BBall Recruiting - 2021 EM 4* Jaden Akins Update (Visiting)
A 2021 in-state kid that I'm extremely high on, Jaden Akins, who is criminally undervalued nationally, will attend elite camp this weekend.
I've been projecting him as a high-major, top 50-100 prospect on this board for more than a year ..............and he's gone largely under the radar until now. Picked up offers from Missouri and Iowa within the last 24 hours after dominant performances at the Nike Elite 100 and College Basketball Academy.
Looks like great film and that your evaluation is closer to the truth. Would love to see him wearing the block M.
A birdie told me that Akins May be offered by MSU in the near future
Prep Hoops is wrong on both accounts. 6’3 PG
Now Prep Oops.
Fun clip. Love the quickness. That, folks, is what a PG does. Jaden loves to play the game-and he can!
Soft shot, really nice body control. Would love to see game film of him. Looks like a really nice player.
wait - we recruit PG's taller then 6ft? Since when...
/s
This kid's gonna be a beast on defense too - great motor on him.
Maybe even an Endless Motor?
I didn’t want Matt D getting a big head if I said that! Ha!
I’m not that important haha. I’m just a dude that loves hoops, fortunate enough to have the resources/following to travel the country and watch some amazing youngsters play a sport that I admire. You naturally develop an eye for certain traits. Honestly it’s not as enjoyable if I can’t share the fandom part of my gig with you guys.
Exciting PG. He appears to have a very soft shot but his release is quite low. Reminds be of Cassius Winston.
There’s something about a silky smooth southpaw, that can pat the rock. Come join Zeb at Southpaw U.
Yep! Impressive. Jalen Rose confidence, with a much quicker release.
He seems like almost a carbon copy of Zeb Jackson (in a good way) but with more playmaking ability. Like his hair too lol
Yep. I’ve often compared him to Zeb on this site over the last year and change. I like Akins a bit more at the same age.
Matt, in your experience, what is the reason so many young players have such low releases?
At the root of the issue is a lack of strength. Younger players typically dip the ball below the waist prior to commencing any vertical motion in the arms in order to generate the requisite momentum to ensure the ball gets enough on it to hit the rim. When that issue isn’t addressed down the road then a swing shot is the result. You can blame this 3pt attempt happy generation for it.
Yep...you nailed it. I'm helping my son deal with it now while he's still in junior high. It's not that low, but it needs to be higher.
I agree with the lack of strength theory (as one is developing). I see it quite often in girls, where even at the elite club level, they start low and have almost a one-handed set shot, with very little vertical. It also leads to incorrect footwork, with the right foot often being too far forward, causing a 'shot put' mechanism.
Requisite momentum is my favorite momentum.
Should one assume that an offer will be coming soon from the taller JH?
I guess that may depend on his performance this Saturday.
I like that film. His shot has room for improvement. The quickness, the handle, and the vision seem legit, and if he's dominating against elite competition, well, let's hope an offer is imminent.
At the elite level that we want to compete at, we don't need (another) point guard who needs improvement with his shot. It puts too much pressure on the rest of the offense to function properly if his shot isn't respected.
How about some 2020 visitors..
Need one domino to fall our way.
I was thinking the same thing when watching his video. The shot is way too low, starts at armpit level most of the time, from his side. Ideally, the shot goes through the "shooting box", ie- comes up from the mid face and releases above the forehead, at the top of the jump. If he is going against a top defender that matches his quickness (ability to get space to shoot) and has good vertical, this isn't going to work. No thanks unless correction occurs, which is unlikely at his age. 10+ years of "muscle memory" is difficult to reverse.
I think the importance of perimeter shooting decreases under Coach Howard. It’s clear that he’s targeting better athletes with college ready frames that are likely to produce much sooner. Coach Beilein was very one dimensional in terms of relying on offense that originated from the perimeter. I definitely think that will change to a certain extent under Coach Howard.
Akins in full blow-up mode, picks up Mississippi State offer..........his third high major offer in the last 48 hours.
This kid is a smooth criminal