says, "This conference is the second best conference on the west coast. It has Cinderella teams that can beat a top team at any given moment. Portland is really interested in me, and I am interested in them back. They are high on my list, and I plan to take multiple visits there. I am going to their elite camp July 1-2. LMU is also a great school with a beautiful campus. Their assistant coach was a fellow Jesuit alumni, so we've became closer."
For this upcoming summer, Okugo will be playing with Team Superstars as he plans on working on getting stronger and his perimeter shooting during the off season. In addition, he trains with his personal trainer, Guss Armstead. Armstead's two sons are Armond (current USC DT) and Arik (one of the top rated basketball and football prospects from Pleasant Grove).
Armstead says about Okugo, "Akachi has a high basketball IQ and is a pure point guard. His strengths include his leadership, understanding of the game, and his on the ball/team defense. Akachi is like a sponge and is ambitious in improving his game. He gets in the lane well, puts pressure on the defense, and makes the right read."
Okugo has been family friends with Arik Armstead since the 5th grade and has trained with Armstead early on. His older brother, Amobi Okugo of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer, is family friends with Armond Armstead of USC. Akachi Okugo had a meniscus injury last summer that caused him to miss the exposure of the summer club events.
As a result, Okugo wants to be able to showcase his healed knee and his basketball arsenal on the summer circuit. Point guards are supposed to be leaders and strong passers. Chris Paul, Rajon Rando, and Deron Williams are usually on that list.
Okugo says about Chris Paul's game, "Chris Paul is my favorite player and has everything a team would want in a point guard. He is only 5'11 but gets the job done. His ball handling is amazing and is a master of passing off the dribble."
Okugo says about Rajon Rando's game, "Rajon Rondo is a great point guard who has a natural feel for the game. I think we are similar in the way of knowing how to find the open person in transition."
Okugo says about Deron Williams' game, "Deron Williams is a big stocky guard who uses the pull up very consistently and has a knack for finishing strong at the rim."
The summer circuit will be big for Okugo to showcase himself to the college coaches. Expect big returns for the point guard if all goes well. And then expect Okugo to lead his Marauders in the SJS league in Carmichael.
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