From East Coast to West Coast "The Career of Coach AJ Akpan"-CH2K8

[Deuce2223]

Growing up in Cameroon Africa, AJ Akpan like most kids in a poor village without a basketball court played soccer growing up. But when AJ turned 15 to major things happened in his life. He grew 6 inches going from 6'2 to 6'8 and his parents moved from their small African village to the US, where he father would teach at the University of Nevada.

AJ quickly traded in his soccer ball for a basketball and quickly developed into a solid 3* recruit. Most assumed AJ would stay home and play for the hometown Wolfpack, but Akpan spurned Nevada and instead signed with Boise State to play for the legendary Coach Ryne Dezaron. Akpan became a instant starter first starting at PF, but after working on his 3pt shoot, he quickly moved to SF where he became a star for the Broncos leading them in scoring both his Junior and Senior years.

After graduating Akpan received no scholarship offers but instead returned home to Cameroon where he would help lead the Cameroon National Team to a Silver Medal in the 2007 games. However in 2008 a injury would end Akpan's basketball career. Returning back to the USA he joined Coach Dezaron on the Boise State staff as a assistant.

In 2010 when Coach Dezaron left BSU, Akpan went with him developing his skills as a coach for the next 3 years, but in 2013 AJ got the call he had been waiting for. A chance to be the Head Coach at his very own school.

[Deuce2223]

Coach Akpan's Career History

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Year 1 Age (27)- C Overall, C+ Offense, C- Defense, C- Teaching, C Scouting C+ Charisma, C- Discipline

[Deuce2223]

Future Page for OS Recurts

[Deuce2223]

ROSTERS-Raidersfans 2013-2014 downloaded from OS Forums via Horizon File

SLIDERS-A mix of many but the base is AuburnAlumnis All-American 15 min.
In all the years I have played I typically have always played 13-15 minute halves.

GAMES PLAYED VS SIM

It is my hope to play at least 75% of my games every year depending on how my team is playing. If I do sim the game will state that in the recap and I will never sim more then 2 games in a row.

I will always play Top-25 contests, Non-Conference Tourney's, Conference Tournaments and NCAA Tourney games.

Once I establish some in legacy rivalries I will play those as well.

RECRUITING AND ROSTER SIZE

I typically run a 2 team rotation of 10 players (Starters play 11/12 mins of each half, Bench plays 3/4 mins) However I have also been known to switch it up and go with a true rotation of starters, 6th man, backup guard and backup bigman.

Any sim games will typically be set up with the starters playing 28 mins and the bench playing 12

As far as Recruiting goes, I have no restrictions. My goal is to land the best possible talent. I will recruit Africa for World Recruits not just in Year 1 to get the attribute point but during all my years of coaching. Once I am at a bigger school I will also consider European Recruits as well.

[Deuce2223]

After finishing 13-18 Overall and 5-9 in the Ivy League in 2012/13, the Cornell Big Red has announced the hiring of 27 year old AJ Akpan. Akpan is a native of Cameroon Africa, but came to the US when he was 15, playing high school basketball in Reno Nevada before going to college at Boise State. After graduation Akpan attempted a career as a player but got hurt and has spend the last 4 years as a assistant coach under his former college coach.

Coach Akpan

Quote:

"I am excited about the opportunity to come here to New York and coach this team. The Ivy league can be tough and is known as a 3pt shooting conference, which fits my play style perfectly. They might call it the Princeton Offense, but I think we will run it better. I will run a Up Tempo Offense (85) Fast Break (75) Crash the Boards (75). On Defense we will play primarly a 3-2, but apply pressure after every basket with a 2-1-2 Zone (Pressure setting at 75)"

[Deuce2223]

You can post and ask questions now.

I downloaded Raiders 2013-2014 roster so I decided to do a reboot with a new career legacy team. My hopes are that this tread will someday reach the 200,000 view mark of my friend Super James.

Just like in years past I want to get my readers involved so I will be creating a thread for OS Created Recruits at the start of the 2014-2015 season. I will probably limit it to 8 players, and will always go with guy's who actually comment and follow my thread over people who just randomly create a player and then never check in to see how things are doing.

[Deuce2223]

CORNELL ANNOUNCES 2013-2014 SCHEDULE

The first thing you should notice here is Coach Akpan will be making his coaching debut against #10 Syracuse and SR CJ Fair (83) and FR Tyler Ennis (77).

Other Key Games

#19 Louisville "Led by SR SG R Smith (87), JR PG C. Jones (79) and SO C M. Harrell (83)"

#20 Notre Dame "Led by SR E. Atkins (83) and C G. Sherman (77)

**Disclaimer, I am playing the exact schedule from this season, a few of the dates had to change by 1 or 2 days so the team would be available to play, so I won't be playing in a non-conference tourney this year. Also the Jan 11th game vs Oberlin I changed to Long Island and kept it as a home game.***

[Deuce2223]

2013-2014 CORNELL TEAM ROSTER

Expectations are high at Cornell after a 3 year run (2008-2010) in which they made the NCAA tourney after a 20 year drought, fans and players are ready to get back to their winning ways and with JR Shonn Miller (11.8 PPG) 1st Team All-Ivy returning for 2 more years, most expected this year to be the year the Bears turned things around. However it has been announced that Miller will miss the entire 2013-2014 with a shoulder injury that kept him out of the last 4 games last year and kept him from working out with the team this past summer.

Coach Akpan

Quote:

"Losing Miller is a big blow to our team, but I have to commend Coach Courtney, he has added some pretty talented players to the roster and I believe we have freshman who can step up and play big minutes this year"

COACH AKPAN ANNOUNCES HIS 10 MAN ROSTER

With Miller redshirting, the Bears will go into the season 10 players after it was also announced both Seniors PG J. Mathews and SG D. Sceifo have left the team.

With both players gone this will put more pressure 6'4 SO SG Nolan Cressler (73 OVR/73 3PT). As a Freshman Cressler averaged 9.3 PPG well shooting 40% from 3pt, but it will also open up the door for more playing time for Freshmen guards R. Hatter (65 OVR/75 3PT) and D. Smith (62 OVR/71 3PT)

Coach Akpan

Quote:

"Obviously with Mathews and Sceifo gone, Hatter and Smith will have to step in and play more minutes, but I also am expecting big things from JR PG D. Cherry (63 OVR/72 3PT). He averaged 6.2 PPG last year well playing 15 MPG, so I hope he can come close to double digits this year"

With Miller out the production down low will need to come from 6'9 (FR) D. Onuorah (59 OVR) and the quartet of 6'9 JR D. Lamore (57), 6'9 D. Giddens (55), 6'11 SO B. Bunce (55) and 6'7 FR N. Tomic

Coach Akpan

Quote:

"I like our depth Onuorah wills start at Center, but the other 4 should rotate in and out at PF, to start the season, I will probably go with Giddens but Lamore could also spend time starting"

The key to the offense besides Cressler however could be that of 6'6 SR SF D. Tarwater (64 OVR/73 3PT). Tarwater played in 19 games in last season but saw just 6.7 MPG averaging just under a bucket a game, but he did manage to hit 8/22 from 3pt (36%)

Coach Akpan

Quote:

"I like Tarwater alot and as the only SR on the team I will rely on him as a leader on the court. If he doesn't produce he will open the door for Hatter to play more as we go small and play 3 guards and obviously with him being the only SF on the roster this year, it will be a position we recruit heavily this season"