MBB’s Akinjo Named to Wooden Award Midseason Watch List
1/5/2022 9:04:00 PM | Men's Basketball
One of 25 Players Named to the National Player of the Year Watch List
LOS ANGELES – Baylor senior guard James Akinjo was named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top-25 watch list, as announced Wednesday by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
The transfer from Arizona was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday and followed that up with a 27-point, five assist performance in Baylor's Big 12 home-opening win on Tuesday.
Akinjo leads the Bears in scoring (14.0), assists (84) and steals (30). Additionally, he leads the Big 12 in assists with 6.0 per game, he is third in steals with 2.14 per game and eighth in points per game (14.0).
The senior is on a run of six-straight games of scoring 14-plus points and has posted five or more assists in 11 of Baylor's 14 games so far this season.
This is the second-straight year Baylor is represented on the Midseason watch list as Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell made the list a season ago, before Butler was named a finalist and a John Wooden All American.
Akinjo and the Bears will return to action on Saturday, when they travel to Fort Worth to take on TCU in a 4 p.m. CT tip. The game will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Follow @BaylorMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates throughout the year.
2021-22 Midseason Watch list
2021-22 BAYLOR MBB HONORS
James Akinjo
2021 Battle 4 Atlantis MVP
Big 12 Player of the Week (Jan. 3)
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Preseason All-America Honorable Mention (The Athletic)
Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
No. 67 on CBS' Top 100 Players for 2021-22
John Wooden Award Midseason Watch List
Kendall Brown
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Dec. 20)
2021 Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament Team
Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year
Adam Flagler
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List
Preseason All-America Honorable Mention (The Athletic)
Luke Olson Award Watch List
No. 12 on The Athletic's Top 20 Guards for 2021-22
No. 38 on CBS' Top 100 Players for 2021-22
Matthew Mayer
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List
Preseason All-Big 12 Team
No. 29 on CBS' Top 100 Players for 2021-22
The transfer from Arizona was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday and followed that up with a 27-point, five assist performance in Baylor's Big 12 home-opening win on Tuesday.
Akinjo leads the Bears in scoring (14.0), assists (84) and steals (30). Additionally, he leads the Big 12 in assists with 6.0 per game, he is third in steals with 2.14 per game and eighth in points per game (14.0).
The senior is on a run of six-straight games of scoring 14-plus points and has posted five or more assists in 11 of Baylor's 14 games so far this season.
This is the second-straight year Baylor is represented on the Midseason watch list as Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell made the list a season ago, before Butler was named a finalist and a John Wooden All American.
Akinjo and the Bears will return to action on Saturday, when they travel to Fort Worth to take on TCU in a 4 p.m. CT tip. The game will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Follow @BaylorMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates throughout the year.
2021-22 Midseason Watch list
| Max Abmas | Oral Roberts | Jr. | G |
| Ochai Agbaji | Kansas | Sr. | G |
| James Akinjo | Baylor | Sr. | G |
| Paolo Banchero | Duke | Fr. | F |
| Izaiah Brockington | Iowa State | Sr. | G |
| Kofi Cockburn* | Illinois | Jr. | C |
| Johnny Davis | Wisconsin | Soph | G |
| Hunter Dickinson* | Michigan | Soph | C |
| Zach Edey | Purdue | Soph | C |
| Collin Gillespie | Villanova | Sr. | G |
| Chet Holmgren | Gonzaga | Fr. | C |
| Jaden Ivey | Purdue | Soph | G |
| Trayce Jackson-Davis | Indiana | Jr. | F |
| Jaime Jaquez Jr. | UCLA | Jr. | G/F |
| Johnny Juzang | UCLA | Jr. | G |
| E.J. Liddell | Ohio State | Jr. | F |
| Bennedict Mathurin | Arizona | Soph | G |
| Isaiah Mobley | USC | Jr. | F |
| Wendell Moore Jr. | Duke | Jr. | F |
| Keegan Murray | Iowa | Soph | F |
| David Roddy | Colorado State | Jr. | F |
| Jabari Smith | Auburn | Fr. | F |
| Drew Timme* | Gonzaga | Jr. | F |
| Oscar Tshiebwe | Kentucky | Jr. | F |
| Trevion Williams | Purdue | Sr. | F |
2021-22 BAYLOR MBB HONORS
James Akinjo
2021 Battle 4 Atlantis MVP
Big 12 Player of the Week (Jan. 3)
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Preseason All-America Honorable Mention (The Athletic)
Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
No. 67 on CBS' Top 100 Players for 2021-22
John Wooden Award Midseason Watch List
Kendall Brown
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Dec. 20)
2021 Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament Team
Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year
Adam Flagler
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List
Preseason All-America Honorable Mention (The Athletic)
Luke Olson Award Watch List
No. 12 on The Athletic's Top 20 Guards for 2021-22
No. 38 on CBS' Top 100 Players for 2021-22
Matthew Mayer
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List
Preseason All-Big 12 Team
No. 29 on CBS' Top 100 Players for 2021-22
Players Mentioned
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