Nicky Anosike named coach at Anderson County High School.
CLINTON — Former Lady Vols basketball player Nicky Anosike is now the new girls basketball coach at Anderson County.
The school announced that she would replace Mike Ellis as the Lady Mavericks’ head coach on Wednesday.
Anosike, 34, played for Pat Summitt on Rocky Top from 2004-08 and helped the Lady Vols win a pair of consecutive national championships in 2007 and 2008.
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 went on to play in the WNBA after she was taken in the second round with the 16th overall pick in 2008.
She was on the league’s All-Rookie Team in 2008 and a WNBA All-Star in 2009 when she was also selected to the league’s All-Defensive Team.
Anosike, whose brother, E.J. signed to play basketball at Tennessee as a graduate transfer earlier this week, played professionally for the Minnesota Lynx, Washington Mystics and Los Angeles Sparks.
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).
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.
