Sometimes, not being able to play in the NBA is not the end for many players, and this is evident in former Kentucky Wildcats forward Ansel Almonor. After leaving Lexington, he went to Salon Vilpas, a top-tier team in Finland’s Korisliiga. There, the 6’7 small forward helped lead the team to the league championship.
As he and his teammates celebrated, his former coach, Mark Pope, sent him a shoutout and also celebrated his former player’s milestone.
“Cats winning EVERYWHERE 🌍🏆 Congrats! @ansleyalmonor,” Mark Pope said.
Ansel Almonor played in only one season at Kentucky, playing his first three seasons with Fairleigh Dickinson. He gained a lot of notoriety during the 2023 NCAA Tournament when he helped lead the Knights to upset the heavily-favored Purdue Boilermakers. He then transferred to Kentucky before running out of eligibility and choosing to go pro in Europe.
During his one and only season with Kentucky, Ansley Almonor averaged 5.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. Over the summer, he played in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), suiting up for La Familia and averaging 1.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
While the European game is a lot more different than the US college basketball game, it seems that the former Wildcat was able to adjust well, as he was able to help lead his team to the Finnish league’s title.
A lot of players often use a stint in Europe as a stepping stone to the NBA, though others developed long careers overseas, becoming legends there and not once choosing to go back to the US and play in the NBA.
Language Not a Barrier For Ansel Almonor As Former Kentucky Wildcat Celebrates With Finnish Teammates
Going to play in a different country can be hard. Not only is it a challenge to adjust to a new playstyle, but one still has to deal with the language barrier. However, that did not stop Ansel Almonor from celebrating with his Finnish teammates after they won the Korisliiga championship, and the small forward was clearly enjoying himself.
Almonor admitted he did not understand what his Salon Vilpas teammates were talking about, but he was dancing along with them nonetheless.
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