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Basketball: Bears sign 6-11 Danish center
By Jeff Faraudo
Saturday, May 12th, 2012 at 5:54 pm in Basketball, Recruiting.
Cal added to its frontcourt depth with the signing of Sami Eleraky, a 6-foot-11, 240-pound center from Copenhagen, Denmark, assistant coach John Montgomery reported on his Twitter account.
Cal discovered Eleraky last summer during its preseason tour of northern Europe. Eleraky did not play on the Danish national team the Bears faced, but the connection that led to his signing began at that point.
Eleraky, who will be eligible to play next season, averaged 4.5 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Danish team at the under-18 European Championships last summer. The year before, playing in the same event, he averaged 2.3 points and 5.9 rebounds, including a 10-point, 17-rebound effort vs. Luxembourg.
He played this past season for the Aalborg Vikings of the Danish league, averaging 6.0 points and 5.8 rebounds, according to the website Eurobasket.com.
Eleraky, who turns 19 later this month, also considered Texas, Marquette and Virginia Tech, according to Scout.com.
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May 12th, 2012 at 6:06 pm
Good news. Inside depth and size can always be coached up by Monty.
May 12th, 2012 at 6:22 pm
We’ll take him – nice late recruiting season find. More inside depth desperately needed.
May 12th, 2012 at 7:16 pm
Sounds like a taller Bak Bak to me. We couldn’t get the Polish guy, so we go after this one instead? Is he a big 6’11″ or a skinny one?
May 12th, 2012 at 7:43 pm
He’s listed at about 6-11, 240 pounds. If true, perhaps lean but hardly skinny.
May 12th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
Nice get by Montgomery and staff. Kudos.
May 12th, 2012 at 10:57 pm
He’s not skinny, he is solid. His game. is not as advanced as the Pole but he is more athletic and has tremendous upside. If he comes in ready to work and learn under our staff he could be a player.
Huge that the team has another big for next year!
If our 3 freshman come in ready to play and carve out roles our team will be good.
In addition to the 3 frosh we get Solo back and Krek who had to rs last year. Basically 5 new players.
I’m excited to see how our roster comes together!
May 13th, 2012 at 7:08 am
Incoming frosh: Wallace, Johnson, Eleraky, Rodriguez
Soph transfer: Kreklow
MIA last year: Solomon, Behrens
7 players who weren’t really options last year.
Solomon was only able to play in a few games where he was really needed. Behrens was way behind all of last year.
Rodriguez could very well redshirt this year with the frontcourt depth created by Eleraky’s arrival.
May 13th, 2012 at 8:22 am
Stereotypically, the European kids come to work and actually hit the books as college athletes, unlike we lazy Xbox playing, Jersey Shore idolizing, imbeciles we give full rides to so they can barely pass a semester then bolt for the NBA.
I’m always happy to add international players, though it crushed me when Max left. That team could have been really good with him at center.
May 15th, 2012 at 2:41 pm
Hahaha maybe is bc i am in Amsterdam but cow you making me laugh.
Because you are smart, you said European kids, different from the general foreign kids that fararuraruauado said. I knew Sean marks. He is not euro, so yeah, the euros come to study and learn and play hoops but the rest, Xbox stoners to nba.
So true I am laughing out loud wisdom cow!