Ansley Almonor Goes On The Record About Commitment: 'There's Nothing Higher Than Kentucky Basketball'
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The last week has moved at lightning speed for Kentucky’s new transfer commitment Ansley Almonor. It started with an email from Kentucky’s new coaching staff on the night of May 8.
Later that night, Almonor was on the phone with one of the Kentucky assistant coaches. the next day, he talked to three assistant coaches and FaceTimed with head coach Mark Pope. He had a Zoom meeting with the entire staff on Saturday to set up a visit.
Almonor took his official visit to Kentucky from Tuesday until Thursday, eventually committing on the last day of his visit. He’ll be on campus June 6. While it all happened in the span of a week, his commitment to Kentucky was something Almonor had dreamed of for years.
“This was one of my goals growing up,” Almonor told KSR+. “When you’re a kid, your goal is to play at the highest collegiate level. This is the highest collegiate level. There’s nothing higher than Kentucky basketball.”
‘It Was a No-Brainer for Me’
Ansley Almonor had a conversation with Mark Pope about how he fits in with the current Kentucky roster. It’s clear the staff loves his game.
“I fit in perfectly with what they’re trying to do,” Almonor said. “He said he didn’t promise anybody any playing time, so I’ll go over there, work my ass off, and I’ll play. I’ll do what I have to do. I’ll play a lot of meaningful minutes.”
Even without a guarantee of playing time, Almonor knew he had to jump on the opportunity. It’s a challenge he relishes.
“Coach [Mark] Pope gave me the opportunity with the way he sees me fitting in with the team and the way he appreciates my game,” he said. “It was a no-brainer for me.”
Almonor dreamed of playing at Kentucky. Now that he has that opportunity, his dreams have grown even more.
“I’ve worked every day to get to this point,” he said. “The next point is to win a national championship. The work never stops. I want everybody at BBN to know, that when I put that jersey on, I’m going to give it my all. I’m going to give 100 percent and leave it all on the floor every single day, every single practice, and every single game. That’s what it means to me to be able to put that jersey on and represent this school, not only this school but this state.”
How Ansley Almonor Sees Himself Fitting in With the Roster
Ansley Almonor’s commitment to Kentucky leaves the Cats with 11 scholarship players for the 2024-25 season. The staff didn’t talk to him about how they plan to fill those final two roles, but he is familiar with some players on the team.
“I played against Otega [Oweh] in high school,” he said. “I definitely watched Koby [Brea] play a few times in high school because we’re from the same area. I’m definitely familiar with those two guys, but that’s it.”
As for his own game, Almonor sees his IQ and jump shot being his greatest strengths. As a power forward, he will be able to stretch the floor for a team with tons of lethal shooters. Still, there are areas to improve.
“I definitely feel like I need to get stronger,” Almonor said. “I want to work on my athleticism and explosiveness.”
Almonor wants to get better at absorbing and creating contact. It’s about finishing at the rim.
“I want to be more physical when it comes to rebounding and be a better passer,” he said.
A Long Road to Kentucky
Ansley Almonor took an unlikely path to get where he is today. After his senior year of high school, he was only being recruited by Division 3 schools but wanted to play Division 1. He decided to do a post-grad season at Our Saviour Lutheran in the Bronx, New York to boost his stock.
“That’s one thing about OSL that’s unlike any other place I’ve seen or been to. Everybody there works,” Almonor said. “It’s a small, little gym in the Bronx. If you’re in that gym, you’re working hard and getting better. That’s what they did for me. They got me a lot better, in better shape and transformed me as a player in the year I was there working out with them.”
Almonor’s experience in that OSL gym helped transform him into the player he is today. The gym was scorching hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter.
“That’s how that gym was always,” he said. “I was always in there getting to work.”
When OSL athletic director Pete Wehye talked with KSR+ about Almonor’s time at OSL, he mentioned that they conducted a combine over the summer for him to perform in front of college coaches. Wehye said Almonor shot 90-for-100 during that combine, leading to his offer from Farleigh Dickinson. But how true was that?
“It was definitely something like that,” Almonor said. “I was not missing that day. I was playing like my life depended on it.”
One of the Greatest Upsets in NCAA History
Once at Farleigh Dickinson, Ansley Almonor was part of one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history. He was a sophomore during Farleigh Dickinson’s historic 2023 NCAA Tournament run in which they upset No. 1-seed Purdue.
“That experience was crazy,” he said. “It was once in a lifetime, for sure. It was a surreal experience to go from the First Four to beating Purdue and it was a crazy experience that whole time. It’s something I’ll never forget and I’ll always appreciate it.”
Current Iona coach Tobin Anderson was leading Farleigh Dickinson as head coach during the 2023 upset over Purdue. He saw first-hand the skill that Almonor possesses.
“Ansley is a high-level shooter who has an incredible knack for getting open,” Anderson told KSR+. “He has an edge to him a chip on his shoulder. He’s the smartest player I have ever coached. [He has an] incredible basketball IQ, picks up things so quickly, and has a great feel that you can’t teach. He will find a way to help Kentucky win games, no doubt about that.”
How Did He Choose the ‘Boom’ GIF?
Kentucky basketball assistant coach Cody Fueger has become known for his “boom” GIFs throughout this offseason. Any time a player is set to commit, Fueger will post a GIF to give BBN a hint of what’s coming.
We’ve recently learned that the GIFs Fueger posts are chosen by the player who is committing. So, how did Almonor choose his GIF?
“There was a reporter who reached out to me a couple of days before that for a Q&A,” Almonor said. “He asked me which Boom GIF I was going to choose. He said, ‘I think you should use this one.’ When Cody asked me which one I wanted to use, I picked the one he sent me.”
Now that he’s headed to Kentucky, Almonor is ready for the next 10 months to bring home a national title. He wants Big Blue Nation to know he’s ready for what’s coming.
“I’m going to work my hardest, play my hardest, be the best player I can be, and give them my all within these next few months until we hang up banner number nine,” he said. “I’ll lay it all out on the court.”
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