DENVER – The University of Denver men's basketball team has signed three student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to join the program in the 2024-25 season, head coach Jeff Wulbrun announced on Monday.
Denver has added Sebastian Akins (Concord, N.C.), Josh Pickett (Plainfield, Ill.) and Jon Mani (Los Angeles, Calif.) through NLIs in the signing window.
"Our staff has crushed our recruiting efforts this fall," Wulbrun said. "We have signed an outstanding group of talented freshmen that our fans will love watching play next season. We've added length, versatility, 3-point shooting and playmaking, and all three have a great understanding of how to play the game. I couldn't be more excited about the overall class. They are great culture fits and I know I'll love coaching them. They are defensive minded and are coming to Denver to compete for championships."
Akins followed up a second-team all-conference season in 2021-22 with a First Team All-Hoopstate Conference selection in his junior campaign. The North Carolina, native was rated by HoopSeen as the top point guard in the association.
Mani is ranked recruit nationally among shooting guards (45) and top-recruits in California (25) by 247Sports. A year ago, Mani averaged 25 points per game for the DNA Prep Academy. Mani was rated as the top recruit in DU's modern era according to 247Sports and PDT.
A four-time starter and two-time captain, Pickett has already eclipsed 1,000 points in his high school career. Pickett was rated as a Chicago Sun-Times top-50 player, a two-time All-Conference selection and was voted to an All-Illinois team in his sophomore campaign.
Full biographical information on Denver's three signings can be found below.
Sebastian Akins – Concord, N.C. – 1 of 1 Academy – 6'2 – 175 - Guard
BEFORE DENVER:
Second team All-Conference selection in 2022…2023 All-Hoopstate Conference First Team…Hoopseen Top-5 point guards in his last year of AAU.
PERSONAL:
Son to Chris and Velia…Sibling to Gabby, Chris and Samantha…Chose the University of Denver because it felt so much like home…Hopes to pursue a degree in sports management.
AKINS ON JOINING DENVER:
"Thank you to the University of Denver, coach Jeff Wulbrun and the staff for giving me the opportunity to fulfill my dream of playing college basketball. I'm looking forward to arriving on campus and being a part of a great program and community."
WULBRUN ON AKINS:
"Sebastian Akins is a pure point guard and floor general. He is a tremendous facilitator and passer, has a great understanding of the game and makes players around him better. He reads defenses so well and plays the game with a great pace, while never getting sped up and always looking in control. In addition to his playmaking skills, he can get to the basket and is an excellent three-point shooter. He embodies our culture and will be a great fit at DU and in our basketball program."
Jon Mani – Los Angeles, Calif. – Beverly Hills High School – 6'7 – 175 - Guard
BEFORE DENVER:
Nationally ranked recruit by 247 sports, Denver's top-ranked recruit in the modern DI era….Ranked as a top-25 player in the state of California…Averaged 25 points per game in his junior high school season…Also played for the California Stars.
PERSONAL:
Son to Joe and Shiri…Sibling to Jac, Maya, Sophia and Simon…Chose the University of Denver because it's his best opportunity to develop on and off the court, and he is excited to make an impact…Hopes to pursue basketball as far as his career will take him…Also enjoys cooking and listening to music.
MANI ON JOINING DENVER:
"I am extremely excited to join this program and this community, to help lead a new era of Denver basketball. I believe Coach Wulbrun and the staff can help me take the next steps in my career."
WULBRUN ON MANI:
"Jon Mani is an exciting and very skilled player at 6-7. He's comfortable at any of the perimeter positions and can create off the bounce for himself and his teammates. I believe he will develop into an elite three-level scorer at the college level. He has tremendous versatility and length, which will allow him to guard multiple positions for us. As a young player, he very effectively uses change of speeds and direction in his attack off the bounce, and plays the game with great passion."
Josh Pickett – Plainfield, Ill. – St. Laurence High School – 6'5 – 215 - Forward
BEFORE DENVER:
Four-year starter, two-time captain and 1,000 point scorer in his high school career…2022: Dec. 14 Chicago Tribune Player of the Week…Chicago Sun-Times Top-50 Player…Two-time Pontiac All-Tournament Team…Two-time All-Conference Selection…2021 All-Illinois pick…Broke his school's 30-year old 3-point record, draining 73 triples in the 2021 season…Hopes to pursue a professional basketball career, investment banking and real estate.
PERSONAL:
Son to Mark and Angela…Sibling to Lauren and Issy…Father played football at the College of Wooster…Uncle played basketball at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and in various professional teams in Europe…Great uncle played at Iowa and later played for the Harlem Globetrotters…Chose the University of Denver because the coaching staff believes in him not just as a player but as a young man.
PICKETT ON JOINING DENVER:
"I couldn't be more excited to embrace this new chapter in my basketball journey. Coach Wulbrun and the staff's belief in me, the camaraderie with my teammates and the shared goal of building a championship team all make this experience special. I'm eager to take this journey and continue to improve as a player."
WULBRUN ON PICKETT:
"Josh Pickett will give us a physical presence from the day he steps on campus. He will add tremendously to our team's toughness and physicality. I think he will be extremely versatile on both sides of the floor. He'll have the ability to guard up to four positions on the defensive end and give us a very strong perimeter rebounder. Offensively, he is a very good three-point shooter, can attack off the bounce and can post up or back down smaller players. Josh is an elite-level person and will represent DU with the highest level of integrity and character in pursuit of excellence on and off the court."
Up Next:
Denver will head to the 2023 Jaguar Classic. The three games in three days in Mobile, Alabama, begins with a neutral site game against Nicholls on Wednesday at 5 p.m. MT.
Summit League Network:
New this year, fans can subscribe to the Summit League Network, the exclusive streaming home of all Denver men's and women's basketball home games and conference away games. For more information on the Summit League Network, click here.
Denver Tickets:
Season and single game tickets are on sale now. Secure your seat today by clicking here.
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