from
apr 20, 2017 | BEN BOLCH | THE L.A. TIMES | ARTICLE LINK
Ike Anigbogu presumably wasn’t trying to be ironic when he wore a UCLA basketball shirt in a photo that was posted on Twitter on Thursday. The Bruins center smiled as he stood next to NBA agent Jason Glushon, whose agency, Glushon Sports Management, welcomed Anigbogu into its clientele with the tweet, effectively ending his career as a Bruin.
Ike Anigbogu presumably wasn’t trying to be ironic when he wore a UCLA basketball shirt in a photo that was posted on Twitter on Thursday. The Bruins center smiled as he stood next to NBA agent Jason Glushon, whose agency, Glushon Sports Management, welcomed Anigbogu into its clientele with the tweet, effectively ending his career as a Bruin.
Anigbogu becomes the third UCLA freshman to have hired an agent ahead of the NBA draft, joining Lonzo Ball and TJ Leaf. Glushon also represents New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday, a former Bruin.
While Ball and Leaf are widely projected as first-round selections, there is no such consensus on where Anigbogu could be taken. One mock draft board predicts he will be go No. 18 overall, but another foresees him going No. 37, which would be early in the second round.
The 6-foot-10 Anigbogu is largely coveted because of his physical presence and potential as an elite defender. His modest averages of 4.7 points and 4.0 rebounds in 13 minutes per game last season are not representative of his massive upside.
UCLA Coach Steve Alford seemed to acknowledge that Anigbogu would be leaving even before he hired an agent, saying earlier this month that “he certainly has my support in making the jump to the NBA. We’re really going to miss him.”
The Bruins are still waiting to find out whether junior center Thomas Welsh and sophomore guard Aaron Holiday will return next season after having declared for the draft without hiring an agent. They have until May 24 to withdraw from draft consideration.
No comments:
Post a Comment