By R.L. Bynum
CHARLOTTE — North Carolina has plenty of talented newcomers, but one of the most versatile and experienced is forward Achol Akot, who is hungry for a memorable NCAA tournament run.
From the four spot, the 6–1 Oklahoma State senior forward, who grew up in Canada, can mix it up inside and guard anyone on the court.
Akot (her name is pronounced “Ah-chol Ah-cot,”), 22, earned All-Big 12 honorable mention, started all 34 games for Oklahoma State last season, averaging career-highs of 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds. She shot 63% from the floor, posted 11 double-doubles and pulled down double-figure rebounds in 20 games. Known for her length, she averaged 1.4 steals and nearly a block a game.
After never getting past the second round during her three seasons in Stillwater, Okla., her desire to be part of a deep March run drew her to Chapel Hill. She said the decision to enter the transfer portal was about ambition rather than numbers.
“I think I was looking for something more than just winning two games in March Madness, and I knew I wanted to help a program to get to the next step,” Akot said Monday during ACC Tipoff at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown.
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She believes the fit works in both directions.
“I knew I could help the program get past that,” said Akot of UNC, which has lost in the Sweet 16 the last two seasons, “and I know they could help me get better at my game.”
Akot collected a career-high 28 points with 10 rebounds in the Cowgirls’ 82–68 first-round win over Princeton last season, and then added 23 points in an 87–68 loss to eventual national champion UCLA in the second round.
What she brings starts on defense. Akot described her approach as defense first, with her offense following.
“Usually when I have a great defensive game, I have a good offensive game,” she said.
That versatility is the heart of her game, and she said it is what she hopes to offer a team that is trying to push past its recent ceiling. Akot pointed to her ability to defend one through five, her presence in the paint and her ability to play fast. She also said the style suits her, because pace and pressure are what she knows best.
“I think that is my game: fast and defense,” Akot said.
Carolina coach Courtney Banghart, who said her staff wanted to get bigger, faster and more athletic this offseason, has no shortage of ways to use her. Banghart said she is not ready to name a starting lineup, and she cited Akot as one reason the options are so plentiful.
“Achol can play everywhere, so it’s sort of like, do you want to go small and put more guards in and let her play the five?” Banghart said. “Do you want her to play the four?”
Akot, for her part, sees herself as a four but is not rigid about it. She said her biggest strength is that the matchup will dictate how she is used.
“I’m versatile, so it depends on who we’re playing that day,” Akot said. “Whatever she wants me to play, I just play.”
The role could suit a Carolina team that plans to run. Akot said she loves playing in transition, and she said she has already seen how the roster is built to push the pace, including the speed of freshman point guard Kate Harpring.
“Kate is very fast; she’s the fastest one on our team,” Akot said. “That type of play has helped us move the ball more and get up and down quicker.”
The adjustment to a new program has gone more smoothly than she anticipated. Akot said she had built chemistry with her new teammates before she arrived on campus, which helped her feel at home quickly.
“I think me and my teammates had chemistry before I even got on campus, so I think it’s been a smooth adjustment,” she said.
She has been just as quick to embrace her new surroundings. “I think Chapel Hill has actually the best people,” Akot said.
Her route to this point was anything but typical. Akot was born in Canada after her parents moved there from South Sudan, and she did not start playing basketball until the seventh grade. She said she played only one year of AAU, and she believes her work ethic is what first got her noticed.
“I don’t think I had the talent back then, but I think I was just playing harder than everybody, and that’s when I was seen,” Akot said.
That same drive and the hard work that got her to UNC is what she hopes people understand when they watch her play.
“My parents came from South Sudan, where there was war, to Canada, and then me coming from Canada to the States. I think the work was definitely done behind the scenes,” she said.
