Louisiana transfer forward Theo Akwuba commits to Ole Miss over Iowa
Just a few weeks removed from entering his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal, Louisiana transfer forward Theo Akwuba has announced his commitment to Kermit Davis and Ole Miss.
The 6-foot-11, 225 pounder from Montgomery, Ala., chose the Rebels over the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The 2021-22 Sun Belt Preseason First Team selection averaged 9.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and shot 54.1 percent from the field for the Ragin’ Cajuns last year. The year before he averaged 11.3 points and 9.3 rebounds while also shooting 63.5 percent from the field.
The 2021 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year recently narrowed his list down to Iowa, Ole Miss, NC State, Penn State and South Carolina, per Sean Paul of Mountain West Wire and The Field of 68 podcast, but took official visits to both Iowa City and Oxford before deciding on playing his final year of eligibility at the Pavilion in the 2022-23 season.
The Montgomery, Ala. prospect, who prepped at Brewbaker Tech Magnet School, signed with the Portland Pilots in 2018 and later transferred to Louisiana. As a senior, Akwuba averaged a triple double, 11.7 points, 14.1 rebounds and 10.4 blocked shots per game, earning Alabama Class 5A First Team All-State honors. His recruitment was relatively quiet due to only playing two years of varsity basketball and barely making an appearance on the AAU circuit.
In his first year at Portland, he led the team in blocked shots and finished second in the West Coast Conference (1.5 blocks per game). As a sophomore, he averaged 4.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
AP Poll Shakeup
New Top 25 shows Saturday carnage
- 2Hot
Coaches Poll
Chaos reflected in new Top 25
- 3New
Quinn Ewers MRI
Texas 'cautiously optimistic' on QB
- 4
Updated SEC title game scenarios
The path to the championship game is clear
- 5
Kevin Wilson
Tulsa expected to fire head coach
After transferring to Louisiana, Akwuba made a huge impact early and often. The 6-foot-11, 225 pound big man was among the national leaders in total blocked shots, blocked shots per game, total rebounds, rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game and double-doubles.
Ole Miss signed the No. 32 2022 recruiting class, adding two top-100 On3 Consensus prospects and two more On300 prospects.
They have also added Jackson State’s Jayveous McKinnis and Loyola New Orleans’ Myles Burns via the NCAA Transfer Portal. Jarkel Joiner, Grant Slatten, Eric van der Heijden, Luis Rodriguez, Sammy Hunter and Austin Crowley have all utilized their right to enter the transfer portal and will not be in Oxford next season.
