Kouassi, 6-10 transfer, set to join Hogs

Kennesaw State center Willy Kouassi battles Cincinnati guard Kevin Johnson for a rebound on Friday, Nov. 29, 2013, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl)
Kennesaw State center Willy Kouassi battles Cincinnati guard Kevin Johnson for a rebound on Friday, Nov. 29, 2013, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas men's basketball Coach Mike Anderson said center Willy Kouassi, a transfer from Kennesaw (Ga.) State, should be arriving on the UA campus in late July to begin working out with the Razorbacks.

Kouassi, 6-10 and 230 pounds, will have immediate eligibility as a fifth-year senior at Arkansas after graduating from Kennesaw State this summer.

"Right now Willy is finishing up school," Anderson said Monday. "We certainly look forward to having him here.

"We haven't had a graduate student come on board, but we really feel that Willy can come in and immediately impact our team."

Kouassi, from the Republic of Ivory Coast in Africa, was a top 100-rated player by most recruiting services coming out of Birmingham (Ala.) Central Park Christian High School. He began his college career at Auburn, where as a freshman during the 2011-2012 season he averaged 1.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.6 rebounds and 10.2 minutes in 25 games. He then transferred to Kennesaw State, where he redshirted and played the past two seasons.

As a junior last season, Kouassi was named the Atlantic Sun Conference defensive player of the year after averaging 4.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocked shots and 19.9 minutes while starting 25 of 27 games.

Arkansas was among several schools to recruit him as a graduate student along with Ole Miss, Memphis, BYU, Western Kentucky and North Texas.

"I think he brings athletic ability and brings a hunger and a maturity level that we've got to have," Anderson said. "We just feel he's an important piece to our program."

Ole Miss Coach Andy Kennedy said he showed recruiting interest in Kouassi because Rebels assistant Tony Madlock was an Auburn assistant when Kouassi signed with the Tigers.

Kennedy said he also was influenced to recruit Kouassi because of Ole Miss' success last season with graduate transfers M.J. Rhett, a forward from Tennessee State who averaged 7.4 points and 4.6 rebounds for the Rebels, and Terence Smith, a guard from Tennessee-Martin who averaged 3.9 points and had 58 assists with 19 turnovers.

"When you bring in a post-grad, he's done what he needs to do to graduate, so that shows you a level of maturity," Kennedy said. "He's also been through the rigors of college basketball.

"I haven't seen Willy play in quite some time, but if memory serves, he's a long, athletic rim protector who can certainly bring value to their program."

Kennedy said Ole Miss backed off recruiting Kouassi when the Rebels got another graduate transfer, 6-9 Tomasz Gielo, who averaged 12.0 points and 6.3 rebounds for Liberty last season.

Sports on 06/30/2015

Upcoming Events