One of the most underrated players in the SEC will come off Kentucky's bench
![Mar 19, 2023; Columbus, OH, USA; Fairleigh Dickinson Knights forward Ansley Almonor (5) reacts to a play in the second half against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports Mar 19, 2023; Columbus, OH, USA; Fairleigh Dickinson Knights forward Ansley Almonor (5) reacts to a play in the second half against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3914,h_2201,x_0,y_408/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/wildcats_today/01j3qwypta6nnn3rz2s3.jpg)
One player that Coach Mark Pope brought in via the transfer portal that Kentucky fans aren't talking enough about is Ansley Almonor. Last season at Fairleigh Dickinson, Almonor had a massive season, leading the team in scoring, averaging 16.4 points per game. He also averaged 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game for the Knights.
Almonor is only 6'7, but he has played the four and five during his college basketball career, so he is used to playing a position where he is undersized. Last season, Almonor shot 39.4% from three, so a lineup with Coach Pope going small with Almonor at the four, and perhaps Andrew Carr at the five could be elite. That lineup could be the deadliest three-point shooting lineup in all of college hoops.
Almonor is a veteran who will be able to give the Wildcats a spark off the bench on both ends of the floor, and he isn't afraid to help on the boards. A sneaky prediction for the 2024-25 season is that Almonor will be a star and end up being a big reason why the Kentucky Wildcats make a run in the NCAA Tournament.
Kentucky Athletics sent this quote out from Coach Pope about Almonor, “Ansley is one of the best shooting mid-major bigs out there, and he is a tremendous mover without the basketball. He’s a fearless competitor with great leadership qualities. Ansley is a finance major who comes from an unbelievable family from Haiti. He’s a great addition to this roster as a veteran presence with a lot of college basketball under his belt.”