Ansley Almonor believes he fits perfectly into what coach Mark Pope wants to do. (UK Athletics Photo)
Fairleigh Dickinson transfer Ansley Almonor had already thought about how he might fit into coach Mark Pope’s plans this season even before UK started summer practice last week.
“I see myself fitting in perfectly, especially after the way the coaching staff spoke to me. But even more important than how they see me fitting in is how I see myself,” Almonor said. “I feel a perfect big, I will be able to come in and contribute big minutes and to winning.”
He averaged 16.4 points per game last season and shot almost 40 percent from 3-point range to give Pope a 6-7 wing who can stretch the floor.
Almonor is one of nine transfers on Pope’s first UK teams and he sees that as a plus, not a minus.
“That is what Coach wanted when he recruited this team. That is why I came here,” Almonor said. “Everybody will be fighting for minutes and to be better in practice. I love that kind of environment.”
“That’s how you get the best out of your team and that’s how teams stay great when teammates go at each other. It makes for a great environment to have a great team.”
The Fairleigh Dickinson transfer also believes the experience UK has will pay off in close games.
“When it comes to closing out games in general, experience usually is a deciding factor,” Almonor said. “We have so much experience to help us. We do not have to worry about someone being in a position for the first time in a close game.”
“Everybody here has played in big games. You do not have to worry about us having to learn how to close out a close game because we have already learned. We will go out there and execute to close out wins because of our experience.”
12 Responses
Just by reading the comments about experience, closing out close games, etc., you know UK must have a new head coach even if no one told you.
No more of they’re young. We haven’t taught them how to do that. These guys are going to kick some ass and make BBN proud.
Great article. I believe he will thrive in Popes offense. It feels good to have a coach that actually runs plays. No more Kentucky looking like a NYC playground team. I’m more excited than I have been in 10 years. I’m so glad we hit the reset button on our whole program. It was definitely getting stagnant. Even the assistant coaches were terrible. We finally have a team that can really make a final 4 run. Ansley we appreciate the hard work and it will pay off. Keep grinding brother its all going to come together. It used to be beat Louisville now it’s beat Arkansas. Let’s Goooo!
YES!!
I didn’t mean Louisville still isn’t a rival, but rivalries usually go back and forth and we have completely dominated Louisville in basketball and football. I used to get the most excited when we played Louisville in basketball,but let’s face it they have dropped off the map the last 5 years. Football was the greatest win on the schedule. Louisville was 10-1 looking to go to a primetime bowl game. We beat them then they were 10-2 then they lost the ACC championship 10-3. Then they lost their bowl game 10-4. They legitimately had a great season going until they played us. The gap is definitely narrowing between the 2 teams. I still say we win in football and basketball against Louisville this year but both games will be close. Kenny Payne kinda killed the rivalry in basketball. Even tho we dominated already. I think we’ve won what 12 out of the last 15 games against Louisville in basketball and we beat louisville in football 6 times in a row? I’m just guessing on these numbers but it’s not been as fun of rivalry when one team sucks and the other dominates. We can’t seem to beat Tennessee in football and basketball they have won more recently. To me playing Tennessee is more fun because the win means more. When we lose to Louisville it just means we suck. Louisville basketball will be much better with Kelsey as the coach. It’s his first year and it’s Popes first year. The one thing I don’t understand is the transfer rankings. How are they rated above us. I did a comparison and it seems like we have much better transfers coming in than Louisville does. Some idiot put Aly Khalifa the former BYU player for Louisville as a top 20 transfer. He averaged 5 ppg? I just don’t understand that one.
Well, it has always been "beat Little Brother" and that had nothing to do with who their coach happens to be. That will never change for UK fans.
Ditto. Absolutely a BBN demand. It will never diminish, even when other opponents rise on the list for whatever reason.
Arkansas was a tough rival and helped raise the SEC BB standard when Nolan Ryan produces competitive teams that created a special rivalry in the 90’s when Pitino was developing Champions.
As Arkansas slipped away from the elite level most years since Nolan left, the game was no longer special.
Now it is essential to beat the hogs by a wide margin every time the fraud is the sideline circus to show the BB world he was only being carried by some players and was lost tending to coach.
Nice list by Pritchett to go along with your point, Professor, that UK has one top target to beat & that is little brother UL !!
BBN list of must wins: Lousyville, AR kansas, Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Auburn, Tennessee, Villanova, Kansas State, and Wisconsin.
Yes – nice job listing the main ones.
Villanova Kansas State and Wisconsin? Do we even play these teams. I know we lost to them in the tourney.
I wonder how crow is going to taste for Cal every year! Go Big Blue, beat Calipari University!
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