Zakai has good size for a point guard at a long 6’3, he is extremely athletic and plays with great energy but the most impressive skill is his ability to communicate and lead his team both as a crafty floor general and a vocal floor leader. More of a downhill guard that can effortlessly create offense for himself off the dribble Zakai is always putting pressure on the defense and can go north to south with great quickness and with minimal dribbles. He has an extremely quick first step and the ball-handling ability to take advantage of it. He is tough to stop in isolation situations and excels at breaking down defenses utilizing his length, quickness and aggressive attacking style. Zakai can use an assortment of attack dribble moves all while keeping a full head of steam attacking the defense. He will often go right at his defender in transition using inside out dribble moves to keep the defender backtracking and off balance. In the half court he has great success attacking his defender using his crafty handle and footwork often setting his defender up again by attacking his body then breaking down into a quick stutter step move using a powerful wide lateral step and explosive burst to create separation where he can get to the rim or pull up and hit the jumper. He has very good quickness which he maximizes with the timing of his first step and ball-handling skills. A crafty ball handler with no shortage of breakdown dribble moves he is able to execute flawlessly while maintaining a north to south attacking style. Among those moves is a blistering cross-over dribble or series of cross-overs. Zakai has the ability to create separation from his defender in one on one situations and turn the corner whenever he wants, gets a quick read of the defense and makes a play either for himself or finding a cutter after drawing the attention of help defenders. He is a very good finisher at the rim either absorbing contact and scoring or using his explosiveness and elusive style to avoid contact and maneuver his way to the rim employing his long wingspan and using the glass to finish. Also uses a skillfully executed floater to score over taller defenders. Zakai can beat his defender and also pull up off the dribble and knock down the jumper. He has a soft touch in addition to the high release his length creates. Zakai has the footwork and quick dribble moves to get his shot off in virtually any situation and he can make the most creative and difficult moves seem effortless. Despite his ability to score the basketball, Zakai is also a heady point guard who also uses his dribble to manipulate the defense and create open looks for teammates. His ability to get into the paint with regularity creates spot up opportunities for teammates on the perimeter. He is an impact defender as well with a high motor and intensity. His long arms and quick feet allow him to contain the dribble and also contest shots. He is capable of guarding either guard position as he stays active and engaged on ball and of the ball. He is willing to bang inside and rebound and is a very good rebounder. Zakai plays very good position defense and anticipates well. I am very impressed with Zakai’s poise and maturity. He is never rushed and pushes tempo in an often frantic yet controlled and efficient manner. He is vocal and engaged on the court and while on the bench, always providing positive feedback and instruction. Zakai has a high ceiling and the future is so bright for him. He is coached by one of the 757’s all time great players in Lew Radford who went on to play his college basketball at Wagner University.