Akot is one of the key reasons why she might finally be able to play a few games in the NCAA tournament this time around.
| Year | No. | Players | Pos. | Height | |
| Freshman | 11 | Kate Harpring | PG | 5–10 | |
| Freshman | 52 | Noelle Bofia | F | 6–4 | |
| Sophomore | 3 | Gabby White — W | G | 5–10 | |
| Sophomore | 7 | Nyla Brooks | W | 6–1 | |
| Sophomore | 26 | Taissa Queiroz | G | 6–1 | |
| Junior | 34 | Blanca Thomas | C | 6–5 | |
| Junior | 1 | Jordan Zubich | G | 5–11 | |
| Senior | 21 | Ciera Toomey | F | 6–4 | |
| Senior | 4 | Laila Hull | W | 6–1 | |
| Senior | 5 | Sophie Burrows — X | G | 6–2 | |
| Senior | 8 | Achol Akot — Y | F | 6–1 | |
| Senior | 10 | Reniya Kelly | G | 5–7 | |
| Senior | 15 | Sydney Barker | G | 5–6 | |
| Senior | 13 | Chloe Clardy — Z | G | 5–9 |
W — Virginia transfer; X — Syracuse transfer; Y — Oklahoma State transfer; Z — Stanford transfer
Former players transferred
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elina Aarnisalo | Junior | G | 5–10 | UCLA |
| Lanie Grant | Junior | G | 5–9 | TCU |
| Taliyah Henderson | Sophomore | W | 6–1 | Clemson |
| Liza Astakhova | Sophomore | G | 6–2 | BYU |
UNC schedule
| Date | Day/ month | Time, TV | Opponent/event (rank in final poll) |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | ||
| 18 | Sunday | 1 p.m. | vs. Davidson |
| 24 | Saturday | 1 p.m., Big Ten Network+ | at No. 20 Maryland |
| November | Regular season | ||
| 2 | Monday | 2:30 ET | Oui-Play in Paris vs. No. 12 Oklahoma |
| 8 | Sunday | 5:30, ESPN | Ally Tipoff in Charlotte vs. No. 2 South Carolina |
| 11 | Wednesday | TBA | vs. N.C. Central |
| 14 | Saturday | 4 p.m., ESPN+ | at Penn in Palestra |
| WBCA Showcase | Orlando | ||
| 19 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | vs. Texas Tech |
| 21 | Saturday | 5 p.m. | vs. No. 24 Alabama |
| ——— | |||
| 24 | Tuesday | TBA | vs. Gardner-Webb |
| 27 | Friday | TBA | vs. Army |
| 29 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Brown |
| December | |||
| 2 | Wednesday | 7:15, ESPN2 | ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge vs. No. 8 LSU |
| 6 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Elon |
| 9 | Wednesday | 11 a.m. | vs. Winthrop |
| 13 | Sunday | TBA | vs. N.C. State |
| 17 | Thursday | TBA | vs. Georgia Tech |
| 21 | Monday | TBA | vs. Norfolk State |
| 28 | Monday | TBA | vs. UNCW |
| 31 | Thursday | TBA | at Syracuse |
| January | |||
| 3 | Sunday | TBA | at Clemson |
| 7 | Thursday | TBA | vs. Wake Forest |
| 10 | Sunday | TBA | at No. 11 Louisville |
| 17 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Boston College |
| 21 | Thursday | TBA | at California |
| 24 | Sunday | TBA | at Stanford |
| 28 | Thursday | TBA | vs. No. 9 Notre Dame |
| 31 | Sunday | TBA | vs. No. 5 Duke |
| February | |||
| 4 | Thursday | TBA | at Miami |
| 7 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Virginia Tech |
| 14 | Sunday | TBA | at SMU |
| 18 | Thursday | TBA | at Pittsburgh |
| 21 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Florida State |
| 25 | Thursday | TBA | vs. No. 19 Virginia |
| 28 | Sunday | TBA | at No. 5 Duke |
| March | |||
| 3–7 | Wed.-Sun. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte |
Photo by Nell Redmond/theACC.com
