Oklahoma State's topsy-turvy month took another turn Tuesday as sophomore center Yor Anei, the team's leading shot-blocker with 55 starts under his belt the last two seasons, opted to enter the transfer portal.
Anei's transfer comes at a time in which the program is fighting the NCAA on a postseason ban it handed the Cowboys earlier this month, which is to be served this upcoming season as punishment stemming from the federal investigation into college basketball corruption. As such, Anei may find leniency in seeking a waiver for immediate eligibility at the college of his choosing.
Anei is the first formal defection from Oklahoma State's basketball program in the wake of the ban, and incoming recruits Ferron Flavors Jr., Rondel Walker and Donovan Williams have all affirmed their commitment to the program since. OSU even added a commitment Tuesday morning from Ole Miss transfer Bryce Williams. But the big question yet to be answered centers around Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 recruit in the country who has signed with Oklahoma State but has not said yet whether he will stick with his pledge or look elsewhere.
Despite playing just 21.9 minutes per game on average in each of his two seasons at OSU, Anei is an analytics darling viewed as one of the conference's best shot-blockers. As a freshman, he ranked fourth nationally in block percentage and first among Big 12 players in conference play, per KenPom. As a sophomore, he ranked 13th and third in those same categories, respectively.
Anei is from the Kansas City area and was lightly recruited out of Shawnee Mission South High School in 2018. He committed to OSU over offers from Central Arkansas, Denver and UAB.
