View source for Dan Akin

{{short description|British basketball player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name         = Dan Akin
| image        = Dan Akin.JPG
| caption      = Akin with [[SIG Strasbourg|Strasbourg]] in 2023
| number       = 47
| position     = [[Forward (basketball)|Forward]] / [[Center (basketball)|Center]]
| height_m     = 2.06
| weight_lb    =
| league       = [[Lega Basket Serie A]]
| team         = [[Scafati Basket]]
| birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1998|6|16|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[London]], England
| nationality  = British
| high_school  =
| college      =
[[UMBC Retrievers men's basketball|UMBC]] (2017–2021)<br />
[[California Baptist Lancers men's basketball|California Baptist]] (2021-22)<br />
[[Utah State Aggies men's basketball|Utah State]] (2022-23)
| draft_year   =
| career_start = 2023
| career_end   =
| years1 = 2023–2024
| team1  = [[SIG Strasbourg]]
| years2 = 2024–present
| team2 = [[Darüşşafaka Basketbol|Darüşşafaka]]
| highlights     =
*British Division 1 title
*Elite Academy Basketball League (EABL) final’s MVP
| medaltemplates  =
}}
'''Daniel''' "'''Dan'''" '''Akin''' (pronounced Ah-kin,<ref name="Ashley">[https://pressboxonline.com/2021/03/09/british-imports-helped-build-retrievers-regular-season-championship/ British Imports Helped Build Retrievers’ Regular-Season Championship] Mike Ashley (pressboxonline.com), 9 March 2021. Accessed 17 December 2023.</ref> born 16 June 1998) is a British professional [[basketball]] player for [[Scafati Basket]] of the [[Lega Basket Serie A]] (LBA).
==Early life==
Akin had been active in several different sports as he competed internationally in team handball and was ranked third in England in the high jump. His fascination with basketball grew when he watched it at the [[Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012 London Olympics]]. He also hit a growth spurt and a physical education teacher made sure he found his way to the basketball court.<ref name="Ashley"/>
==High School and college career==
Akin played as a student for the [[Northfleet Basketball Academy]] under head coach [[Martin Parry]]. He left the academy in 2016.<ref name="Kent">[https://www.kentonline.co.uk/gravesend/sport/akin-is-the-one-to-catch-264167/ California Baptist University's Daniel Akin continues to thrive since leaving Northfleet Technology College Basketball Academy] [[KM Media Group]], 18 March 2022. Accessed 30 November 2023.</ref>
Later, he won the British Division 1 men’s title and Elite Academy Basketball League (EABL) final’s MVP with [[Barking Abbey]].<ref name="Kent"/>
From Barking Abbey, alongside [[RJ Eytle-Rock]], Akin was recruited by [[Ryan Odom]], who was then the [[UMBC Retrievers men's basketball|UMBC Retrievers]] head coach.<ref name="Ashley"/>
He was part of the team that [[2018 UMBC vs. Virginia men's basketball game|became the first 16-seed]] to defeat a 1-seed in the men's tournament by defeating [[2017–18 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team|Virginia]] 74–54.<ref name="Kent"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Wilco |first=Daniel |title=Last perfect bracket busts after UMBC pulls off biggest upset in NCAA tournament history |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/bracketiq/2018-03-17/last-perfect-bracket-busts-after-umbc-pulls-biggest-upset |publisher=[[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] |website=NCAA.com |date=17 March 2018 |access-date=17 March 2018 |quote=UMBC (The University of Maryland Baltimore County) scored the biggest upset in the history of the NCAA tournament, beating top overall seed Virginia 74-54 Friday night, and becoming the first 16 seed to win a game in 136 tries.}}</ref>
Akin was an integral part of the [[2020–21 UMBC Retrievers men's basketball team|2020–21 UMBC Retrievers team]] as they chased down a 14-6 record, going 10-4 in the [[2020–21 America East Conference men's basketball season|America East]] and earning a share of the regular-season crown.<ref name="Ashley"/> Yet, as top seed, UMBC fell 79-77 to sixth-seed UMass Lowell on 6 March in the [[2021 America East men's basketball tournament|tournament semi-finals]].<ref name="Ashley"/> As of early March 2021, Akin averaged 7.9 points and 6.4 rebounds and shot 58 percent from the field, playing a key role inside.<ref name="Ashley"/>
Akin later moved on to his postgraduate programme at [[California Baptist University]].<ref name="Kent"/> As of March 2022, he led the [[California Baptist Lancers men's basketball|California Baptist Lancers]] in both points and rebounds at 12.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest in the Western Athletic Conference. He further led all European players in the NCAA for true shooting percentage.<ref name="Kent"/>
Akin was able to play an additional NCAA year because of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|Covid pandemic]].<ref name="Ashley"/>
==Professional career==
For the 2023–24 season, he signed his first professional contract with [[SIG Strasbourg]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurohoops.net/en/fiba-champions-league/1517046/sig-strasbourg-phil-booth-dan-akin-basketball-champions-league-lnb-adam-smith-bilbao-acb/ |title=SIG Strasbourg adds Phil Booth and Dan Akin, Adam Smith stays in Bilbao |last= |first= |date=15 June 2024 |website= |publisher=Eurohoops |language=En |access-date=23 June 2024}}</ref>
On 22 June 2024, he signed with [[Darüşşafaka Basketbol|Darüşşafaka]] of the [[Basketbol Süper Ligi]] (BSL).<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=dackabasket |number=1804523711669682410 |title=Kulübümüz, geçtiğimiz sezon Fransa’nın SIG Strasbourg takımında oynayan, Britanyalı Daniel Akin ile anlaşmaya vardı.}}</ref>
On September 4, 2024, he signed with [[Scafati Basket]] of the [[Lega Basket Serie A]] (LBA).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Italy/news/890226/Scafati-signs-Daniel-Akin|title=Scafati signs Daniel Akin|last=|first=|date=September 4, 2024|website=|publisher=Eurobasket|language=En|access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref>
==National team==
He represented [[England men's national under-18 basketball team|England’s national under-18 team]] and [[Great Britain men's national under-20 basketball team|Great Britain’s national under-18 team]].
==Playing style==
Akin does a lot of the “dirty work” around the basket. His UMBC coach Odom said: “Dan’s the best athlete on the team. He’s a great rebounder, a guy that really gets your attention inside when he catches the ball. If you don’t get bodies around him he has the quickness to get right around you. Defensively, he’s really versatile. He can guard one through five.”<ref name="Ashley"/>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{FIBA|new_id=226002|name=Dan Akin}}
* [https://utahstateaggies.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/dan-akin/9493  Dan Akin] at UtahStateAggies.com
* [https://www.lnb.fr/elite/joueur/?id=9526 Daniel Akin] at [[Ligue nationale de basket|LNB]] {{in lang|fr}}
{{Scafati Basket current roster}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akin, Dan}}
[[Category:1998 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century British sportsmen]]
[[Category:Basketball players from London]]
[[Category:British expatriate basketball people in France]]
[[Category:British expatriate basketball people in the United States]]
[[Category:British men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Centers (basketball)]]
[[Category:Forwards (basketball)]]
[[Category:Scafati Basket players]]
[[Category:SIG Strasbourg players]]