Coach Darrin Horn and his staff have capitalized on a busy visit week, securing a commitment from Eric Acker, a 6’2″, 170lb guard with a proven track record of production.
Acker, a New York native, arrives at NKU with a unique resume that spans multiple levels of Division I basketball. To truly understand the impact he can bring to Highland Heights, it is essential to look at his trajectory over his career rather than just his most recent stint.
The Journey: From Brooklyn to Philly to Highland Heights
Acker began his collegiate career at LIU, where he established himself as a dynamic scoring threat in the NEC as a freshman. Seeking to test himself at a higher level, he transferred to La Salle in the Atlantic 10 for the past two years.
While the jump to the A-10 provided a more rigorous nightly schedule, it also meant a shift in role and minutes. Now, Acker is set to “transfer down” to the Horizon League for his final year, a move that will allow the battle-tested guard to rediscover his primary-option rhythm and exert a larger influence on the game.
Eric has actually played 2 games inside Truist Arena. If you remember the NKU Thanksgiving Tournament in the 23/24 season, LIU played here. Acker put up 22/9/4 on Texas A&M CC in game 1, following that up with a 13/1/4 performance against NKU. That 22 point performance showed just how explosive he can be. His per game totals from each of the last 3 years:
- 12.7/4/4 @ LIU
- 5/2/2 @ La Salle
- 6/1/2 @ La Salle
He’s a career 31% 3 point shooter, however, he shot a considerably improved 36% this year, hinting to a year over year improvement that I expect to see continue this year. From the free throw line, he shot 69% on limited attempts this year, and that’s an area he’ll need to strengthen as he steps into a larger role this year at NKU. He also committed 37 turnovers last year, which has led to a 1.2 assist to turnover ratio this past season. Overall, he has improved in efficiency overall throughout his career, but will be challenged to maintain that with a higher usage rate.
On defense, he’s shown the ability to be a bit disruptive, grabbing 18 steals last year. He has done that and committed just 16 fouls on the season. When at LIU his freshman year, his stats mirrored what he did last year, though he did so at a higher usage rate. NKU’s staff has a long history of scouting and finding the “diamond in the rough” types of guards. Recently, Dan Gherezgher, and Donovan Oday. I think that Eric will follow that path.
The staff is hard at work this offseason, and now NKU has a roster with 9 guys.
- Ethan Elliott – Senior
- Donovan Rakotonanahary – RS Sophomore
- Bryce Darbyshire – RS Junior
- Ryan Tolliver – Sophomore
- JJ Apathjang – RS Freshman
- Juanma Ruiz – RS Freshman
- Willie Foster – Freshman
- Will Shortt – Junior, Transfer from Niagara
- Eric Acker – Senior, transfer from La Salle
Expect Eric to immediately pair with Ethan to help give NKU an experienced backcourt. NKU is still active in the portal, and will look to add another scoring threat and another frontcourt presence.
