Arizona is going to need a replacement for Nico Mannion in the 2020-21 season. That is now completely out in the open.

UA head coach Sean Miller confirmed that Tuesday when speaking with the media ahead of the team's trip to Oregon this week. The reason the topic came up is that the Wildcats earlier in the day announced the addition of Georgetown transfer point guard James Akinjo who left the Hoyas earlier in the season and quickly scheduled a trip to see Tucson up close before announcing his plans just after midnight New Year's Day.

Now the paperwork is all complete and Akinjo, who is the defending Big East Freshman of the Year, is expected to arrive within a week to begin classes at Arizona. He will have to sit out as part of the NCAA's transfer rules, but how long is yet to be determined.

Miller said Tuesday that the program will know more about whether or not the Wildcats will pursue getting a waiver for Akinjo once he is able to get on campus and the coaches can learn more about the specifics of his situation.

As it stands now, Akinjo would have to sit out the rest of the current season and the first half of next season before becoming eligible for Pac-12 play in 2021.

For now, once he arrives, Akinjo will serve as the team's primary scout team point guard while waiting out the process and his next chance to hit the floor in a game.

Miller and his staff knew they had a need at the point guard position with Mannion's impending departure at the end of the season, and Akinjo made sense considering the Wildcats wanted him on the roster out of high school.

"We were aware of James in high school and really when he decided to not go to UConn," Miller said. "So, we had a history with him. Not only did we know him, but he knew us. ... We're gonna lose Nico, and I think losing him and looking at the guys that we're bringing in – Dalen Terry is a guy that we love who can play anywhere on the court including the one – James is that point guard that I think you love to have.

"He's tough. He can score. He can get his own shot. He was the Big East Freshman of the Year and that's a really good conference, so I think that says a lot about his ability level."

Much has been made about Georgetown's success since the sophomore guard decided to leave the program leading to some critical comments from Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim recently.

Miller declined to comment about the criticism directed at UA's newest addition from Boeheim, but he did offer up his reasoning for why the Wildcats want Akinjo in the mix at UA.

"We try to make the best decisions for our program," Miller said. "We had great familiarity with not only James but his family, his situation. ... I think he's just going to be a great addition to our program and I'm incredibly excited to have him, I really am."

Arizona did not go into the situation blind. The previous connection after recruiting Akinjo out of high school made it more comfortable for everyone involved and gave Miller and the coaches a better understanding of the type of player they are getting amid all the criticism.

"We did our research, we know him very well and we're incredibly excited to have him," Miller said. "People can certainly have their opinion of all of our players, but we have to make our own decisions."

Miller expects Akinjo to be on campus sometime around Jan. 13 as the spring semester at UA gets set to begin.