Right In His Backyard ... Freshman Eso Akunne
8/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Brad Rudner, U-M Athletic Media Relations
For some soon-to-be freshmen, staying close to home is an important factor in making their college choice. Eso Akunne only had to travel 10 minutes to find the perfect place for him.
It was right in his backyard all along.
The Ann Arbor native spurned offers from several Mid-American Conference (MAC) schools as well as a late recruiting charge from Big Ten rival Penn State to stay at home and be a preferred walk-on for his hometown Wolverines.
One glance at Akunne's high school numbers and an ordinary basketball fan begins to wonder why he isn't on scholarship for a high-major someplace else. All he did was average a double-double for his career -- specifically, 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists per game while logging minutes at all five positions. He left Gabriel Richard High School as its all-time leading scorer (1,705 points) and finished fifth in the Michigan Mr. Basketball voting last season as a senior.
To Akunne, the answer was simple: there's no place like home.
"My family and friends who helped me get to where I am today can continue to see me play in college," explains Akunne on his decision to attend U-M. "Michigan offers me everything I want academically and athletically. It's only a short drive from my house. It just made sense."
Akunne isn't looking back anymore, but he's using his recruitment as a motivational tool.
"I'm going to play like I've got a chip on my shoulder," Akunne said. "I'm going to use that to my advantage to work hard and prove that I can play in the Big Ten."
Standing at 6-foot-3 with a chiseled physique, Akunne looks like he's better suited to be wearing shoulder pads with the football team than running with Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims on the Crisler Arena floor. But make no mistake, Akunne may be soft-spoken now, but on the court, he's all business.
His size makes him a unique player. He's fast enough to run with the guards but strong enough to out-muscle larger forwards. It's this type of versatility that makes Akunne so valuable to head coach John Beilein.
Initially, Akunne was recruited to be a point guard, but as he expanded his game, the coaching staff told him he would be Harris' back-up at the three. He said he'll even play center if the coaches ask him.
"As the season goes on, I think my role will be clearer," Akunne said. "I'm able to switch my game up and match-up against whoever we're playing. That's my biggest strength."
Akunne remembers speaking with the coaching staff on numerous occasions throughout the past year about what he can do to improve his game and help the team. Since those conversations, Akunne has been essentially working on three aspects of his game: his three-point shot, his decision-making in an up-tempo offense and his defense.
One thing he hasn't had any trouble with is fitting in with his teammates.
"They've accepted us as part of the team now," Akunne said. "Team chemistry is really important to the coaches and that's one thing they preach. They want guys who can blend in and they think I fit the mold."
Ask him about the origins of his name (it's pronounced "ES-oh AH-koo-NAY") and he can't help but smile. He's been asked that question too many times. It's Nigerian for "God Saves", or at least he believes it is.
"I'm not really sure yet," Akunne admits. "But I'm going to ask my dad exactly what it means."
Off the court, Akunne hopes to end up on a path to become a doctor like both his parents. His father, Hyacinth, is a former manager of Pfizer and his mother, Josephine, holds a pharmacology degree. They currently run their own assisted living business, and Eso is tailoring his fall schedule to help his parents out while also taking some pre-med classes on campus.
Akunne's path as a walk-on is not that uncommon with the U-M basketball program. Former Wolverines David Merritt and C.J. Lee began their careers at Michigan as walk-ons and ultimately earned scholarships. Maybe that's in his future as well, but for now, Akunne is taking his role as a walk-on in stride.
"It's about competing every day," Akunne said. "I can help out in a number of different ways. That's one of the things the coaches have talked to me about. For the style of play we run, I can be an asset on both sides of the ball."
In the end, there is no place like home fits perfectly for Akunne as he develops his skills in the perfect place, his own backyard, with his hometown team.
Behind the Lines Series
Part 6: The Journey Back ... Freshman Jordan Morgan
Part 5: The Interesting Choice ... Freshman Blake McLimans
Part 4: The Locker Room Conversation ... Freshman Josh Bartelstein
Part 2: Embracing the Cross-Country Move ... Freshman Darius Morris
Part 1: Bringing the Shooter's Touch ... Freshman Matt Vogrich
