O. D. Anosike Explained

O. D. Anosike
Position:Center / power forward
Height Ft:6
Height In:8
Weight Lbs:245
Team:Free Agent
Birth Date:January 3, 1991
Birth Place:Staten Island, New York
Nationality:American / Nigerian
College:Siena (2009–2013)
Draft Year:2013
Career Start:2013
Years1:2013–2014
Team1:VL Pesaro
Years2:2014
Team2:SIG Strasbourg
Years3:2014–2015
Team3:Sidigas Avellino
Years4:2015
Team4:AEK Athens
Years5:2016
Team5:Brindisi
Years6:2016–2017
Team6:Varese
Years7:2017–2018
Team7:Real Betis
Years8:2018–2019
Team8:Le Portel
Years9:2019–2020
Team9:Jeonju KCC Egis
Years10:2020–2021
Team10:Fuerza Regia de Monterrey
Years11:2021
Team11:Lavrio
Years12:2021
Team12:Fuerza Regia de Monterrey
Years13:2021–2022
Team13:Cholet Basket
Years14:2022–2023
Team14:Manisa BB
Years15:2023
Team15:Mahram Tehran BC
Years16:2023
Team16:Al-Ahly Benghazi
Years17:2024
Team17:MKE Ankaragücü
Highlights:

Oderah "O. D." Anosike (born January 3, 1991) is an American professional basketball player who last played for Manisa BB of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi. He played college basketball for Siena College. In the 2011–12 NCAA Division I season, Anosike led Division I in rebounding, with a 12.5 per game average.[1] [2] He then repeated as the country's top rebounder in 2012–13, with an 11.4 per game average.[3]

College career

Anosike began his college basketball career in 2009–10. Anosike's contributions in his inaugural year were modest; he averaged 2.7 points and 3.4 rebounds, in 12.1 minutes per game.[1] He was, however, only one of four Siena players to appear in all 34 of the team's games.[1]

During Anosike's sophomore season, he averaged 8.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.[1] Then-teammate Ryan Rossiter was a prolific rebounder as well, and Anosike believes he could have grabbed more rebounds that season, had it not been for Rossiter.[4] The following year, his junior season, he nearly doubled his rebounding average, with Rossiter graduating the previous spring. Anosike averaged 15.0 points, and a nation-leading 12.5 rebounds per game, en route to a First Team All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) selection.[1] [3] He was also named to the Lou Henson (Mid-Major) All-American Team.[1] During one stretch in 2011–12, Anosike recorded 17 straight double-doubles, which is a Siena record, and the second-longest streak in the previous 15 years of Division I basketball.[1]

Anosike repeated as the nation's top rebounder in 2012–13, after grabbing 11.4 per game.[3] He was named a Senior CLASS Award candidate as student-athlete of the year,[5] and in January, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas declared him to be the best rebounder in men's college basketball.[6]

Professional career

2013–14 season

After going undrafted in the 2013 NBA draft, Anosike joined the Denver Nuggets summer league team for the 2013 NBA Summer League. On August 5, 2013, he signed a one-year deal with Scavolini Pesaro of the Italian Serie A.[7] In addition to being named a league all-star, Anosike went on to be the Serie A leading rebounder during his rookie campaign. In his first professional season, he averaged 14.3 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game for Scavolini Pesaro.

On May 18, 2014, he signed with Strasbourg IG of France for the rest of the 2014–15 LNB Pro A season.[8]

2014–15 season

In July 2014, Anosike joined the Boston Celtics for the 2014 NBA Summer League.[9] On July 15, 2014, he signed a one-year deal with Sidigas Avellino of Italy.[10]

2015–16 season

On August 24, 2015, he signed a one-year deal with Laboral Kutxa Baskonia of the Spanish Liga ACB and the Euroleague.[11] On October 4, he parted ways with Baskonia before appearing in a game for them.[12] Three days later, he signed with the Greek club AEK Athens.[13] On November 27, he parted ways with AEK after appearing in four league games and five Eurocup games.[14]

On January 7, 2016, Anosike signed with Enel Brindisi of Italy for the rest of the 2015–16 Lega Basket Serie A season.[15]

2016–17 season

On July 16, 2016, Anosike signed with the Italian team Pallacanestro Varese.[16]

2020–21 season

On September 17, 2020, Anosike signed with Fuerza Regia de Monterrey of the Mexican Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional.[17] On January 9, 2021, Anosike moved to Lavrio of the Greek Basket League, where he clinched the league finals for the first time.[18]

2021–22 season

On July 27, 2021, Anosike returned to Fuerza Regia.[19] He averaged 10.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. On December 20, 2021, Anosike signed with Cholet Basket of the LNB Pro A.[20]

2022–23 season

On August 28, 2022, he has signed with Manisa BB of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi.[21] After his season in Turkey, in 2023, Anosike played in Libya for Al-Ahly Benghazi and won the Libyan Division I Basketball League championship.

