Baylor updates status of guard James Akinjo ahead of Alabama matchup

Baylor guard James Akinjo is a game-time decision for Saturday’s game against Alabama, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. Akinjo took a hard fall on Jan. 11 in a loss against Texas Tech. He was able to play 23 minutes against Oklahoma State on January 15 and 30 minutes against Oklahoma on January 22, but he missed Tuesday’s game against Kansas State.

Baylor’s James Akinjo (tailbone) will be a game-time decision for today’s game against Alabama, per Scott Drew,” Rothstein tweeted.

On the season, Akinjo is averaging 31.1 minutes across 18 games, all of which he has started for Baylor. He is averaging 13.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. Akinjo is also shooting 42.6% from the field and 35.1 percent from beyond the arc.

This season is Akinjo’s first at Baylor, but his fourth year of college basketball. He previously spent two years at Georgetown before playing at Arizona last season.

Akinjo’s injury has impacted him on the court

Despite playing recent games against Oklahoma State and Oklahoma after his injury, Akinjo hasn’t looked quite right for Baylor. Against Oklahoma State, he had just three points and two rebounds, making just one of his eight shots from the field. Against Oklahoma, he scored just two points, connecting on one of his six attempts from the field. Akinjo also had four assists, one rebound and four steals against the Sooners.

Baylor head coach Scott Drew acknowledged after the Oklahoma State game that the injury has taken a toll on Akinjo.

“That obviously affected [Akinjo],” Drew said on the injury. “We didn’t think he was going to play today, and he gutted it out. But that obviously wasn’t the same James. In this league, everyone’s banged up, and you only have so much margin for error. We’ve got to get him and Jeremy back and in the meantime, figure out a better way to put guys in positions to be successful.”

Entering Saturday’s game at Alabama, Baylor is 18-2 on the season. The Bears began the year 15-0, before losing to Texas Tech and Oklahoma State in back-to-back games, falling to 15-2. Baylor has since responded with wins over West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Kansas State.

Alabama is currently 13-7 on the season. The Crimson Tide followed up a three-game losing streak with a two-game winning streak, beating LSU and Missouri. But on Tuesday, Georgia beat Alabama 82-76.

Tip-off for Saturday’s game between Baylor and Alabama is set for 4 p.m. ET in Tuscaloosa.