Honors & Awards
• Sam Foltz Hero 27 Leadership Award (2020)
• Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2020)
• Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2019; Spring 2020, 2021)
2020-21 (REDSHIRT)
Akol Arop (pronounced A-call uh-rope) missed all of the 2020-21 season following knee surgery, as he underwent an arthroscopic procedure to address chronic issues with his left knee.
2019-20 (FRESHMAN)
Arop was one of four freshmen who played in at least 20 games for the Huskers in 2019-20. He appeared in 21 contests, averaging 1.0 point and 1.3 rebounds per game. While he averaged just 5.3 minutes per game, Arop saw most of his action down the stretch, playing at least 20 minutes in each of the Huskers’ final three games, including the Big Ten Tournament loss to Indiana. Against the Hoosiers, Arop set personal bests in minutes (23) and blocked shots (two) while grabbing a pair of rebounds. He enjoyed his best offensive performance in the regular-season finale at Minnesota, finishing with five points on 2-of-2 shooting, including his first career 3-pointer. Arop also had five points and a season-best six rebounds in 20 minutes of work at No. 25 Michigan. He also had chipped in four points, three rebounds and a blocked shot at No. 17 Iowa and had four points and two boards in just three minutes of work against No. 24 Penn State.
BEFORE NEBRASKA
Arop was the top senior prospect in Nebraska in 2019, playing for Coach Josh Luedtke at Omaha Creighton Prep. A three-year all-state honoree, Arop finished his varsity career with 1,268 points on 66 percent shooting, 733 rebounds and 162 blocked shots as Creighton Prep posted a 69-10 record and three state tournament appearances over the last three seasons.
Arop was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Nebraska and first-team all-state pick by the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star in 2018-19, averaging 19.4 points on 62 percent shooting, 10.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. He was second in Class A in rebounding and third in blocked shots, as the Junior Jays went 22-5 and advanced to the 2019 Class A State Tournament. Arop reached double figures in 26 of 27 games as a senior, including 19 double-doubles. He recorded a pair of 30-point games as a senior, including a 35-point, 12-rebound performance against Omaha Benson.
A three-star prospect by Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports, Arop helped Creighton Prep to a 26-1 record and the Class A state title in 2018. He was a first-team all-state selection from both the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star, averaging 16.0 points on 66 percent shooting, 9.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. He garnered all-state and first-team all-metro accolades for the first time as a sophomore, averaging 15.0 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, while setting the Class A single-season record for highest field goal percentage (.755). In the classroom, he was on the Creighton Prep honor roll for six semesters.
Arop also played AAU ball for the Omaha Sports Academy, averaging 12.4 points per game on the 2018 adidas Gauntlet, while shooting 62 percent from the field, including 40 percent from 3-point range.
PERSONAL
Akol Arop was born on Dec. 1, 2001, in Egypt before his family moved to the United States in 2003. He is the son of Arop and Aleuliny Arop, and is one of nine kids with two sisters (Achol and Athiang) and six brothers (Arop, Ajang, Makoor, Aguek, Deng and Jacob). His older brother (Aguek) plays basketball at San Diego State. Akol is a business administration major at Nebraska.