Yor Anei is a Shot-Swatting Star

Yor Anei came to Stillwater as the 317th prospect in the 2018 recruiting class, and now he is No. 1 in Oklahoma State history in blocks by a freshman.

Anei broke the Cowboys’ freshman blocks record Wednesday with his six-stuff performance against Baylor, giving him 70 blocks in his first year of collegiate basketball. The six blocks Anei had against the Bears also ties the school’s single-game record for freshmen, a feat that has been done five times, twice from Anei.

Seventy blocks puts Anei 16th on OSU’s career blocks list in only his freshman season. In school history only Byron Houston has had at least 40 blocks in each of his four seasons, something Anei is on route to doing.

Here’s a look at the best swatting freshmen in OSU history:

Anei is fourth in the country among freshman shot blockers, and he still has a way to go to break Anthony Davis’ freshmen record of 186 blocks during the 2011-12 season. Anei leads Power Five freshmen in this stat this season, though. These freshmen are tops in swats this season.

Dropping the freshman title, Anei’s season is tied for third in OSU history, regardless of class. Anei’s numbers trail only Andre Williams’ senior season and Joe Atkinson’s junior year. Anei has blocked 38 shots in Big 12 games this year, trailing only Williams’ senior (45) and sophomore (39) seasons.

Although Anei is hanging around the school record for blocks in a season, he is no where near David Robinson’s 207 blocks, an NCAA record set in the 1985-86 season. To even get in the Top 100 of the NCAA season blocks list, players need 118 swats. Western Illinois’ Brandon Gilbeck leads the country in blocks this season with 102.

This is what OSU’s single season blocks list looks like regardless of classification.

The battle to be Big 12 block king is tight this season, with Anei two stuffs behind Texas Tech’s Tariq Owens. For the time being, Anei leads the conference’s freshmen, topping Texas Jaxson Hayes by a single stuff. Hayes is thought to be a first-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft.