With the 47th pick (2nd round) in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers have selected UCLA Basketball center Ike Anigbogu.
Double BOOM! Not only has the UCLA Basketball team had three players from last season selected in the 2017 NBA Draft, but two of them are heading to the Indiana Pacers.
A round after power forward TJ Leaf was selected by Indiana with the 18th overall pick, center Ike Anigbogu heard his named called by the Pacers.
In all, UCLA has had four former players taken in the draft as Lonzo Ball was picked second by the Los Angeles Lakers and 2015-16 power forward Jonah Bolden (who left to play professionally overseas for a year), was selected in the 2nd round, 36th overall, by the Philadelphia 76ers.
There is a reason why UCLA Basketball fans did not want Anigbogu to leave after just one season. Even though he only averaged 13 minutes with 4.7 ppg, Anigbogu had a lot of upside. Though he did not play many minutes, often coming in for starting center Thomas Welsh, Ike added a level of ferocity that we have not seen since Lorenzo Mata-Real and Alfred Aboya,
Anigbogu already has a body that is built for the NBA and will be a real asset to Indiana, especially on the defensive side. Not only does Ike challenge shots, but he forces shooters to think twice before they get into the paint.
Though he needs to work on his offensive game (Leaf can hold that end of the court down in the mean time), Anigbogu will bring a level of energy and excitement to his position.
Next: TJ Leaf selected by the Indiana Pacers
Congratulations, Ike!