Josh Akognon

College career

Akognon averaged 3.9 points per game as a freshman at Washington State. He began his sophomore season as a starter but was moved to a bench role. After an ankle injury to starter Derrick Low, Akognon scored 27 points, including a game-winning three-pointer and clinching free throws, in a 78–71 upset of Washington led by Brandon Roy. He earned Pac-10 player of the week honors and followed with 25 points against UCLA at Pauley Pavilion, mostly against Arron Afflalo.

He received Pontiac Pac-10 Player Honors for his second-half performance against USC and was voted the Pac-10's Most Underrated Player by Sports Illustrated. Despite coming off the bench most of the year, he led the team in scoring. Akognon transferred to Cal State Fullerton for the 2007–08 season. There he averaged 20.2 points per game, scoring in double figures in 28 of 31 games and making at least one three-pointer in all but two games.

He reached 30 points five times, including 31 in the NCAA Tournament against Wisconsin. Despite a shooting hand injury suffered against UC-Davis, he shot nearly 40% from three-point range and 90% from the free throw line, making 116 three-pointers and 107 free throws. He doubled his career-high in steals and reached 1,000 career points.

Professional career

After going undrafted in the 2009 NBA draft, Akognon signed with Estonian team BC Kalev/Cramo for the 2009–10 season. In 2010 he joined the Dongguan Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association for the 2010–11 season. He averaged over 29 points in his first season, helping Dongguan improve from a 13–19 record to 25–7 and a third-place finish. He scored in double figures every game, with 18 20-point games, 12 30-point games, 4 40-point games, and a career-high 54 points.

Dongguan won its first-round playoff series before losing to rival Guangdong in the semifinals. Akognon re-signed with the Leopards for 2011–12 and averaged over 28 points per game, finishing as the fifth-leading scorer in the CBA. After losing their first four games, Dongguan rallied to go 19–9 over the last 28 games and finished fifth. They lost a five-game playoff series to Xinjiang 3–2.

During the NBA lockout, the CBA included players such as J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler, but Akognon continued his strong play. In three games he averaged 16.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 23.7 minutes. The Charge reached the playoffs with a 27–23 record and defeated the Springfield Armor 2–1 in the first round, but Akognon played only in the first game. He was waived on April 17, 2012, due to injury and missed the semifinals.

He joined the Sacramento Kings for the 2012 NBA Summer League, signed with the Dallas Mavericks on September 27, 2012, and was waived on October 19, 2012. In November 2012 he joined Liaoning of China for the 2012–13 season.

Did You Know?

• Akognon was born in Petaluma, California, to a Nigerian father and an American mother.
• His father is a Baptist minister and his mother served as minister of music at Village Baptist Church in Marin City, California.