Syracuse Basketball: Frank Anselem picks ‘Cuse
Frank Anselem, a four-star recruit from Georgia, has committed to the Orange. The center adds needed frontcourt depth for Syracuse basketball.
The wait is over! After weeks of nail biting, checking social media, and waiting, waiting, and waiting some more, Frank Anselem has announced his intent to join the Syracuse basketball program.
He chose the Orange over the likes of San Diego State, Georgia, and New Mexico, who rounded out his final four.
It’s been an incredibly long journey but at this point, I choose to further my education as well as basketball career at SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY. Thanks to everyone who has been a part of my life and supported me thus far. Looking forward to what the future holds.🙏🏽 #goorange 🍊🍊🍊
— Frank Anselem- Ibe (@the2kfranky) June 3, 2020
Anselem, who is ranked 142nd by 247Sports and 182nd by 247Sports Composite, was one of the last remaining prospects to decide. However, with his commitment to the Orange, it boosts an SU recruiting class that was decent, to more Orange standards.
In this highlight tape below, it’s easy to see that Anselem is a bit raw. However, a few positive things I noticed are his abilities to block shots, and quick gathers and dunks, not wasting any time to put the ball on the deck before going up. Both of these are impressive qualities for any high-school big man to have.
His main upside is the length and presence down low that he brings. Syracuse basketball has needed that for quite some time now, relying on big men such as Marek Dolezaj, Bourama Sidibe, and Paschal Chukwu over the past couple of years. While they all bring a lot of good qualities for the Orange, they all lack a muscular frame, making it challenging for the Orange to score down low offensively.
While Anselem still isn’t the bulkiest of guys, such as Arinze Onuaku or Rick Jackson, he does remind me of a Rakeem Christmas – a lengthy athlete that won’t get moved around often.
Josh Gershon, a 247Sports National Recruiting Analyst, describes Anselem as the following:
"Athletic center with outstanding frame. Good size, wide shoulders and very long arms. Strong kid but not maxed out. Still raw on offense but physical tools give him very high upside. Has budding elbow jumper and hook shot but footwork and post moves can improve. Has chance to be high level rebounder and rim protector given size, length and athleticism. Still inconsistent but upside is very high. Projects as high major starter with professional upside dependent on development of skill."
In that evaluation, he also projects Anselem as a Power-5 Starter, perhaps shedding some light on the future center of the Orange.
If Anselem can develop into a starter, it would be a welcome sight for an Orange team that graduates both Dolezaj and Sidibe after the 2020-21 season. Welcome to Syracuse, Frank!