E.J. Anosike transfers to Cal State Fullerton

E.J. Anosike to play for Titans after one season at UT.

Former Tennessee basketball player E.J. Anosike has transferred to Cal State Fullerton.

Anosike, a 6-foot-7 forward, played one season for the Volunteers as a graduate transfer from Sacred Heart.

He is able to play for Cal State Fullerton after the NCAA is allowing for an extra year of eligibility for student-athletes during the coronavirus pandemic.

Anosike appeared in 22 games, including 15 Southeastern Conference contests, for Tennessee during the 2020-21 season. He recorded 22 offensive rebounds and scored a season-high nine points in the Vols’ victory over Saint Joseph’s.

Anosike is the brother of former Lady Vol basketball player Nicky Anosike, who is the girls basketball head coach at Anderson County High School in Clinton, Tennessee.

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Tennessee basketball lands Sacred Heart transfer E.J. Anosike

Tennessee basketball lands Sacred Heart transfer E.J. Anosike.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee added another talent to its basketball roster for the 2020-21 season, as Sacred Heart University grad transfer E.J. Anosike announced on Friday that he will play in Knoxville.

Anosike picked the Vols over Louisville, Wake Forest, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Boston College and Georgia.

A 6-foot-6, 245-pound combo player at Sacred Heart, Anosike released his top seven schools on Tuesday, and ultimately chose the destination where he has family roots. His sister, Nicky Anosike, played under Pat Summitt for the Lady Vols from 2004-08, winning back-to-back national championships in 2007 and 2008.

Anosike averaged a double-double last season with Sacred Heart with 15.7 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, and was able to have success at guard and forward in the Northeast Conference. It is not clear what position Anosike will play in Knoxville, but he will be immediately eligible and it is safe to say he will be used heavily in the front court with the abundance of guards Tennessee will have next season.

The Vols return sophomore guards Santiago Vescovi and Josiah Jordan-James, along with Victor Bailey Jr., an Oregon transfer that was ineligible last season. Tennessee also adds 5-star guards Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson.

2019-20 SEC Defensive Player of the Year Yves Pons will likely return if he elects not to test NBA Draft waters, while All-SEC second team John Fulkerson will also likely come back for his redshirt senior season. 7-foot post player Uros Plavsic will be back with an offseason of development under his belt, and joining him down low will be 4-star forward Corey Walker. Combining those players with Anosike will give Tennessee one of the deepest and most versatile teams in the SEC next season.

After a 17-14 campaign that was cut short due to the coronavirus outbreak, Rick Barnes will have a roster that can immediately compete for an SEC title and a deep NCAA Tournament run.

The addition of Anosike gives the Vols a scoring threat that can win battles on the boards, something Tennessee often struggled with last season. He is a huge get for Tennessee basketball, and an addition that could help bring the Vols to the next level.

Tennessee basketball in the running for coveted transfer, brother of former Lady Vol

Tennessee basketball in the running to land coveted transfer.

Tennessee basketball currently holds one of the best recruiting classes in the country for the 2020 cycle, but that has not stopped Rick Barnes from pursuing players he believes could help his team in the 2020-21 season.

Tennessee is one of seven schools still in the running for E.J. Anosike’s signature, a transfer from Sacred Heart University.

“I will make this decision with my family based on the information we have gathered and the relationships we have built,” Anosike said in a statement on his Twitter page. “I will make this decision and announcement later this week.”

The Sacred Heart transfer is the brother of former Lady Vols basketball player, Nicky Anosike (2004-08).

NCAA Womens Basketball: Division I Final Four-Stanford vs Tennessee
Apr 8, 2008; Tampa, FL, USA; Tennessee Lady Volunteers forward Nicky Anosike (55) drives the ball past Stanford Cardinal guard Candice Wiggins (11) in the 1st half during 2008 NCAA Womens Final Four Championship at the St. Pete Times Forum. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Anosike has a powerful build at 6-foot-6, 245-pounds. He averaged 15.7 points and 11.6 rebounds per game for the Pioneers during the 2019-20 season, as their campaign came to an end in the Northeast Conference Tournament semifinal.

His decision has been trimmed down to Louisville, Wake Forest, Georgetown, Georgia, Boston College, Gonzaga and Tennessee.

Tennessee’s season ended on a sour note in March, with a loss to Auburn on senior day. The loss likely would have ended the Vols’ NCAA Tournament hopes before the COVID-19 outbreak canceled the remainder of the season for good.

Rick Barnes enters the 2020-21 season with an elite recruiting class on the way. 5-star guards Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson have already signed, as well as 4-star forward Corey Walker and 3-star Malachi Wideman, who signed to play both football and basketball at Tennessee.

Former Oregon guard Victor Bailey Jr. will be eligible for Tennessee as well, and the Vols lost just three significant players in Lamonte Turner, Jordan Bowden and Jalen Johnson. It will be a locker room stuffed with talent for Tennessee basketball next season, and Anosike would provide an experienced, versatile and physical option if Tennessee could reel him in.