NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 7 finalists for grad transfer EJ Anosike
2. Louisville Cardinals
There’s still a question as to whether or not Jordan Nwora will enter and stay in the NBA Draft but either way, there is a need for a rebounding machine to replace the outgoing Dwayne Sutton and his 8.2 rpg. If Nwora does leave, the Cardinals will lose its top four scorers and will rely heavily on incoming top JUCO prospect Jay Scrubb, along with sophomore breakout candidates Samuell Williamson and David Johnson.
Anosike would be a good player to pair up with senior center Malik Williams if he joined and Louisville should still be a top-6 team in the ACC next season. With plenty of available minutes combined with being a good bet to make the NCAA Tournament, it’s hard to beat the Cardinals on this list.
1. Tennessee Volunteers
Unless you have a certain connection to the No. 1 program on your list. Anosike’s own sister Nicky player for the late and legendary great Pat Summit over a decade ago, scoring over 1,000 points in her four-year career in Knoxville. EJ could play for a coach pretty good in his own right in Rick Barnes, who has turned the men’s program into a top-tier contender in the SEC.
Despite losing their best player Lamonte Turner early on, the Vols rebounded to finish .500 in the SEC and only loses guard Jordan Bowden from the rotation. Santiago Vescovi, Yves Pons, Josiah-Jordan James and forward Joh Fulkerson all return, with incoming five-star guards Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson also joining the fold. But there’s plenty of room for a veteran frontcourt piece such as Anosike, who’ll help a team ranked in the 200’s in rebounding a year ago.
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The only real concern would be whether or not Anosike would take Pons minutes away. I’m of the belief that either Pons can play the wing in an ultra-big lineup or Anosike playing the center spot in a very small lineup. But the guards have shown they can rebound and the offensive mismatches created from this can make it a plus-situation for the Vols. Tennessee may or may not be the real frontrunner but they represent the best potential landing spot for the Sacred Heart grad transfer.