Texas A&M Basketball Adds Four-Star C Jonathan Aku

Aside from the actual hiring of Buzz Williams, this might be the most important news of the offseason.

2020 four-star big man Jonathan Aku is an accomplished shot-blocker with a rangy 6’9” frame, he’s committed to the good guys, and he agreed to re-classify to 2019. As in, he’s going to be here in a month. Which means Josh Nebo no longer has to practice against a folding chair.

I jest, but our lack of front court depth had a become a giant crystal of kryptonite embedded in an otherwise promising string of offseason developments. We found ourselves saying things like “we could make noise as long as literally everyone down low stays healthy and stays out of foul trouble,” which is never a realistic approach in the twice-a-week grind of big-time conference basketball.

But now we can absorb an injury (or even two early fouls) down low, which adds some realism to the Buzz Williams honeymoon period.

Per 247 Basketball Analyst Brian Snow:

“At 6-foot-10 with long arms and plus athleticism, Aku can do a lot of the things coaches want out of a modern big man,” Snow said in an April writeup. “He protects the rim, runs the floor, and rebounds the ball very well.”

It’s starting to come together, gang.

BTHO Everyone