Tag: Frank Anselem-Ibe

Former Georgia basketball player announces transfer destination

Georgia Bulldogs basketball player announces ACC transfer destination

The seventh and final Georgia Bulldogs basketball player to enter the portal this cycle has officially announced his new home. Center Frank Anselem-Ibe has joined the Louisville Cardinals and new head coach Pat Kelsey, choosing the Cardinals over Georgia Tech, NC State, and Wisconsin.

Anselem-Ibe, a 6-foot-10, 210 pound big man originally from Nigeria, played a mostly rotational role for Georgia over the last two seasons. He lead the team in blocks a season ago, averaging 0.7 per game. He also added 2.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, including a season-best performance against Ohio State in the NIT in which he recorded a 10-point, 10-rebound game for the Dawgs.

Anselem-Ibe originally began his playing career with the Syracuse Orange, where he started six games in his second and final year with the Orange and nabbed 3.8 rebounds per game. He is the thirteenth transfer brought in by the Louisville Cardinals for Kelsey’s first year as head coach.

Wisconsin transfer target receives crystal ball to play with Chucky Hepburn

Wisconsin transfer target receives 247Sports crystal ball to play with Chucky Hepburn

Wisconsin basketball’s top transfer portal target, Frank Anselem-Ibe, recently received a 247Sports crystal ball prediction to choose Louisville.

The prediction came from NC State insider Cory Smith, who covers one of the finalists to land the center. The other finalists are Louisville, Wisconsin and Georgia Tech.

Related: Wisconsin basketball 2024-25 starting lineup and rotation with latest transfer addition

Anselem-Ibe entered the transfer portal on April 30 after spending the last two years at Georgia. He started his career at Syracuse after being a four-star recruit in the class of 2020. He was the 26th-ranked center in the class and No. 18 recruit from Georgia.

The 6-foot, 10-inch forward averaged 9.1 minutes, 2.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 0.7 blocks for the Bulldogs in 2023-24. 247Sports ranks him as a three-star transfer, the No. 369 overall player in the transfer portal and No. 52 center.

The site’s prediction would have him transfer to a Louisville program that will be led by former Wisconsin point guard Chucky Hepburn in 2024-25. The Cardinals have won 12 games over the last two seasons combined, but have renewed life after the hire of head coach Pat Kelsey and transfer addition of Hepburn.

Wisconsin may have to return to the drawing board after yet another top target committed elsewhere — if Anselem-Ibe commits to Louisville. The Badgers recently saw junior college transfer target Noah Boyde commit to LSU.

The program is understandably in search of frontcourt depth on the eve of another grueling Big Ten season.

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Wisconsin basketball a finalist for Georgia transfer center, former four-star recruit

Big portal news to monitor for the Badgers:

Wisconsin basketball is a finalist to land Georgia transfer center Frank Anselem-Ibe, according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello.

The Badgers are listed as a finalist along with Georgia Tech, Louisville and NC State. Borzello also noted the big man will announce his transfer decision on Tuesday.

Related: Wisconsin basketball 2024-25 starting lineup and rotation with latest transfer addition

Anselem-Ibe spend the last two years at Georgia after starting his career at Syracuse. He was a four-star recruit in the class of 2020. He was the No. 26 center in the class.

The center averaged just 9.1 minutes, 2.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 0.7 blocks for the Bulldogs in 2023-24. He has never averaged more than 15 minutes per game, so he’d likely become a primary depth option at Wisconsin behind starting center Steven Crowl.

Wisconsin has landed three transfers this offseason: Missouri guard John Tonje, Central Arkansas guard Camren Hunter and Northern Illinois power forward Xavier Amos. The team is set to enter 2024-25 with a deep backcourt rotation led by the two transfers, Max Klesmit, John Blackwell and Daniel Freitag, plus a promising frontcourt trio of Crowl, Nolan Winter and Amos.

Greg Gard and his staff are still working to find one more big man before the 2024-25 season. The team’s starting rotation is strong, but more depth is always needed in the Big Ten.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

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Another Georgia basketball player enters the portal

A seventh Georgia basketball player has announced his plans to enter the transfer portal

A seventh Georgia player has announced his intention to leave the program. Frank Anselem-Ibe reportedly entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, leaving the Dawgs with questions regarding depth at the center position in his wake. Georgia may have to rely more on incoming freshman center Somto Cyril.

Anselem-Ibe, a 6-foot-10, 210 pound big man originally from Nigeria, played a mostly rotational role for Georgia over the last two seasons. He started nine games but played in 60 total, leading the team in blocks a season ago, averaging 0.7 per game. He also added 2.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, including a season-best performance against Ohio State in the NIT  in which he recorded a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double for the Bulldogs.

Anselem-Ibe originally began his playing career at Syracuse, where he started six games in his second and final year with the Orange and nabbed 3.8 rebounds per game. His departure leaves another opening for the Bulldogs to address in the portal, as head coach Mike White has already added three players this offseason while the Bulldogs have seen a total of seven portal departures.