2023 season

On November 4, 2023, he has signed with Mahram Tehran BC

2024 season

On January 18, 2024, he has signed with MKE Ankaragücü

The Basketball Tournament

OD Anosike played for Saints Alive in the 2018 edition of The Basketball Tournament. He scored 8 points and had 7 rebounds in the team's first-round loss to Team Fancy.

Personal

Anosike is the son of Ben and Ngozi Anosike, both Nigerian immigrants.[1] [4] He has seven siblings: Nicky, Nneoma, Rotanna, Ikenna, Ifesinachi, Anulika, and Ejimōför ("EJ").[1] One of his sisters, Nicky Anosike, played college basketball for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, won two national championships, and as a senior, was named the NCAA Woman of the Year.[1] She currently plays in the WNBA.[1]

Although his given name is Oderah, his nickname "O. D." was given to him when he was a young child.[4] Explaining where it came from, he said, "In kindergarten the kids had trouble pronouncing Oderah, so my mom said, 'Just call him O. D., the first two letters of his name,' and it kind of stuck with me ever since."[4] In Igbo, his name translates to, "whatever God has written, can never be taken away."[4]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: O.D. Anosike Bio. SienaSaints.com. February 26, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20161106035344/http://www.sienasaints.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/anosike_o.d.01.html. November 6, 2016. dead.
  2. Web site: Well Above The Radar – O.D. Anosike. TeamNigeriaBasketball.com. November 7, 2012. February 26, 2013.
  3. Web site: O.D. Anosike Stats. Sports-Reference.com. February 26, 2013.
  4. Web site: Styczynski. Jack. Siena Rebounder Jumps Out of a Shadow. The New York Times. February 21, 2012. February 26, 2013.
  5. Web site: O.D. Anosike. SeniorClassAward.com. February 26, 2013.
  6. Web site: Benoit. Tom. ESPN's Jay Bilas Names OD Anosike Top Rebounder. 4GuysInBlazers.com. February 13, 2013. February 26, 2013.
  7. Web site: O.D. Anosike signs with Vuelle Pesaro. Sportando.com. August 5, 2013. September 26, 2013.
  8. News: SIG Strasbourg announce OD Anosike. May 23, 2014. Sportando.com. May 18, 2014.
  9. News: Celtics Announce 2014 Orlando Summer League Roster. July 1, 2014. NBA.com. July 1, 2014.
  10. News: Scandone Avellino announces OD Anosike. July 15, 2014. Sportando.com. July 15, 2014.
  11. News: Laboral Kutxa adds powerful center Oderah Anosike. Baskonia.com. August 24, 2015. December 10, 2015.
  12. News: OD Anosike ya no es jugador de Laboral Kutxa Baskonia. December 10, 2015. Baskonia.com. October 4, 2015. es.
  13. News: AEK Athens brings in rebounder Anosike. https://web.archive.org/web/20151018000617/http://www.eurocupbasketball.com/eurocup/news/i/6e57a8enfjqvmmsh/aek-athens-brings-in-rebounder-anosike. dead. October 18, 2015. December 10, 2015. Eurocupbasketball.com. October 7, 2015.
  14. News: Anosike leaves AEK Athens. December 10, 2015. Eurobasket.com. November 27, 2015.
  15. News: OD Anosike signs with Enel Brindisi. January 7, 2016. Sportando.com. January 7, 2016.
  16. News: Pallacanestro Varese lands OD Anosike. 16 July 2016. 16 July 2016.
  17. Web site: Anosike is back at Fuerza Regia . Latinbasket . September 17, 2020 . September 17, 2020.
  18. News: O.D. Anosike signs with Lavrio . Sportando . July 27, 2021 . January 9, 2021. Lupo . Nicola .
  19. News: O.D. Anosike returns in Mexico to sign with Fuerza Regia . Sportando . July 27, 2021 . July 27, 2021. Maggi . Alessandro .
  20. News: O.D. Anosike signs with Cholet Basket . Sportando . December 20, 2021 . December 20, 2021. Skerletic . Dario .
  21. News: O.D. Anosike joins Manisa BBSK. August 28, 2022. Sportando. En. August 28, 2022. Skerletic . Dario .