Kentucky had a few open scholarships remaining heading into this week but Mark Pope had a full plan on how he was going to fill them. On Thursday morning he was able to check one box when Fairleigh Dickinson forward Ansley Almonor committed to Kentucky.

Almonor comes to Kentucky after averaging 16.4 points and shooting 39.4 percent from three last year for FDU.

He hit 93 3s which were tied for the most in FDU single-season history.

To be blunt — Kentucky needed a commitment from a type of player like Almonor due to his ability to stretch the floor. Look no further than the comments made by Kentucky assistant coach Cody Fueger this week, saying the Wildcats ‘want to take 35 3s a game this year’.

Almonor is a career 38.5 percent three-point shooter who has made 180 in his three seasons at FDU. In the last two years as a full-time starter, he’s combined to make 168 3s and average 2.5 made 3s a game.

“Ansley is one of the best shooting mid-major bigs out there and he is a tremendous mover without the basketball,” Pope said on Friday. “He’s a fearless competitor with great leadership qualities. Ansley is a finance major who comes from an unbelievable family from Haiti. He’s a great addition to this roster as a veteran presence with a lot of college basketball under his belt.”

The 6-foot-7 and 219-pound Almonor is a matchup nightmare for opposing forwards if he plays the small-ball four. He has the ability to put the ball on the floor in addition to his shooting ability.

However, at the end of the day it’s his shooting that will give him minutes. In the last two years alone, he has 32 games with at least three made 3s in a game.

With Almonor next to Koby Brea, Kerr Kriisa and even Otega Oweh to an extent, Kentucky will have quite the lineup that can hit from three.

Almonor has appeared in 92 games across three seasons, adding 69 starts under his belt.

His motor, toughness, veteran mindset and overall competitiveness will be another welcomed addition to an already very good looking roster for Mark Pope.