Memphis basketball adds Emmanuel Akot, versatile Boise State transfer

Emmanuel Akot is the newest transfer to join Penny Hardaway's Memphis basketball team.

Akot (6-8, 210), originally a 5-star prospect who prepped at Wasatch Academy (Utah), spent the past three seasons at Boise State. Before that, he played two seasons at Arizona. In 54 games (39 starts) as a Bronco, he averaged 9.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He chose Memphis over NC State and Western Kentucky, his other two finalists.

Akot's arrival eases some of the sting of losing 3-and-D guard Lester Quinones, who recently announced he was staying in the NBA Draft. Hardaway has made considerable efforts to add a shooter, and Akot fits the mold. The native of Winnipeg shot 38.7% (55 for 142) from 3-point land last season at Boise State, which was the second-best mark on the team among players with more than 100 attempts. Akot's 1.8 triples per game was good enough for 10th in the Mountain West last season.

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Adding Akot is a big step toward filling an area of significant need. Losing Tyler Harris, Landers Nolley II, Emoni Bates and Quinones – who combined to shoot 36.8% from 3-point land – meant that the Tigers waved goodbye to 83.8% of their made 3-pointers in 2021-22. Akot's 55 made 3-pointers would have tied for most on the team last season.

Besides Akot's presence, Davis will also help account for some of that lost production. The former SMU star shot 35.7% beyond the arc in three seasons with the Mustangs. Last season, he attempted more 3-pointers (207) than the previous two seasons combined (157) and hit on 37.2% of them. That sharp increase in attempts can largely be attributed to a shift in the team's personnel. In 2019-20, the Mustangs' perimeter attack relied heavily on Isiaha Mike and Tyson Jolly, who combined for 303 attempts beyond the arc. Davis and Emmanuel Bandoumel were called upon to account for the losses of Mike and Jolly.

While Akot is a 3-point threat, his versatility makes him even more difficult to defend. While he also shot 40% from the field overall last season, his assist numbers indicate he's just as skilled at creating shots for others as he is at doing so for himself.

Defensively, Akot represents a significant upgrade over each guard the Tigers lost after last season. Akot registered a 22.4 defensive Bayesian performance rating (per EvanMiya.com), which measures the defensive value a player brings to his team. Quionnes sported a 15.1.

Akot becomes the fourth player Hardaway has netted from the portal since the offseason began. Davis, guard Elijah McCadden and big man Kao Akobundu-Ehiogu were added in April and May. But the Tigers still have ground to make up. Hardaway has four scholarships left to fill. If Alex Lomax decides to skip his COVID season, there will be five scholarships available.

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball adds Emmanuel Akot, versatile Boise State transfer