Tennessee basketball: Former Lady Vol Nicky Anosike’s brother E.J. transfers to Vols
Rick Barnes and Tennessee basketball secured Sacred Heart Pioneers graduate transfer E.J. Anosike, the brother of a former Lady Volunteers forward.
The Anosike legacy on Rocky Top continues. Right at about 12 years after Nicky Anosike finished helping the Tennessee Lady Vols to two straight national championships, her younger brother, E.J. Anosike, is now transferring to Tennessee basketball out of Sacred Heart.
A graduate transfer, Anosike verbally committed to Rocky Top on Friday, according to Evan Daniels of 247Sports. Listed at 6’6″ 245 pounds, he will be a senior who is eligible to play for Rick Barnes’ program immediately.
This past year at Sacred Heart, Anosike averaged 15.7 points and 11.6 rebounds in 32 games. He has averaged right at 15 points and just under 10 rebounds a game over the past two years while shooting right at 50 percent from the field, 74 percent from the free throw line and 29 percent from the free throw line.
As he led the team in scoring, Anosike helped Sacred Heart to its first winning season at 20-13 and 12-6 in the Northeast Conference under head coach Anthony Latina, who was in his seventh year. It was the first winning season in general for the program for 2008-2009.
With the arrival of Anosike, Tennessee basketball adds some much needed depth in the post game for next year. After all, despite a top five recruiting class and only one player leaving, the Vols don’t have any true post players committed.
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At the moment, they have two guards in five-stars Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson, and they have two guys who can play the two or the three in Corey Walker Jr. and, if he plays both sports, Malachi Wideman. Simply put, they need more in the post after being smaller than average this past year.
Given his size and versatility, Anosike will be able to play the four or the five, similar to Yves Pons. In fact, the two could rotate in and out while John Fulkerson and Uros Plavsic, provided Plavsic develops, rotate at the five.
There’s also the possibility that Barnes plays big, starting Fulkerson, Pons and Plavsic or Olivier Nkamhoua with Anosike, Drew Pember and Plavsic or Nkamhoua coming off the bench. Or maybe he starts Anosike, Pons and Fulkerson. The he could turn to his elite class of guards and wing players plus Santiago Vescovi, Davonte Gaines, Victor Bailey Jr. and Josiah-Jordan James returning.
Simply put, Anosike’s commitment gives Tennessee basketball lots of options going forward. He assures the Vols have six players who can rotate in and out of the four and five spots with one player above 6’10”, which are critical to teams wanting to make NCAA Tournament runs. Combine that with Barnes’ elite back court players, and UT could be loaded next year.
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Coming from a championship pedigree and demonstrating his ability to turn a program into a winner this past year are also bonuses for Anosike. He was in attendance when his older sister helped Pat Summitt to her final two national championships in 2007 and 2008.