May 12, 2015

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Evelyn Akhator, who led Chipola Community College (Fla.) to a 2015 national championship and was named the 2015 National Junior College Player of the Year, has committed to the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team, and will be eligible immediately, head coach Matthew Mitchell announced.

Akhator, who hails from Lagos, Nigeria, while with Chipola averaged 21.2 points per game last season. The 6-foot-3 forward also averaged 16.7 rebounds per game and 2.9 blocks per game. Both her scoring and rebounding averages broke the single-season school records for the Lady Indians. 

“Signing Evelyn Akhator brings us first and foremost a great person,” Mitchell said. “She is the one of the most outstanding people that I have ever met in my life. Evelyn will bring honor to the University of Kentucky because of the way that she carries herself and by living a life dedicated to excellence. All of us associated with UK Hoops are beyond excited that she is joining our Kentucky family. As a player, her immense talent and considerable set of skills will have an immense impact on the quality of our team for 2015-16 and beyond. I am thrilled that Evelyn chose to be a Wildcat!”

Akhator played one season with Chipola Junior College and will join the Wildcats as a sophomore, adding another piece to Kentucky’s young and talented front line, with Alexis Jennings (Madison, Ala.), Alyssa Rice (Reynoldsburg, Ohio), Ivana Jakubcova (Bratislava, Slovakia) and Kyvin Goodin-Rogers (Lebanon, Ky.). UK will also have the addition of Batouly Camara (New York), a 6-2 forward, joining UK Hoops as a freshman this season.

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