Rutgers Women's Basketball lands JUCO forward Mary Akinde
Rutgers Women’s Basketball has now added a forward to its transfer portal class.
Barton CC (Kansas) forward Mary Akinde pledged her commitment to Gary Redus and the Scarlet Knights on Sunday night, she announced on social media.
She spent her freshman season at Barton in the JUCO ranks, and now will head to the Big Ten after one year.
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Akinde’s background
Akinde originally hails from Minne, Nigeria, and went to high school at Athens Christian in Georgia.
At 6-foot-5, Akinde flashed post abilities in her lone year at Barton. She averaged 10.8 points and 10.5 rebounds in 30 minutes per game. She also shot 43 percent from the floor and 62 percent from the foul line.
She was the only player in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) to average a double-double, and ranked among the top of the conference in both points and rebounds.
Following the season, Akinda was named to the All-KJCCC Second Team. She finished with 337 rebounds on the year, seventh-most in a season in program history.
She then opted to transfer, and earned an offer from the Scarlet Knights on April 3rd, and previously earned one from Eastern Illinois.
Akinde is the first frontcourt addition of the offseason, with the first three transfer adds being in the backcourt. Janae Walker and Yacine Ndiaye both entered the transfer portal following the season, meaning the Scarlet Knights had a need at forward, even with Imani Lester and PreciousGem Wheeler set to return.
The program’s new coaching staff saw plenty of potential in Akinde, especially after only a year in junior college, and joins a busy weekend of transfer portal commits.
Rutgers Women’s Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker
| TRANSFERS OUT | DESTINATION | TRANSFERS IN | FORMER SCHOOL |
| Antonia Bates | N/A | Mia Pauldo | Tennessee |
| Nene Ndiaye | N/A | Mya Pauldo | Tennessee |
| Makylah Moore (Intends to enter) | N/A | Jaylah Lampley | Mississippi State |
| Yacine Ndiaye | N/A | Mary Akinde | Barton CC |
| Janae Walker | N/A |
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