The latest sign of how much the college basketball landscape has changed in the transfer portal era: FDU basketball star Ansley Almonor will play his final season at the University of Kentucky.
The 6-foot-1 forward, who played high school ball at St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, capitalized on his versatility, 3-point acumen and high-level success with the Knights in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Instead of filling his roster with unproven freshmen, newly hired Kentucky coach Mark Pope looked for an experienced shooter. That led him to Almonor, who shot 38.5 percent from deep over three years with FDU. As a junior last season, he averaged 16.4 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting .394 on triples and .820 from the free throw line. This earned him first-team All-Northeast Conference honors.
Pope’s interest in Almonor makes sense considering the 3-point-heavy, somewhat positionless offense he ran as BYU’s head coach.
For Kentucky fans wondering how his play will translate under the bright lights of Lexington, Almonor’s moment on the big stage was eye-opening. In the 2023 NCAA Tournament, he scored 23 points and 8 rebounds while going 5 of 8 from 3-point range in a Big Four win over Texas Southern. He then played a key role in the 16th-ranked Knights’ shocking upset of first-ranked Purdue. Although he scored just one point in 25 minutes, he led the defense against National Player of the Year Zach Edey, making it difficult for Purdue’s guards to feed the post.
Although Almonor was giving up nine inches in the matchup, Edey ended up making just 11 shots as Purdue’s guards settled for missed jumpers, opening the door for the historic upset.
In fact, the transition to the pitfalls of life off the court at Kentucky will be more jarring for Almonor. During the 2022-23 season, FDU watched the film in a cinder block bathroom. It was the only place on campus where they could gather in privacy. The movie projector sat on top of a box resting on a Gatorade bucket, surrounded by benches.
And last February, FDU was stuck in an elevator at Long Island University for 15 minutes before the game there. After the harrowing experience, Almonor recorded 19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks in 39 minutes as the Knights won by two.
Suffice to say, Almonor is no prima donna. This is, without a doubt, another bonus for a coach looking to build a culture from scratch.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and college basketball since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 Voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared in the Asbury Park Press: Former FDU basketball star Ansley Almonor transfers to Kentucky
