Former 2012 Commit PF Gary Akbar

[ZachTheZip]

"Some late night scoop: 6-foot-5/2012/PF/Gary Akbar from Dayton, Ohio (Dubar HS) has committed to the University of Akron."ESPN profile. Their description of him makes me excited about the direction the team has taken and where it's heading.Barring an outgoing transfer (which is probably very likely), this completes our 2012 recruiting class.

[Roo]

"Some late night scoop: 6-foot-5/2012/PF/Gary Akbar from Dayton, Ohio (Dubar HS) has committed to the University of Akron."ESPN profile. Their description of him makes me excited about the direction the team has taken and where it's heading.Barring an outgoing transfer (which is probably very likely), this completes our 2012 recruiting class.

6'5'' PF?Cant say that would ever get me excited. I know his ESPN profile says SF, but if he is also considered a PF that doesn't speak volumes to his game be able to mature into a decent SF. But time will tell I guess, I have not heard nor seen him play so looks like we have some homework to do.

[Blue & Gold]

ESPN has him listed as a SF and ranked as the #102 SF in the country.

[zipdiehard]

Does this officially start the "It's a trap" thread?

[ZachTheZip]

He seems like a good redshirt candidate. Lots of athleticism, but raw skills at a position where we have a massive logjam.

[Zip Watcher]

He seems like a good redshirt candidate. Lots of athleticism, but raw skills at a position where we have a massive logjam.

Wow .. prognosticating red-shirts 11 months before he can enroll .. and 16 months before his first practice.Your view of the future gets deeper and deeper.Kid is a big-time rebounder based on the first 2 pages of Google hits.Welcome aboard the Zips Nation, Gary .. be careful what you read around here. B) Go Zips!

[Captain Kangaroo]

Interesting that he played football, at DE and TE. Listed at 6' 3" 225lbs as a HS Soph, so I guess I'll believe the 6' 5" height being published today.Vs. Buchtel - 16 reboundsCould he be The Next Jeremiah Wood?We'll know after his redshirt season, I guess.

[Dave in Green]

At 6-5, Akbar is already as tall as Jimmy Conyers, and will probably continue to grow taller. Even at 6-5, Conyers did a pretty fair job of leading the Zips in rebounding and shutting down taller frontcourt opponents.Undersized players have bit of a handicap. But they can more than overcome that with hard work, heart and skill. Remember how the experts were saying that Pitt's DeJuan Blair was way too short (6-7) to be an NBA center? That was before he produced a couple of 20-20 (20+ points and 20+ rebounds) games in his rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs.I trust that KD has seen major upside potential in Akbar, and we'll just have to wait and see how much of that potential is realized.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I trust that KD has seen major upside potential in Akbar, and we'll just have to wait and see how much of that potential is realized.

I would disagree. At 6' 5", and judging from is Jr season stats, being from Dunbar, the kid isn't a project. He's ready to rebound now.6' 5" is a really common size in the MAC. For him to commit in July means we really wanted him. I'd expect a double-double average from him in his upcoming senior HS season. I know KD has been searching for "The Next Wood/Travis" for a couple years. Akbar looks to fit the bill.

[Valpo Zip]

If the kid was 6-3 in his Soph year and 6-5 at the end of his junior year, I have to belive that he will be more than 6-5 when he plays for the zips, right?It has been a while since i stopped growing but i believe you don't stop growing at 17.

[Captain Kangaroo]

It has been a while since i stopped growing but i believe you don't stop growing at 17.

Vertically or horizontally?

[Valpo Zip]

It has been a while since i stopped growing but i believe you don't stop growing at 17.

Vertically or horizontally?

Good catch captain ...I guess you never stop growing horizontally although I personally shrink horizontally during the summer.

[Blue & Gold]

Does this officially start the "It's a trap" thread?

[zen]

Does this officially start the "It's a trap" thread?

Damn, I wanted to be the first

[ZachTheZip]

He seems like a good redshirt candidate. Lots of athleticism, but raw skills at a position where we have a massive logjam.

Wow .. prognosticating red-shirts 11 months before he can enroll .. and 16 months before his first practice.Your view of the future gets deeper and deeper.Kid is a big-time rebounder based on the first 2 pages of Google hits.Welcome aboard the Zips Nation, Gary .. be careful what you read around here. B) Go Zips!

Talk about twisting the meaning of my words! I said he may be a candidate for something meaning that there's a chance that he would be considered, but not necessarily chosen for something. A chance multiplied by a chance. I'm just noting that he plays at a position that we have plenty of options at and that his skillset seems a little raw.It all comes down to defense with Dambrot anyway. Can the kid defend?

