UCLA basketball 2017 report card: Ike Anigbogu

UCLA’s Ike Anigbogu didn’t earn the playing time expected of scout.com’s No. 17 recruit in the country last season. (Brian Rothmuller/Getty Images)

Strengths: Ike Anigbogu’s current situation perfectly illustrates the exceptional athletic ability of the UCLA freshman center. Despite averaging a pedestrian 4.7 points and 4 rebounds, the obvious potential he possesses could land him alone side some of college basketball’s elite in the first round of the upcoming NBA draft. He is more than six months shy of his 19th birthday, but he has the muscle tone of an NFL strong safety. He is at least 6-foot-10, but looks vastly different than the majority of gangly basketball players at his position. By the end of the season, Anigbogu’s off-the-charts body and athleticism were translating to a high level of defense on the court.

Weaknesses: Anigbogu was the very last offensive option in UCLA’s eight-man rotation last season. He didn’t get much opportunity to develop his skills on that end of the court, but it doesn’t mean Anigbogu doesn’t have the ability to score using more than just brute strength and leaping ability. He averaged 17 points per game as a senior in high school and showed glimpses of having soft hands and nice touch around the basket. It’s apparent that he is lacking polish at the offensive end, where he was most effective catching lob passes.

Best moment: Anigbogu started the season slow after a knee injury, but his coming out party happened on a grand stage. The fourth game of his college career was a UCLA victory over then No. 1-Kentucky at Rupp Arena in which Anigbogu made 3 of 4 field goal attempts, grabbed six rebounds and had a pair of crowd-stopping blocks. His six points and six rebounds didn’t nearly do justice to the presence Anigbogu provided in UCLA’s 97-92 win on Dec. 3.

Worst moment: The worst part of Anigbogu’s freshman year at UCLA happened before the season even began. He suffered a small tear in his meniscus Oct. 25, two-and-a-half weeks before UCLA’s season-opener. As an incoming freshman, preseason practice is likely more valuable than an in-season routine that offers less time for fundamental instruction. Anigbogu missed more than a month, including the first five games of the season after undergoing minor surgery. It’s hard to know how much his slow start effected the rest of the year because Anigbogu’s playing time may have been limited by veteran center Thomas Welsh’s presence no matter what. Anigbogu averaged just 13 minutes per game, far less than most would anticipate for scout.com’s No. 17 recruit in the country.

Summary: Anigbogu gave UCLA a defensive presence like it hadn’t had in recent memory and made some spectacular plays in his first season at UCLA. He didn’t claim a role to match his hype, posting underwhelming statistics despite obvious potential. Though if he played starter’s minutes, doubling Abigbogu’s production would have given him healthy averages of nearly 10 points, eight rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Perhaps the lack of minutes wasn’t Anigbogu’s fault, seeing as UCLA coach Steve Alford seemed to favor players that fit his offensive scheme even if it compromised UCLA’s defense. But Anigbogu was so obviously talented, it was disappointing that he didn’t realize more of his potential last season. Playing along side two of the most accomplished freshman in the country in Lonzo Ball and TJ Leaf, it’s easily forgotten how young and inexperienced Anigbogu was.

Grade: C+

Future outlook: Anigbogu has declared for the NBA draft but hasn’t hired an agent, leaving the door open for a return to UCLA. He is a fascinating case that demonstrates the power of potential versus the value of experience. He undoubtedly has an NBA body even six months shy of his 19th birthday. But he would be a project at the professional level in his current state. Should he return to UCLA, it may not take him long to develop into a game-changing presence at the collegiate level. Of course, he may end up in a similarly restrictive situation playing behind Welsh should Welsh to return to UCLA.