[Quickzips]

At 6'5" 200lbs I really doubt you will see him at PF. This is probably a good get for us, although I would have really liked to have seen us go after another C to have waiting in the wings once Zeke's career is finished. Dayton Dunbar puts out a lot of high quality hoopsters. Welcome aboard.

[Captain Kangaroo]

At 6'5" 200lbs I really doubt you will see him at PF. This is probably a good get for us, although I would have really liked to have seen us go after another C to have waiting in the wings once Zeke's career is finished. Dayton Dunbar puts out a lot of high quality hoopsters. Welcome aboard.

He's 17 years old. Do you think he can bulk-up a little?Also - Since he's played DE and TE in high school, I have to believe his 200lbs is distributed a little differently than my 200lbs. Knowing very little about the kid other than stats and press clippings, I predict some very clean glass at the JAR between 2012-2016.

[Quickzips]

At 6'5" 200lbs I really doubt you will see him at PF. This is probably a good get for us, although I would have really liked to have seen us go after another C to have waiting in the wings once Zeke's career is finished. Dayton Dunbar puts out a lot of high quality hoopsters. Welcome aboard.

He's 17 years old. Do you think he can bulk-up a little?Also - Since he's played DE and TE in high school, I have to believe his 200lbs is distributed a little differently than my 200lbs. Knowing very little about the kid other than stats and press clippings, I predict some very clean glass at the JAR between 2012-2016.

I don't know as I want him bulking up that much. Yeah, we've had some guys at 6'5", 6'6" who have played the 4 the past few years, but all of those guys (Wood and B.McKnight come to mind) have been in the 240+ range, which I think you really need to be if you are going to be that kind of an undersized PF. I would be pretty afraid that adding another 40+ to this kids frame would hamper some of that athleticism.The other way to think about it is this way. How many truly great rebounding SF's do you see out there? If Gary at 6'5" 200lb is already a stellar rebounder he is going to present a lot of matchup problems for opposing SF's. If you put him at PF where guys are bigger and stronger and traditionally better rebounders you take away a certain amount of that advantage. I for one want to see what this kid could do at SF before asking him to bulk up and make the move to PF.

[Dave in Green]

MaxPreps lists him at 215 lbs. If true, entering his senior year in HS he's already heavier than Zeke was as a freshman at UA.MaxPrepsMaxPreps also lists Akbar as a center/power forward in its Dunbar HS basketball preview:MaxPrepsSince no one on here has actually seen the guy play, we're really flying blind on trying to determine what position he'll be best suited for in college. For example, the projections of Akbar as a small forward in college ignores the fact that he had zero 3-point attempts last season. A small forward who can't shoot 3s is pretty limited offensively. He also shot about 45% from the free throw line, which may indicate he doesn't have much accuracy from mid-range. He also only shot a little over 40% from the field. His most impressive HS stat is rebounding at 8.9 per game, which is more indicative of a 4 than a 3.If he's really 6-5, 215 entering his senior season of HS, it's not unrealistic to think he could add 2 inches and 20 pounds before his first game at UA.

[Z.I.P.]

Does this officially start the "It's a trap" thread?

Damn, I wanted to be the first

Y yo ha discubrido que esto es

(As I have discovered, this is one half of our continuing PuertoRican connection).

[Zipmeister]

Examination of his shooting statistics will reveal why people refer to him as a power forward. http://www.leaguelineup.com/player_basketb...layerid=1490049

[Z.I.P.]

I trust that KD has seen major upside potential in Akbar, and we'll just have to wait and see how much of that potential is realized.

I would disagree. At 6' 5", and judging from is Jr season stats, being from Dunbar, the kid isn't a project. He's ready to rebound now.6' 5" is a really common size in the MAC. For him to commit in July means we really wanted him. I'd expect a double-double average from him in his upcoming senior HS season. I know KD has been searching for "The Next Wood/Travis" for a couple years. Akbar looks to fit the bill.

The MAC has a tradition of small 4-spot players. Coach Jim Larranaga, when he was at BG had one of the toughest guys I can remember under the boards. If Akbar can be as tough as him, the Rowdies might be chanting "Allahu Akbar!"

[Dan Kadar]

In case no one knew already, Akbar rescinded his commitment.That link is a quick post on Ohio.com's Varsity Letters. Dayton Daily News has the full story.

[Captain Kangaroo]

In case no one knew already, Akbar rescinded his commitment.That link is a quick post on Ohio.com's Varsity Letters. Dayton Daily News has the full story.

I blame Zach.

[ZachTheZip]

At least I didn't decide that he's a one-dimensional player who's only good for his rebounding. Or that he's too short/skinny to play PF.Sorry for being excited to see this kid commit here.